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Argon 18 E117 vs Cervélo P-Series
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 E117 starts $901 cheaper ($4,399 vs $5,300 for the Cervélo P-Series).
- Our verdict scores the Cervélo P-Series higher overall: 80/100 vs 73/100.
- The Argon 18 E117 comes in 5 sizes, the Cervélo P-Series in 6.
Argon 18 E117
Cervélo P-Series
| Argon 18E117 | CervéloP-Series | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Argon 18 | Cervélo |
| Build | E117 SRAM Force AXS | P-Series Force AXS 1 |
| Build notes | — | Single-chainring (1x) build. |
| Price (MSRP) | $8,699$8,699$8,699 | €7,999$8,900£7,500 |
| Bike weight | — | 8.75 kg19.3 lb |
| Model year | 2025 | 2027 |
| Generation | All-new E117 for 2025 (replaces the E-117 Tri Disc) | 2024 version |
| Launched | 2024-09 | 2024 |
| Discipline | Triathlon | Triathlon |
| UCI legal | Yes | Yes |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 73 | 80 |
| Aero | 76 | 78 |
| Components | 62 | 78 |
| Hydration & storage | 70 | 72 |
| Fit | 78 | 82 |
| Practicality | 55 | 85 |
| Price | 94 | 85 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Fork material | Carbon | Carbon (tapered P fork, D-shaped steerer) |
| Frame sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 |
| Colours | Black Stealth, Flaming Red, Hypershift Blueberry / Silver (depending on build) | Abyss, Haleakala; Chainsmoke on the Ultegra Di2 Classified (varies by build and region) |
| Also available as | E119 Tri+ Disc is the higher-end, non-UCI triathlon model | P5 (flagship model with integrated one-piece front end) |
| UCI frame approval | Approved 3 Dec 2024 as 'E117' (frame and fork), sizes XS-XL (5), code AR18-002 (UCI list version 2026.10.02) | Listed as 'P-SERIES' (frame and fork), approved 17 Jan 2024, sizes XS-L (5), code CERVELO-156 (UCI list version 2026.10.02); an earlier P-Series entry dates from 22 Mar 2019 |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Disc, calipers integrated into frame and fork (Argon 18 Integrated Brake System, TRP hydraulics) | Hydraulic disc |
| Max rotor size | 140 mm | — |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 30 mm | — |
| Bottom bracket standard | BB86 press-fit (86.5 mm) | BBright |
| Front axle | 12 mm thru-axle (119 mm long) | 12x100 thru-axle |
| Rear axle | 12x142 thru-axle (161 mm long) | 12x142 thru-axle |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Di2, eTap and mechanical routing; front derailleur with 50-58T rings (2x) or up to 64T single ring | Mechanical and electronic (base build uses Shimano 105 mechanical) |
| Mechanical shifting possible | Yes | Yes |
| 1x compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Max chainring | 64T | — |
| Front derailleur mount | Removable front derailleur hanger | — |
| Cable routing | Fully internal | — |
| Electronic battery location | Inside the seatpost (internal battery holder) | — |
| Hydration & storage | ||
| Integrated hydration | No | No |
| Hydration details | No in-frame reservoir. Hydration is by bottles on the frame's cage mounts, with a cage mount on the cockpit in a regular or forward position. On XS and S only short bottles fit inside the frame when combined with another bottle or the toolbox. | No built-in hydration. The downtube storage hatch sits under the bottle bosses, and Triathlete found it prevents fitting the previous P-Series or P5 aero downtube bottle, so a standard round bottle is needed there. A rear hydration mount is included. |
| Integrated storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage details | E-117 bento box designed to work with the integrated basebar, and a frame-mounted toolbox that takes tire levers, multi-tool, CO2 head and cartridge, and a TPU inner tube (tools not included). | Downtube 'trap door' compartment sized for a tube, small multi-tool and CO2, removable with or without a bottle fitted; two in-frame storage rolls included; Smartpak 400 top-tube bento box included. |
| Top tube bento box | Yes | Yes |
| Behind-saddle mount | — | Cervélo rear hydration mount (included) |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Aerobar system | Argon 18 integrated cockpit with 51 Speedshop custom extensions; the Shimano 105 build uses a carbon basebar with Profile Design Sonic/Ergo/39a aerobars | Standard round stem interface on a D-shaped steerer; complete bikes use Profile Design Wing cockpits |
| Third-party aerobars possible | Yes | Yes |
| Pad stack adjustment range | Integrated cockpit: pad stack 550-674 mm (XS) to 628-751 mm (XL). 105 build with Profile Design bars: 583-612 mm (XS) to 661-690 mm (XL) | Maximum stack increased to 53 mm, with spacers supplied |
| Pad reach adjustment range | Integrated cockpit: pad reach 405-504 mm (XS) to 442-541 mm (XL). 105 build with Profile Design bars: 401-486 mm (XS) to 478-563 mm (XL) | — |
| Extension options | 51 Speedshop custom extensions with a 30° grip angle | — |
| Seatpost type | E-117 aero seatpost with Ritchey clamp for 7 mm round rails; clamp is specific to the 2025 E-117 and E-119 Tri+ Disc | Cervélo SP23 carbon aero seatpost |
