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Is the new Canyon Aeroad truly aero? Canyon unveils all new Aeroad CFR, an all-rounder yet "the fastest bike in the WorldTour peloton"

First Published Jul 19, 2024

Canyon has officially lifted the curtain on its latest Aeroad, with subtle changes and updates. This latest iteration of the German brand's long-standing  aero road bike has already made an appearance at plenty of WorldTour races , but we can now reveal the full list of updates including a new handlebar, refined frame, T25 bolts throughout and with that, bold yet inevitable claims that it is "the fastest bike in the WorldTour peloton". With the Aeroad range becoming even more race-oriented, Canyon has also dropped the CF SL model from the lineup. 

Though the above changes to the Aeroad are not unimportant, at the same time it left us asking if perhaps aero road bikes are getting a little boring. As someone who is a big fan of racing bikes, aerodynamics and Mathieu van der Poel, nearly everyone at road.cc expected our video guy Jamie to be absolutely intoxicated by this press release... well, not exactly. You can find his thoughts in the video below.

For a more in-depth look at how the new Aeroad rides and how it stacks up price-wise against the competition, our senior reviewer Stu Kerton has also given his thorough verdict on the Aeroad CFR AXS here in a full review  already.

2024 Canyon Aeroad: what's changed?

Back to the key info about the new Aeroad, let's dive deeper into those changes.

The headtube on the new Aeroad is deeper, much like on the Cervelo S5 , and the bottom bracket area now kind of integrates the non-drive side chainstay, a bit like the Orbea Orca Aero . It has a broader fork design that tapers to a narrower headtube (to comply with the latest UCI aero regulations) just like on the BMC Teammachine R . The ends of the thru-axles are covered just like on the new Pinarello Dogma F . 

It also has an integrated cockpit with flared drops just like on the new Trek Madone , and now has increased clearance for up to 32mm tyres just like the Specialized Tarmac SL8 . 

When it comes to what Canyon wants this bike to be, the brand says that it is an "all-around race bike, specifically built to compete".

"With this latest generation, we’ve taken our performance engineering approach to a whole new level", adds Canyon. 

But simultaneously, it also says: "Small yet significant innovations are what make the Aeroad simultaneously the fastest bike in the peloton yet also a dream to live with and ride every day." 

The claims that the Aeroad is the fastest bike around but great for everyday riding too arguably contradicts the fact that when Canyon first brought out the Aeroad in 2011, it was at the forefront of a new wave of road racing bikes tailored towards brutal aerodynamic efficiency. But that can be said about other modern aero bikes, too.

The brand says it has always strived to combine that with actual rideability, and well, every other thing you might want from a bike. And sure enough, with the track record the Aeroad has garnered over the last 13 years, Canyon has the right to say this is a very capable bike on many fronts. 

The new Aeroad does have some standout, unique features as well. The PACE Bar (it stands for Performance Adaptive Cockpit Ecosystem) offers a lot of adjustability, allowing for 50mm width adjustments and 20mm height adjustments, hopefully making fit adjustments easier.

The PACE Bar also features the 'Gear Groove', which is essentially a slot in the middle of the handlebar for attaching accessories or even aero bars. This is something we saw Canyon introduce with the new Grail CFR last year. The adaptive nature of the handlebar also means that you can swap out different drops onto the bar, without needing to cut the brake hoses or bleed them. 

Canyon said durability and serviceability have been key focuses for the new Aeroad. That means the bike now utilises Torx 25 bolts throughout, for improved torque and less chance of your bolts getting rounded or mashed due to overtightening. Also, the top-tier model even gets premium titanium screws for enhanced corrosion resistance. 

The frame changes include a narrower down tube, which Canyon says has been made possibly by adding stiffness to the now beefier top tube. These changes make a frame that is both lighter and more aerodynamically efficient than its predecessor, meaning this new model fitted with 50mm deep wheels is as quick as the old one fitted with 62mm deep wheels, according to Canyon.

In terms of weight, the Aeroad CFR Di2 has a claimed weight of just 7.07kg, yet the frameset is said to tip the scales at 960g, 45g more than the previous Aeroad. That's not exactly light by do-it-all race bike standards in 2024, with the Specialized SL8 frame weighing 685g, but Canyon has managed to keep the overall bike weight competitive with a new lighter cockpit and shallower wheels. 

Canyon also says that in wind tunnel and track tests, the Aeroad outperformed its closest competitors, such as the Cervélo S5, by a margin of 2.5 watts at 45 km/h with DT Swiss ARC1100 50mm wheels, Schwalbe Pro One TLE 25F/28R tyres, “Ferdie” the leg dummy and no bottles. 

The seatpost has also seen a change, and now has integrated little slots for a race number or a light, and the saddle clamp has been updated for easier adjustments. 

Canyon Aeroad 2025: pricing and models

The Canyon Aeroad lineup includes six models across the CFR and CF SLX, because as mentioned earlier, the CF SL model has been dropped. Each of the models now comes with full cable integration, integrated power meters (except the CF SLX 7 Rival AXS), and exclusively electronic groupsets.

Sizes range from 2XS to 2XL and all of them come with 700C wheels. The pricing for these models is as follows:

• Aeroad CF SLX 7 Di2: £4,499
• Aeroad CF SLX 7 AXS: £3,949
• Aeroad CF SLX 8 Di2: £5,999
• Aeroad CF SLX 8 AXS: £6,499
• Aeroad CFR Di2: £9,299
• Aeroad CFR AXS: £9,749

As previously mentioned, we were fortunate to get a test bike well ahead of time, so you can read our full review here .

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Most Popular News

The Fifth Generation Canyon Ultimate Road Bike Is Here

Updates to the long running road racing platform include more stiffness, more aero, and more integration.

Canyon’s Ultimate road race platform has been around since 2004. It has won World Championships, Grand Tours, and a few single-day monuments, plus countless other races at all levels of the sport. However, it has not seen a refresh since 2015. I have spent a lot of time on the fourth version of the Ultimate. It’s a testament to how good that bike is that even riding it as recently as a few weeks ago, it did not feel like a bike that’s been around for seven years.

No matter how good a bike is, the inevitable march of progress continues, and the fifth generation Canyon Ultimate is here. Canyon’s mantra for this bike is “perfect balance,” meaning that the design team's aim, according to Canyon’s marketing material, was to “strike the perfect balance between weight, stiffness, aerodynamics, comfort, and durability.”

At a glance, the new Ultimate is strikingly similar to the outgoing model. A few sculpted edges here, some smoothing out there, but overall the visual balance of the bike remains unchanged. Which is a good thing because the Ultimate has always struck a svelte silhouette that screamed “lightweight race bike” to me. And I appreciate Canyon sticking with that look.

The most obvious visual difference, and probably the most controversial one, is the new fully integrated cockpit. Canyon carried over its ( slightly controversial ) three-piece CP0018 cockpit also used on its Aeroad model. The somewhat unusual design features a handlebar that essentially folds. There are a set of two screws on either side of the handlebar that riders can remove to adjust the width of the bar or to fold it for transport. There are some marked advantages to riders in using this setup. The integrated structure saves a handful of watts at 28mph, but more practically, it creates an integrated cockpit setup that is very easy to pack in a bike case for travel. The setup also allows riders to easily experiment with handlebar width and, to a limited extent, bar height.

The main downside of this new cockpit is the loss of easy stem length adjustability. You’re locked into the options Canyon has chosen to provide with your frame size. So if you’re like me and need to go to a longer or shorter stem length than what is stock on the bike, you’ll need to order a different length CP0018 cockpit from Canyon. Performing the swap can also be a time-consuming process since you’ll need to disconnect and then reconnect hydraulic brake lines (and costly if you are not able to do this work on your own).

