Canyon has a brand new carbon gravel race bike within the works, we’d heard the rumors, we’d seen some teasers, however now we’ve got an in depth up-close take a look at what might be the following evolution of their standard however divisive Grail gravel bike. Official particulars are nonetheless successfully nonexistent, however I noticed an entire handful of assorted next-gen Canyon CFR gravel bikes warming up for this weekend’s FNLD GRVL occasion in Finland this weekend, and even rode subsequent to 1 for fairly a while. It’s a really completed bike, that I’d think about isn’t too far off from real-world availability, if solely handed on the sheer variety of Canyon-sponsored riders spied driving the camouflaged prototypes right here in Lahti.
Canyon Grail CFR prototype gravel race bike
Simply to be clear, I don’t truly know the identify of this new carbon Canyon gravel bike, and once I requested Canyon for more information, they instructed me I must wait to seek out out any particulars past what I occurred to see out on the Finnish gravel roads or noticed across the occasion venue. I believe I’ll know extra quickly, however for now it will actually all be quite a lot of assumptions.
However with Tiffany Cromwell’s race bike leaned up exterior of the Canyon pit space whereas she was giving interviews to the racing press, a pair extra professional prototypes noticed leaning towards the legs of assorted different riders, and driving round a model that seems to belong to considered one of Canyon’s product improvement workforce… I can glean quite a lot of enjoyable particulars.
For lack of a greater identify, I’m going to name it a Grail CFR – based mostly on the truth that Grail is Canyon’s gravel race bike, and CFR as a result of that’s their top-tier race-ready carbon layups, and in addition as a result of CFR is printed on the toptube.
What’s New? Tech particulars
Very first thing of word to cyclists who know the Grail is that this new Canyon CFR gravel prototype does NOT have the wild double-decker Hover bar. However it nonetheless has an fascinating built-in cockpit answer, only a extra typical one. Additionally, the fork seems to be a lot deeper (extra aero?) and bulkier very like the Grizl‘s fork with out additional mounts. However there’s additionally some wild boxy up prime, truncated airfoil down low downtube shaping hidden below some efficient camo graphics.
A glove field within the downtube?
There’s additionally a D-shaped semi-aero seatpost that appears borrowed from Canyon street bikes like the brand new Final. And a direct mount mini chain information that seems to additionally imply that is 2x suitable since there’s a little routing port for the Di2 wire of your digital entrance derailleur.
And what’s that?
A door within the prime of the downtube sufficiently big to stuff a spare tube, mini-tools, and different gravel roadside restore necessities inside so that you don’t want a saddle bag or to refill your jersey & bib shorts cargo pockets.
A brand new built-in 1-piece gravel cockpit?
There’s additionally a contemporary one-piece carbon built-in bar+stem cockpit, and inside cable routing by way of the higher headset cowl.
The bar on Cromwell’s bike seems to be particularly well-suited to gravel racing, with a gently curving backswept prime and a medium stage of flare to the drops.
As for that cable routing, it’s not utterly inside by way of the bar, as an alternative tucking below the digital stem and getting into a really massive higher headset cowl. It’s sufficiently big that I can’t fairly inform if it directs the cables within or exterior of the higher headset bearing. I’ve acquired my fingers crossed for outdoor for the better upkeep potential. The cockpit additionally has a molded-in recess to connect a brand new fashion of out-front GPS mount. Cromwell’s bike was sporting a 3D-printed mount for her biking pc, however the product improvement man’s bike appeared to have a extra completed answer that match his system.
And though there are usually not something cage mounts on the fork, there are nonetheless tons of attachment factors to play with. Begin with direct toptube bag mounts, then Cromwell’s smaller bike will get a body bag (?) mount above the snap-in glove field door, plus 2 customary units of bottle cage mounts inside the primary triangle, and a cage mount below the downtube.
The bikes additionally function bosses below the seatstays the place up to now Canyon has bolted on a detachable keep to help full protection fenders. And the again of the fork crown has two side-by-side mounts suggesting a extra moto-style self-supporting entrance fender.
Aero bikepacking luggage for gravel racing?
One other one of many slickest particulars is that this tremendous built-in partial body bag from the R& D workforce bike, with a very-aero cosy match towards the boxier shaping on the entrance of the primary triangle. It seems to be quite a bit just like the Aero Pack System that Apidura developed with Ridley final summer season for his or her optimized Kanzo Quick gravel racing setup.
Canyon labored with Apidura for a custom-made set of Racing Collection bikepacking luggage to suit the Grizl two years again, so this seems to be like a subsequent evolution of that undertaking – actually right down to the identical orange and black zipper pulls.
On this larger-sized body there’s house below the aerodynamic partial body bag for the glove field door to peek out, but it surely’s not clear if you happen to may simply entry each on the similar time.
I additionally occurred to get the fortunate probability to identify a less-painted model of the brand new Canyon Grail CFR gravel prototype stripped down because the workforce mechanics had been build up a brand new bike for considered one of their athletes racing a Shimano Di2 2x drivetrain.
That offers a bit extra of a uncooked take a look at the opening for the glove field port within the down tube, and a clearer view of the transition from boxy to aero downtube shaping, with out camo tape hiding it. It additionally exhibits the detachable entrance derailleur braze-on tab vs. the filler plate or chain information answer on the opposite bikes.
Canyon Grail CFR gravel timeline and anticipated availability?
Right here’s some extra hypothesis, and one thing I’m much less positive of…
Relying on which bike you take a look at, quite a bit about these Canyon CFR gravel prototypes look very properly completed and near production-ready. The professional bikes with shape-obscuring graphics look so near completed, that I wouldn’t be stunned to see this new bike launch within the subsequent month or two. That aero racing bag seems to be fairly dial-in as properly.
However…
The truth that Cromwell is racing with a 3D-printed GPS mount means that half should still be in improvement. And I doubt Canyon will launch a motorbike which you can’t confidently connect any main biking pc to it with a correct mount. And the overall end on the body, and particularly the little glove field door of this improvement workforce member’s bike counsel some extra refinements stay.
I’d guess ‘finish of summer season’ for a launch, and since Canyon are likely to launch as soon as the bike is definitely obtainable, you probably might be racing round your native gravel roads in autumn 2023.
Keep tuned, a brand new Canyon CFR gravel bike is coming quickly!
