Canyon Grail 2024, gravel racing con integración espectacular

Esta es la nueva Canyon Grail y es un cambio radical respecto a la primera versión de su bicicleta de gravel racing. En ella han plasmado todo lo que sus corredores de gravel han pedido y han creado una bici que, ahora sí, está lista para llegar a todo el mundo.

0:00 Presentación
1:48 Cuadro
6:59 Almacenamiento cuadro
8:29 Bolsa cuadro
10:19 Manillar integrado
11:51 Geometría
12:14 Precio
13:31 En marcha

This is the new Canyon Grail. It is only the second version of its gravel racing model and brings a radical change. It is not an evolution, it is a completely new model created from scratch and thinking about what a gravel user is looking for today. It completely breaks with the previous Grail and

Presents a gravel bike with a style and riding properties that we believe is just what they needed in their catalog. And be careful, she has already achieved a world champion jersey thanks to Kasia Niewiadoma or Valverde’s 4th place in the world championship.

In 2018 the first Canyon Grail hit the market. He did it in a shocking way. It was one of those releases that breaks the internet. All because of its two-height handlebar design that went beyond any scheme. If Canyon has something, it is the courage to innovate and take risks. There you have

Solutions such as the Shapeshifter to change the geometry of an enduro bike with a lever, the KIS steering stabilization control system or its width-adjustable handlebars. Well, the previous Canyon Grail and its two-height handlebar offered a disruptive design of those that polarizes the opinions of users. You could like it or not,

But it was clear that this was not a gravel bike to reach the masses. It was simply too risky a concept to catch on. It is also true that the situation of gravel was very different in 2018 to what it is now, with the great popularity it

Has today and its trajectory that continues in full growth and without reaching its ceiling. So much so that Canyon’s own riders chose to compete with the Canyon Grizl, as did Alejandro Valverde himself. Although its concept was less racing, its technology was more normal.

Well, forget everything you know about the previous Canyon Grail because the new one has nothing of it. In the new Canyon Grail we have opted for the maximum possible aerodynamic improvement, for the total integration of elements in the frame, for lightness and for the search for

Performance even above comfort. It comes in two carbon versions, the CFR and the CF, as is usual for Canyon and, pay attention, it is available in no less than 7 sizes. Yes, you heard right, a carbon frame available in 7 sizes.

We are going to analyze the new Canyon Grail and from the first moment it has been clear to us that they have done good field work collecting all the requests that their riders had and looking for solutions for each of them. The main ones are aerodynamics, the

Possibility of carrying all the necessary spare parts and food in an integrated way and performance. First of all, competitive gravel is fast. Very fast. So much so that aerodynamics is a factor. In the Unbound gravel race, 227 km long and close to 3,000 meters of elevation gain,

Petr Vakoc, who is a Canyon rider, finished 2nd with an average of 38 km/h. It is an average worthy of a route of that distance and gradient on the road. But it is made of dirt tracks. So riders want aerodynamic bikes and from there

You can begin to understand many of the decisions made on the Canyon Grail. Canyon has already worked on aero bikes, so the easiest thing was to take what they learned with the Canyon Ultimate and from it they have taken the shapes of the tubes that the new Grail has,

Including the D-shaped seat tube that requires the use your own seat post. Visually it is clear that the new Canyon Grail has inherited a good part of the shapes of the Canyon Ultimate and they are very similar. It maintains the characteristic shape of the connection between the seat stays

And the seat tube and the Grail also completely integrates the seat closure into the frame. Regarding the wiring. It enters through the steering, but we would say that it is semi-integrated because it does not go inside the handlebars. A very special handlebar that we will talk about in detail later. And,

Although it is unusual for a gravel bike, they have also added their steering lock system, so that the handlebars do not hit the frame when turning. To us, seeing that it does not limit turns while moving, it seems like something very useful. The Canyon Grail frame has all the basic supports

You may need. The usual one on the top tube, for two conventional bottle cages and for a bottle cage under the down tube, as well as behind the fork and behind the seatstays to install your own fully integrated full fenders.

