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Canyon road bikes

hi,

I am looking to get a Canyon but I am not sure which one would be better.

What I do:
Night time riding (due to work)
Weekend warrior
Love to climb, suffer
Average about 200km weekly
Hates cycling after rain (wet tarmac sucks)

I am thinking of the 3:
Aeroad
Ultimate CF SLX
Endurace CF

The Endurace price is tempting me to get the Dura Ace spec.
For the Ulti, i am not sure if it is worth to get DA spec or just the Ultegra. The wheels are awesome for CF SLX.
As for the Aeroad, I really like the look of it. And among these 3, Aeroad seems to be latest frame and it would probably last a few more years before they come out with another version.

What do you think?

Thanks!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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21 comments

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rxpell | 9 years ago
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Bought an Endurace CF with Ultegra from them in the Summer. I love the bike and it rides very well and looks great (although I would have liked to be able to choose other colours that the 2 on offer, but guess that's one way they keep the price down). It's the first carbon bike I've had so I still can't believe how light it is - and how (relatively) well I can climb hills on it compared to my everyday bike. Trickiest part of the buying process was doing the measurements to choose the size - couldn't work out exactly what to measure, so ended up with a range of possible measurements which I plugged in and all came out with same frame size, so that's what I chose. Can't fault the service from Canyon, they charged my card when the bike was ready to be shipped (not when I made the order) and it actually arrived sooner than they said it would and it was easy to assemble and apart from the expected minor fine tuning has been good so far, no problems with sizing etc.

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T Viking | 9 years ago
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I have the Ultimate cf slx 9.0, so full mechanical DA groupset and Mavic SLR wheels. I have ridden 6000 miles on it. It arrived when Canyon said it would. The exalith brake surface has come off in one place on the rear wheel. Canyon paid for the return postage and it is with Mavic to get sorted under warranty now. I have ridden in the Alps and here in the UK. I did a sportive with 25% gradients, so changed the rear DA cassette to Ultegra 6800 11-32. For this to work I also changed the rear mech to the 6800 Ultegra medium cage. There is a noticeable difference in the quality and smoothness of shifting, but the Ultegra is still good, just not as silky smooth as the DA9000.

I would recommend any of those bikes you are looking at. I found that the slx is not that aggresive and moved the stem as far down as it will go. This has been fine for me on century rides. The bike is super comfortable and fast. Good look with choosing.

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LinusLarrabee | 9 years ago
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I have a 2013 Aeroad and a spare bike I've built up from this years Ultimate AL SLX frameset (as well as a couple of Cannondales floating around).

I think you'll probably enjoy any of those bikes you listed - they're all good bikes and good value for money compared to other brands.

When I'm trying to decide if it's worth going for the higher spec equipment I ask myself if I'll miss the extra £100, £200 (whatever it is) in a years time. If the answer is no, and it usually is, I go for the higher spec parts. The expensive mistake I've made in the past is to go for cheaper parts and then upgraded later because I'm feeling dissatisfied. It always works out more expensive and time consuming to do it that way.

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Parkrider | 9 years ago
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Thanks for the comment guys but it is not helpful at all.

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sorebones | 9 years ago
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Ignore the first comment about the non-endurance bikes being too race orientated, that's utter drivel (I'll grant you the Aeroad's have a more aggressive geometry). I have owned a CF SLX for 11 months and 4000 miles now and it has been an utter joy from start to finish. The head tubes are not very aggressive in length at all, they are a nice balance that allows you to to lose the spacers without breaking your back.

I have ridden mine in the Alps and for the tour of Flanders sportive and it handles it all magnificently - really stiff bottom bracket for climbing, but the stays and VCLS seatpost make it so comfortable for all day riding you wouldn't believe it.

As others have mentioned I wouldn't compromise on the frameset to get a better groupset. I bought the 7.0 with Ultegra 6800 (that got the Mavic SLR's though) and half way through the year upgraded to Dura-Ace when I could afford it. If you want a genuine all-rounder I cannot think of a better bike.

The Aeroads look stunning but I would imagine are slightly more of a compromise to live with, especially for commuting.

