racing bikes: Test: Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0 – Gravel bike comfort on new paths

Test Canyon Grail: The Koblenz-based company's first gravel bike sets an exclamation mark with its unusual handlebars. Is the performance right? Velomotion has it using the example of Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0 tried out.

No sooner are you convinced that the road bike is “mature” and that there is no longer room for groundbreaking innovations, when a manufacturer rushes forward and presents something you could never have dreamed of. This time it is Canyon with the Grail - a gravel bike that is supposed to offer significantly more vibration damping thanks to its extremely independent handlebars. That sounds exciting, especially since the company from Koblenz already has a lot to offer when it comes to riding comfort: even the brand's aerodynamically optimized bikes roll over bumps surprisingly gently; Flexing to springy seat posts give the racing machines and crossers a level of comfort that is second to none.

With the new "Grail" series, the people from Koblenz are continuing what they already practice in the road bike sector: a separation between "race" and "endurance", with road bikes represented by Aeroad and Ultimate on the one hand and Endurance on the other . For off-road use there is the Inflite series, which has been expanded to six models with thoroughbred crossers - and the six Grail variants, sporty touring bikes for off-road use with a lower saddle elevation and longer wheelbase, which can also be used on the road with 50/34 compact chainrings . There is no 1×11 variant of the Grail - Canyon follows the philosophy that a gravel bike must also be fully roadworthy and therefore requires a fine gradation (which in this case means 11-34 with eight double steps and two larger jumps).

Canyon Grail: Gravel Cockpit CF

What is special about the Grail? Of course, the two-level handlebars, called "Gravel Cockpit CF", which can be described as follows: Imagine a carbon racing handlebar that is not clamped in the middle of the top link, but halfway up the handlebar arch via a crossbar which in turn forms a unit with the stem. So the top link floats, slightly set back, freely above the stem; it is flattened and so thin in the middle that it is designed to flex under load. Flex on the top link is the magic word; something that is largely impossible with normal racing handlebars, since these are held in the middle of the stem. So it can only bounce far outside, on the brake lever or on the handlebar arch.

If you press the top link down, you can immediately feel its elasticity; the two levels of the handlebar also shift against each other when there is pressure or tension on the lower link. If you grab the handlebars at the lower ends, they can be easily twisted against the lower crossbar, which also speaks for a certain flexibility. Incidentally, the lower area is not intended for holding and can only be reached with the hands with difficulty. Only its ends serve as a contact surface, as the handlebar tape shows at this point - but more on that later.

Canyon Grail: The Design

Canyon mounts the double handlebars on a smooth-surfaced bike with a matt finish that is typical of the brand and that has an unusual design, especially in the area of ​​the steering head. The stem ends smoothly with the upper ear, which results in a very elegant silhouette, but limits the steering angle to just under 90°. Canyon already has this on the sleek Urban 8.0 city bike and the triathlon models; the French frame builder Look has been using this design for years. A street racer or a cross-country bike could also be designed in this way; As a gravel bike, the Grail reveals itself through the 40 tires and a passage that also allows for slightly wider tires. Attachment and assembly standards are state-of-the-art: Cables and lines enter the frame early and exit late; very good thru axles, flat mount brake mounts and an integrated bottom bracket are a matter of course with Canyon anyway. This creates a harmonious overall picture, which is further emphasized by the restrained decor.

Canyon Grail: Geometry

The bracket is also noticeable in terms of dimensions. Instead of stack and reach, the geometry table contains the units “stack+” and “reach+”; This means the vertical and horizontal distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the upper handlebar. Since the stem is flush with the top tube, the stack and reach could actually also be set conventionally, starting with the screw on the stem cap. This results in values ​​that come close to an XL-sized Canyon Inflite in terms of seat length; the stack is almost 3 cm larger than the Crosser. In addition, there is a height of about 6 cm from the stem cover to the upper link and about 8 cm in front – what is otherwise the stem length.

The new units "Stack+" and "Reach+" make it difficult to compare them with other bikes in the Canyon range; their advantage is of course that they indicate the exact position of the handlebars in relation to the bottom bracket. This is important because the Grail's bracket does not allow for any adjustment options. With seven frame sizes, the jumps in seat length and handlebar height are in the range of 2 cm; the biggest difference is 27 mm height difference from M to L. Given the overall rather upright sitting position and the fact that this is not a competition bike that has to fit to the millimeter, that's fine. In the medium term, Canyon wants to extend the new units of measurement to the entire model range in order to ensure comparability with each other.

