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Canyon Brings Updates to their New Ultimate CF SLX Road Racer

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Leading up to next months attempt at the Tour de France, 2014 Giro winner Nairo Quintana and his Movistar teammates introduced a new grand tour road machine from consumer-direct Canyon this week at their Service Course in Pamplona, Spain. The new 4th generation Canyon Ultimate builds on the tech of the previous bike and 10 years of Canyon’s Ultimate moniker.

As market demands (hype?) require, the bike gets lighter (a tiny bit), more comfortable, and more aero. But Canyon has actually done a few interesting things to hit those last two upgrades. Roll on past the break for more details, pics, starting price, and availability…

Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_driveside_complete
c. Canyon, lead photo by Tino Pohlmann

While Canyon calls the bike an entirely new design, it bears many similarities to the last iteration. Their engineering team achieved what were pretty standard industry goals with the new bike: more-compliance and more-aero. But keeping the stiffness:weight that the Ultimate was known for, the R&D team ended up with a bike they claim has 15% more vertical deflection and an 8% boost in aerodynamics for the frameset (up to 14% with the newly designed Aerocockpit) versus the last model.

Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_integrated-seat-cluster-detail Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_rear-end-detail

The new design comes keeps thin flattened seatstays for comfort, but updates them with a D-shape for aero benefit. The biggest boost in comfort comes from a new trimmed down seat cluster and clamp that lets the seatpost flex more to isolate deflection at the saddle, by moving the clamping point  below the seatstay juncture, extending the effective bending length of the post by up to 110mm.

Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_prototype-wind-tunnel-testing_by-Rene-Zieger Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_front-end-detail Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_front-end-in-action_by-Tino-Pohlmann

The frame gets more aero with the tidy hidden seatpost clamp, a completely new narrower D-shaped downtube, an updated integrated Acros headset/spacer combo, a new integrated bar/stem combo, a slightly more hour-glassed headtube (with a straight 1.25″ steerer), and an updated fork design that flows more smoothly into the frame.

Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX_Nairo-Quintana_Movistar-Team-bike_by-Geoff-Waugh Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-SLX-9-0_complete_by-Geoff-Waugh

The new bike will come in 7 sizes, with seattubes from 43-61cm and toptubes ranging form 51-61cm. Canyon has also reworked the M and L sizes to sit a bit closer to each other to offer better fit where most of their customers fall. The new Ultimate CF SLX will be available to order direct from Canyon’s website as of the end of August (at the end of Eurobike.) 11 models will be offered starting at €3200 (most likely with a Ultegra level build) and will climb from there.

Canyon_new_Ultimate-CF-EVO-10-0-SL_complete_by-Geoff-Waugh
photo by Geoff Waugh

Canyon also teased us with the idea that 3 models of an ultra light Ultimate CF EVO are also in the works. The 3rd gen Ultimate CF SLX frame weighed less than 800g, and every build they offered last year came in under the UCI’s 6.8kg threshold, so while the new frame is reported to be a few grams lighter, a new EVO version will probably put it up there with the lightest production bikes on the market. No word yet on the extra light one’s pricing or availability, but it will surely come at a premium from the looks of the Lightweight and THM clad EVO 10.0 SL we’ve seen.

Canyon.com

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JMG_DC
JMG_DC
8 years ago

Whoop de do. When will they start selling in more countries, like the US?

Sevenout
Sevenout
8 years ago

3200 Euro starting price is not your typical good value price,but a rather similar price from the usual big guys too,at least at Ultegra level. And with Canyon there is no discount either. I love my Spectral but I’m afraid Canyon is losing it’s value oriented mind.

rico
rico
8 years ago

This is a proper road bike. It’s up there with the likes of the 2016 Cdale evo hi mod. And i think it may also now be the lightest mass production frame.

Redog
Redog
8 years ago

3200 Euro minus VAT is the bargain of the Century. The build kits C. puts on their bikes is far superior than anything the big guys use.

alex
alex
8 years ago

i like that silver/grey paint job… with the aero gains I wonder how much difference there is to the aeroad..

Tomi
Tomi
8 years ago

That thing is a beauty. I would totally buy a disc braked version of these.

rico
rico
8 years ago

A disc version will surely come. Hopefully with dual thru axles. So far the tastiest road disc frame set is the Izalco Max Disc, which has them (dual thru), and still manages complete bike at like 13.5 lbs!

This Ultimate CF is a climbers tool, the Aeroad better for flat terrain. I have seen some impressive climbing by some Katusha riders on the Aeroad this spring though. I’ll take one of each please.

unseen
unseen
8 years ago

I would have died for a ultimate alu years ago but never could get my hands on one. Awesome, “completely new design” and sticking with a 1.25″ steerer? Completely the same stem options? Completely unavailable in the US? Completely useless information, at least for amerikuh.

David
David
8 years ago

A Canyon with a straight steerer? From having the biggest, baddest steerer in the business, they’re now (give or take 1/8″) back to where everyone else was five years ago…
Wonder if the rest will follow suit?

PaulM
PaulM
8 years ago

Do you think they know they’ve named it after the third tier Shimano MTB groupset? Surely XTR would have been better…

boom
boom
8 years ago

@rico: this is nowhere close to the lightest production frame. The Trek Emonda SLR is 680g. Hell, their aero Madone weighs 725g.
Also, disc brakes simply defeat the entire purpose of a bike meant to be light and aero.

jlg
jlg
8 years ago

Lighter frame exist but at higher cost.
I would love to have a bike with disc brake but with better weight and aerodynamic than a cross bike.

rico
rico
8 years ago

645 grams boom for the nano version

rico
rico
8 years ago

boom gonna have to face it, all pro bikes are going to be disc next year buddy. 13.5 lb disc bike with thru axles is fine.

TT
TT
8 years ago

I tried to make the order of this beauty. But the delivery time will be April 2016 for most of the models. Some of them even won’t be available until July 2016. The feed back from Canyon was they will update the availability later. I waited for three weeks to see the update. The new dates are even further delay. I now give up the idea of purchasing and looking for other alternative of light weight bike.

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