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TECH NEWS
Just in: Canyon Endurace CF 8.0
A little while ago we reviewed the brand new Canyon Endurace, in the most expensive CF 9.0 SL £2,699 Shimano Dura-Ace guise, but now we’ve got our hands on the cheapest model in the Endurace range, the £1,299 CF 8.0.
The Endurace is Canyon’s new comfort/sportive/endurance model, and offers a slightly more relaxed position than their Ultimate and Aeroad race bikes, but it’s not as extreme as some endurance bikes such as the Specialized Roubaix to pick one example.
The important thing to know is that this bike shares exactly the same frame as the incarnation we tested back in August, but trades in the top-shelf build kit for some more modest parts. Make no mistake though, this bike, in typical Canyon fashion with their direct sale business model, offers exceedingly good value for money. There aren'y many other ways of getting a carbon fibre frame and fork with a full Shimano 105 groupset.
This is a size medium (56) with the Sport geometry (Canyon split their models into three tiers of geometry; Sport, Sport Pro and Pro) and that means a 545mm seat tube, 547mm top tube, 159mm head tube, 415mm chainstays and a 989mm wheelbase. That last figure, the wheelbase, is shorter than the likes of the Cannondale Synapse and Bianchi Infinito which stretch the axles out to over 1,000mm, so you can see Canyon have restrained from make the Endurace too relaxed and rangy.
The Endurace is intended to offer comfort as well. It sets out to achieve this with VCLS (Vertical Comfort Lateral Stiffness) technology, optimised carbon fibre layup essentially, in the seat tube, top tube and seatstay junction. This area forms what they like to call a ‘VCLS Module,' and this area of the frame is designed to provide necessary compliance for smoothing rough roads.
That's the frame, Canyon have also used carefully chosen components to provide more smoothness. There's the VCLS 2.0 seatpost which acts a bit like a leaf spring and can move backwards under heavy impacts. The fork is more slender than on other Canyon bikes as well and features a new tapered steerer tube. The bigger volume tyres on wider rims are another attempt at boosting the smoothness offered of the bike.
Canyon have fitted the bike with a full and complete Shimano 105 5800 11-speed groupset with a compact 50/34 chainset. If you read our review of the latest Shimano groupset recently you'll know that it impressed is hugely, and unless you're really concerned with weight, it is the best groupset they company have probably ever produced.
Wheels are supplied by DT Swiss and they're the new R24 Spline models. The rims feature an 18mm internal width, wider than regular rims, which balloons the tyres out substantially. The wheels have a claimed weight of 1,764g. According to DT Swiss the rims are tubeless-ready as well, offering an easy upgrade option down the road.
Onto the wheels are mounted Continental Grand Prix 4000s II tyres in a 25mm width, but due to that extra wide rims the tyres actually measure closer to a 27mm, providing increased volume for a little extra cushioning on rougher roads.
Finishing kit comes from the Ritchey stable, with a WCS 4-Axis 44 stem and WCS Evo Curve handlebar wrapped with Canyon Ergospeed Gel bar tape and a Fizik Ardea saddle atop the Canyon S14 VCLS 2.0 seatpost.
The Endurace CF 8.0 on our scales, and this is a size medium, weighs in at 7.77kg (17.12lb). Canyon claims a 1,040 frame weight for a size medium along with 340g for the fork.
It’ll be interesting to see how this entry-level model compares to the top-end Endurace we tested earlier this year, and see if it performs as well on the road as it looks to do on paper.
More at www.canyon.com
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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Just not here. It's the wrong location, local people are against it and we have to listen to them....
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23 comments
I've owned one since September last year, it replaced my old (Aluxx Framed) Giant TCR. I've got large frame (555mm top tube) and without shoes I'm 6'1" in height with 34" inside leg.
I opted for Ultegra spec which came with Ritchey finishing kit and DT R23 Spline wheels (I did however swap the tyres for 23c Contis rather than the 25c that it came with and the Fizik Aliante Saddle for an Arione).
After a bit of bike fitting I ended up with the stem being changed for a 120mm over the 110mm it came with and reducing the height by 10mm from the top of the spacer stack - as it happens this had a positive effect on medium to high speed stability.
Don't let the 'Sport Geometry' description misdirect you; it's very comfortable to ride and soaks up rough surfaces and a fair bit of vibration but, it's no slouch as far as bikes of this type are concerned. Press the pedals with any urgency and it's fairly quick, for me it's translated into an extra 1.5-2mph average over a typical 50mile test run straight out of the box compared to the old Giant I had (and that's before I've put my head down and put in the winter miles).
Handling wise it's responsive without being nervous which I think is partly due to the fairly compact wheelbase and partly due to the steep head angle - some of the racers amongst you may still find it a touch slow but it depends what you want it for.
Minor gripes: A bit of toe overlap to the front wheel but only really an issue track-standing at lights or making a tight turn in the street. Also the 1 1/4 inch steerer means limited options when changing stems as not many manufacturers supply them in that size (I ended up getting a Ritchey one direct from Canyon which they relieved me of £55 for).
If you have doubts over the Canyon sizing tool on the website then call them up and have a chat with one of their technical guys or drop them an email with your measurements and they can usually advise. I did that with both the Road and MTB purchases and both have been a good fit.