| Effective seat angle range | 78° | 75-79° |
| Fit notes | Argon 18's 3D system offers different head tube heights per size (the geometry chart lists 0 mm and +35 mm head tube lengths). Arm-pad stack and reach ranges depend on the cockpit fitted. | Six sizes. Cervélo's online calculator returns the stack spacing and pad hole setting needed for a target arm-pad stack/reach and saddle height. |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | — | Frame drag is claimed to be 5.9 g lower than the previous P-Series. With Reserve 52/63 wheels and 29 mm Vittoria tyres, Cervélo claims 30 g (3.5 W) less drag than the Reserve 50 with 28 mm tyres. |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Headset bearings | Top: ACB 4545 40.5 x 49.5 x 6.5 mm 45°x45° stainless bearing (SKU 201188); bottom: MR168 1-1/4" 45°x45° bearing (SKU 80100) | — |
| Derailleur hanger | Proprietary (Argon 18 'TA Type A' hanger, SKU 80802; direct-mount version SKU 80832) | — |
| Maintenance | Integrated calipers are TRP hydraulic units bled with TRP mineral oil and take Tektro F10RS pads (Shimano K02S/K04S also fit). Use only the supplied brakes. | Triathlete praised the standard stem interface as easy to work on and to pack for travel, with no proprietary front-end clamps. |
| Proprietary parts | Integrated brake calipers and levers, cockpit, seatpost and clamp, bento box and toolbox | — |
| 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 Force AXS E1 | SRAM Force AXS E1 |
| Launched | 2025 · current generation | 2025 · 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 Force AXS Power Meter | SRAM Force 1x AXS E1 Power Meter |
| Chainrings | 48/35 | 48 Aero |
| 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 Force AXS Power Meter | SRAM Force AXS E1 Power Meter |
| Launched | — | 2025 · current generation |
| Type | — | Integrated in crankset |
| Bottom bracket | SRAM DUB PF 86.5 Road | SRAM DUB |
| Standard | BB86 press-fit | BBright |
| Front derailleur | SRAM Force AXS E1 | — |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Force AXS E1 | SRAM Force AXS E1 |
| Cassette | SRAM Force XG-1270 E1 | SRAM Force XG-1270 E1 |
| Range | 10-33 | 10-36 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | SRAM Force E1 | SRAM Force E1 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake levers | Argon 18 Integrated Brake System | — |
| Brake calipers | Argon 18 Integrated Brake System | SRAM Force 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 R6.A | Reserve 57TA (front) / 64TA (rear) |
| Front rim depth | 65 mm | 57 mm |
| Rear rim depth | 65 mm | 64 mm |
| Rear disc wheel | No | No |
| Material | — | Carbon |
| Tubeless ready | — | Yes |
| Hubs | — | DT Swiss 350 |
| Spokes | — | 24H |
| Tires | Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR | Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR G2.0 |
| Tire width | 29 mm | 29 mm |
| Cockpit | ||
| Aerobar system | Argon 18 Integrated Cockpit | Profile Design Wing Evo 52ASA cockpit assembly |
| Integrated with frame | Yes | No |
| Basebar | Argon 18 Integrated Cockpit | Profile Design Wing Evo |
| Basebar width | 400 mm | 380 mm |
| Extensions | 51 Speedshop Custom Extensions | — |
| Stem | — | Profile Design A3A Low Riser Kit (5/10/20 mm) |
| Headset | — | Profile Design WING bearing cap for P-Series |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | ISM PR1.0 | Fizik Transiro Aeris LD R3 |
| Seatpost | Argon 18 E117 specific aero seatpost | Cervélo SP23 |
| Material | — | Carbon |
| Included extras | ||
| Storage / bento | Argon 18 E-117 toolbox | Cervélo In-frame storage rolls (inner tube + flat kit) and Smartpak 400 top-tube bag |
| Notes | Toolkit listed as included with the bike | Smartpak 400 listed in the 105 Di2 build spec; the P-Series page says every P-Series ships with it |
| Bottle cages | — | Profile Design Axis Ultimate Carbon cage + Cervélo rear hydration mount |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 |
| Stack | — | 494–587 mm19.4–23.1″ |
| Reach | — | 378–443 mm14.9–17.4″ |
| Pad stack min | 550–628 mm21.7–24.7″ | — |
| Pad stack max | 674–751 mm26.5–29.6″ | — |
| Pad reach min | 405–442 mm15.9–17.4″ | — |
| Pad reach max | 504–541 mm19.8–21.3″ | — |
| Seat angle min | 78° | 75° |
| Seat angle max | 78° | 79° |
| Head tube angle | 72° | 71–72.5° |
| Head tube length | 49–131 mm1.9–5.2″ | 87.8–177.2 mm3.5–7″ |
| Effective top tube | 492–545 mm19.4–21.5″ | — |
| Seat tube length | 455–568 mm17.9–22.4″ | — |
| Chainstay | 413 mm16.3″ | 405 mm15.9″ |
| Wheelbase | 976–1,038 mm38.4–40.9″ | 973–1,045 mm38.3–41.1″ |
| BB drop | 70 mm2.8″ | 80 mm3.1″ |
| Fork length | 375 mm14.8″ | — |
| Fork offset | 45 mm1.8″ | 43–52 mm1.7–2″ |
| Trail | — | 62.1 mm2.4″ |
| Front centre | — | 581–653 mm22.9–25.7″ |
| Standover | 729–833 mm28.7–32.8″ | 734–823 mm28.9–32.4″ |
| Saddle height min | 600–713 mm23.6–28.1″ | — |
| Saddle height max | 770–883 mm30.3–34.8″ | — |
| Wheel size | 700c | 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).