Gear News

Canyon introduce clean sweep of disc-equipped road bikes for 2017 with launch of Aeroad Disc and Ultimate Disc

It's the news we've been waiting for - Canyon have announced details of a complete range of disc-equipped road bikes

Canyon released its first disc-equipped road bike, the Endurace CF SLX, back in June – and now the German firm has announced a clean sweep of disc machines, including the Ultimate and Aeroad.

It’s the news we’ve been waiting for after Canyon teased near-production prototypes of the Ultimate and Aeroad at Eurobike – and details have now been confirmed. Canyon will now offer disc versions of the Ultimate CF SLX and its more affordable sibling, the Ultimate CF SL, as well as the Aeroad CF SLX Disc. The Endurace CF SL has also been introduced as a more affordable version of Canyon’s disc-equipped endurance road bike, which sufficiently whet our appetite for Canyon disc road bikes when we reviewed the Endurace CF SLX 8.0 in November.

All in all, that means there are now 21 disc road bikes in the Canyon range for 2017, starting with the Endurace CF SL Disc 8.0 with Shimano 105 at £1,799 and topping out with the Aeroad CF SLX Disc 9.0 with Shimano Dura-Ace at £5,199. While all bikes are available to order now, availability and shipping dates vary from model to model – see the Canyon website for more details.

It’s the news we’ve been waiting for – Canyon have announced details of the Ultimate Disc and Aeroad Disc

The remit

“Creating a complete range of disc-equipped road bikes was not simply a question of adapting our existing rim brake platforms,” say Canyon. “All models have been re-engineered from the ground up and thoroughly tested by our pro riders and engineers so that they offer the same ride and handling performance Canyon road bikes are known for.”

The launch of the range comes ten years after Canyon showcased the Projekt 6.8 – a concept bike with hydraulic disc brakes which tipped the scales bang on the 6.8kg UCI weight limit.

Now disc brakes are a reality and Canyon say there were four main considerations when developing a full range of disc-equipped road bike: control, clearance, aerodynamics and weight. Let’s quickly run through each of those.

Canyon believe the benefit of disc brakes isn’t in offering more braking power, but improving modulation and, subsequently, control – and that’s something we can attest to.

Clearance? By removing rim brake calipers, tyre clearance is increased significantly – up to 33mm on the disc-equipped Ultimate and Endurace, while the Aeroad is designed for use with 25mm tyres, owing to the aerodynamic focus of the bike. Regardless, Canyon say that the ability to run wider tyres improves comfort, grip and reduces rolling resistance. They’ve also specced every bikes with wheels with an internal rim width of at least 17mm to make the most of those wider tyres.

But disc brakes are less aerodynamic, surely? Yes, according to Canyon, but they say the difference is ‘marginal’. Canyon’s wind tunnel testing at 45km/h put that difference at 3.3 watts (or 1.5 per cent) between the Ultimate CF SLX Disc and regular Ultimate CF SLX. “Sure, the difference is there, but it’s marginal,” Canyon say. “A host of other performance gains make up for any aero loss.”

Canyon have gone all-in on disc brakes for 2017

What about weight? Canyon say the extra carbon fibre required to deal with the increased braking forces of discs raises the frameset weights by about 70g – and you can add a little more to that from the extra hardware in the brakes themselves, along with the wheels.

Again, however, Canyon are keen to emphasise the overall benefit of disc brakes. “None of this means you can’t end up with a system weight that will toe the line with any super-light climbing machine. We’re talking grams, not kilograms,” Canyon say. However, whether we’ll see Movistar’s Nairo Quintana going toe-to-toe with Chris Froome up the Col d’Izoard at the Tour de France aboard a disc-equipped machine remains to be seen.

Canyon’s range of disc-equipped road bikes is topped by the Aeroad CF SLX Disc 9.0 with Shimano Dura-Ace

While Canyon’s Ultimate, Aeroad and Endurace platforms have their own character, focusing on low weight, aerodynamics and comfort respectively, a number of features unite all disc-ready models across the range.