Predictably the new Ultimate is stiffer, with Canyon claiming a 15% increase of stiffness at the headtube. It also gets a boost in aerodynamic efficiency. Canyon partnered with aero experts at Swiss Side to eke out as much aero efficiency as possible without adding weight. The new bike, plus a rider, is said to save 5 watts at 28mph compared to the fourth generation version.

One of the things I loved about the previous generation Ultimate was how much ahead of its time it was with tire clearance. Canyon has upped the clearance from a very conservative 30mm on the 4th generation Ultimate to 32mm on the newest model. Based on my experience with the older model (and a bit of playing around with the new Ultimate), I would say that the 32mm number is very conservative. I was able to fit the new bike with cyclocross tires that measured 36mm in width and still had clearance for knobs. Obviously, the latest Ultimate is not a cyclocross or gravel bike, but you could easily fit a 34-36mm measured tire into the new Ultimate. The improvement in tire clearance is great news for riders that want an ultra-stiff and responsive feeling bike but want to skip the chattery ride that often comes with the territory.

Another boost in comfort comes from a new D-shaped seat post, which replaces the previous generation's 27.2mm round seat post. Canyon, again, has traded broad compatibility in favor of a more finely tuned product. But riders that want a zero offset seat post will only be able to get it on certain models, while a seat post with 20mm of offset is only offered on some others. For the foreseeable future, there won't be an option to specify a seat post offset at the time of purchase. But Canyon does insist that this option is coming. For those counting grams, the zero offset post is a wild 40g lighter than the 20mm offset version.

There are three tiers of frames in the new Ultimate line-up, as well as two different forks. The top-end Ultimate CFR now weighs 762g in a size medium (including paint and hardware). The matching fork is 321g. The weight is an 87g increase from the previous generation Ultimate, although complete bikes are still incredibly light ranging from 13.89 to 14.7 lbs depending on the model.

The Ultimate CF SLX is the mid-tier frame option, and it comes in within a few grams of its previous version at 846g. Finally, there is the Ultimate CF SL which is 1,062g. The CF SLX and CF SL use the same fork, which weighs 351g.

Sizing and Geometry

Canyon offers the Ultimate CF SLX and SL models in eight sizes, from 3XS to 2XL. The two smallest sizes of the Ultimate SL use 650b wheels, while just the smallest of the CF SLX does so. The top-tier CFR is only available with 700c wheels in seven sizes from 2XS to 2XL.

Canyon has fine-tuned its road bike geometry over the eighteen years the Ultimate has been around. The newest version gets slightly longer (with reach growing by a few millimeters across size), and the stack is also slightly taller. The geometry updates make the Ultimate’s fit identical to Canyon’s aero road bike, the Aeroad.

Seven distinct models of the new Ultimate will be available in the US. They range in price from $11,000 for the Ultimate CFR Shimano Di2 and SRAM eTap bikes to $3,000 for the Ultimate CF SL 7 model with mechanical Shimano 105 components.

Pricing has always been a big part of the Canyon's appeal to riders. With a direct-to-consumer business model, prospective customers can expect to pay roughly $1,500 to $2,000 less for an Ultimate compared to a bike with a similar groupset and wheels from a brand like Trek or Specialized. For instance, the top-of-the-line Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 built with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 has a retail price of $14,250. A wild $3,250 more than the Ultimate CFR Di2. If you are shopping for a mid-tier model, a Specialized Tarmac SL7 Expert with Ultegra Di2 retails for $8,300, and an Ultimate with similar parts sells for $1,300 less.

The trade-off for riders comes in the form of no on-the-ground dealer support network. Granted, most bike shops will have no issue working on Canyon bikes, and Canyon support in the US has generally been pretty easy to deal with. Still, it’s something worth considering, as some shops won't mind doing the work but will leave it up to you to source any proprietary replacement parts from Canyon.

Ultimate CFR Di2 - $11,000 (13.89lb) - Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with Shimano dual-sided power meter and DT Swiss PRC 1100 Mon Chasseral carbon wheels.

Ultimate CFR eTap - $11,000 (14.68lb) - SRAM Red eTap AXS with Quarq power meter and Zipp 353 NSW carbon wheels.

Ultimate CF SLX 9 Di2 - $9,000 (14.70lb) - Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and 50mm deep DT Swiss ARC 1100 carbon wheels.

Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 - $7,000 (15.65lb) - Shimano Ultegra Di2 with 4iiii power meter and 50mm deep DT Swiss ARC 1400 carbon wheels.

Ultimate CF SL 7 eTap - $4,700 (17.02lb) - SRAM Rival eTap AXS with Quarq power meter and DT Swiss P1800 aluminum wheels.

Ultimate CF SL 8 - $4,000 (17.64lb) - Shimano 11-speed mechanical Ultegra with DT Swiss Performance LN aluminum wheels.

Ultimate CF SL 7 - $3,000 (18.12lb) - Shimano 11-speed mechanical 105 with DT Swiss Perfomrnce LN aluminum wheels.

Ride Impressions Coming Soon

Canyon has sent us an Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 to test. Unfortunately, the stock stem length and seat post offset don’t quite work for my fit. So perhaps, like many Canyon customers, I’m currently waiting on the right parts to become available before I can give this bike a proper evaluation. Based on my positive experience with the outgoing Ultimate and Canyon's excellent value proposition for buyers, I have high expectations for the new bike.

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer. 

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Chloé Dygert extends with Canyon-SRAM through 2026

'There are even more reasons now for me to stay' says time trial World Champion about two-year contract renewal

Chloé Dygert has extended her contract with Canyon-SRAM for an additional two years which will see her racing with the North American WorldTour team through the end of 2026. 

The two-time individual time trial World Champion listed several reasons why she decided to stay with the team including that she felt grateful for the support the team offered during her recovery from several injuries since joining the team four years ago.

"There are a number of reasons why I chose Canyon-Sram Racing four years ago, and there are even more reasons now for me to stay," Dygert said in a team press release on Wednesday.

"There aren't many teams, if any, that would stand by a rider's side at their weakest on and off the bike, and Canyon-Sram Racing has done that for me countless times. I am privileged to have the opportunity to remain a part of the team.

"To be honest, there never really was a doubt about extending my contract. Over the past four years, I have struggled probably more than I care to admit, and the team was there to keep me going through it all. For that, I am forever grateful."

Dygert signed a four-year deal with Canyon-SRAM in 2021, moving to the WorldTour level. However, she sustained a severe leg injury in a horrific crash during the time trial at the 2020 Imola World Championships that required months of recovery and multiple follow-up treatments and surgeries.

During her time with the team, she has also recovered from other health-related issues including Epstein Barr virus , and  heart surgery to treat a longstanding tachycardia issue .

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Despite her extended absences from the competition in recent years, she has also achieved much success with career highlights that include three Olympic medals, including gold in Paris and eight world titles in track racing. In road racing, Dygert also earned a bronze medal in the time trial at the Paris Olympic Games and two time trial world titles in Yorkshire 2019 and Glasgow 2023.

Although she has only competed in 13 events wearing the Canyon-SRAM jersey during her four years with the team, she has been a valuable support rider across one-day races and stage races. 

Her top results in road racing include a stage win and second overall at RideLondon Classique, second at GP Plouay, podiums in stages at the Giro d'Italia Women, Tour de France Femmes, La Vuelta Femenina and Vuelta a Burgos, and sixth at Brugge De Panne, all WorldTour-level events.

Looking forward to the next two seasons, Dygert said Canyon-SRAM's teamwork and chemistry are standout qualities that helped in her decision to re-sign.

