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Argon 18 E-119 Tri+ Disc vs Cervélo P5
Pick up to 4 bikes. Rows line up component by component. Highlighted rows differ, and green marks the best value where lower or higher is clearly better.
Key differences
- The Argon 18 E-119 Tri+ Disc starts $451 cheaper ($10,199 vs $10,650 for the Cervélo P5).
- Our verdict scores the Cervélo P5 higher overall: 76/100 vs 74/100.
- Only the Cervélo P5 is UCI legal, so only it can be raced in UCI time trials.
- Tire clearance: up to 28 mm on the Argon 18 E-119 Tri+ Disc vs 34 mm on the Cervélo P5.
- The Argon 18 E-119 Tri+ Disc comes in 5 sizes, the Cervélo P5 in 6.
Argon 18 E-119 Tri+ Disc
Cervélo P5
| Argon 18E-119 Tri+ Disc | CervéloP5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Argon 18 | Cervélo |
| Build | E-119 Tri+ Disc SRAM Red AXS | P5 Red AXS 1 |
| Build notes | — | Single-chainring (1x) build. Weight size not stated by Cervélo. |
| Price (MSRP) | $14,999$14,999$14,999 | €13,499$14,750£12,000 |
| Bike weight | — | 9.08 kg20 lb |
| Model year | 2025 | 2027 |
| Generation | 2nd generation E-119 Tri+ (first disc-brake version) | 2024 version |
| Launched | 2021 | 2024-07 |
| Discipline | Triathlon | Triathlon |
| UCI legal | No | Yes |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 74 | 76 |
| Aero | 85 | 90 |
| Frame | — | 84 |
| Components | 86 | 92 |
| Hydration & storage | 78 | 70 |
| Fit | 82 | 86 |
| Practicality | 52 | 56 |
| Price | 59 | 53 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Fork material | — | Carbon (Bayonet P5 fork) |
| Frame sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 |
| Colours | Constellation Black on all builds; Titanium White / Purple Shift (Ultegra Di2, Classified Powershift and frameset), Vivid Blue (Red AXS), White Ice (Force AXS E1) | Five Black, Platinum (varies by build and region) |
| Also available as | — | P-Series (lower-priced UCI-legal tri/TT bike with a standard stem interface) |
| UCI frame approval | — | Approved 28 Aug 2023 as 'P5, FM148' with fork 'P5, FK148', sizes 48-61 (6), code CERVELO-148 (UCI list version 2026.10.02) |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Disc, calipers integrated into frame and fork (Argon 18 Integrated Brake System) | Hydraulic disc |
| Max rotor size | 140 mm | — |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 28 mm | 34 mm |
| Bottom bracket standard | BB86 | BBright |
| Front axle | 12 mm thru-axle (DT Swiss RWS, 119 mm long) | 12x100 thru-axle |
| Rear axle | 12x142 thru-axle (DT Swiss RWS, 161 mm long) | 12x142 thru-axle |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Electronic (Di2, eTap) or mechanical; 1x or 2x | Sold with Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS electronic groupsets (1x Red AXS, 2x Force AXS) |
| Mechanical shifting possible | Yes | — |
| 1x compatible | Yes | — |
| Max chainring | 57T | — |
| Cable routing | Fully internal, with separate routing for Di2, eTap and mechanical | — |
| Electronic battery location | Inside the seatpost (internal battery holder) | — |
| Hydration & storage | ||
| Integrated hydration | — | No |
| Hydration details | No in-frame reservoir. A bottle cage mount on the cockpit bridge (regular or forward position) can be replaced with a plug. Triathlon Magazine Canada lists hydration points at the cockpit, behind the saddle and on the down tube. | Ships with a downtube aero bottle (500 ml per Triathlete) and a rear hydration mount; the frame has no internal reservoir. |
| Integrated storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage volume | 405 ml13.7 fl oz | — |
| Storage details | Bolt-on bento box on the top tube (405 ml according to Triathlon Magazine Canada). Toolkit compartment with a locking door at the bottom bracket, holding a pouch with a multi-tool, CO2 inflator head and 16 g cartridge; inner tube and tire lever not included. | Aero top-tube storage (Smartpak 400 bag) and storage at the stem. |
