By The Takeaway: Canyon’s newest aero road bike is insanely stiff, undeniably fast, and has a surprisingly user-friendly integrated cockpit.
- New Aeroad CFR saves a claimed 7.4 watts over the previous version
- Adjustable-width handlebar
- No cutting required to change handlebar height
Price: $9,000
Weight: 16.25 lb. (XL)
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In response to the failure of Mathieu van der Poel's handlebar while racing the single day classic Le Samyn, Canyon has issued a “Stop Ride” order for all new CF SLX and CFR model Aeroads. The CF SL models are not affected. “We are doing everything we can to equip the affected Aeroad models as quickly as possible with a cockpit that meets both our and our customers’ demands for total quality and safety,” said Armin Landgraf, CEO of Canyon Bicycles.
On the surface, the new Canyon Aeroad CFR looks like a throwback to when aero road bikes more closely resembled their time trial-specific sibling with road handlebars. But don’t judge it on appearances, although I would have done well to heed my own advice. Despite being taken by its looks and thoroughly impressed by the level of integration, I was initially skeptical about whether this bike was a step in the right direction. See, the recently released Specialized Tarmac SL7 gave this curmudgeon hope that we might one day move on from the current split between aero and climbing bikes and get back to just road racing bikes that were good for (almost) all racing. I was initially bummed that Canyon appeared to be widening that split.
After getting to know the Aeroad CFR, I came to the understanding that this full-scale overhaul on a model first released in 2014 puts it back in its original position among the best aero road racing machines in the world.
The German brand was explicit with its goals for this project: improve aerodynamics, reduce overall weight, and add what it calls modern integration (in non-bike industry speak, that means hiding all cables, shift wires, and brake hoses inside the handlebar and frame). It also wanted to make the bike more comfortable for long hours in the saddle, tweak the geometry to make the bike better fit a wider range of riders, and sharpen the handling. Last but not least, the bike had to look good. Everyone knows you can’t go fast on an ugly bike.
Integrated Cockpit
There’s not a single wire or brake hose to be seen here.
Clean Lines
Looking quick is half the battle, and we love the sleek profile.
Speedy Wheels
DT Swiss ARC1100 carbon hoops are crazy stiff and roll fast.
Powermeter Included
The cranks are outfitted with Shimano’s dual-leg power meter.
Adjustable Width Bar
Pick your preferred width, within a 40mm range.
The Sailing Effect
Short of taking the bike to a wind tunnel, it’s impossible to verify claims about aerodynamics. In this instance, it’s that the new Aeroad is up to 7.4 watts faster than its predecessor, and beats out top bikes from major brands like Trek, Cannondale, Cervelo, and Specialized. What I can tell you is the bike feels undeniably fast, whether on a casual spin or attempting to steal a KOM. Maybe that’s because Canyon’s claims are true. Maybe it’s a placebo.
But there is one very curious aspect to the aerodynamics that jumped out at me as soon as I saw the media kit. Canyon claims the bike performs best at extreme yaw angles (read: crosswinds) because the deep tube sections catch the wind and generate lift, similar to an airplane wing. It calls that the “sailing effect.” Conceptually, a rider can lean into a crosswind and essentially get pushed along, like a sailboat. Like our inability to test this bike in a wind tunnel, we also can’t run it through CFD modeling to verify those claims. I’m left to trust the engineers when they make this assertion. I was, however, extremely skeptical that this sailing effect would amount to anything other than a bike that’s a bear to handle in a crosswind.
Style: Aero road
Material: Carbon
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Cranks: 175mm Shimano Dura-Ace with power meter
Chainring: 52/36t
Cassette: 11-28
Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace disc brakes
Wheels: DT Swiss ARC1100 Dicut 62
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 (25mm front, 28mm rear)
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Lite
Seatpost: Canyon SP0046
Handlebar: Canyon CP0018 Aero-Cockpit
Here’s what I can tell you. I’m 6-foot-2, weigh 180 pounds, and am comfortable riding aero equipment in crosswinds. On a moderately windy day, with peak gusts in the 15- to 20-mile per hour range, I found I was getting buffeted by the wind more than I expected. It didn’t make me uncomfortable, but I’m a big guy with a lot of experience on bikes like this in windy conditions. It can’t go unsaid that the Aeroad sports wheels with 62mm-deep rims—those never help on windy days. My perception was that, if the sailing effect is real, the benefit is negated by the distraction of trying to control the bike. Either way, you’d be well-advised to keep a second set of wheels with low-profile rims on hand for when the wind picks up.
Lighter with Better Integration
Canyon claims the new frameset is lighter than the outgoing Aeroad by roughly 170 grams, depending on the frame size. Most of that weight savings comes in the seat post and integrated cockpit, but the frame itself did shed a few grams. At just over 16 pounds for an XL, even with really deep-section rims, this bike isn’t going to get accusations of being a mountain goat. But it’s in line with similar unabashedly aero rigs like the BMC Timemachine Road and the Cannondale SystemSix. And we also know that it still helps to have a low coefficient of drag when climbing.