"Our team chemistry and how we all can work together on and off the bike make being teammates in the most crucial moments and races of the season possible," she said.

"I am excited to continue working with and for our team. I am very fortunate to have the ability to go for victories and help others achieve the same! We make each other stronger."

Dygert also said that on a personal level, she would like to continue to maintain the good health needed to accomplish her road racing goals on the WorldTour.

"First and foremost, my main goal is to remain healthy. If I can maintain my health, I believe most anything the team and I create as a goal can be accomplished. The team says jump; I'll ask how high. We have greatness to achieve, and I'm looking forward to seeing how we can accomplish it," she said.

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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews , overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

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Canyon Bicycles Review — All of Your Questions Answered

Canyon bicycles originally began life as ‘Radsport Arnold’ in 1985 in the garage of founders and brothers Franc and Roman Arnold in Koblenz , Germany.

However, bikes with the name Canyon on them didn’t appear until the mid-1990s when they began selling bikes directly to the consumer. This was something that they believed ‘ democratized performance’ by offering consumers a lower price for a similarly specced bike to the big players such as Trek.

Fast forward to today, and Canyon is one of the biggest German bike brands on the market. They expanded their operations to sell across most of Europe, and in 2017, Canyon USA was launched. A new headquarters for Canyon in Carlsbad, California was built, from which they operate their North American operations.

Although they had humble beginnings, Canyon now sells top-of-the-range mountain bikes, road bikes, and more and is one of the biggest bike brands in the world.

Visit Canyon Bikes

Canyon Bikes History

Although now known across the globe for their industry-leading bikes, Canyon began in more humble circumstances in Germany by the Arnold brothers as a bike parts supplier.

As the years went by the brothers realized there was a market for bikes, and began producing bikes under their new name of Canyon. Fast forward to the current day and the company has sponsored world-class athletes leading to Grand Tour and World Championship wins across a number of disciplines.

As one of the pioneers of the direct-to-consumer movement, they have received criticism from across the industry for cutting out the use of bike shops in their order process. However, the brand argues that the consumer benefits more from the price reductions from not showcasing their bikes in stores. Currently, you can only buy their bikes directly from them on their websites and the bikes arrive ready to be built.

They have also had an impact on the professional world of cycling, sponsoring top athletes and teams across all disciplines such as road, mountain bike, and cyclocross.

Read below for more important points in the company’s history.

• 1985 – Company founded by Roman and Franc Arnold under the name Radsport Arnold.
• 2001 – Company become a cycle manufacturer and changed its name to Canyon Bicycles.
• 2007 – Started to equip a team in UCI ProTour.
• 2014 – Nairo Quintana won Giro d’Italia with Canyon bike.
• 2017 – Canyon launched their first female-specific frames .
• 2018 – Canyon launched its first eBike.

Canyon Bikes Range

Road / Gravel / Mountain / Hybrid / Electric

Terminology

• AL – Aluminum
• CF – Carbon Fibre
• CF SL – Carbon Fibre Super Light
• CF SLX – Carbon Fibre Super Light Extreme
• WMN – Female specific frame
• Disc/Aero – Denotes componentry
• :ON – Electric Bikes
• CFR – Canyon Factory Racing. Canyon’s premium-quality sub-brand
• Di2 – (Digital Integrated Intelligence), is Shimano’s electronic shifting technology
• eTap –  SRAM’s electronic shifting technology

Canyon Road Bikes

Canyon road bikes are among the most popular in the world.

It’s likely you’ll see at least one on your local club ride, and that’s because they are the product of years of engineering and testing, designed to build great value performance bikes. The brand has come a long way from their first bike back in the 1990s, and over the years has sponsored several WorldTour tea ms with great success.

Currently, the range of Canyon road bikes is split into endurance, race, aero, triathlon, and cyclocross bike categories.

Image source: Canyon.com

The flagship Canyon aero bike , the Aeroad is a purebred racing machine.

Well known in the professional peloton, the Canyon Aeroad is an aero bike built for every rider. There are many levels of pricing and variations to suit a range of budgets, and more recently the brand has included more sizes. This opens up the world of aero bikes to more riders, rather than just the professionals.

Prices start from $3,999 for the CF SL 7 Disc variants in both WMN and unisex fits. These come with a mid-range Shimano 105 groupset and a Reynolds AR58 DB wheelset. The highest-priced variation costs $9,000, the CFR Disc . This comes with a choice of either a SRAM Red eTap AXS 12-speed or Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150, 11-speed groupsets.

Although this is primarily an aero bike which makes it ideal for flatter races and criteriums, Canyon has focused on bringing the weight down in their latest iteration. The range weighs between 7.26 – 8kg (16 – 17.6lbs), which puts them nicely in the lighter end of the aero bike spectrum.

Best selling Aeroad bikes:

• Canyon Aeroad CF SL 7
• Canyon Aeroad CF SL 7 Disc
• Canyon Aeroad CF SL 8 Disc
• Canyon Aeroad CF SLX 8 WMN Disc Di 2

The Canyon endurance category is made up of their Endurace bike.

It’s a bike built for long-distance riding, prioritizing comfort over race speed. That’s not to say these bikes aren’t fast, but their slightly more relaxed geometry means you can ride for longer in less of a racey position. Canyon claim this bike shouldn’t be limited to the road, and that it can handle light off-road. This may be due to the slightly wider (28mm) tires that come equipped with the bike, along with the powerful disc brakes.

Prices for the Endurace bikes start at an affordable $1,449. This model is the AL Disc 6.0 and features a Shimano Tiagra groupset, weighing 9.04kg (20lbs). The most expensive model in this range is the Endurace CF SLX Disc 9.0 eTap at $7,999. This comes with a SRAM Red eTap AXS 12-speed groupset and weighs in at 7.17kg (15.8lbs) thanks to its carbon fiber frame.

Although these aren’t designed to be race bikes per se, they’re still pretty quick and make perfect training bikes for those long rides where you’re in the saddle for a long time.

Best selling Endurance bikes:

• Canyon Endurance CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2
• Canyon Endurance WMN CF SL Disc 8.0 Di2
• Canyon Endurance CF SL Disc 7.0

The Canyon Ultimate is one of their race bikes, designed to be a lightweight all-rounder.

Many look at the Canyon Endurance vs Ultimate, but the Ultimate is designed as a race bike, whereas the endurance bikes are for longer and more casual riding. The Ultimate is a bike that’s won plenty of big bike races, including World Championships and Grand Tours . Using a carbon fiber frame, they have innovated to create a bike that is supremely strong yet incredibly lightweight – ideal for climbing.

Currently, there are only two models of the Canyon Ultimate available for purchase. These are the CFR Disc Di2 and the CFR Disc eTap. The only difference between the two (besides the price) is the groupset. The Di2 model is slightly cheaper at $9,000 compared with $9,500 for the eTap model.

The biggest selling point of these bikes is the weight – or should we say lack of. The bike barely scrapes the UCI legal minimum weight, coming in at 6.52kg (14.4lbs) for the eTap model and 6.59kg (14.5lbs) for the Di2. This combined with the super stiff frame makes it one of the most enjoyable climbing bikes on the market.

Best selling Ultimate bikes:

• Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9 Disc eTap
• Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Disc
• Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Disc Di2

The Canyon Inflite is the brand’s cyclocross bike.

You may have seen it winning the World Championships thanks to Mathieu van der Poel who has won just about every cyclocross race possible on it. This bike comes in a variety of models to suit all budgets, which is great for those who can’t afford (or perhaps don’t want) a full-on carbon fiber racing model.

It’s also one of the most recognizable cyclocross bikes in the world, thanks to its unique design. The rear of the top tube where it meets the seat post is curved ergonomically to make running with the bike on your shoulder more efficient and more comfortable.