| Top tube bento box | Yes | Yes |
| Bottle mount locations | Cockpit bridge, down tube | Downtube (aero bottle), behind saddle (seatpost bottle mount), between the arms (BTA mount with angle adjust) |
| Behind-saddle mount | — | Cervélo rear hydration mount (included) |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Aerobar system | Argon 18 integrated cockpit with 51 Speedshop extensions | Integrated one-piece EX16 cockpit with Bayonet fork |
| Pad stack adjustment range | Up to 90 mm of stack spacers (5, 10, 20, 40 and 70 mm); reversible basebar raises hand position by 58 mm | Up to 40 mm of stack adjustment; basebar sits 10 mm lower than on the previous P5 |
| Extension options | 51 Speedshop custom extensions (30° grip angle) | Extension tilt adjustable 0-30° in 5° increments |
| Seatpost type | E-119T+ Disc aero seatpost with Ritchey clamp for 7 mm round rails (7x7, 8x8.5 and 7x9.6 mm clamps available from Ritchey) | Cervélo SP23 carbon aero seatpost |
| Effective seat angle range | 78° | — |
| Fit notes | The bridge carrying the arm pads can be fixed anywhere from 0° to 20° of tilt. Argon 18 publishes arm-pad stack and reach ranges (measured at the centre of the elbow pad) and saddle height ranges for each size. | Cervélo's online size and setup calculator takes target arm-pad stack, reach and saddle height and returns compatible sizes with the matching riser extension and pad hole settings. |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | Up to 10 W less drag than the previous rim-brake E-119 (frame, integration and compatibility with wider aero wheels), and up to 17 W including a lower rider position the cockpit allows | About 1 W faster than the previous P5 frame. Cervélo claims about 5 W total system saving with Reserve 77/88 wheels and 29 mm Vittoria tyres. |
| Testing method | Notio on-bike aerometer track testing at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre, Milton, Ontario (July 2020), plus CFD and wind tunnel testing during development | — |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Travel & packing | Argon 18's travel guide has you remove the wheels, seatpost, bento box, stem cap, bottle cage mount, bridge and basebar. It also says to fit an axle spacer if the case does not clamp both axles, insert brake pad spacers, and unplug the Di2 battery when the seatpost is removed. | — |
| Packing disassembly | Wheels, seatpost and collar, bento box, stem cap, bottle-cage mount, extension bridge and basebar | — |
| Headset bearings | Top: MR136 1-1/4" 45°x45° stainless bearing; bottom: MR122 1-1/8" 36°x45° bearing | — |
| Derailleur hanger | Proprietary (Argon 18 'TA Type A' hanger, SKU 80802; direct-mount version SKU 80832) | — |
| Maintenance | Integrated brakes use TRP hydraulics (TRP mineral oil and bleed kit). Pads are Tektro F10RS, also compatible with Shimano K02S/K04S. Headset bearings are 1-1/4" top and 1-1/8" bottom. | — |
| Proprietary parts | Integrated brake calipers and levers, cockpit, seatpost, bento box and toolkit door are E-119 Tri+ Disc specific | Bayonet fork and one-piece EX16 front end, SP23 seatpost |
| Frame warranty | 3 years for the original owner (frameset, fork, seatpost, handlebars), extendable to 5 years by registering online within 30 days; 1 year on headset, brakes, seatpost collar and paint | Limited lifetime warranty on the frame for the original owner (frames bought from 1 Sept 2025, excluding paint and decals); forks, carbon bars, stems and seatposts also lifetime |
| Sold via | Dealers | Through Cervélo retailers |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | SRAM Red AXS E1 | SRAM Red AXS E1 |
| Launched | 2024 · current generation | 2024 · current generation |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Drivetrain | 2x | 1x |