Integrated cockpits are all but mandatory on modern aero bikes, but Canyon did something exceptional with this one. The new handlebar is actually three separate pieces: a 230mm-wide top section and two wing sections that make up the remainder of the handlebar—the drops, hoods, and a portion of the tops. The wings slide into the top section, fixed in place by two Torx bolts. Additionally, there are three possible positions for each wing, effectively giving the handlebar an adjustable width with a range of 40mm. The reasons for this are twofold. First, naturally, it allows riders to select their preferred handlebar width. Second, disassembling the bar, which is easily done without disturbing the tape, makes it much simpler to pack the bike in a travel case.
Adjustable width isn’t the only trick tucked into the cockpit. Canyon engineers also gave us a way to adjust handlebar height without cutting the steer tube. The design is reminiscent of the Quill stems of old. In a modern twist on that, a carbon tube attached to the stem slides inside a larger tube connected to the fork. A bolt (turned with a 4mm Allen wrench) in the back of the stem wedges the two together, similar to a seat clamp wedge. Changing the height of the handlebar is as simple as loosening that bolt and removing spacers to lower the bar or adding spacers to raise it.
More Accessible Fit
The previous Aeroad was one of the most aggressive bikes around, characterized by longer reaches and lower stack heights than most. The new bike pulls back on the reins, bringing the fit more in line with the Ultimate, the brand's lightweight climbing bike. Even so, 419mm of reach and 606mm of stack on my XL still counts as aggressive. Canyon also trimmed the chainstays by 5mm—to 410mm—with the goal of tightening up the steering.
The bike is available in eight (yes, you read that correctly) different sizes from 3XS all the way up to 2XL. The smallest uses 650b wheels, which means short riders won’t suffer from the unavoidable compromises in geometry, and subsequent poor handling, that comes from stretching the design of such a small bike to accommodate the 700c wheels found on larger sizes.
Aeroad Family
The Aeroad is available in six different models. The CFR is available with both Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and SRAM RED eTap AXS builds for $9,000. There are Shimano Ultegra and SRAM Force eTap AXS builds available for the CF SLX 8 Disc. Both of those will set you back $5,999. The CF SL 8 Disc ($4,399) uses a slightly heavier carbon frame than it’s pricier siblings and is hung with a mechanical Shimano Ultegra drivetrain. Last but not least, for $3,999 you can get your mitts on the CF SL 7, which sports the same frame as the CF SL 8 but steps down to a Shimano 105 drivetrain.
Ridiculously Stiff
Given our evaluation of the Aeroad CFR against Canyon’s stated goals, it’s safe to say the brand succeeded in making a great machine. The bike is insanely stiff, there’s no doubt about that. Whether I was trying to accelerate from a dead stop or sprinting up a hill, this proved one of the stiffest bikes I’ve ever ridden—and that includes track bikes. Even on such a large frame, there was almost no perceptible flex. The penalty with this crazy stiffness is that the Aeroad lost some of the springiness and snap that made the previous generation lively and exciting to ride.
The handlebar, however, doesn’t appear to match the stiffness found elsewhere. To be fair, aero road handlebars are inherently flexy, and Canyon deliberately made the new cockpit less stiff than what’s found on the previous bike to enhance comfort over long, hard days. That’s a welcome change and a smart move considering the rest of the bike is solid as a rock. I can concur that the bar adds a welcome level of comfort, and even wrenching on it while standing up on the pedals to pop over short, steep hills didn’t produce troublesome flex. Sprinting in the drops was a different story. Everyone has different levels of tolerance for flexy bars while sprinting, but I found it annoyingly whippy.
Overall, the new Aeroad is an unapologetically race-oriented bike. It’s designed to do one thing, and do it well: go really stinking fast. You simply can’t help but feel like you’re cruising faster with less effort. Gaining some free speed is addictive, and I frequently found myself riding much harder than I intended, simply because going fast is really fun. If you’ve been stuck at Ludicrous Speed and are looking for that little extra to push you over the edge to Plaid, this could be the bike for you.
Value That’s Tough To Beat
We can’t talk about a Canyon without also talking about value. The direct-to-consumer brand is known for delivering some of the best bikes in the world at prices well below its competitors. Good luck finding a world-class aero road bike decked out with top-tier components for nine grand anywhere else. That’s not to suggest that $9,000 is a bargain basement price, but compared to the similar $12,000 Cannondale SystemSix Hi-MOD Dura-Ace Di2 and the $12,500 Trek Madone SLR 9, it’s more palatable. This is a super fast and versatile machine that, whether you’re into criteriums, road races, or Gran Fondos, will likely help you do them a little faster. At the very least, you’ll certainly look quick.
Pros
- Stiff, light, and efficient frame
- Available in 8 sizes
Cons
- May be too stiff for some riders