There are currently four models available in the Inflite range. The cheapest is the Inflite AL SLX 6.0 Race , which costs $1,699 and uses aluminum as its frame material. The most expensive model is the Inflite CF SLX 9 Team which costs $4,499 and uses high-tech carbon fiber as its frame material. This is the model that’s used by Mathieu van der Poel and former cyclocross world champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado used in their races.

The bike weights vary across models, ranging from 8.85kg (19.5lbs) for the aluminum model to only 7.8kg (17.2lbs) for the team edition. Canyon has built an agile and lightweight race bike in the Inflite. It’s proven itself across many world-class races, and the budget options mean the technology is available for more people to use.

Best selling Inflite bikes:

• Canyon Inflite CF SL 8.0
• Canyon Inflite CF SL 7.0
• Canyon Inflite AL SLX 6.0 Race

The Canyon Speedmax is the brand’s triathlon and time trial bike.

The culmination of years of wind tunnel research and development, the Canyon Speedmax has dominated the Ironman races as well as professional cycling time trials. It won five years in a row at Kona , the host of the Ironman World Championships, and most recently won the women’s time trial gold medal at the 2020 Olympics.

The brand sells different versions to suit UCI or non-UCI restrictions, as well as expanding the range to suit more budgets. The prices start from $3,799 for the CF 7 Disc, which comes with a Shimano 105 groupset and Reynolds AR58 DB wheels. The most expensive model is the CFR Disc eTap at $12,000, which comes equipped with a full SRAM Red eTap AXS 12-speed groupset and ZIPP 858NSW Db wheels.

Although weight isn’t typically as much of a concern in triathlon or time trial bikes as the focus is more on aerodynamics, Canyon still lists the weights of their Speedmax models. The weight ranges from 9.12kg (20lbs) for the CFR DISC eTap to 9.35kg (20.6lbs) for the CF 7 DISC. It’s not a massive difference between the two, even with the price difference. The main differences lie in the aerodynamic benefit and equipment that comes with the models.

Best selling Speedmax bikes:

• Canyon Speedmax CF SLX 9.0 LTD
• Canyon Speedmax CF SLX 8.0 SL
• Canyon Speedmax CF 8 Disc Di2

Canyon Gravel Bikes

Gravel bikes are still a somewhat recent development in the cycling world.

Once the place of hardtails and cyclocross bikes, gravel has become a discipline in its own right, with hundreds of gravel-specific races and events now being held across the globe. In fact, even the pros seem to be turning their attention to gravel, with former WorldTour rider Ian Boswell winning the biggest gravel race in the world, Unbound this year.

So what are the bikes like? Typically they are drop-bar bikes and are made from aluminum or carbon fiber . They accommodate much wider tires than road bikes which helps riding over rough terrain and they are usually accompanied by powerful disc brakes.

Canyon was one of the early adopters of gravel and thus has a range of bikes on offer.

Canyon Grail:ON – electric version of Canyon Grail gravel bike. Image source: Canyon.com

The Canyon Grail bike range is designed to blend the speed of a road bike with the capabilities of a mountain bike.

There are currently three main models in the range, the Canyon Grail:ON , their electric version, the Grail CF SLX , the brand’s gravel race bike, the Grail CF SL , a more affordable carbon fiber option, and finally the Grail AL , their aluminum option. The German brand offers plenty to choose from whether you’re a racer or just looking to dabble in gravel riding.

Prices start from $1,699 for the Grail 6 and Grail 6 WMN. These are built with aluminum, making them an affordable and durable option for those looking to get into gravel riding without spending thousands and thousands. The most expensive model is the Grail:ON CF 8 eTap at $6,999, partially due to the inclusion of the motor. The most expensive unassisted Grail is the Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 at $5,299 which comes with a Shimano Di2 groupset.

Weight is something Canyon is conscious of across all their bikes. The aluminum options weigh 9.5kg (21lbs), whereas the top-of-the-range carbon fiber model weighs 8.44kg (18.6lbs). The Grail:ON electric bike weighs in at 15.9kg (35lbs) which isn’t light nor heavy considering the onboard equipment.

Best selling Grail bikes:

• Canyon Grail:ON CF 8
• Canyon Grail CF SL 8 Di2
• Canyon Grail CF SL 8

Canyon women’s bike Grizl CF SL WMN 6. Image source: Canyon.com

The Canyon Grizl is their newest model of gravel bike and it doesn’t disappoint.

It’s designed to be a do-it-all bike, one that you can ride on bikepacking trips as well as use in gravel races or just for quick blasts around the local woods. It’s dropper post and suspension fork compatible so you can really build it the way you like it. It has plenty of storage mounts so you have options for bikepacking bags.

Prices start at $2,299 for the Grizl CF SL 6 (and equivalent WMN version), which comes equipped with a Shimano GRX RX400 groupset. At the other end of the scale sits the Grizl CF SLX 8 Di2 at $4,999 which comes with a Shimano Di2 electronic groupset.

The weight difference between the models is quite extreme, with the cheapest version weighing 9.81kg (21.6lbs) versus 8.7kg (19lbs) for the most expensive.

Best selling Grizl bikes:

• Canyon Grizl CF SL 7
• Canyon Grizl CF SL WMN 6
• Canyon Grizl CF SL 6

Although the Canyon Exceed looks and acts like a mountain bike, its adaptability makes it perfect for very rough gravel as well as more typical singletrack.

It’s a rare cross-specialty bike, in that it’s just as at home at a rough gravel race as it is at a mountain bike XC (cross-country) race. How? Because the lightweight carbon frame and 29er wheels chew up obstacles and the stiffness of the frame means you maintain efficient power transfer through the pedals.

Prices start at $2,299 for the Exceed CF 7 which comes with a SRAM NX Eagle groupset. The most expensive model is the Exceed CFR LTD at $6,999 which comes with a SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS groupset.

Weight is important to Canyon, particularly with this XC/gravel race machine. The CF 7 weighs 12.25kg (27lbs) whereas the CFR LTD weighs 8.9kg (19.6lbs) which is a large difference. Canyon has once again created a range that’s accessible for all budgets, and they use trickled-down technology so that even the cheaper bikes use similar designs and technologies as the professional-grade bikes.

Best selling Exceed bikes:

• Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9
• Canyon Exceed CF 8
• Canyon Exceed CFR LTD

Canyon Mountain Bikes

Whether you’re a hardcore hardtail fan or love a full-squish MTB, there is a Canyon mountain bike for you.

They are well known across the professional and amateur scene, with Mathieu van der Poel famously winning XC World Cup rounds on their XC models. Currently, the brand sells a wide range of mountain bikes, from Enduro to Downhill to Jump and E-MTBs .

Like with most Canyon ranges, their prices are reasonable due to their direct-to-consumer business model. Without the need to pay for an intermediary shop to sell their products, they can offer more competitive prices directly to the consumer online.

Canyon Strive CF 8. Image source: Canyon.com

The Strive is one of Canyon’s full suspension mountain bikes and is in the Enduro category.

Designed as a bike to ride all types of trails, its unique ability to switch geometries depending on whether you’re climbing or descending has been applauded by riders. Canyon’s Shapeshifter technology uses a switch on the handlebars and it changes the geometry of the bike . So if you’re riding uphill, it can change to steeper angles for more traction when climbing, and for descending, flick the switch again and it reverts back to more relaxed geometry for more descending stability.

It comes with 29″ wheels and 170mm front and 150mm rear suspension travel . Prices start from $4,299 for the CF 7 and rise to $6,999 for the CFR model. The CFR weighs 14.25kg (31lbs) and the CF 7 weighs 15.61kg (34lbs).

