Editor's note: The Canyon Grail has been updated for the 2020 model year.
Canyon has today launched the Grail, the German direct-sale brand's first gravel bike. The bike features SL and SLX build options, 700c wheels (650b on the smaller size frames), custom frame bags, mudguard mounts and a very unusual looking handlebar set up.
A dedicated gravel bike
Before the launch last month, Canyon had revealed that it was releasing a gravel bike, and we expected to arrive in Nice and be presented with an Inflite — the German brand’s cyclocross bike that was released early last year — fitted with chunkier wheels and different gravel-friendly finishing kit, but couldn’t have been more wrong.
Canyon is billing the Grail as a true do-it-all gravel, all-road, adventuring wagon and it rounds out its range of drop-bar bikes, with everything from the go-fastest aero race bike to gravel now covered.
Check out our first ride review of the Canyon Grail on our YouTube channel
First things first, what about those handlebars?
The Hover bar (otherwise known as the ‘Canyon CP01 Gravel CarbonCockpit’) was developed to improve front end comfort and control without the added complication and weight of a Future Shock-style system or a suspension fork.
The unsupported ‘floating’ section of the bars allows the tops and hoods to flex more than a regular cockpit and according to Canyon, the Hover bar is claimed to be seven times more compliant than its H31 Ergocockpit.
There's quite a bit to cover about the Hover bar however, so we've taken a closer look if you'd like to read more about it.
Canyon Grail tyres
The Grail has clearances for 700x42mm tyres. Many brands have opted to design their gravel bikes around both 650b and 700c wheels, but Canyon has gone all-in with 700c wheels and does not recommend running 650b wheels on the Grail (the exception being the smallest sized bikes in the range).
The 72.5-degree head tube angle and 73.5-degree seat tube angle on the size medium bike we tested present nothing out of the ordinary in the world of gravel, erring slightly on the side of ‘nimble’.
Compared to similarly minded go-fast gravel bikes of a comparative size (3T Exploro, 1,016mm; Scott Addict Gravel, 1,017mm) the Grail has a fairly long wheelbase at 1,029mm in a size medium.
There is 15mm of height adjustment at the cockpit, though the bike is designed to look ‘best’ at the highest position.
Unlike some of Canyon’s other bikes, the Grail can be run with either Di2 or mechanical groupsets by swapping out small rubber grommets.
As with all of Canyon’s carbon drop bar bikes, the Grail is available in both SL and SLX builds. The lighter SLX version of the frame weighs a claimed 830g in a size medium. For comparison, a 3T Exploro frame of the same sizes comes in at 950g.
The Grail is available in sizes ranging from 2XS through to double XL (except for the women's build, which is only available up to a size medium).
As is done with some of the road bikes in Canyon’s women’s range, the two very smallest sizes of the Grail are built around 650b wheels. This is done to maintain a uniform ride quality throughout the whole range of sizes and to reduce the chances of toe overlap on smaller frames.
Curiously, Canyon is billing the Grail as a unisex frameset, with only one women’s-specific build in the whole lineup (which gets the standard ‘women-friendly contact points’ treatment).
This is an unexpected move because Canyon is one of few brands that has gone all-in with Women’s specific builds — just last week it launched the all-new Spectral and Grand Canyon WMN mountain bikes, both of which feature a geometry that’s totally unique compared to their ‘male’ equivalents.
- Canyon bucks trend and commits to women's specific design with Grand Canyon and Spectral WMN
- 5 approaches to women's specific bike design
Stack+ and Reach+
Canyon has adopted a measurement system dubbed Stack+ and Reach+ with the Grail. This is essentially a regular reach measurement plus the length of the stem and a regular stack measurement taken to the centre of the tops.
To make matters slightly more confusing, the unique shape of the Hover bar means that the tops sit above the stem, meaning it makes more sense to quote the ‘effective’ length of the stem — 75mm on the size medium bike we got to test.
This system is said to make it easier to compare bikes throughout Canyon’s range, with the result of dividing Reach+ by Stack+ yielding a figure that can be used to compare how aggressive the riding position of each bike is.
I appreciate Canyon’s reasoning behind providing this measurement, but it can be frustrating not to quote normal stack and reach numbers alongside what is essentially a pretty much proprietary measurement on its geometry charts (Norco is the only other brand currently using the system).
Custom bikepacking luggage
Canyon has worked in conjunction with Topeak to develop a set of bikepacking bags designed specifically for the Grail.
While the seat pack and bar roll look fairly standard, the custom frame bag is a nifty touch.
Pricing and availability for the luggage is still TBC.
Canyon finally adopts mudguard mounts
It’s no secret that many of us here at BikeRadar think that mudguards are great. Well, we fender-nerds have cause to celebrate as the Grail has proper threaded mudguard mounts — no daft fiddly removable mounts, just good ol’ fashioned M4 threaded eyelets.
Canyon has even gone as far to develop a set of nicely integrated full cover alloy mudguards for the Grail (though the bike will work with aftermarket mudguards with a bit of fiddling). These will be available shortly after launch.
Hopefully this is a sign of more good things to come and we’ll finally see an Endurace AL with mudguard eyelets. Pretty please?
Canyon Grail range overview
The Grail starts at €2,199 for a 105-equipped build, rising to €4,599 for the top-end Di2-equipped bike.
An alloy version of the bike is due to launch later this year and we'll update this article with further details once we get them.
Grail CF SL 7.0
- Groupset: Shimano 105
- Wheels: DT Swiss C 1800
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 40mm
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante
- Seatpost: Canyon S15 VCLS 2.0 CF
- Colours: Meteor grey, Carbon copper
- Weight: 8.62kg
- Price: €2,199
Grail CF SL 7.0 WMN
- Groupset: Shimano 105
- Wheels: DT Swiss C 1800
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 40mm
- Saddle: Selle Italia X1 Lady Flow
- Seatpost: Canyon S15 VCLS 2.0 CF
- Colours: Meteor grey, Copper red
- Weight: 8.6kg
- Price: €2,199
Grail CF SL 8.0
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra disc
- Wheels: DT Swiss C 1800
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 40mm
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante
- Seatpost: Canyon S15 VCLS 2.0 CF
- Colours: Meteor grey, Carbon copper
- Weight: 8.4kg
- Price: €2,599
Grail CF SL 8.0 Di2
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra disc Di2
- Wheels: DT Swiss C 1800
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 40mm
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante
- Seatpost: Canyon S15 VCLS 2.0 CF
- Colours: Meteor grey, carbon copper
- Weight: 8.54kg
- Price: €3,599
Grail CF SL 8.0 Aero
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra disc
- Wheels: Reynolds Assualt ATR Disc Carbon
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 40mm
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante
- Seatpost: Canyon S15 VCLS 2.0 CF
- Colours: Meteor grey, Carbon copper
- Weight: 8.46kg
- Price: €3,599
Grail CF SLX 8.0 Di2
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra disc Di2
- Wheels: Reynolds Assualt ATR Disc Carbon
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 40mm
- Saddle: Fizik Aliante
- Seatpost: Canyon S15 VCLS 2.0 CF
- Colours: Meteor grey, Storm green
- Weight: 8.22kg
- Price: €4,599
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