The P4 -- oh what a bike...late September back in 2008

The unveiling of the P4. Ok, what do we have here?. So there is what appears to be a slick black bike with a big P4 written on it. And you can see the Cervelo on the fork. So what is it all about? It is about being the fastest bike made...

1st: The Zipp crankset you see on this bike will not be available until perhaps end of first quarter in 2009.

2nd: The only wheels that fit the rear are wheels that are narrower than the Zipp Sub 9.

3rd: Where is the rear brake? Not below, where it causes turbulence, but inside the chain stays...that's right, inside the chain stays. Unbelievable. And what does that mean for the bottom bracket aerodynamic shaping? It is a bulleted shaped bottom bracket area -- nothing sticks out...

4th: Is that a water bottle cage? No, but if you look closely, you'll see a water bottle, as aero as can be...In fact, take out the water bottle and the bike frame has more drag...so don't take that sip!

5th: Can you have a more bladed down tube?

6th: What is up with that head tube? We are looking at a fork that seamlessly works with the head tube -- it is about fluid dynamics optimization after all. It is not just another fork, but a fork specifically designed to fit the top and down tube, including spacers that perfectly extend the head tube...

7th: Internal cables get routed through the top tube (Cervelo is not the only company who does this now, but it is certainly the most effective way to reduce frontal area drag).

8th: Look at the additional material to ensure smoother airflow in the rear triangle behind the seat stays.

9th: Internal routing is aided by the ability to run cables from the middle of the downtube -- very convenient access -- efficiency throughout.

10th: Those chain stays are not tiny -- although hard to see in this photo, the shapes are not symmetrical because of course a bike's right and left side is not symmetrical either...

The orange backdrop bike frame is a prototype. We have a few on order. Will this be the winning bike in the Tour de France prologue? Will Bobby Julich come out of retirement if Gerard Vroomen and Phil White entice him with one of these as a present (just to race in the World Championship TT Bobby)...

Thin as a knife's edge from the front, we know the P4 has been extensively tunnel tested.