Best selling Strive bikes:

• Canyon Strive CF 8
• Canyon Strive CF 7

The Spectral is one of Canyon’s trail bikes and comes with a choice of 29″ or 27.5″ wheels.

Designed to tackle the trails at speed, the German brand has produced two options depending on your wheel size preference. This also means there’s a choice between 150mm or 160mm of front suspension travel , depending on the model chosen. This is more than enough travel for a typical trail bike and depends on whether you prefer to roll over obstacles at speed or take on technical terrain with more agility. In addition to the two wheel choices, Canyon also makes a Spectral electric bike , the Spectral:ON . It comes with a mullet wheel setup of 29er on the front and 27.5″ on the rear.

Price wise, the Spectral:ON is the most expensive Spectral variation, starting at $6,299 and rising to $9,000. For the unassisted versions, their prices start at $3,099 and rise to $6,299.

Best selling Spectral bikes:

• Canyon Spectral 29 CF 8
• Canyon Spectral 7
• Canyon Spectral 6 WMN
• Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8

Canyon Torque CF 9. Image source: Canyon.com

The Canyon Torque blurs the lines between Enduro and DH, setting itself in the Gravity category.

With 180mm of front suspension travel, this bike is destined for DH laps without the added weight of a triple crown fork and traditional DH setup. Prices start at $2,799 for the Torque 5 and rise to $5,899 for the Torque CF 9.

The weight ranges from 15.08kg (33lbs) to 16.14kg (35.5lbs) making it ideal for descending but not so much for the climb back up the hill! There are four bikes in this category, as well as the electric version, the Canyon Torque:ON 8.

Best selling Torque bikes:

• Canyon Torque 5
• Canyon Torque CF 9
• Canyon Torque CF 7
• Canyon Torque:ON 8

Canyon Neuron CF 7. Image source: Canyon.com

The Canyon Neuron is a lightweight trail bike with 130-140mm suspension.

Sizes M-XL comes with 29″ wheels while S comes with 27.5″ wheels. The Neuron is designed to be agile and lightweight so you can stay out on the bike all day without being limited with some rises in the trails. Whether you prefer bike parks or natural trails, the Neuron will keep you comfortable and fast throughout.

Prices start from $2,299 and rise to $5,199. The weight of the bike varies between 14.06kg (31lbs) and 15.2kg (33.5lbs).

Best selling Neuron bikes:

• Canyon Neuron CF 7
• Canyon Neuron 5
• Canyon Neuron 5 WMN

The Canyon Stoic is a modern geometry hardtail designed to get the most fun out of your riding.

It’s a versatile bike that’s great at the bike park, pump track or even trail riding. The slacker headtube means it’s more planted downhill while the lack of rear suspension means it climbs well. You can choose from two models , of which one comes with a dropper post and the other without, as well as some other component differences.

Prices start from $1,199 for the Stoic 2 and rise to $1,999 for the Stoic 4. The weight also varies between 14.1kg (31lbs) for the Stoic 4 and 14.89kg (32.8lbs) for the Stoic 2.

Best selling Stoic bikes:

• Canyon Stoic 2
• Canyon Stoic 4

Canyon Lux CF 7. Image source: Canyon.com

The Canyon Lux is a super-fast XC full-suspension race bike .

As used previously by multiple-time World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot , it’s a bike that’s got some racing pedigree. It comes with a handlebar-mounted lockout so you can change your settings on the move, and is one of the lightest XC racing frames in the world.

Prices start from $4,599 for the CF 7 and rise to $7,799 for the CF SLX 9 LTD. This model weighs an astonishing 10.13kg (22.3lbs) with a frame under 2kg of that. Whereas, the CF 7 weighs 11.94kg (26.3lbs).

Best selling Lux bikes:

• Canyon Lux CF 7
• Canyon Lux CF SLX 9

The Canyon Sender is the brand’s Downhill racing rig.

It features a full carbon frame, with 200mm of front suspension travel which can be easily tuned to suit your riding needs. It’s raced in the World Cups and it’s also a choice bike for professional freeriders. There are currently three models for the Sender, the Sender 6, the Sender CFR FMD, and the Sender CFR . Each of these has different component levels and paint colors so you can choose one suited to your needs.

Prices start at $3,399 for the Sender 6 and rise to $5,799 for the Sender CFR. The weight of the bikes also varies between 15.8kg (34.8lbs) for the CFR and 17.36kg (38.2lbs) for the 6.

The Canyon Sender is a beast of a bike and can tackle any downhill trails or freeride slopes with ease, and at a reasonable price tag considering the all-carbon frame.

Best selling Sender bikes:

• Canyon Sender 6
• Canyon Sender CFR

The Canyon STCHD is their Freeride World Tour Championship-winning dirt bike.

It’s ideal for jumps and pump tracks as well as competition slopestyle courses . This bike can take a lot of abuse and produce some quality air time if you’ve got the skills to match it. It uses an alloy frame which is how it can stand up to the tough demands of jumps and freeriding.

Currently, there is one model in this collection, the STCHD 360 and it costs $1,299. It weighs 12.2kg (27lbs) and comes in a Scar Black paint job and has 100mm of front suspension travel to soak up the landings.

Best selling STCHD bikes:

• Canyon STCHD 360

The Dude is Canyon’s fat bike offering.

They use a full carbon frame and fork to keep the weight down without compromising on strength or durability. Interestingly, they have also used a rigid carbon fiber fork rather than suspension. This is presumably due to the width of the tires offering their own suspension against the terrain.

There is one model in this range, the Canyon Dude CF 8 . It costs $2,699 and comes in a Deep Forest colorway. It weighs 13.8kg (30.4lbs) and comes with a 12-speed 1X drivetrain to tackle tricky climbs as well as cruising on the downhills and flat.

Best selling Dude bikes:

• Canyon Dude CF 8

Canyon Hybrid Bikes

Canyon hybrid bikes are designed to help you ditch the car and take back control of your journeys.

Whether you’re riding to work, running errands, or picking up the groceries, a hybrid bike is a fantastic way of getting to your destination without the need to drive a car. Thanks to their wider-than-average tires and comfortable flat bar s, they are versatile and can be used off as well as on the road.

Currently, Canyon has a varied selection of hybrid bikes available to suit your needs. Let’s learn about them below.

Canyon Roadlite 5 WMN. Image source Canyon.com

Marketed as a city fitness bike, the Canyon Roadlite is a comfortable hybrid ideal for urban exploration.

Available in both carbon fiber and aluminum , the Roadlite caters to a wide variety of budgets, and they all with powerful disc brakes as standard. Internal cable routing maximizes the pared-back aesthetic of the Roadlite, and they sell both unisex and WMN frames to suit most riders’ physiologies.

Prices start from $899 and rise to $1,399 making this a relatively affordable bike. The weight of the bike varies between 9.2kg (20.2lbs) for the Roadlite 7 and 9.9kg (21.8lbs) for the Roadlite 5.

Best selling Roadlite bikes:

• Canyon Roadlite 5
• Canyon Roadlite 5 WMN
• Canyon Roadlite 6

The Canyon Pathlite is a hybrid bike with a suspension fork , ideal for leisure rides both in and out of the city.

It features a comfortable upright geometry with flat handlebars and added fork suspension to smooth out bumps while you’re riding. Wider tires mean you can go off the beaten path and ride on trails, while the wide ratio of gearing complements this application. Canyon has used aluminum for the frame to improve the bike’s durability, and they have released the bike in sizes 2XS to 2XL so everyone can ride.

Prices range between $1,199 and $1,499, while the weight ranges between 12.04kg (26.5lbs) and 12.7kg (28lbs).

