Back when the endurance bikes genre was in its infancy, brands such as Specialized, Trek and Cannondale justified the existence of the Roubaix, Domane and Synapse as Classics racers.
Canyon was different. The Endurace established the brand's outlook on the endurance bike back in 2014. A combination of mildly relaxed geometry, comfort-giving larger-volume tyres and VCLS (vertical compliance lateral stiffness) components, it was aimed at non-racers.
In recent times, all of Canyon’s competitors have shifted away from their endurance-bike racing roots. I’d say that's a good thing – making bikes that offer high performance for regular riders makes the most business sense.
Bikes such as the Giant Defy, Specialized Roubaix and Cannondale Synapse are hugely important for those brands' bottom lines.
For Canyon to support its superstar rider, Mathieu van der Poel, in such a fashion, effectively creating a cutting-edge aero racer with infused comfort just for him, is evidence of a brand that's serious about racing, perhaps at the detriment of commerce.
So, while it could well be a brilliant move for race day, whether competitive success will translate into sales figures remains to be seen.
Who is it for?
Could riders drawn to the racing prowess of the Canyon Aeroad now be attracted to the Endurace CFR instead? The Endurace CFR came within 1W of the Aeroad at 45kmh in Canyon's own wind-tunnel testing.
It begs the question – why buy an Aeroad? Especially as 1 watt is within the margin of error stated by Canyon. Is Canyon running the risk of cannibalising sales of the Aeroad in favour of the Endurace CFR?
Yes, the frame is slightly heavier than the Aeroad's – the Aeroad is claimed at around 960g for a size-medium and the Endurace CFR is closer to 1,000g. However, 40g wouldn’t be enough to swing it for me to not be able to use 35mm tyres, as I could with the Endurace.
With the new VCLS post, it should be more forgiving than the Aeroad, too, but with a ride position intended squarely to suit a 3x Paris-Roubaix winner rather than an amateur looking to head out for an all-day Sunday ride? The CFR could be a square peg for a round hole.
For me, I don’t think a pro-race geometry only available in high-end pro level builds is nearly enough to satisfy the huge endurance bike following. So, while the CFR may be a brilliant halo product for Canyon, it’s certainly not the endurance bike the market is calling for.
I'd go so far as to say its a pro race bike with endurance-bike comfort elements, rather than an endurance bike per se.
It could leave Canyon fans looking elsewhere for a fast endurance bike – something we certainly aren’t short of this year.
More to come?
Canyon only announcing a two-model, high-end option for its best-selling road bike line suggests heavily that there will be more to come. It could be going down the old Trek route of offering the same bike in different geometries – Trek’s H1 and H2 fits were popular for a few years, as we mentioned in our spotted story.
I think Canyon needs more than just a relaxed version of the CFR. For endurance riders, generous tyre clearance with fenders/mudguards is important, and there’s no mention of compatibility with the CFR.
Canyon pioneered in-frame storage for road bikes with the previous Endurace. I’d like that to continue. So yes, follow the aero template and racing heart of the CFR, it’s a great-looking bike.
A cutting edge aero-endurance bike is a step on from competitors such as the Synapse and Cervélo Caledonia 5. However, when it comes to the full range and mass-market options, rather than elite racing, let’s get more practicality into the mix.
If Canyon does that, this next generation of endurance bike could be a serious challenger to the Synapse’s crown and be another brilliant long-distance option alongside Giant’s Defy, Specialized’s Roubaix and Trek’s Domane.