Canyon Grail: Equipment

Canyon equips the test bike – a Grail CF SL 8.0 – with such high quality that at first glance you don't have a clear price idea. Complete Shimano Ultegra R8000, high-quality DT Swiss wheels optimized for tire widths from 28 mm, a 150-euro saddle, plus the innovative handlebars - if someone said "4.000", that would be quite believable. But our Grail is listed at a slim 2.599 euros and weighs almost 8,6 kilos (without pedals). These are values ​​that please and make the bike attractive, especially since, as we soon find out, it offers outstanding riding characteristics.

Canyon Grail: On the Trail

With 2,5 bar in the 40s, we first set off on asphalt for our standard cross circuit; it offers all kinds of bumpy surfaces - gravel paths, all kinds of gravel and of course rooty trails, holes and obstacles in abundance. On the road, you immediately notice how easily the Schwalbe G-One Bite roll with its grippy profile; acceleration and steering behavior of the Grail are also eye-openers. The bike gets going straight away, can be leaned into corners willingly and is far more manageable than the 106 cm long wheelbase would suggest. When pedaling out of the saddle, the bike just prances uphill – in short, the handling is great, even if the test bike was at least one size too big.

The first off-road passage is approaching and with it an answer to how much the Gravel Cockpit is now flexing. First of all we have to balance ourselves up a rooty, steep section with the brake grip and out of the saddle, which already tells of the convincing properties of the tyres. The 40s soak up bumps, and given the large volume and wide rims, you don't have to worry about bottoming out either. You can convert to tubeless anyway - the Schwalbe G-One Bite, co-developed by Canyon, only needs valve inserts and some sealing milk.

The Canyon Grail proves its high riding comfort through safe, lively handling

But now sharp-edged gravel, spiced up here and there with potholes and bits of asphalt. Upper link, brake lever position, lower link; sitting down, rocking on the top link – wherever your hands wander, jolts and vibrations can be felt in moderation; noticeable differences between the grip positions cannot be determined. Meanwhile, the excellent Canyon seat post flexes at the back. The Grail is by no means hard, on the contrary – as the tour progresses, it proves its high level of riding comfort, paired with safe, lively handling. However, it is not noticeable that the upper link has a special share in the comfort and dampens more than when your hands are on the handles.

This is sobering at first, but on closer inspection it is perhaps not surprising. It starts with the seating position on the Gravel bike: The elevation between the handlebars and saddle is only a few centimeters, the seat length is quite large; if you grip the upper link, there is little weight on your hands. Road shocks are partly absorbed by the tires, but also by the loosely held arms; in between is the upper link, whose flexibility is not particularly great compared to the tires and extremities. On a smaller bike – the Grail in XL was available to us for the test – with more weight on the hands things could be different; however, the top link doesn't seem overly flexible even when we're riding standing up with a lot of pressure on our hands.

One might still believe that the Gravel Cockpit dampens the background noise of vibrations that the driver does not consciously perceive, which in the long run becomes noticeable in the form of fatigue and discomfort. In any case, in a direct comparison with the editor's own Crosser, the Grail can claim a noticeable increase in comfort - especially of course on the seat post. On a longer passage with vibration-promoting concrete gratings, the Grail is altogether smoother; the overall concept of a comfortable long-distance cross-country racer works.

In any case, you have to break away from conventional concepts with gravel bikes and consider the intended use of the young breed. With the Grail, this in turn applies to the handlebars: the curved handlebars and lower crossbar meet in such a way that classic lower handlebar riding is not easily possible. If you grab the handlebars at the ends, you can hardly reach the brake levers - but you don't have to, because on a gravel bike you don't use this position in a tight group of races, but on long, lonely gravel straights in a headwind. If you grip the lower link so that your fingers are on the brake handles, you must place your thumb over the crossbar. In order for this to be reasonably comfortable, you should assume a very flat posture with your forearms almost horizontal, otherwise your thumbs will be bent upwards. Here, too, one can object that this position is the exception on the gravel bike - it may be used on short, very steep downhill sections.

What to think of the Canyon Grail? Gravel fans will be happy that the people from Koblenz are taking on this segment and are also offering extremely high-quality, great-riding models in the middle price range right away. As we have seen, our test Grail is completely convincing; In view of the overall high level of comfort, the fact that the Gravel Cockpit could not keep what it promised in the test can be forgiven. And as far as the lower link is concerned, you shouldn't lose sight of the special purpose of the gravel bike. In the end, fans of long off-road tours only have to approach the unfamiliar look; you will love the driving characteristics of the Grail right away.

Website

www.canyon.com