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Parkrider replied to sorebones | 9 years ago
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sorebones wrote:

Ignore the first comment about the non-endurance bikes being too race orientated, that's utter drivel (I'll grant you the Aeroad's have a more aggressive geometry). I have owned a CF SLX for 11 months and 4000 miles now and it has been an utter joy from start to finish. The head tubes are not very aggressive in length at all, they are a nice balance that allows you to to lose the spacers without breaking your back.

I have ridden mine in the Alps and for the tour of Flanders sportive and it handles it all magnificently - really stiff bottom bracket for climbing, but the stays and VCLS seatpost make it so comfortable for all day riding you wouldn't believe it.

As others have mentioned I wouldn't compromise on the frameset to get a better groupset. I bought the 7.0 with Ultegra 6800 (that got the Mavic SLR's though) and half way through the year upgraded to Dura-Ace when I could afford it. If you want a genuine all-rounder I cannot think of a better bike.

The Aeroads look stunning but I would imagine are slightly more of a compromise to live with, especially for commuting.

Thanks, you gave me a very good advice here. I should go for SLX 8.0 since it got the same wheels as 9.0 and the next thing I can do is just get high profile wheels and "carbonize" the handlebar, seatpost, saddle, etc... When There is nothing else left, then I can start to think of getting that Dura Ace  1

The Aeroad is really getting my attention though. Yet I am unsure if I will suffer a lot more if I use that to do some HC climbs, compared to the SLX.

Endurace is just, well, if I cant wait to save my $$$ that long for the other options  1

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ajmarshal1 replied to Parkrider | 9 years ago
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kenong wrote:

The Aeroad is really getting my attention though. Yet I am unsure if I will suffer a lot more if I use that to do some HC climbs, compared to the SLX.

You won't.

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surly_by_name replied to Parkrider | 9 years ago
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kenong wrote:

.. I am unsure if I will suffer a lot more if I use that to do some HC climbs, compared to the SLX....

Again, drivel.

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Metjas | 9 years ago
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Just to give a thumbs up to Canyon customer service - I enquired about a replacement part for the headset on my 2011 Ultimate CF SLX and two days later it came through my letter box, for free! I struggle to remember any retailer that's given me that level of service recently.

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CasperCCC | 9 years ago
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I was complaining on another thread about delays to delivery and the rubbish communication from Canyon. The process was pretty frustrating. But the SLX arrived on Monday. Went for a 30 mile ride on it yesterday. It hasn't turned me into Contador, but it did put a smile on my face.

I went for the 8.0. Considered getting the top of the range SL instead of the cheapest SLX, but wanted to go for the best frame. Pretty sure I made the right decision. The move from 105 on my old bike to the Ultegra on the SLX didn't feel massively different. Maybe a bit crisper, but it's not going to change my life. From what I have heard, the gap between Ultegra and DA is even smaller.

Also check out the prices for DA cassettes etc. Painful.

The frame, though... never ridden the SL so can't compare, but the SLX is really, really nice. The acceleration is ace. That's where I felt the biggest difference. It responds really well. Couldn't notice a massive difference on the hills, but I'm carrying enough KGs to mean that losing a bit of weight off the bike was never going to make a huge change.

I'm in Cambridgeshire, so it's not as if I've got mountains to climb, but it also felt pretty good on the descents that I found. It just wants to go fast.

So, from my uneducated perspective: I can't imagine that it's worth paying a lot more for Dura Ace. If you do order, prepare yourself for the possibility that you're going to get really annoyed when the bike doesn't turn up when they say it will. But once the bike arrives, you'll probably forget the pretty average customer service quickly.

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Parkrider replied to CasperCCC | 9 years ago
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CasperCCC wrote:

I was complaining on another thread about delays to delivery and the rubbish communication from Canyon. The process was pretty frustrating. But the SLX arrived on Monday. Went for a 30 mile ride on it yesterday. It hasn't turned me into Contador, but it did put a smile on my face.

I went for the 8.0. Considered getting the top of the range SL instead of the cheapest SLX, but wanted to go for the best frame. Pretty sure I made the right decision. The move from 105 on my old bike to the Ultegra on the SLX didn't feel massively different. Maybe a bit crisper, but it's not going to change my life. From what I have heard, the gap between Ultegra and DA is even smaller.

Also check out the prices for DA cassettes etc. Painful.

