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Just in: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 2013

More stiffness and less weight from Canyon’s latest race-ready bike. 6kg weight and SRAM Red for £3,689

We first encountered the revamped Ultimate CF SLX at the Eurobike show last September, and now we have our hands on one of only two samples in the UK. Lucky old us. Isn’t it a stunning bike to behold? Not only that it’s also the lightest bike to ever pass through the road.cc office as well, all 6.08kg of it.

Mat tested the previous Ultimate CF SLX back in 2011 and found it a “pro-level frameset at the heart of a fast, efficient and comfortable bike that's exceptional value for money,” (we liked it so much we made it our 2011 Bike of the Year). Mat got the long straw again and he'll be testing the Ultimate CF SLX in its latest incarnation too so he’ll be interested to see how the new model stacks up in comparison. 

At £3,689 it’s a chunk more expensive than the version we tested a couple of years ago, but the pound/euro equation isn't quite so favourable to us these days and the bike we're testing has a more expensive set of wheels too. Given the spec, the drop in weight, and the amount of technical know how brought to bear on this frame like its predecessor  it is seriously good value for money, with a weight that laughs in the face of the UCI’s legal minimum assisted by a SRAM Red groupset and Mavic R-Sys wheels.

The frame is a radical step forward compared to the previous model. Through a newly shaped carbon fibre frame, with a distinctive flat sided head tube and down tube, they’ve sought to make it stiffer and lighter, as you would expect, but not at the expense of comfort. The frame weighs just 790g for a large and the head tube is a claimed 8% stiffer, and the bottom bracket is stiffer too.

But first the weight savings. To reduce weight they’ve designed brand new dropouts for the frame and fork, they're now made from carbon fibre. The rear driveside dropout neatly houses the exit port for the new internal cable routing. The dropout mounts to the hanger with four bolts and actually sandwiches the frame for a very rigid fixture. Canyon have also trimmed weight by reducing the surface area of the frame, by making some of the tubes slimmer and the key junctions larger.

To increase the stiffness compared to the old model, there’s now a press-fit bottom bracket with an all-carbon shell which does away with the heavier aluminium inserts usually found in carbon bottom bracket shells. By adopting a wider BB shell they’ve been able to increase the size of the downtube, seat tube and chainstays, which largely contributes to the frames overall increased stiffness.

Canyon didn’t want a stiff frame that was uncomfortable to ride, though have designed a new seat tube and seat stay junction. The seat stays flow around the seat tube and meet at the top tube and this is claimed to allow a small degree of flex.

The seat tube is their third generation Maximus design, which is slimmer than the previous version. To increase the comfort factor they’ve reduced the cross-section in the lower half to allow a small degree of flex. The seat stays themselves are subject to much profiling. They’re flatter now and wider to add to the comfort, while still retaining the stiffness when you mash on the pedals. They’ve used extra Ultra High Modulus carbon fibres in the stays as well.

As we’re seeing on most new top-end frames these days, the cables are all routed internally. The cable entry points have been placed as close to the front of the frame as possible to reduce the cables rubbing on the frame, and the cables are aligned at an angle to reduce friction. The cable guides down at the bottom bracket contain a bit of Teflon to reduce friction in this area.

Not only has the frame been redesigned, the fork is all-new. The key change is the use of carbon dropouts, like on the frame, which reduces weight. Viewed from front on the fork legs now sit further away from the wheel, in line with the latest thinking on aerodynamics. The tapered headset (1.25” to 1.5”) uses high-grade thin bearings which are lighter, and their slimness allows for thinner walls in the head tube.

Canyon claim a frame, fork and headset weight of 1,190g, for a size large. And the weight for just the frame is 790g. That’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo and Cervelo R5 weight. Canyon give a six-year warranty and have placed a 120kg rider weight limit with this frame - 120Kg is quite big, even Big Dave - all 6ft 3in of him at his chunkiest isn't much over 100Kg.

Geometry remains unchanged. This is a size large Mat is testing and the stack is 57.9cm and reach is 39.4cm. The head tube length is 17cm, the top tube 56.6cm, and the chainstays 41cm. Head angle is 73.25 degrees and the seat tube is 73.5 degrees.

You can choose from eight build options, we have the SRAM RED shod bike. The groupset, with the option of a standard or compact chainset, is accompanied by Mavic R-Sys SLR wheels and Mavic’s Yksion Pro 23mm tyres. Finishing kit is Ritchey WCS stem and Carbon EvoCurve handlebars and an Selle Italia SLR saddle. It comes supplied with the regular VCLS Post, and you can spec the VCLS 2.0 post as a £100 upgrade option.

So it’s over to Mat to give it a thorough test. The bike looks very impressive on paper, so let’s hope the ride performance and quality can deliver the same level of impact.

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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31 comments

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dave atkinson | 10 years ago
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you don't have long to wait, good people.

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C.J | 10 years ago
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Was just thinking the same...says a lot about how nice it looks, wonder how much extra the DA 9000 version weighs

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Skerryman | 10 years ago
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Might I be so bold as to ask when we can expect this review???

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Paulmp3 | 10 years ago
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Paulmp3 | 10 years ago
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Got mine on Tuesday - it's now Friday and I've done 200 miles on it - absolutely stunning !

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koko56 replied to Paulmp3 | 10 years ago
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Paulmp3 wrote:

Got mine on Tuesday - it's now Friday and I've done 200 miles on it - absolutely stunning !

drool, may we has pichars?  4

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Skerryman | 10 years ago
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So, when can we expect this review then???

