Long gone are the days of cyclocross and endurance road bikes making a once-a-year appearance to help protect riders from the tortures of the Paris Roubaix cobbles. Speeds in the Queen of the Classics have ticked up dramatically in the last decade, enticing most teams to use aero bikes of some sort, shod with the 30-34mm rubber that these frames and forks now clear easily. This year, we expect to see aero bikes again sweep the podium, and for this Canyon Aeroad CFR Tensor to animate the race, beneath Alpencin-Deceuninck leader Mathieu Van Der Poel.
The bike’s name ‘Tensor’ comes from a simulation plot test used in the measurement of the stress progression; the darker colours on the ‘Tensor’ frame’s paint job showing areas where the greatest impacts occur.
“In order to put the carbon fibres in the right directions when we build new frames, we want to understand what’s happening — where the loads are coming from and where the loads are going to. This is how the tensor plotting simulation helps us: the arrows on the simulation show whether part of the frame is in compression, or in tension,” says Canyon Simulation Engineer Phillip Oppermann.
The simulation results are then recreated in the Aeroad CFR’s Tensor paint scheme, illustrating where the frame is taking the greatest load and flexing the most in response. The paint scheme throughout is elegant and even gives a cheery springtime vibe. The holographic text and white base contrast nicely with the blacked out Dura Ace components and cockpit.
Opperman continues to explain how the Aeroad CFR is more than just an aero bike, it’s also classics-optimized for the stresses of racing on cobbles. “We have structurally optimised the Aeroad to achieve a carbon lay-up that reaches our stiffness targets while being strong and robust when racing across the Roubaix cobbles. Even though the Aeroad is an aero bike, we still want it to be as light as possible, therefore we optimised the carbon layup by looking at the ‘tensor plots’ of our simulations to not only pass the tests but make the layup as efficient as possible so we save weight while maintaining stiffness and strength targets.”
The Canyon Aeroad CFR Tensor bike is now available to purchase for fans to ride the exact same spec as Mathieu.* This is Canyon’s only Aeroad that comes with Shimano Dura-Ace wheels, exclusive Canyon Pro decals and high-performance Pirelli tires, the same choice used by Team Alpecin-Deceuninck.
- Frame: Aeroad CFR R108
- Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace 2×12-Speed Di2
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace hydraulic disc
- Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 52/36
- Powermeter: Shimano Dura Ace
- Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-30
- Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C50 R9270
- Tires: Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS Team Edition
- Cockpit: CP0048 Pro Decals
- Seatpost: Canyon SP0077 Pro Decals
- Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Boost SF Carbonio MVDP
- Retail Price: € 10,499
*We’re confident MVDP will be running chainrings larger than 52/36, and we are also not sure if the cockpit dimensions will match his exact set-up.
