The 2022 Canyon Roadlite finally makes its way across the Atlantic, giving US cyclist a quick new flat bar road option for a city runabout or fitness bike. With alloy or carbon frame options, a forgiving fork, room for 30mm road tires, and pricing from under a thousand bucks, the Roadlite aims to make hybrid bikes cool again…
2022 Canyon Roadlite flat bar road fitness bikes
c. Canyon
The carbon Roadlite CF first rolled out all the way back in 2017 as a fast-rolling, lightweight fitness bike with much of the same VCLS bump-absorbing fork, seatstays, and seatpost in some complete specs, much like Canyon’s super-popular Endurace road bikes. With big modern 30mm road tire clearance on 700c wheels, 12mm thru-axles & flat mount disc brakes paired to a comfortable upright position with endurance road geometry tweak for flat bars, this was a great fast city commuter and weekender training road bike option for riders who didn’t want drop bars.
Then, the carbon bike was so popular, Canyon reshaped the alloy version to match with a lighter aluminum frame in the same style and carbon fork comfort. Both carbon & alloy bikes offer full-coverage fender compatibility, but the new aluminum bikes add rear rack mounts, as well.
Available in a wide six size range (XS-XXL) and several tiers on the European market for several years, now both the entry-level carbon & alloy bikes come stateside.
Options, spec, pricing & availability
2022 Canyon Roadlite CF 8 US
The top carbon frameset comes built up as the $1999 / 1999€ Canyon Roadlite CF 8 with a road compact double Shimano complete groupset (US gets 105 / EU gets Ultegra), Canyon’s 60mm wide one-piece CP04 CF carbon bar+stem cockpit, and an alloy Alex thru-axle wheelset with 30mm Schwalbe G-One Speed fast gravel tires.
2022 Canyon Roadlite 7
The middle of the range (not available in the US) features an aluminum frame with the same carbon fork as the CF bike, still with thru-axles. The 1499€ Roadlite 7 gets that middle-tier alloy frame, again with an Ultegra R8000 groupset, the same wheels, and a one-piece alloy bar+stem cockpit combo.
2022 Canyon Roadlite 5
The entry-level alloy hybrid fitness bike still gets flat mount hydraulic disc brakes, but sticks with QR axle wheels. The $999 / 899€ Roadlite 5 & Roadlite WMN 5 with more sloping toptube, both come spec’d with a simple SRAM Apex 1×11 drivetrain with an 11-42T cassette, but still gets Shimano hydro brakes.
2022 Canyon Roadlite 5 WMN
All models are in stock now direct from Canyon.
I think they’re going to find very few “Slam that stem!” enthusiasts in the fitness bike crowd.
With modifications, this could make a great flat bar gravel platform in between sporty & utilitarian. Slacker gravel geomtery, 50mm tire clearance, 3 pack mounts on fork & main triangle.
I wouldn’t buy a drop-bar road bike anymore that was limited to 30c tires. Hell, I expect my next triathlon bike to clear a set of 30c tires. (I wouldn’t race on 30s, but I sure would like to have a set under me for training). I’m more than a bit shocked that clearance for at least 38c tires wasn’t a cornerstone design imperative for something billed as a ” a city runabout or fitness bike.” There are many great tires in the 35-38c range that are nearly as fast as a 30c road tire, but substantially more comfortable. Honestly, this thing should have bee designed to clear 40c gravel tires.