Cervelo S2/S3/S5 (rim) wheel width help

fat bloke · 29-12-2021 12:55am #1

Yo y'all. I picked up a 2018 S2 just there, had it out for a spin today and really liked it. The older S series (and the R's) are notoriously tyre width sensitive and you're really restricted to 23's to prevent tyre rubbing.

This one has some tyre rub on the inner chainstays on one side and I want to address it so I'd like to know what works for other owners in terms of wheel and tyre combos.

This came with Hunt wheels and I believe they're the aero wide ones which are a 27mm rim. So even though the tyre is a 23, it's been wide enough to rub.

I have a set of cosmic exalith pro carbons that are 25mm rim that should be better, or I have aluminum rimmed Bontrager Aeolus 5's that are (according to my googling) only 22mm wide in the rim,which should definitely work.

But with modern tyres and rims expanding like Christmas waistlines :) I'd like to hear some tried and tested recommendations from current S series owners please?

fat bloke · 29-12-2021 6:09pm

Nobody here with an S?

koutoubia · 29-12-2021 6:11pm

Cant help with the specific frame and not totally related to tyre width but I had the same issue on my Noah Fast where the pads kept rubbing the rim. It was recommeded on another forum that I use Swissstop Flash Evo BLack Prince pads. They are a mm narrower on each pad giving that bit of extra clearance. Did the job.

Jimbo789 · 29-12-2021 7:07pm

I recently bought a 2015 Cervelo S3. It had the original Mavic Cosmic Elite S wheels and the guy was running 28mm continental grand prix 4 season without any issues.

I’ll be switching on my own wheels with 25mm tubeless GP5000.

nicksnikita · 29-12-2021 8:38pm

Briefly owned a couple of S2s of that era.

Only ever ran them on 23mm tyres with the stock wheels - Shimano R500 and Shimano RS010.

I’ve found Jack Brown Race 25mm tyres to be “narrower” than most others and have fitted them in the past to bikes with tight tolerances

fat bloke · 29-12-2021 9:29pm

Thanks all.

I'm amazed the 28's worked Jimbo, unless the s3 clearance is a lot better than the s2. Have you actually looked inside the chainstay for wear?

@nicksnikita yeah the S2 came with very basic RS010s but seems a shame to hobble a nice frame with such a ploddy workhorse wheelset. It rode beautifully with the Hunts but they're too wide.

I just spent the evening changing tyres, tubes and cassette onto the Bontrager Aeolus wheels that I scored on here a few months back. Haven't ridden them yet. They're a lot heavier than the Hunts, but also more appropriate for winter riding.

They're a 22mm rim against the Hunt's 27mm so that should make a big difference, and I've just put fresh 23mm GP5000's on. It'll be my GP5k debut as well. :)

nicksnikita · 29-12-2021 10:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118387976#Comment_118387976

That setup will work well I'd say. Post a pic for the look

fat bloke · 29-12-2021 11:42pm

See how she goes tomorrow. I've a 125km festive 500 deficit to make up!

nicksnikita · 30-12-2021 12:32am

Very tidy

fat bloke · 30-12-2021 9:03pm

May as well report back on my own research!

Did 125k today, no rubbing at all on the new set up with the Aeolus 5 22mm rim and 23mm Gp5000's. I must say - a magnificent sweet-rollin' combination. I'd been suffering some buyers remorse having bought the wheels. Old school, heavy alu rimmed, carbon faired hoops and I didn't see how it's use em at all but absolutely delighted with how they went today. Looking down on the wheels from the rider's eye view, they don't look like 23's. You'd swear they were 25's. I have a pair of mavic 23mm yksion tyres on a pair of aksiums and they look comically skinny by comparison.

I must keep an eye out for future options because as far as I can see most every wheel in the market now is a wide rim. Maybe a wheel builder is the way to go altogether.

Cervelo S2/S3/S5 (rim) wheel width help

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