In the fork there is no trace of fixings on the sides, but you can carry things fixed to the fork, even if it is out of the ordinary in gravel racing. They achieve this thanks to an ingenious system with a piece that fits with the shapes of the fork and that, when disassembled,

Leaves no visual trace on the fork itself. It can be loaded up to 3 kg on each side. An important fact, the Canyon Grail frame is ready to install tires up to 42 mm wide. You see that they haven’t gone to anything extreme in that regard,

In part because they have designed the frame to be able to use a double chainring combination of up to 36/52. And here you have the clearest definition of why it is gravel racing. Designed to use very large plates without problems even if this means limiting the wheel arch somewhat.

The frame is ready for 1 or 2 chainring drivetrains, it has a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger, so we can use the latest generation of SRAM MTB derailleurs to create mullet drivetrains, and the rear brake caliper bracket is flat mount. The bottom bracket is pressfit.

Obviously we are looking at a carbon frame and fork and, as usually happens in Canyon, there are several versions, in this case 2. The Grail CFR is the top of the range and its frame has a weight of 850 grams, you see that it is very very competitive. The other version

Is the Grail CF SLX and CF SL whose frame and fork assembly weighs 118 grams more than the CFR. It’s not much, really. But in this case there is not only a difference in weight. The CFR is 10% stiffer in the bottom bracket and headset area. And the fork is 4.5% stiffer on

The CFR. The rest of the features and details are the same between both. What about the issue of comfort and vibration filtration of the frame. Well, the Canyon Grail relies on the seatpost for that. They do not use the radical seat post

That they have in other models and which has a great flexing capacity, precisely because so much flexing can affect performance among professional cyclists who put in more hours. So they resort to a D-shaped seatpost to which they have given more flex than on the road Ultimate but less than the

S15 version. It is also lighter than the S15 at 203 grams. And if you want to lose more weight you can mount the Ultimate that weighs 166 grams but in exchange for less comfort. In the diagonal tube we find a step at the top and a cover. It is access

To the first part of what they have called Aero Load System and which is divided by the Load Down Tube Storage, which is the storage inside the frame, and the Load Fidlock Quickloader, a perfectly integrated bag for the inside of the frame.

If we talk about its storage solution inside the box, we assure you that it is incredibly good. Probably the best resolution we have seen and used so far in any modality. The hard plastic lid opens with a tab and upon removing it we see that inside it has a 7-piece multi-tool from

Canyon itself with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm Allen keys and 25 Torx keys. And a mini carbon hand pump. Everything is attached to the lid very solidly and there is not a single unwanted movement or noise in operation.

And with the lid out we have access to a handle to extract an internal bag to carry a camera, a CO2 cylinder, the adapter and removable parts. The bag is, by far,

The most carefully crafted and cared for that we have ever seen in this type of accessory. You can see it in the images. It includes a fully sealed zipper and both the lid and the bag are quick and

Easy to remove and reassemble. It really is a system of 10 that allows you to carry everything you need for a race or an outing without having to carry anything in your pockets. The other part of the Aero Load System is an external bag for the inside of the

Frame. The frame has two supports under the top tube and one on the diagonal that are covered with rubber. We can remove them and install 3 pieces with magnets that are a Fidlock fixing system. The Canyon bag attaches to these supports really easily,

Sliding it through the upper two and pushing on the lower one. And to remove it it only takes a a couple of seconds, just pull the handle at the bottom and then slide it back. It is

A very fast maneuver. Why so much effort to make it so easy to put on and take off? Well , because this bag is designed to be used as a compartment to carry food for long-distance races and, when you arrive at the assistance point, you can simply remove

The bag and put another one full of food and continue. the March. The integration is simply perfect. It is so well integrated with the frame that Canyon has tested it in the wind tunnel and the bike is 1.5 watts more efficient at 45 km/h with the bag on than without it.

The only “but” is that the supports that are fixed to the frame, to tighten them well, have their own plastic tool. The typical piece that is very easy to lose at home. The bag itself is excellently constructed. It has a flap that covers the zipper and

Has two magnets that close by themselves by dropping them. The zipper is also waterproof . Inside there is a piece to attach spare parts, which can be removed if we want to use its full capacity to carry food, for example. These two systems are a 10 in integration and

Comfort of use and allow you to go out riding or even racing with empty pockets. The other key point of the Grail’s equipment is its handlebars. It is a handlebar with integrated carbon stem and introduces a double “drop” concept. Its main feature is that the

Upper part of the handlebar also drops. In fact, although its shapes seem conventional, its measurements are not so conventional. The upper part, in addition to having a drop, has a receding angle of 5º. All this to find a more natural and comfortable position. It also has a double flare,

With 5º at the top and 16º at the bottom. It is fitted as standard on the CFR and CF SLX models with widths from 420 to 460 mm and powers from 60 to 80 mm depending on the size.