Best selling Pathlite bikes:

• Canyon Pathlite 6
• Canyon Pathlite 7

Canyon Electric Bikes

The e-bike market has seen exponential growth in recent years, and Canyon has certainly not missed out on the boat, in Europe at least.

Although in Europe almost every Canyon model has an electric version, in the United States they provide only 2 models of e-MTB and 1 model of e-gravel bike. Depending on the bike, Canyon uses either Bosch or Shimano Steps motors in their electrically assisted bikes. These are two of the biggest names in e-bike motors so you know they’re reliable and will allow you to get the most out of your e-bike.

Although it’s difficult to identify individual battery ranges, both Bosch and Shimano are known for long battery lives and plenty of program options on the bike.

On Canyon bikes European website they have:

• ENDURANCE:ON and ROADLITE:ON models in e-road section;
• GRAIL:ON in e-gravel section;
• GRAND CANYON:ON, NEURON:ON, SPECTRAL:ON, and TORQUE:ON in e-mountain section;
• ROADLITE:ON, COMMUTER:ON, and PRECEDE:ON in e-city section;
• PATHLINE:ON, GRAIL:ON, and GRAND CANYON in the e-touring section.

On Canyon bikes USA website they have:

• SPECTRAL:ON and TORQUE:ON in the e-mountain section.

Canyon Bike Sizing

Canyon bike sizes are not like others, so while you may be an S in one brand, with Canyon you may be another.

They use something called a Perfect Positioning System (PPS) , which can help you identify which bike size is best based on your height, physiology and ride style . Each bike is sized individually based on its geometry, so even within the brand, you may size differently depending on the bike.

You can use their online size chart tool to determine which is best for you.

Every bicycle type and model has its own size chart:

There are different size charts for every Canyon bike model. You can find Canyon bike size charts when you have chosen a specific bike model. Image source: Canyon.com

Where Can You Buy Canyon Bikes?

Canyon is a pioneer of direct sales in the bike industry. They sell bicycles directly to the end-user and have cut out middlemen and dealers to keep the prices down. Therefore, there are no physical Canyon bike dealers and you can only buy Canyon bikes from their official website.

Visit Canyon.com

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Rebecca Bland

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2024 Ironman World Championship Nice Pro Bike: Kat Matthews’ Canyon Speedmax CFR

Kat Matthews' 2024 Ironman World Championship Bike

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Kat Matthews knows a thing or two about excelling on a technical world championship course—see: her second-place finish at Ironman World Championship in St. George. Since then, she’s fought back from adversity and most recently taken wins at Ironman Texas and Ironman Vitoria—along with runner-up finishes at San Francisco T100 and 70.3 Tallinn in 2024. Known for a balanced attack, Matthews’s overall finish certainly hinges on how well she can ride to be in contact to execute a solid run. It’s no surprise, then, that her bike is super dialed in for the demanding Nice course.

Below, take a look at the very slick Canyon Speedmax CFR that Kat Matthews will be riding in this year’s Ironman World Championship.

Vive la France! Visit our Nice Central hub for news, analysis, history, photo galleries, and so much more – new stories added daily from our team on the ground at the women’s 2024 Ironman World Championship.

Kat Matthews’ size small Canyon Speedmax CFR is optimized in nearly every single way, with no detail ignored.

On race day, Matthews will be running a big 56-44T Carbon Ti chainring on a Dura-Ace Crank and Speedplay Aero Zero pedals .

Matthews has a Dura-Ace Di2 12-speed drivetrain and will be using a DT Swiss Arc disc wheel in the rear.

The Speedmax CFR’s sparkle paint job catches the light in the rear triangle, contrasted with the CeramicSpeed OSPW system and YBN chain. On the Nice course, she’ll use an extra-wide 11-34t Dura-Ace cassette.

Like a few other athletes, Matthews will use a 28mm Continental GP 5000 TT tire on the rear (run at 70psi on race day).

Up front, Matthews has chosen a DT Swiss Dicut 60mm wheel with a Continental Aero 111 28mm tire.

Matthews has a very tight front end with deep Canyon arm cups and unique grips.

Here we take a closer look at Mathews’ unique grip solution—key for the technical Nice course.

For her between-the-arms hydration, Matthews has chosen an XLab Chimp water bottle cage, in addition to the Speedmax’s internal frame bladder.

Here we see another view of Matthews’ tight aerobar setup.

Though she’s not sponsored by them, Matthews uses a Wahoo Bolt computer for data display.

On Matthews’ top tube, we see a small bit of customization.

Matthews will use the minimalistic 3D-printed Selle Italia Novus Evo saddle in Nice.

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Lael Wilcox rode around the world and then went for another bike ride

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Gabriel Sanchez

Tinbete Ermyas

Scott Detrow

Cyclist Lael Wilcox reflects on riding her bike around the world

Lael Wilcox arrived at the finish of her around-the-world bike ride in Chicago on Sept. 11. She rode more than 18,000 miles. Rugile Kaladyte hide caption

American cyclist Lael Wilcox is claiming the record for the fastest woman to bike around the world.

The 38-year-old started her journey in Chicago on May 26 and ended it in Chicago on Sept. 11, riding 18,125 miles over the course of 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes.

"I've just been on a total high," Wilcox told All Things Considered . "From three days out from the finish, I just got this feeling like, 'I can do this,' and I felt like I was flying. And I'm still kind of riding that wave. I just had so much fun out there, and it meant so much to me. And, you know, it also felt so good to be coming to the end of it."

Her record has yet to be certified by Guinness World Records, but it would beat by more than two weeks the previous record of 124 days and 11 hours set by Scottish cyclist Jenny Graham in 2018.

A Pro Cyclist Rode An Unofficial, Solo Tour De France And Beat The Pack

Wilcox's first leg of the trip was a week riding from Chicago to New York City. Then she flew to Portugal, spending a month riding east through Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia.

Next it was a flight to Australia, where she spent about another month traveling from Perth to Brisbane. Then she spent a week biking through New Zealand, and afterward it was back to North America. She landed in Alaska and rode from Anchorage through western Canada and down the U.S. West Coast, before heading east through the Southwest and back to Chicago.

Riding 18,125 miles over nearly 109 days means averaging over 166 miles a day. Sometimes she rode more than 200.

And the world is not flat. Wilcox climbed a total of 629,880 vertical feet on her bike — equivalent to scaling the height of Mount Everest more than 21 times.

Guinness World Records does not require cyclists to literally ride the complete globe, as oceans would make that difficult (though perhaps not impossible ). The requirements call for at least 18,000 miles of bicycling and for riders to cross two antipodal points — in Wilcox's case, Madrid, Spain, and Wellington, New Zealand. Riders also have to take commercial transportation when they cross oceans — no private jets.

Wilcox is used to grueling ultradistance cycling

Lael Wilcox is greeted by fans and friends in Chicago at the finish of her bike ride around the world on Sept. 11. Rugile Kaladyte hide caption

Wilcox is no stranger to long bike rides. She has been doing ultradistance racing since 2015, when she set the women's record (15 days, 10 hours and 59 minutes) in the Tour Divide race , which runs from Banff, in the Canadian province of Alberta, all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. She holds the women's record in the Trans Am Bike Race across the U.S., and in 2016 she became the first woman and first American to win that grueling race from Oregon to Virginia , finishing in just over 18 days.

This time, she knew it was going to be a "pretty exhausting endeavor," she told NPR. That's why she invited fellow cyclists to ride along with her each day. Well-wishers also camped out along her route, offering drinks and treats .

Thousands of people came out along the way, she said.

