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Cervélo P5 vs Kú Cycle TF1
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 Cervélo P5 starts €2,001 cheaper (€9,999 vs €12,000 for the Kú Cycle TF1).
- Our verdict scores the Cervélo P5 higher overall: 76/100 vs 70/100.
Cervélo P5
Kú Cycle TF1
| CervéloP5 | Kú CycleTF1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Cervélo | Kú Cycle |
| Build | P5 Red AXS 1 | TF1 SRAM Force eTap AXS |
| Build notes | Single-chainring (1x) build. Weight size not stated by Cervélo. | Kú lists €12,000 EXCLUDING VAT, shipping and import duties (not directly comparable with VAT-inclusive MSRPs). Includes level-1 paint and Kú aero wheels; Triathlon Magazine Canada quoted €11,100 ex VAT in August 2023. Upgrades: SRAM Red groupset +€1,650, power meter +€400, FastTT Pro Cockpit +€750, Kú disc rear wheel €1,950. |
| Price (MSRP) | €13,499$14,750£12,000 | €12,000€12,000€12,000* excluding VAT |
| Bike weight | 9.08 kg20 lb | — |
| Model year | 2027 | 2026 |
| Generation | 2024 version | 1st generation |
| Launched | 2024-07 | 2020 |
| Discipline | Triathlon | Triathlon |
| UCI legal | Yes | Not stated |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 76 | 70 |
| Aero | 90 | 86 |
| Frame | 84 | 74 |
| Components | 92 | 74 |
| Hydration & storage | 70 | 70 |
| Fit | 86 | 90 |
| Practicality | 56 | 58 |
| Price | 53 | 40 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Fork material | Carbon (Bayonet P5 fork) | Carbon |
| Frame sizes | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 | Built to order with rider-specific geometry (no stock sizes) |
| Colours | Five Black, Platinum (varies by build and region) | Custom paint: level 1 (two base colours, three decal schemes) included; levels 2 and 3 cost extra |
| 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 | Hydraulic disc | — |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 34 mm | — |
| Bottom bracket standard | BBright | Press-fit (SRAM DUB PF) |
| Front axle | 12x100 thru-axle | 12x100 thru-axle (Kú) |
| Rear axle | 12x142 thru-axle | 12x142 thru-axle (Kú) |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Sold with Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS electronic groupsets (1x Red AXS, 2x Force AXS) | Designed around SRAM AXS wireless (1x or 2x); Kú says it can supply a component spec for other brands |
| 1x compatible | — | Yes |
| Hydration & storage | ||
| Integrated hydration | No | — |
| Hydration details | Ships with a downtube aero bottle (500 ml per Triathlete) and a rear hydration mount; the frame has no internal reservoir. | No integrated reservoir; between-the-arms bottle (Profile Design Aero HC, about 830 ml, optional) and a Profile Design RM-10 rear mount option. |
| Integrated storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage details | Aero top-tube storage (Smartpak 400 bag) and storage at the stem. | Dorsal bento box behind the between-the-arms bottle, a nose-cone compartment for a tubeless plug kit and CO2, and a tool carrier on the bottom-bracket fin. |
| Top tube bento box | Yes | Yes |
| Bottle mount locations | 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 | Integrated one-piece EX16 cockpit with Bayonet fork | Kú TF1 cockpit with Zipp Vuka Shift AXS 90 extensions; FastTT full-length aerobar mount available as the TF1 Pro Cockpit upgrade |
| Pad stack adjustment range | Up to 40 mm of stack adjustment; basebar sits 10 mm lower than on the previous P5 | Extension holders in +5°, +10° and +15°; angle- and width-adjustable cup mounts |
| Extension options | Extension tilt adjustable 0-30° in 5° increments | — |
| Seatpost type | Cervélo SP23 carbon aero seatpost | — |
| Fit notes | 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. | Bought only after a pre-fit with an authorised Kú fitter; frame geometry and fork length are matched to each rider. |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | 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. | Kú says the high, wide FAST fork reduces air blockage at the front of the bike and lowers combined bike and rider drag via three 'F-ducts'. |
| Testing method | — | CFD (developed by ex-Formula 1 engineer Richard McAinsh) |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Travel & packing | — | Brake hoses use Formula speed-lock couplings so the front end can be disconnected for travel without bleeding the brakes. |