First up, all bikes use 12mm thru-axles at the front and rear to provide a ‘stiffer and more secure connection between the wheels and frame’. Canyon have also used 160mm rotors ‘for optimal power and braking modulation’, with the exception of XXS frames, which use 140mm rotors. Those rotors slot into calipers attached to the frame using the flat-mount standard.

The bikes

Canyon Aeroad CF SLX Disc

The Aeroad CF SLX is one of two bikes, along with the Ultimate CF SLX, available to Canyon’s two WorldTour teams, Movistar and Katusha, and there are also now four disc brake bikes in the range.

As we’ve already mentioned, the Aeroad CF SLX Disc 9.0 is the flagship model at £5,199 and that comes with Shimano’s new Dura-Ace mechanical groupset and Reynolds Strike carbon clincher wheels.

Canyon have introduced four disc-equipped versions of the Aeroad, including the 8.0 here for £3,799

Next up there’s the Aeroad CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2 for £4,499 and that wears a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and the same Reynolds Strike wheels, with a women’s-specific versions also available at the same price.

Finally, as far at Canyon’s disc-equipped aero road bikes go, the Aeroad CF SLX 8.0 Disc comes with a mechanical Shimano Ultegra groupset and, once again, Reynolds Strike wheels for £3,799.

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX/SL Disc

Canyon’s Ultimate range has received the full treatment, with disc brake versions of both the Ultimate CF SLX and more affordable Ultimate CF SL introduced.

The range is topped by the Ultimate CF SLX Disc 9.0, which has a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset and DT Swiss PRC 1400 Dicut Disc wheels for £4,899.

The Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0 comes in at £3,799

Then there’s the £4,399 Ultimate CF SLX 8.0 Di2, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Mavic’s new Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C wheels, before you’ll find the Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0, which swaps in a mechanical Ultegra groupset for £3,799.

Then it’s onto bikes based around the Ultimate CF SL frame, which shares all the same features as the SLX, including the semi-aero tube profiles and comfort-boosting lowered seatpost clamp, but uses a more affordable grade of carbon to drop the price and increase the weight a little.

Both the Ultimate CF SL Disc 9.0 Di2 and Ultimate CF SL Disc 9.0 Aero are £3,249. The former has a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and DT Swiss PR 1400 Dicut Disc wheels, while the latter gets a mechanical Ultegra groupset and Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C wheels.

The Ultimate CF SL Disc 9.0 is £2,399 and features a Shimano Ultegra groupset and DT Swiss R23 Spline Disc wheels, with a women’s version of that bike also available.

Finally, the Ultimate CF SL Disc 8.0 opens the range with Shimano 105 and Mavic Aksium Disc wheels for £1,849.

Canyon Endurace CF SLX/SL Disc

Canyon launched the updated Endurace CF SLX earlier in the year and that frame remains unchanged, other than spec and price updates for 2017, but there’s now also the disc-equipped Endurace CF SL, which, like the Ultimate CF SL, is a more affordable version of its big SLX brother.

Let’s look at the 2017 Endurace CF SLX bikes first – of which there are four. The Endurace CF SLX Disc 9.0 is the showstopper, with Shimano Dura-Ace and the new endurance-focused DT Swiss ERC 1100 Dicut wheels launched in November. Yours for £5,199.

The Endurace CF is now available in both SL and SLX versions. This is the £2,199 Endurace CF SL Disc 9.0

Next there’s the Endurace CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Reynolds Assault LE Disc wheels for £4,499. There’s also a women’s version of that bike.

Finally, the £3,899 Endurace CF SLX Disc 8.0 is dressed in a Shimano Ultegra groupset and the same Reynolds Assault LE Disc hoops.

That takes us on to the SL, with the range topped by the Endurace CF SL Disc 9.0 Di2 with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Zipp 30 Course wheels for £3,599.

Then you’ll find the £2,899 Endurace CF SL Disc 9.0 SL with Shimano Ultegra and DT Swiss PR 1400 Dicut Oxic wheels.

At £2,199 there’s the Endurace CF SL Disc 9.0 with Shimano Ultegra and DT Swiss R24 Spline Disc wheels. There’s a women’s version of that bike, too.

Last but not least, the Endurace CF SL Disc 8.0 comes in at £1,799 with a Shimano 105 groupset and Mavic Aksium Disc wheels.