The Takeaway: This is a value- and performance-oriented racing bike that’s most at home on a cyclocross course but can double as a light-duty gravel ride.
- Distinctive kinked top tube makes it easier to quickly shoulder the bike
- SRAM Rival 1x groupset offers consistent performance at a reasonable price
- Aluminum DT Swiss hoops are great all-purpose wheels for racing and casual riding
Price: $2,299
Weight: 19 lb. (size medium)
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The Inflite CF SL 7.0 is Canyon’s cheapest carbon cyclocross bike. But don’t mistake that statement as an insult. The German direct-to-consumer brand built a strong reputation of delivering value that’s tough to compete with, and this bike is emblematic of that. Although it uses a different, heavier carbon layup than the top-tier $4,500 Inflite CF SLX 9 Team that's similar to the bike ridden by Mathieu van der Poel to his fourth Cyclocross World Championship in Ostend, Belgium, in January, it shares the race-proven geometry and distinctive top tube kink as that bike—also ridden by former World Champion Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado. The bones of a world-class bike are there. They’re just dressed in a smartly-curated collection of components that scores high marks in the performance category without needlessly driving up the price.
What About That Top Tube?
While on the topic of the frame, it’s impossible to ignore the most unique element of the Inflite: its unmistakable silhouette. Yes, I’m talking about that kink in the top tube. Aero road bikes have made us numb to non-traditional tube shapes, but cyclocross bikes have been largely immune to such anomalies. So this aspect of the Inflite caught my attention immediately, and I don’t think I’m the only one who raised an eyebrow at the sight of such an unusual shape on a racing bicycle. Canyon claims the unique design creates the largest possible main triangle for ease of shouldering, while exposing more of the seat post to enhance vertical compliance and thus improve ride quality.
In theory, the claim about more exposed seat post adding compliance makes sense, but that can be hard to quantify. Cyclocross races are short, violent efforts that prize efficiency, and are a far cry from the long-haul gravel rides or races where comfort and compliance are more important. So while the kinked top tube may allow for more compliance, that’s not what I’m looking for in a cyclocross bike.
Race-Ready Wheels
Aluminum DT Swiss wheels felt stiff in the turns and responded well to hard pedaling.
Comfy Saddle
The Selle Italia Model X has a short nose and wide sit bone cradle.
40mm Tire Clearance
You’ll have plenty of room for muddy days racing on 32mm tires.
SRAM Rival 1x
1x is great for cyclocross, but the Inflite can also accept a front derailleur.
Spacious Main Triangle
The distinctive kinked top tube makes it really easy to shoulder the bike.
Easier to objectively evaluate is the extra space created inside the main triangle: There is no denying the ease with which it let me flick the bike on and off my shoulder. In fact, there’s so much space that a water bottle mounted on the down tube did not impede shouldering the rig. That alone is a huge bonus for training days, as well as racing in hot weather.
SRAM Rival 1x11-Speed Drivetrain
The Inflite CF SL 7.0 is hung with SRAM’s Rival 1x groupset, renowned for its reliable performance and low price tag. A 40t chainring, paired with an 11-36 11-speed cassette, is a good middle-of-the-road option that should suit a wide range of riders on a variety of courses. However, those who intend to use the Inflite Cf SL 7.0 as a light-duty gravel bike might consider investing in a smaller chainring if long or steep climbs are on the menu.
I found the aluminum and tubeless-ready DT Swiss C 1850 Spline wheels to be incredibly stiff and nice complements to the performance and value-oriented frameset. They felt quick to accelerate under hard pedaling and provided stiff support through all the ruts and corners I threw the Inflite into. I was, however, disappointed in the Schwalbe X-One All Around TLE tires. They rolled well on pavement and light gravel, but the round knobs offered lackluster and unpredictable traction when I really leaned into a corner. Mud was a non-starter. Even the shortest pass through a sloppy section would cause the tire to spin under pressure from the pedals, cake with mud, and lose all traction.