There is an even more professional version, which will be sold loose, with a width of only 400 mm and a negative angulation of the stem that is equivalent to lowering 15 mm and with longer stems that range from 80 to 110 mm, here are handlebars for professionals or the most racing users.

And, again listening to users and gravel racers, we are faced with a modular handlebar that allows all types of accessories to be mounted. It has a support in its central part in which a powerful GPS support can be installed. It is extremely solid,

And is fixed above and below the handlebar with screws. This allows you to mount the GPS, a light or the set of Speedmax aerodynamic couplings, an accessory that is used very often over long distances. We can also mount the GPS on the steering cover.

We go to geometry and everything is new. The impressive thing is that the Canyon Grail comes in 7 sizes. From 2XS to 2XL. An enormous success and a deployment of means that demonstrates the importance of this model. It is longer than the previous one and with a more relaxed steering angle,

Without radical figures in any aspect. This is its complete geometry in all sizes. In terms of prices, there are 3 models of Canyon Grail CF SL, which is the most basic, 2 models of Canyon Grail CF SLX and 3 models of the top of the range, the Canyon Grail CFR.

The CFR has a lighter and stiffer frame than the rest. And between the SLX and the SL the difference is in the equipment. The SL uses the integrated handlebar but without the Gear Groove accessory integration system. And it does not include the tool system and

Internal storage in the frame, although it does include the supports for the external bag. The CF SL range starts at €2,699, which is a very competitive price. The Canyon Grail CF SLX costs €4,999 when assembled with two Shimano GRX Di2 chainrings, the one

We tested and which weighs 8.5 kg as standard, and €5,299 when assembled with a SAM Force single chainring. And in the Canyon Grail CFR we have the model with Shimano Di2 for €6,999 and the one equipped with SRam with a

Quarq power meter for €7,999. The most expensive model is the limited edition of only 70 units with the same decoration that we have seen on runners so far, for €10,000. The time has come to try it and we can tell you that the new Canyon Grail is everything Canyon

Needed in its gravel catalog to compete in the current world of gravel racing or simply gravel for those looking for a fast bike without the extras that adventure bikes have. In fact, until now Canyon has been losing an important part of the gravel market

Because the previous Grail and its two-height handlebar concept was too far out of the ordinary to be a mass bike. We’re not saying it doesn’t work or isn’t useful, but it’s not a concept to use on a bike like the Grail should be. We would even

Like to continue seeing it, but in a gravel race with a different type of approach. The first thing we loved is the entire tool system integrated into the frame and the easily removable frame bag. They really are features taken directly from what they ask for in competition for

Long-distance gravel events and they are fabulously well done. Although the 42mm wheel arch may limit some, knowing that we can use large chainrings will make others happy. And this is one of those gravel bikes that can replace the road bike by mounting it with asphalt tires without clashing in its behavior.

In our case we have tested the CF SLX and we have not found any deficiencies in terms of rigidity, so the CFR will be even more adequate in that regard. It took us a little time to get used to the

Drop of the handlebar at the top, but it ended up being comfortable for us. The bike is nervous and agile, it accelerates at the level of a road bike and it is easy to get into

A racing position. Perhaps the handlebars are a little high for those who are more radical in their mission of having a racing position, but for that they have taken out that additional handlebar, which is sold separately, with more negative inclination. For most users it is a

Fairly balanced position that also allows you to descend with a feeling of control over the bike. That racing feeling is what attracts you about the new Grail, seeing how it accelerates and how fast you can go with it as long as the terrain is not too steep. It is not a gravel

To be complicated with technical trails or very bumpy areas, there we will notice that comfort in motion has not been a great priority. But while we ride on tracks in good condition and even flow trails, the Canyon Grail is in its element. It will not disappoint anyone,

No matter how competitive it is, we can play the double card of using it for the road and it has a long list of details that will be very useful for those who want to use it to compete. Now, Canyon can compete in the increasingly popular gravel racing segment and,

Now, the Canyon Grail can become a mass model.