The frame, though... never ridden the SL so can't compare, but the SLX is really, really nice. The acceleration is ace. That's where I felt the biggest difference. It responds really well. Couldn't notice a massive difference on the hills, but I'm carrying enough KGs to mean that losing a bit of weight off the bike was never going to make a huge change.

I'm in Cambridgeshire, so it's not as if I've got mountains to climb, but it also felt pretty good on the descents that I found. It just wants to go fast.

So, from my uneducated perspective: I can't imagine that it's worth paying a lot more for Dura Ace. If you do order, prepare yourself for the possibility that you're going to get really annoyed when the bike doesn't turn up when they say it will. But once the bike arrives, you'll probably forget the pretty average customer service quickly.

Cheers & thanks... I have ridden on Ultegra 6700 and 6800... So I was thinking to try DA. Yeah the price difference is a lot.

Now what about the two other frame? Aeroad & Endurace? Any suggestions?

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giobox replied to CasperCCC | 9 years ago
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CasperCCC wrote:

Also check out the prices for DA cassettes etc. Painful.

Don't worry about this - ANY Shimano 11 speed cassette can be used with a Dura-Ace mech. No one in the real world runs Dura-Ace cassettes, I always use an Ultegra one with mine. Even the vast majority of new bikes with a Dura-Ace groupset almost always come with an Ultegra cassette. Canyon are one of the only manufacturers I've ever seen who fit a Dura-Ace cassette as standard kit on a Dura Ace specced bike.

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IngloriousLou | 9 years ago
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Don't get swayed by shiny-shiny groupset.

Buy the best frame that fits your needs now and as far as you can reasonably predict.

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surly_by_name | 9 years ago
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I have Ultimate CF SLX. Awesome frame. (As of this season, the Aeroroad is now "SLX" as well.)

You cannot go wrong with any of these options; the Endurace 9.0SL seems amazing value. Full mechanical DA and an ex-pedals weight of 6.95kgs for £2.3k? Bonkers. Although the Aeroroad SLX 7.0 for £400 more with full Ultegra seems similarly value laden (and only 200g heavier). Split the difference with the Ultimate CF SLX (£2.6k) at 6.7kgs. I also have a now slightly long in the tooth Ultimate CF, so at the risk of making the task of choosing slightly harder, I wouldn't discount the Ultimate CF SL9.0 (Ultegra, 7.0kgs) Di2.

Maybe focus on head tube length? Endurace longest at 159mm (M), Aeroroad shortest at 147mm (M) and CF SLX in the middle at 150mm (M). I appreciate aerodynamics are theoretically important but if (like me) you aren't so flexible then maybe think about a longer head tube? Also, if you are going to do night time riding (commuting?) then maybe a slightly more heads up position would be beneficial/safer?

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Parkrider replied to surly_by_name | 9 years ago
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surly_by_name wrote:

I have Ultimate CF SLX. Awesome frame. (As of this season, the Aeroroad is now "SLX" as well.)

You cannot go wrong with any of these options; the Endurace 9.0SL seems amazing value. Full mechanical DA and an ex-pedals weight of 6.95kgs for £2.3k? Bonkers. Although the Aeroroad SLX 7.0 for £400 more with full Ultegra seems similarly value laden (and only 200g heavier). Split the difference with the Ultimate CF SLX (£2.6k) at 6.7kgs. I also have a now slightly long in the tooth Ultimate CF, so at the risk of making the task of choosing slightly harder, I wouldn't discount the Ultimate CF SL9.0 (Ultegra, 7.0kgs) Di2.

Maybe focus on head tube length? Endurace longest at 159mm (M), Aeroroad shortest at 147mm (M) and CF SLX in the middle at 150mm (M). I appreciate aerodynamics are theoretically important but if (like me) you aren't so flexible then maybe think about a longer head tube? Also, if you are going to do night time riding (commuting?) then maybe a slightly more heads up position would be beneficial/safer?

CF SL looks nice, price-wise, but I do want a frame that is better. So it would be either those 3 mentioned above...

From what you said, I am actually quite flexible. My current setup is in the picture below. I can ride on the drop for a very long time though I am not sure if Aeroad is going to be a good choice as I also love to climb and Aeroad won't be good for climbing compared to Ulti CF SLX...