| Shifters | SRAM AXS Wireless Blips | SRAM AXS Blip controllers (bar-end and satellite) |
| Crankset | SRAM Red AXS Power Meter | SRAM Red 1x AXS E1 Power Meter |
| Chainrings | 50/37 | 50 |
| Crank length | 165 (XS, S) / 170 (M, L) / 172.5 (XL) | 160 (48-51) / 165 (54-56) / 170 (58) / 172.5 (61) |
| Power meter | SRAM Red AXS Power Meter | SRAM Red AXS E1 Power Meter |
| Launched | — | 2024 · current generation |
| Type | — | Integrated in crankset |
| Bottom bracket | CeramicSpeed BB86 DUB Coated | SRAM DUB Ceramic |
| Standard | BB86 | BBright |
| Bearings | CeramicSpeed coated | Ceramic |
| Front derailleur | SRAM Red AXS E1 | — |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Red AXS E1 | SRAM Red AXS E1 |
| Cassette | SRAM Red XG-1290 E1 | SRAM Red XG-1290 E1 |
| Range | 10-33 | 10-33 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | SRAM Red E1 | SRAM Red E1 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake levers | Argon 18 Integrated Brake System | — |
| Brake calipers | Argon 18 Integrated Brake System | SRAM Red Aero |
| Type | Hydraulic disc, integrated | Hydraulic disc |
| Rotors | TRP TR140-25 | SRAM Paceline X |
| Front rotor | 140 mm | — |
| Rear rotor | 140 mm | — |
| Mount | — | Center Lock |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Scope Artech 8.T | Reserve 77TA (front) / 88TA (rear) |
| Front rim depth | — | 77 mm |
| Rear rim depth | — | 88 mm |
| Rear disc wheel | — | No |
| Material | — | Carbon |
| Tubeless ready | — | Yes |
| Hubs | — | DT Swiss 180 |
| Spokes | — | 24H |
| Tires | Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR | Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR G2.0 |
| Tire width | 28 mm | 29 mm |
| Cockpit | ||
| Aerobar system | Argon 18 Integrated Cockpit | Cervélo EX16 Triathlon Cockpit (EX16 carbon riser + EX16 extension assembly) |
| Integrated with frame | Yes | Yes |
| Pad stack adjustment | Spacers up to 90 mm; reversible basebar (+58 mm) | Up to 40 mm |
| Tilt adjustment | 0-20° bridge angle | 0-30° in 5° steps |
| Material | — | Carbon |
| Basebar | Argon 18 Integrated Cockpit | Cervélo HB15 |
| Basebar width | 400 mm | 380 mm |
| Material | — | Carbon |
| Extensions | 51 Speedshop Custom Extensions | — |
| Headset | — | FSA IS2 1-1/8 in / 1-1/4 in |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | ISM PN3.1 | Fizik Transiro Aeris LD R1 Light |
| Seatpost | Argon 18 E-119T+ Disc | Cervélo SP23 |
| Material | — | Carbon |
| Included extras | ||
| Storage / bento | Argon 18 E-119 Disc bento box + BB toolkit | Cervélo P5 stem storage + Smartpak 400 top-tube bag |
| Volume | 405 ml13.7 fl oz | — |
| Bottle cages | — | Cervélo Aero water bottle with cage + rear hydration mount |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 |
| Stack | — | 461–556 mm18.1–21.9″ |
| Reach | — | 389–455 mm15.3–17.9″ |
| Pad stack min | 573–653 mm22.6–25.7″ | — |
| Pad stack max | 663–743 mm26.1–29.3″ | — |
| Pad reach min | 414–454 mm16.3–17.9″ | — |
| Pad reach max | 501–541 mm19.7–21.3″ | — |
| Seat angle min | 78° | — |
| Seat angle max | 78° | — |
| Head tube angle | 72° | 71–72.5° |
| Head tube length | — | 58.5–147.8 mm2.3–5.8″ |
| Effective top tube | 491–549 mm19.3–21.6″ | — |
| Seat tube length | 455–573 mm17.9–22.6″ | — |
| Chainstay | 413 mm16.3″ | 405 mm15.9″ |
| Wheelbase | 974–1,041 mm38.3–41″ | 975–1,048 mm38.4–41.3″ |
| BB drop | 73 mm2.9″ | 74–75 mm2.9–3″ |
| Fork offset | — | 40.4–52 mm1.6–2″ |
| Front centre | — | 582–654 mm22.9–25.7″ |
| Standover | 726–832 mm28.6–32.8″ | 739–906 mm29.1–35.7″ |
| Saddle height min | 580–698 mm22.8–27.5″ | — |
| Saddle height max | 775–893 mm30.5–35.2″ | — |
| Wheel size | — | 700c |
| Crank length | 165–172.5 mm6.5–6.8″ | 160–172.5 mm6.3–6.8″ |
| Basebar width | 400 mm15.7″ | 380 mm15″ |
Geometry overlay
Pick a size for each bike to see frames and arm-pad ranges on top of each other.
Drawn to scale (how to read it).