The CF SL 7.0 didn’t get the fancy, carbon integrated cockpit like the two most expensive versions of this bike, but I found the traditional bar and stem made it refreshingly easy to dial in my fit. Be warned, though: While not proprietary, the steer tube has a diameter of 1-¼ inches, larger than the more common 1-⅛ inches, so riders who want a different stem length may find themselves buying a new one.
Saddles often fly under the radar, especially on bikes at the cheaper end of the spectrum, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give honorable mention to the Selle Italia Model X. The short nose and wide sit bone cradle mimics the design of the very popular Specialized Body Geometry power models. This one, however, has really clever saddle bag strap loops molded into the back. It’s a feature I never knew I needed, but now I want on all of my saddles.
Style: Cyclocross
Material: Carbon
Wheel Size: 700c
Fork: Carbon
Drivetrain: SRAM Rival 1x11-speed
Cranks: SRAM Rival
Chainring: 40t
Cassette: 11-36
Brakes: SRAM Rival 1 HRD 1s
Wheels: DT Swiss C 1850 Spline db
Tires: Schwalbe X-One Allround TLE
Saddle: Selle Italia Model X
Seatpost: Canyon SP0042 VCLS CF
Handlebar: Canyon H17 Ergobar AL
Stem: Canyon V13
Tire Clearance: 700c x 40mm
Inflite Family
Canyon offers four different models of the Inflite. Of those four, two (our CF SL 7.0 included) carry the SL designation that denotes the heavier carbon frame. The Inflite CF SL 8.0, hung with a SRAM Force drivetrain and rolling on Reynolds AR41 carbon hoops, is arguably the best value at $3,299. The cheapest Inflite is the aluminum-framed AL SLX 6.0, which will set you back $1,700. The undeniable pick of the litter is the Inflite CF SLX 9 Team, outfitted with Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 groupset and Reynolds Assault LE DB wheels. You’ll shell out 4,499 bones for that beauty.
Traditional (Aggressive) European-Style Geometry
While other manufacturers are making cyclocross frames with slacker head angles and lower bottom brackets, embracing more progressive designs like Cannondale’s SuperX, Canyon stuck with a recipe that continues to prove effective on the race course. The geometry of the Inflite CF SL 7.0 follows that of traditional European cyclocross racing bikes: steep head and seat tube angles (72.5 and 73.5 degrees, respectively) combined with a high bottom bracket (62mm). Reach on my size medium test bike was on the long side at 393mm and more closely resembled the 58cm version of the Cannondale than the comparably sized 56 (385mm). Stack, however, falls more in line with what I’d expect from this size at 572mm—only 3mm lower than the SuperX. Riders who enjoy aggressive, road bike-like performance from their ’cross bikes will be very much at home on the Inflite.
A Purebred Racing Bike at a Great Price
From the first pedal stroke, the Inflite CF SL 7.0 makes its intent crystal clear: This is a go-fast bike. There was no hint of flex in the bottom bracket, steering response was nearly telepathic, and the fit is aggressive in a way that made me feel like I was sitting in the bike rather than above it, with a lot of weight on the front wheel. It was a position that rewarded pushing hard up the climbs, attacking out of tight turns, and breaking late into every twist on both trails and my practice course. However, I found that a lapse in concentration can make it easy to get too far forward when hopping a barrier or a log. For this tester, with a strong background as a domestic elite-level road and cyclocross racer, the Inflite CF SL 7.0 perfectly suited the aggressive way I like to ride.
On the wide spectrum of off-road bikes with drop bars, this one resides at the most aggressive end and can be characterized as a criterium bike with knobby tires. The design is focused on cyclocross racing, but the frame can accommodate a front derailleur (which is still all but mandatory in European cyclocross) for the 2x-inclined and tires up to 40mm wide. That does give the Inflite CF SL 7.0 the ability to do double duty as an off season all-road bike or light-duty gravel bike. And while you certainly can use it quite successfully as a gravel rig, it’s most at home between the tape on a race course.
Pros
- Stiff, carbon frame and aggressive geometry makes it a super race bike
Cons
- Shwalbe X-One Allround TLE tires aren’t good in the mud