The Endurace I have nothing much going on for it, except the really good pricing for Dura Ace spec. If you look at Canyon again today, they updated their Endurace range again, with 2015 model. The Dura Ace version seems like they "upgraded" the BB. 2014 version they were using Ultegra BB. 2015 is Dura Ace BB...

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surly_by_name replied to Parkrider | 9 years ago
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kenong wrote:

CF SL looks nice, price-wise, but I do want a frame that is better. So it would be either those 3 mentioned above...

.... though I am not sure if Aeroad is going to be a good choice as I also love to climb and Aeroad won't be good for climbing compared to Ulti CF SLX...

The Endurace I have nothing much going on for it, except the really good pricing for Dura Ace spec. If you look at Canyon again today, they updated their Endurace range again, with 2015 model. The Dura Ace version seems like they "upgraded" the BB. 2014 version they were using Ultegra BB. 2015 is Dura Ace BB...

"A frame that is better" - You've lost me. If you were buying a frame only I'd understand. CF SLX 8.0 vs CF SL 9.0. Basically the only way to choose between them is SRAM vs Shimano. Also, doesn't this disqualify the Endurace which is (notwithstanding Canyon's florid description) really just a CF with a longer head tube?

"Aeroroad won't be good for climbing" - I imagine Joaquin Rodriguez rides the Aeroroad because he is sooooooo good at climbing it is positively unfair and he needs to give the rest of the peleton a chance.

Dura Ace BB vs Ultegra BB. Does this even count as an upgrade? The Shimano PF BBs are all cheap, largely made of plastic and very disposable. I don't get how this is important at all.

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Parkrider replied to surly_by_name | 9 years ago
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surly_by_name wrote:
kenong wrote:

CF SL looks nice, price-wise, but I do want a frame that is better. So it would be either those 3 mentioned above...

.... though I am not sure if Aeroad is going to be a good choice as I also love to climb and Aeroad won't be good for climbing compared to Ulti CF SLX...

The Endurace I have nothing much going on for it, except the really good pricing for Dura Ace spec. If you look at Canyon again today, they updated their Endurace range again, with 2015 model. The Dura Ace version seems like they "upgraded" the BB. 2014 version they were using Ultegra BB. 2015 is Dura Ace BB...

"A frame that is better" - You've lost me. If you were buying a frame only I'd understand. CF SLX 8.0 vs CF SL 9.0. Basically the only way to choose between them is SRAM vs Shimano. Also, doesn't this disqualify the Endurace which is (notwithstanding Canyon's florid description) really just a CF with a longer head tube?

"Aeroroad won't be good for climbing" - I imagine Joaquin Rodriguez rides the Aeroroad because he is sooooooo good at climbing it is positively unfair and he needs to give the rest of the peleton a chance.

Dura Ace BB vs Ultegra BB. Does this even count as an upgrade? The Shimano PF BBs are all cheap, largely made of plastic and very disposable. I don't get how this is important at all.

The concern on this is that whether it is worth to wait longer for the better spec'd bike. Also, in comparison of all 3, the Ulti CF SLX would be the best choice for climbing, but I also like the idea of an aero bike. So much indecision... sigh

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surly_by_name replied to Parkrider | 9 years ago
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kenong wrote:

... the Ulti CF SLX would be the best choice for climbing...

Drivel.

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Scrufftie | 9 years ago
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I wouldn't worry about the frame being superceded; a new version of everything comes out pretty quickly and the differences are marginal (usually) at best.

Also, the difference between Ultegra and DA is mainly cosmetic and price. Ultegra functions exactly the same as DA and the groupset weighs just a few grammes more. Di2 is useful, tho.

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Scrufftie | 9 years ago
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I wouldn't worry about the frame being superceded; a new version of everything comes out pretty quickly and the differences are marginal (usually) at best.

Also, the difference between Ultegra and DA is mainly cosmetic and price. Ultegra functions exactly the same as DA and the groupset weighs just a few grammes more. Di2 is useful, tho.

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Graham Simmons | 9 years ago
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I definitely advise you go see a qualified bike fitter before deciding on a new frame - the Endurance is a very good frame for those who are looking to do long weekend rides and sportives, while the others are much more race focused. Not recommended unless you've got good hamstrings and core!

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