Canyon launched its flat bar Roadlite range a couple of years ago but it has refreshed the bikes for 2018, and we reckon there’s a lot going for them if you want the performance and speed of a road bike but are put off by drop handlebars.
The Roadlite falls under Canyon’s ‘fitness’ category and is headlined by the new Roadlite CF, which features a 990g carbon fibre frame developed specifically to meet the demands of the cyclist seeking, to use Canyon’s worlds, comfort and control.
There’s no shortage of high-end technology in the new Roadlite, and there’s clearly a lot of influence from the road race bikes such as the Ultimate CF SLX. The carbon frame has fully internal cable routing, disc brakes with 12mm thru-axles and flat mount disc brakes, features that have become established in Canyon’s road bike range.
Canyon has really paid attention to the details, and there is no cutting corners in sight. A brand new one-piece carbon handlebar called the CP04 Fitness Cockpit looks trick and has Ergon GA3 Wing grips for ergonomic comfort, while the VCLS split seatpost from the Endurace platform provides extra seated comfort when cruising bumpy city streets.
There are four models to choose from, priced from £1,449 up to £2,549. The range-topping model is fully loaded with nice kit - full carbon fibre DT Swiss ERC1400 wheels, a SRAM Force 1x11 groupset and hydraulic disc brakes - contributing to a claimed 7.6kg weight. That's impressive by any measure.
If the carbon fibre Roadlite is too rich for your tastes, there's an aluminium-framed version that comes in at a more palatable £1,099 and £1,299. The aluminium frame has been updated, with revisions like internal cable routing and disc brakes with 12mm thru-axles. There’s also an aluminium version of the one-piece handlebar with two-finger bar-ends for extra hand position options.
What do you think? Interested in swapping drops for flat bars? We like the look of these bikes and might just get one in for review, so stay tuned for more.
Pretty sure filtering on a bike is entirely legal though? Although I'm sure there are exceptions and I'm ready to learn.
That's my betting - pros and cons. Overall improvement (safety, driving efficiency) but then systemic or random glitches. The consequences of...
There is truth that the poorly managed went out of business and yes we are all paying for them....
They have now: https://road.cc/content/news/police-chief-says-range-rover-clip-doesnt-tell-full-story-295101
Nah, never heard of that...
I agree hawkinspeter, as much as we can call the old bill for doing nothing, when they only have 2 -3 coppers coverining a 15 mile radious or more...
Thanks for the comment, I've flagged it to our tech team to look at.
There's even a gate next to the offending cattle grid... https://goo.gl/maps/g6qNuR9T6tWL7WSs8...
I was knocked off in a similar fashion by someone towing a horsebox that was wider than their car. I had a minor bit of road rash and some torn bar...
I wasn't expecting much from a bike designed by Wiggins but this has exceeded all my expectations in how tasteless a bike can be. Absolutely gopping.