I own an Ultimate Al with Campy Athena 11. Bought before the Endurace range was released, I was right on the cusp of the small/medium sizes being 5' 9" so I opted for the medium to give a little comfort. It fits fine I'll definitely buy another Canyon and have my eye on an Aeroad next year, might have to smuggle it into the garage though....
Love canyon. The aeroad is just the best bike on the market
Ultegra , cosmics, for 2500!
I didn't have the best buying experience with my Ultimate SLX but boy was it worth the wait. Quality bikes at very good prices.
I got one of these a month ago, replacement for my Planet X pro carbon. It's brilliant, something of an enigma - stiff, yet very compliant & comfortable. I took it on an especially rough stretch of Tarmac, and it really smoothed out the vibration. The wider rims work, the 25mm tyres measure the same width as 28mm Duranos on my commuter. I'm delighted with the bike & the service / support from canyon UK.
Received mine a few days ago (the Ultegra version). It's an astonishing ride. Comments and my mini review here: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12972441&start=280
7.77kg for 1299 is seriously impressive, but as always with Canyon, shame about the purchasing experience.
Cant fault Canyon for the service. If you accept the bikes have due/ shipping dates from the factories, it is part of the reason they can undercut the rivals. Lean , fast moving stock. Super bikes and amazing value
They also have them in AL now, even more of a bargain, but i don't like that they get rid of the Ultimate SL and Roadlite (the one with dropbars). Especially the Ultimate sl, would have been my next bike, but now ROSE is so much cheaper for a bike with Ksyrium wheels.
I've got this exact model, and I love it - except for the seatpost. Beware, the maximum amount of seatpost that can be inserted into the frame (ie the lowest you can set the saddle) actually leaves the saddle quite high. Therefore, if you need the saddle slightly lower as I did then you have to ditch the VCLS2 seatpost.
I'm 6' with a large frame and it's perfect, but couldn't use the VCLS2 post due to a BB-to-top-of-saddle length of about 77cm being needed. Very annoying - the bike could have been even cheaper with an appropriate standard seatpost.
That's very interesting -- I'm pretty sure an Endurace might well be my next bike, and I'm also 6' tall and would have gone for the large frame. I really wouldn't want to have to ditch the seat post -- that's a big selling point for me. Clearly I need to be careful to make sure it'll fit right and maybe go a size down... Shame there's no way of trying, but that's the flip side of their way of doing things.
I think everything should be fine as long as you use PPS. When I was about to order my Endurace, the measurements suggested size L/58 (I'm 188 cm with 89 cm inseam barefoot, and this was almost on the edge of XL/60). As my previous bike was stated as 60cm (even though it had totally different geometry) I thought that XL will be a better choice in the end...
A week later the bike arrived... and I quickly realised I was quite lucky. It turned out that I fit, yet just barely. A couple of millimetres less and I would be past VCLS2 maximum insertion position... Though changing the saddle to e.g. Flite adds one more centimeter.
I also had to replace stem with a shorter one (suggested during a proper bike fit session), but it was no problem thanks to an excellent customer service (at least it works great here in Poland).
Overall - it's my first Canyon and I am pretty sure it's not the last one. Fantastic bike and the price/performance ratio is unbeatable IMO.
Aha, thanks for the clarification. And in a world of ever more confusing niches, Canyon up the ante by using barely differentiated naming. Whoo!
No direct mount brakes? That's mudguard mounts sorted then
But gnnarrghhh...discs....keep promising self +1 will have discs...
Trust you want to have disc. If you ride in UK roads with traffic then disc is a must. Works amazing in the rain too.
I no longer have to worry about tired hands at the end of the ride.
I told canyon two years ago to get their disc model out but they don't listen.
In the end I went with Rose disc. Love it to bits. Canyons loss.
Very tempting!
Huh?
Ah oops, meant to be Sport, Sport Pro and Pro. There's a good bit of info explaining the three geos on the Canyon website https://www.canyon.com/en/technology/geometriekonzept/#2
They're now doing three versions of this bike - one with Ritchey kit and the DT Swiss wheels for £1299, one with Canyon kit and the DT Swiss wheels for £1299, and one with Canyon kit and Mavic Aksiums for £1149. The last one is 150g heavier for its £150 less... and would appear to be a colossal bargain.
I don't really care that much about the weight, but i'd definitely pay some, if not all, of that for tubeless-ready, wide rimmed wheels with DT Swiss hubs. YMMV clearly.
Yeah, I'm not sure which is the better bargain really. I'd personally lean towards the cheaper one and then buy some 'best' wheels (...mmm, carbon...) later if I felt they were holding me back.
Aye, either way they're good deals. If you're thinking of going tubeless anyway, it probably makes sense to go for the DT Swiss - especially you're going to be getting a wee bit more comfort and grip for no extra weight (in fact, less) with the wider rims.
Looks good to me, I like to way the company offers the exact same frame throughout the range unlike many companies who follow the 'go large' business model (Cannondale, for example), trying to tempt us further & further up the range until the wallet gets stretched beyond my budget. With this I'd have a very warm glow, knowing that the frame was the same as the top model... bravo Canyon