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David Arthur @d... replied to Skerryman | 10 years ago
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Skerryman wrote:

So, when can we expect this review then???

Give Mat a chance to ride it

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Jeth | 10 years ago
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Yes, that is the norwegian VAT (value added tax); MVA (merverdiavgift or "moms") which is 25% as opposed to Uk where this specific tax is 20%. There are no extra "import tax" you have to pay.

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Jeth | 10 years ago
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Again; this is not correct. You pay VAT, there is no "import tax" to pay.

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seabass89 replied to Jeth | 10 years ago
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Jeth wrote:

Again; this is not correct. You pay VAT, there is no "import tax" to pay.

This is quoted directly from the Norwegian customs page:

"When ordering goods from a foreign online store, you must in most cases be charged the additional 25 percent when it comes to Norway."

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seabass89 | 10 years ago
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I just love the fact that if I was to order this bike to Norway I get a bill of 25% the value of the bike from the government, so suddenly it will cost me £4600.

Suddenly it felt a bit pricey.

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Jeth replied to seabass89 | 10 years ago
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seabass89 wrote:

I just love the fact that if I was to order this bike to Norway I get a bill of 25% the value of the bike from the government, so suddenly it will cost me £4600.

Suddenly it felt a bit pricey.

That's not correct. The price quoted here includes UK VAT, and you don' t pay VAT twice. This bike will cost you £3800, due to the slightly higher norwegian VAT (25% vs 20%)

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Canyon UK replied to seabass89 | 10 years ago
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Hi Seabass89,

If you go on the Canyon website you can set your location as Norway and you will see the price in Euro for any bike to be shipped directly from our German assembly line to Norway - you can pick your language too if you prefer it to be in English.

You definitely don't need to pay double VAT on our products, only the appropriate VAT for where the bike is purchased.

I hope that helps. We also have a service centre which covers Norway so you can give them a call to clarify.

Regards,
Canyon UK

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seabass89 replied to Canyon UK | 10 years ago
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I see.

I think I mixed VAT and import tax. When we buy things outside of Norway we need to pay VAT -and- import tax which is another 25%.

Stay in the EU folks, it really is worth it!

Huzzah.

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Eg3ftp1 | 10 years ago
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Looks near identical to my hongfu fm066,which came in somewhat cheaper at £450 for the frame and fork. Still, I'm sure the 100g weight saving and special carbon layup are worth the extra £1500 or so.

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Paul Madden replied to Eg3ftp1 | 10 years ago
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Actually, they probably are...  39

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dave atkinson replied to Eg3ftp1 | 10 years ago
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benezeir wrote:

Looks near identical to my hongfu fm066,which came in somewhat cheaper at £450 for the frame and fork. Still, I'm sure the 100g weight saving and special carbon layup are worth the extra £1500 or so.

a lot of bikes look similar. i certainly wouldn't say it's 'near identical' to the fm066.

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koko56 | 10 years ago
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WOW! I really really dig this - not even because I have a CF Road (i mean they do look pretty different. Just looks so fine!  5

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ianpa | 10 years ago
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No extra Carbon Patch on mine, mine was delayed as well, but definitely worth the wait.

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snooks | 10 years ago
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Too bad they don't sell these in the U.S. I would buy one for sure.

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Parlee-king | 10 years ago
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Canyons direct sales mean a bargain as a full build, compared to many others.

For example for the retail price of a Bianchi Oltre Xr with SR EPS (£9500), you can buy the SLX Canyon frame with EPS SR with better wheels (£5439) AND have enough spare funds to buy their Aeroad bike with mechanical record 11

but because f that pricing I suspect you could (should) get some discount off the Bianchi

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SPAM Naval | 10 years ago
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very jealous of you guys..its a beautiful bike to behold..!

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low-fi | 10 years ago
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Can't wait to get mine. Early reports are really positive...roll on the end of the month!

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titusrider | 10 years ago
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I would love to see a direct comparison of this vs the aeroroad super light vs Aero

What suits different types of rider/terrain/conditions etc

would be really interesting

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ianpa | 10 years ago
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Received mine yesterday, have the Record build - just done 140km ride, changed from Colnago to this,and have to say its fantastic. The rear end is so smooth, amazing considering the frame weight and the stiffness of the BB. Definitely a job well done.

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guidoriz replied to ianpa | 10 years ago
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Hi, I am from Italy, waiting anxiousely to receive a new slx after 4 weeks delay by Canyon. The delay seems to be caused by a extra check on BB in manufacturing.
Did you notice any "carbon patch" around the BB area of your brand new bike?
Sandro  39

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low-fi replied to guidoriz | 10 years ago
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Worrying. I wonder if they've managed to fix it. Where did you find about the pach? Was it Canyon themselves that told you?

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guidoriz replied to low-fi | 10 years ago
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no, it was my worry seeing the Kristohh bike picture at Paris-Roubaix http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...roubaix/260623 and knowing from Canyon they were checking frames 100% in the shop,therefore having a bottlenek in shipping.

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guidoriz replied to low-fi | 10 years ago
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low-fi wrote:

Worrying. I wonder if they've managed to fix it. Where did you find about the pach? Was it Canyon themselves that told you?

No just seeing pic 3/22 and picture of Kristoff bike at Paris-Roubaix

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