| Proprietary parts | Bayonet fork and one-piece EX16 front end, SP23 seatpost | Steerer Pivot Box, FAST fork, cockpit, extension holders and thru-axles are Kú-specific |
| Frame warranty | 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 | Through Cervélo retailers | Direct from Kú Cycle via authorised Kú fitters, built to order |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | SRAM Red AXS E1 | SRAM Force eTap AXS D1 |
| Launched | 2024 · current generation | 2019 · replaced by SRAM Force AXS E1 (2025) |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Drivetrain | 1x | 2x12 (1x option) |
| Shifters | SRAM AXS Blip controllers (bar-end and satellite) | Zipp Vuka Shift AXS 90 (extensions) + SRAM AXS Wireless Blips (base bar) |
| Crankset | SRAM Red 1x AXS E1 Power Meter | SRAM Force D1 |
| Chainrings | 50 | — |
| Crank length | 160 (48-51) / 165 (54-56) / 170 (58) / 172.5 (61) | — |
| Crank lengths available | — | 165 or 170 mm |
| Power meter | SRAM Red AXS E1 Power Meter | — |
| Launched | 2024 · current generation | — |
| Type | Integrated in crankset | — |
| Bottom bracket | SRAM DUB Ceramic | SRAM DUB Pressfit |
| Standard | BBright | Press-fit (SRAM BB-DUB-PF) |
| Bearings | Ceramic | — |
| Front derailleur | — | SRAM Force eTap AXS D1 |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Red AXS E1 | SRAM Force eTap AXS D1 |
| Cassette | SRAM Red XG-1290 E1 | SRAM Force XG-1270 |
| Range | 10-33 | 10-28 or 10-33 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | SRAM Red E1 | SRAM Force D1 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake levers | — | SRAM S-900 Aero HRD (DB-S-900) |
| Brake calipers | SRAM Red Aero | SRAM Force eTap AXS D1 HRD flat-mount |
| Type | Hydraulic disc | Hydraulic disc |
| Rotors | SRAM Paceline X | SRAM CenterLine XR |
| Front rotor | — | 140 mm |
| Rear rotor | — | 140 mm |
| Mount | Center Lock | Center Lock |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Reserve 77TA (front) / 88TA (rear) | Kú Cycle Aero 60 front / Aero 80 rear (Aero 35 front optional) |
| Front rim depth | 77 mm | 63 mm |
| Rear rim depth | 88 mm | 83 mm |
| Rear disc wheel | No | — |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Tubeless ready | Yes | Yes |
| Hubs | DT Swiss 180 | — |
| Spokes | 24H | — |
| Front wheel weight | — | 880 g31 oz |
| Rear wheel weight | — | 970 g34.2 oz |
| Tires | Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR G2.0 | Vittoria Corsa Graphene 2.0 (or Continental GP 5000 S TR) |
| Tire width | 29 mm | — |
| Cockpit | ||
| Aerobar system | Cervélo EX16 Triathlon Cockpit (EX16 carbon riser + EX16 extension assembly) | Kú Cycle TF1 cockpit with 5°/10°/15° extension holders and adjustable cup mounts |
| Integrated with frame | Yes | Yes |
| Pad stack adjustment | Up to 40 mm | — |
| Tilt adjustment | 0-30° in 5° steps | — |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Basebar | Cervélo HB15 | — |
| Basebar width | 380 mm | — |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Extensions | — | Zipp Vuka Shift AXS 90 |
| Headset | FSA IS2 1-1/8 in / 1-1/4 in | — |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | Fizik Transiro Aeris LD R1 Light | — |
| Seatpost | Cervélo SP23 | Kú Cycle TF1 aero seatpost with Ritchey WCS TT clamp |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Included extras | ||
| Storage / bento | Cervélo P5 stem storage + Smartpak 400 top-tube bag | Kú Cycle Bento box, nose-cone repair-kit storage and BB fin tool carrier |
| Bottle cages | Cervélo Aero water bottle with cage + rear hydration mount | — |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 | — |
| Stack | 461–556 mm18.1–21.9″ | — |
| Reach | 389–455 mm15.3–17.9″ | — |
| Head tube angle | 71–72.5° | — |
| Head tube length | 58.5–147.8 mm2.3–5.8″ | — |
| Chainstay | 405 mm15.9″ | — |
| Wheelbase | 975–1,048 mm38.4–41.3″ | — |
| BB drop | 74–75 mm2.9–3″ | — |
| Fork offset | 40.4–52 mm1.6–2″ | — |
| Front centre | 582–654 mm22.9–25.7″ | — |
| Standover | 739–906 mm29.1–35.7″ | — |
| Wheel size | 700c | — |
| Crank length | 160–172.5 mm6.3–6.8″ | — |
| Basebar width | 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).