Canyon Endurace:ONfly CF 8 first ride review: this is a big step forward for electric road bikes

Canyon's new Endurace:ONfly isn’t as powerful as other electric road bikes and the battery isn’t as big. However, it is the first e-road bike I have enjoyed riding, beyond the novelty of being able to fly up hills.

Packed with tech, including TQ's HPR40 motor, the ONfly CF 8 bike I rode at the launch in Girona is priced at £6,499 / €6,999.

While I only had a short time with the new ONfly, I believe it represents a big step forward for electric road bikes.

Here’s why.

Canyon Endurace:ONfly CF 8 spec details

All four bikes in the range, kicking off with the CF 6 (€4,499) and topped by the SUB-10 (€9,999), get TQ's HPR40 motor.

The HPR40 is a slimmed-down package compared to the HPR50. With it, you get 200 watts of power (down from 300). There’s less assistance, too, with 40Nm of torque rather than 50Nm.

The battery is smaller, too, providing 290Wh of power, compared to the HPR50’s 360Wh.

In a world where we tend to think bigger is better, that doesn’t sound great. But the result is a lighter system that contributes to the Canyon’s sub-10kg weight for the €10,000 ‘Sub-10’ model.

Canyon says the CF 8 has a weight of 12.04kg.

Elsewhere, you’ll find clearance for 35mm tyres, fender mounts, a top tube bag mount, native 180mm brake rotor flat mounts, integrated front and rear lights and a UDH dropout.

There are also safety features, such as the built-in lock mode, which sends notifications to your phone if your bike is moved, and a built-in GPS tracker so you can hopefully find it if it’s stolen.

Interestingly, the integrated rear lights, made by Lupine, kick out 70 lumens and are StVZO-compliant – they don’t flash, but they use a built-in accelerometer to provide a brake light function.

It's a bike packed with what appears to be very well-considered tech for the modern road cyclist.

Canyon Endurace:ONfly CF 8 first-ride impressions

I’ve ridden a few e-road bikes in my time and they have all had the same problem. They're excellent on the climbs, flattening out gradients if you put the motor into full-power mode and lending a helping hand at lower settings.

But on flat roads, and particularly on drags, the clear cut-off of the motor around the EU-legal 25kph limit makes them frustrating to use. You’re either flying along or feeling laboured.

Canyon has turned to TQ for its HPR40 motor and, on this Endurace, it's a revelation. The brand is keen to stress that its aim here was to deliver the 200 watts of assistance in the most subtle way possible – and it has done an excellent job.

I headed up a smooth, twisting climb in Girona, which averaged around 4%. This is usually tricky territory for electric road bikes because you can feasibly climb at around the motor’s cut-off speed. I expected a bike that surges and stops, but the power comes and goes very smoothly.

This enabled me to carry speed on steeper gradients before settling seamlessly into a rhythm on flatter sections.

There was, however, a strange sensation at the pedals, which was particularly noticeable during group rides. When the motor is active, if you stop pedalling suddenly, it continues to turn the cranks for a fraction of a second.

It is noticeable and a little annoying, but TQ says its engineers “intentionally accepted this effect to further enhance the unique selling points of our system”.

Further to this, TQ says its self-learning algorithm should gradually lessen the effect of the after-run. The system failed to adapt during my short ride.

Away from the motor, the Endurace:ONfly handled beautifully. As I approached the latter stages of a climb, torrential rain, thunder and lightning, and general misery descended. What caught my attention, however, was not the weather.

As the gradient levelled out and the assistance dropped away, the Endurace:ONfly rode like I’d expect a regular, sporty road bike to. It is quiet and smooth, efficient yet forgiving.

Most e-road bikes feel rather heavy, and this isn’t simply about the weight on the spec sheet. These bikes can be cumbersome in their handling, swaying lazily from side to side like a tanker in a swell.

I was surprised, then, to find the €6,999 Ultegra Di2 model I rode feeling rather like a regular non-assisted road bike. Sure, the weight makes the bike feel less zippy than my uber-lightweight Specialized Aethos, but there was no sense of being aboard a relative freighter.

The bike felt planted but still fun, and getting out of the saddle to try bridging a gap, I was impressed to feel no discernable resistance from the motor when nudging speeds of over 40kph on the flat.

The Endurace:ONfly also looks good. Canyon's designers are keen to point out that they wanted the bike to look like a regular road bike – and they’ve done an excellent job.

As a result, you’ll find all of the tube shapes you’d expect from Canyon’s efficient mile-muncher. The only visible change is a slightly deeper down tube, but this simply looks like one borrowed from an aero bike to me.

A set of mid-depth DT Swiss HEC1400 wheels completes the non-assisted road bike look.

Geometry and handling

What you do have, compared to a standard non-electric Endurace, is a revised geometry. Things here are a little slacker and longer for additional stability – something that on a twisting and rain-soaked Girona descent, I was rather grateful of.

Using the size medium I rode as a reference, Canyon has increased the chainstay length by 5mm and slackened the head tube by 0.75 degrees to 72 degrees. This results in a wheelbase that's 23mm longer. 

The Endurace:ONfly felt incredibly calm through the corners, and while some will undoubtedly find the ride a little sedate, I can see the confidence it provides being a welcome feature for others.

Aiding the assured feel were the 32mm Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres, which gripped well and soaked up road buzz with ease.

Integrated lights, done well

Being in a large group on a dark, rainy day where everyone is using a rear light would usually be a blinding experience. Different lumen strengths, flash patterns and light placements mean that only groups with good etiquette are nice places to be.

However, I found the low-mounted, constant beam of Lupine’s design to be an excellent solution. The always-on feature is probably quite good for road safety, and it’s definitely good for someone like me, who is so adept at forgetting their lights.

Riding off the back of the group, I can also see how this would be beneficial to car drivers. Approaching a group with numerous different flash patterns and strengths makes it difficult to judge speed and distance.

Canyon’s C14 SightStays seem like a much more elegant and driver-friendly solution.

Canyon Endurace:ONfly CF 8 initial verdict

While I think this is a cracking bike, Canyon admits the market for electric road bikes is rather small.

There can be an ugly, unhealthy attitude in road cycling, which stems from the suffering of pro cyclists. As amateurs, we have the chance to ride the same roads as our heroes, suffering as they do.

I’ll be the first to admit I find a certain joy in this misery – and conquering the biggest climbs of the Grand Tours brings a special kind of achievement.

But a bike ride isn’t all about chewing the stem with sweat flooding your eyes. Mountain bikers have this figured out. Many use assisted bikes, enabling them to spend a greater portion of their ride on the fun bit – ripping descents.

I would love to see the stigma of e-road bikes disappear in the same way it has with electric mountain bikes. Cycling is nice, bikes are fun, and if electric road bikes keep getting better, only bravado is standing in the way.

While my time with the Canyon Endurace:ONfly was short, I think Canyon is onto something.

The Endurace:ONfly feels like a regular road bike, looks like a regular road bike and enables you to spend more time enjoying the fun of road riding.