"I'd be through a super-remote stretch like British Columbia where, you know, there's maybe a gas station every 150 miles and there's nobody out there. I saw, like, eight bears. And then I get closer to a town, and all of a sudden people start showing up, you know — a family with two kids and another guy that brought me a pastry and a nurse coming out in her full scrubs with the stethoscope just to say hello, or a construction guy that knew I was riding."

Wilcox's wife, photojournalist Rugile Kaladyte, documented the journey with extensive photos and videos and was part of a podcast of nightly updates. Wilcox adds that she's grateful they "got to have this life experience together."

Guinness World Records told NPR that it has received an application for Wilcox's record attempt and that its certification process can take 12 to 15 weeks.

When NPR talked with her shortly after she made it to Chicago, Wilcox was busy — on a bike ride with her family. "There's nothing else I'd rather do," she said.

CANYON BIKES AND CANYON ATHLETES DESTINED FOR PARIS GAMES THIS JULY

• From Track to Road, Time Trial, Triathlon and Cross Country, Canyon riders are primed for performance 
• Canyon reveals athletes competing during this summer’s Games, starting Friday 26th July.

Embargo – Wednesday 17th July, 15:00 CEST:

Within cycling there are those annual blue riband opportunities to win a Grand Tour stage, a Classic one-day race, a World Cup round, or even a World Championship – and quite rightly they are the pinnacle of most riders’ careers – but every four years a race comes around that is so difficult and so prestigious to win that it will sit atop of everything else on a rider’s palmares.

With the sporting world’s attention centring on Paris this July and August, Canyon has announced which of its riders are scheduled to be racing, and which bikes they are riding. 

The perfect platform for Canyon Factory Racing (CFR)

Opening proceedings on the first weekend (27/07) will be the men’s and women’s time trial where Canyon’s Speedmax CFR time trial bike will be employed. With a meticulously simulated and sculpted frame thanks to super-computer and wind tunnel analysis from aerodynamics experts Swiss Side, the Speedmax CFR deliversperformance worthy of champions, such as CANYON//SRAM Racing’s Chloe Dygert (USA) and Alpecin-Fenix rider Christina Schweinberger (AUT) who will be challenging for medals. 

Cross-country mountain bike racing also begins on that opening weekend. Canyon CLLCTV riders Luca Schwarzbauer (DE), Loana Lecomte (FR), and Adair Prieto (MX) as well as Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Sam Gaze (NZ) and Alpecin-Fenix rider Puck Pieterse (NL) will ride the full suspension Lux World Cup CFR . 

The Lux World Cup has one of the lightest full-suspension MTB frames on the market, meaning it climbs like a dream, yet its geometry and shock tuning allows it to rip descents with confidence-inspiring control too. Meanwhile the Exceed is a no-frills race machine intent of providing the maximum efficiency with minimum weight.

Into the first week the men’s and women’s triathlon will see Tim Hellwig (DE) and Hayden Wilde (NZ) challenging for medal places on the Aeroad CFR . They’ll also be back in action on Monday 5th August for the mixed triathlon relay. With the allowance of bunch riding, for safety reasons riders must choose the road racing cockpits, as found on the Aeroad, rather than the TT-cockpits, such as that used on the Speedmax.

The second weekend brings an endurance spectacle in the shape of the Road races. The men’s race will feature medal prospects including Mathieu Van der Poel , Alpecin-Deceuninck (NL) and Oier Lazkano , Movistar (ES) while the women’s race will see Chloe Dygert (US), Christina Schweinberger (AU), Kasia Niewiadoma (PL), Ricarda Bauernfeind (DE), Liane Lippert (DE) aiming for glory. Both male and female riders will use Canyon’s Aeroad CFR , perfect for such a course with its claim as one of the most aerodynamic and most winningest bikes in the peloton. 

Wrapping up the cycling events will be the track cycling. Released last year, Canyon’s Speedmax Track CFR bike is the embodiment of innovation, speed and performance. Two years of intensive development with 442 supercomputer runs, 312 wind tunnel analyses, and 155 hours of track testing time with Canyon’s world-class engineers and the fastest professionals in the sport resulted in the fastest bike Canyon has ever produced.

Team Denmark’s Niklas Larsen, Tobias Hansen, Michael Morkov, Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth, Team Belgium’s Fabio van den Bossche and Robbie Ghys, and Team USA’s Chloe Dygert will be on the boards aboard the Speedmax Track CFR. 

In it to win it

For an overview at a glance, we’ve compiled this handy list of races and relevant Canyon riders:

Saturday 27th July, Men’s and Women’s Time Trial

Chloe Dygert, CANYON//SRAM Racing (USA)  

Christina Schweinberger, Fenix-Deceuninck (AUT)

Antonia Niedermaier, CANYON//SRAM Racing (DE)

Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka, CANYON//SRAM Racing (PL)

Diane Ingabire, CANYON//SRAM Generation (RW)

Nelson Oliveira, Movistar (PT)

Emma Norsgaard, Movistar (DK)

Olivia Baril, Movistar (CA)

Sunday 28th July, Women’s MTB Cross Country

Loana Lecomte, Canyon CLLCTV (FR)

Puck Pieterse, Alpecin-Fenix (NL) 

Monday 29th July, Men’s MTB Cross Country

Luca Schwarzbauer, Canyon CLLCTV (DE)

Adair Prieto, Canyon CLLCTV (MX) 

Sam Gaze, Alpecin-Deceuninck (NZ) 

Tuesday 30th July, Men’s Individual Triathlon

Tim Hellwig (DE)

Hayden Wilde (NZ) 

Saturday 3rd August, Men’s Road Race

Mathieu Van der Poel, Alpecin-Deceuninck (NL)

Oier Lazkano, Movistar (ES)

Vinicius Rangel, Movistar (BR)

Alex Aranburu, Movistar (ES)

Sunday 4th August, Women’s Road Race

Ricarda Bauernfeind, CANYON//SRAM Racing (DE) 

Chloé Dygert, CANYON//SRAM Racing (US) 

Kasia Niewiadoma, CANYON//SRAM Racing (PO) 

Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka, CANYON//SRAM Racing (PO) 

Antonia Niedermaier, CANYON//SRAM Racing (DE) 

Elise Chabbey, CANYON//SRAM Racing (CH) 

Ese Lovina Ukperesaye, CANYON//SRAM Generation (NG) 

Diane Ingabire, CANYON//SRAM Generation (RW) 

Christina Schweinberger, Fenix-Deceuninck (AU) 

Carina Schrempf, Fenix-Deceuninck (AUT) 

Liane Lippert, Movistar (DE) 

Olivia Baril, Movistar (CA) 

Jelena Erci, Movistar (RS) 

Emma Norsgaard, Movistar (DK)  

Arlenis Sierra, Movistar (CU) 

Claire Steels, Movistar (GB) 

Paula Patiño, Movistar (CO) 

Monday 5th August, Mixed Triathlon Relay

Hayden Wilde (NZ)

Monday 5-11th August, Track Cycling

Niklas Larsen, Uno-X Mobility (DK)

Tobias Hansen, BHS-PL Beton Bornholm (DK)

Michael Morkov, Astana Qazaqstan (DK)

Amalie Dideriksen, Uno-X Mobility (DK)

Julie Norman Leth, Uno-X Mobility (DK)

Fabio van den Bossche, Alpecin-Deceuninck (BE)

Robbe Ghys, Alpecin-Deceuninck (BE)

Chloe Dygert, CANYON//SRAM Racing (US)

Albert Torres, Movistar (ES)

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Embargo: Wednesday 17th July, 15:00 CEST
• For campaign images and studio shots of the bikes, please see here .
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Argon 18 Sum Pro review: one of the best race bikes that's not in the WorldTour

Lightweight, incredibly supple, and engaging on twisty roads, the Argon 18 has impressed me from start to finish

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The Argon 18 is a fantastically balanced race bike, that is truly useable for us mere mortals. It's responsive, fun to ride on twisty terrain, and all the while remains properly comfortable over long distances. It's also a respectable weight too, at 7.3kg for a size 54. The finishing kit could do with some improvement, but even when taking that into account, the Sum Pro provides good value for money. Don't count this bike out just because it wasn't in the Tour de France!

