Cervélo Cycles was created in 1995 when two engineers, Phil White and Gérard Vroomen, decided to market their work developing faster time trial bikes. Having been involved in bicycle and human-powered vehicle design since 1986, they started a bike design from scratch when a top-ranked Italian pro cyclist approached Gérard to design the fastest possible time trial bike for him. The team evaluated the bikes on the market, and set a design goal for the bike that was difficult and uncompromising. They wanted something that was unbeatable in aerodynamics yet sacrificed nothing in weight or stiffness. The result was a pretty radical bike that pushed the rules in almost every area. It tested extremely well for aerodynamics, as well as handling, stiffness and comfort.

Cervélo has grown from the dreams of these budding engineers working out of a garage to a company with more engineers than bike models, using the same tools and techniques as the most advanced Formula 1 teams.