Fantastic all-round performance

Super comfortable, supple ride feel

A great-looking bike

Two piece handlebar on a top-spec bike won't be for everyone

Wheels could be higher spec

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

• Construction

The Argon 18 Sum Pro is certainly one of the more interesting bikes on the market in 2024. The Canadian bicycle manufacturer, founded in 1989 by former professional cyclist Gervais Rioux, doesn't currently have a division one sponsored team, and therefore isn't often seen on our TV screens - but that doesn't mean the brand doesn't make great bikes.

The Sum Pro goes toe-to-toe with the best road bikes on the market across all categories, and when it comes to value and comfort, I think Argon 18 has a lot of the competition beat. A top of the range road bike that doesn't beat you up on a 4-hour ride is no mean feat to engineer, and I think Argon 18 has done just that.

Argon 18 Sum Pro: Construction

The frameset.

Argon 18’s says the new Sum Pro blends the best elements of its predecessors, bringing together the aero performance of the Nitrogen and the climbing prowess of the Gallium Pro. Aesthetically at least, you can certainly see some hereditary features. The Sum Pro represents Argon 18’s most advanced carbon layup, which the brand says is engineered for optimal power transfer, stiffness, and compliance across all terrain. The frame is also available in a slightly lower-spec carbon layup, which forgoes the 'Pro' branding.

Like pretty much every modern-day bike on the market, the Sum Pro features an aerodynamic design that started out with complex Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. The frame's hourglass-shaped headtube is optimized to reduce drag, and has been made deeper from back to front to improve stiffness. The flared fork legs are shaped to direct air away from the downtube, enhancing airflow while maintaining lateral stiffness.

These aerodynamic features result in a claimed 75-second gain over the Gallium Pro Disc on challenging climbing stages, such as La Planche des Belles Filles - claims made using a real-world power data model.

The Argon 18 Sum Pro follows the ever more popular trend of aero up front, and lighter weight at the back

But as important as aero is, an all-round race bike has to be lightweight too. Argon 18 has managed to keep the frame weight low by slimming down some of the Sum Pro’s tube profiles, including the D-shaped seat post, narrow seat stays, and optimized downtube. The result is a painted frame weight of 850 grams, which, for the cost of the bike, is fairly respectable. For comparison, the Van Rysel RCR Pro 's frameset weighs 790 grams for a similar size, and the Merida Scultura sits at 830g.

Argon 18 has also put a lot of emphasis on the comfort, a quality that is blissfully tangible on the road. The Sum Pro offers an impressive combination of compliance and stiffness, thanks in no small part to nowadays common dropped seat stays and a slimmed-down seat post. And if you want to improve comfort further, the Sum Pro has clearance for tyres up to 30mm. This is all said to contribute to a 30-35% improvement in rear compliance over the Gallium Pro - I haven't ridden the Gallium, but the Sum Pro is decidedly supple.

The build...

The build itself is slightly more of a mixed bag. Gear changes are handled by the ever-reliable rock that is Shimano's Dura-Ace R9270 Di2 , which worked faultlessly.

The Zipp 303S wheels are coupled with Vittoria Corsa Pro 28mm tires

Alongside the Shimano groupset, is a set of Zipp 303s carbon wheels . It is slightly unusual to find a Shimano groupset next to Sram subsidiary wheels, but the 45mm deep wheels do make a good pairing for the frameset. The 1,525g wheelset features hookless rims, and are optimized for 28mm tyres, which once again plays into the Sum Pro's emphasis on comfort.

The cockpit setup is a two-piece affair, not carrying the flare of a one-piece setup, however, this does have its upsides. FSA provides its ACR stem and SL-K compact handlebar for the cockpit, making for a mix of alloy and carbon fiber upfront. The combination of traditional round bars, and a slightly heavier alloy stem does make the Sum Pro slightly less attractive than some of its rivals. However, it does remain slightly easier to change position post-purchase, which shouldn't be ignored. This ease of adjusting for bike fit came in particularly useful when we took it to the wind tunnel earlier this year...

Argon 18 Sum Pro: the ride

I have been lucky enough to ride the Argon 18 Sum Pro in a whole host of different capacities, on my usual home roads, as well as in the World's most expensive turbo trainer - the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub's Performance Wind Tunnel .

But let's start with first impressions. As with all my bike tests, I initially took the Sum Pro for a 30km shakedown on a local route, which features a little bit of everything. Steep climbs, some corners I know well, and some very, very bumpy tarmac. The bike handled all of this pretty well, and from the gun felt fairly playful too - something not all modern-day bikes manage to harbor.

When playing around with handlebar widths in the wind tunnel, I was reminded just how much easier a two-piece bar and stem setup is to configure - even if it is slightly slower.

But I found it was when I took the Sum Pro on a longer jaunt around the Cotswolds that the bike really began to shine. My home roads in Oxfordshire are known among the local cycling community for being in very poor condition, but aboard the Sum Pro, this was far less noticeable. The frame, along with the 28mm Vittoria Corsa Pro tires, were fantastically supple and did a stellar job at eliminating road buzz.

What makes this quality quite so significant, is that the bike remains firmly under the race bike category. The Sum Pro doesn't quite have the electric response of something like the Giant TCR which I recently tested , but it is well and truly in the same ballpark and comes in at a lower cost too.

A closer look at the cam tail down tube, complete with some physics revision

I also took the Sum Pro on some faster chaingang group rides in order to get a feel for how the bike handled in a slightly more competitive environment, and once again it performed very well. The bike feels totally at home when things get fast and also remained very stable when committing a little harder to the corners too.

Overall, the Sum Pro provides a poised ride feel, bringing together a fairly aggressive geometry with a carbon layup that allows you to stay comfortable for long periods in the saddle. It's a combination that, I think, is brilliant for most amateur racers. No, it might not be quite as stiff as some of the big-name competition, but the truth is, there isn't too much in it - at least, not enough to be noticeable to us mere mortals.

Argon 18 Sum Pro: value

The Argon 18 Sum Pro is priced at £8,500/$8,950, and quite frankly, for the ride quality you get, I think this is good value. For that price, you are getting a top-spec groupset, and a high-quality frameset. That said, I do think the finishing kit lets the bike down slightly. It's all very capable, but an aero cockpit of some description would do wonders to narrow the gap between the Sum Pro and some of its more expensive competition.

An obvious competitor would be the Van Rysel RCR Pro, which comes in at £9000/$ 10,999 for the top-spec model. Though I haven't tested this exact spec, I can say that I think the Argon 18 offers a more rewarding ride than the RCR Pro, but when you consider the Sum Pro's slightly heavier weight at 7.3kg it's pretty close between the two.

Overall, It's high praise for the Argon 18 Sum Pro, especially if you are a racer looking to take the edge off rougher tarmac.

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Joe is Cycling Weekly's tech writer. He's always had a love for bikes, since first riding a two wheeled steed before the age of four. Years down the line, Joe began racing at 16, and enjoyed great experiences internationally, racing in Italy, Spain and Belgium to name a few locations. Always interested in tech, Joe even piloted his Frankenstein hill climb bike to a Junior National Title in 2018.  After taking a step back from elite level racing in April 2022, Joe joined our team as a freelancer, before becoming Tech Writer in May 2023. 

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