Similar geo, 30mm clearance for prototypes to be tested by Katusha and Movistar teams
Canyon showed off a disc variant of its new Ultimate CF SLX. Prototypes will be supplied to the Katusha and Movistar teams for testing, with an expected retail release some time in the coming months
Canyon showed off a disc variant of its new Ultimate CF SLX. Prototypes will be supplied to the Katusha and Movistar teams for testing, with an expected retail release some time in the coming months - James Huang / Immediate Media
The Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc is the bike many have been waiting for: ultra light weight, 12mm front and rear thru-axles, flat-mount disc calipers front and rear, aggressive fit and handling, and clearance for 30mm-wide rubber - James Huang / Immediate Media
It feels like we're finally converging on a stable fitment platform for road disc bikes with flat-mount caliper interfaces and 12mm-diameter thru-axles - James Huang / Immediate Media
Canyon has worked with DT Swiss on its thru-axle skewers - James Huang / Immediate Media
Canyon's Ultimate CF SLX Disc prototype will take either 140mm or 160mm-diameter rotors - James Huang / Immediate Media
The clever thru-axle skewers use removable levers so only one is needed. If you want an even cleaner look, just go without complete. You can instead just carry a standard multi-tool in your pocket - James Huang / Immediate Media
Flat-mount calipers bolt in from below - James Huang / Immediate Media
Routing is internal throughout - James Huang / Immediate Media
Canyon fitted the prototype with a longer fork than the standard Ultimate CF SLX to allow for more tire clearance. The head tube is made shorter to compensate, though, so overall stack and reach are unchanged - James Huang / Immediate Media
There's massive clearance out back, too - James Huang / Immediate Media
This is one of the cleanest driveside thru-axle dropouts we've seen - James Huang / Immediate Media
Details, details: a small insert in between the down tube water bottle bolts tightens the rear brake hose inside with a hidden zip-tie to keep it from rattling - James Huang / Immediate Media
Canyon has been toying with the idea of a disc-equipped road bike for over a decade, showing this concept bike back in 2006 - James Huang / Immediate Media
The 2002 concept used tiny 120mm-diameter rotors - James Huang / Immediate Media
Back then, Canyon used Magura Marta closed-system calipers - James Huang / Immediate Media
To offset the tiny 120mm rotors, Canyon used two of them up front - not unlike what you see on street-going motorcycles - James Huang / Immediate Media
A hydraulic splitter is mounted at the fork crown to actuate the dual hydraulic calipers - James Huang / Immediate Media
There was no such thing as hydraulic integrated road bike controls so Canyon developed its own - James Huang / Immediate Media
Canyon previewed at this year’s Eurobike show the disc-equipped road racers the German direct-to-consumer brand plans to supply to its Katusha and Movistar teams for testing this autumn. Canyon officially referred to its Ultimate CF SLX Disc showpiece as a ‘concept’ but make no mistake – this bike is coming to the public, and we’re guessing sooner than later.
We obviously haven’t had a chance to ride Canyon’s new Ultimate CF SLX Disc but from what we can tell, it’s going to be one hell of a bike. Based closely on the recently revamped standard Ultimate CF SLX, the Disc variant gets front and rear 12mm thru-axles instead of quick-release dropouts, and the latest flat-mount disc brake calipers at both ends.
It feels like we're finally converging on a stable fitment platform for road disc bikes with flat-mount caliper interfaces and 12mm-diameter thru-axles : it feels like we're finally converging on a stable fitment platform for road disc bikes with flat-mount caliper interfaces and 12mm-diameter thru-axles
12mm thru-axles and flat-mount disc brakes are used at both ends
Freed from the constraints of rim brakes, Canyon’s frame engineers have even boosted the official maximum tire clearance to a whopping 30mm, which should make the new bike quite versatile.
Despite the impressive clearance, frame geometry remains nearly unchanged from the standard Ultimate CF SLX’s aggressive ‘Sport Pro’ layout. Chainstay length does grow fractionally to 415mm to satisfy Shimano’s prescribed chainline requirements, but thanks to a shorter head tube that compensates for the longer fork blades, stack and reach carry over intact. Bottom bracket drop and head tube angle are untouched, too, meaning the new bike should handle just as deftly as the rim brake version.
There's massive tire clearance out back, too: there's massive tire clearance out back, too
Canyon says there's room for 30mm rubber, which should greatly boost the bike's versatility
Even better, all of that extra capability has apparently added barely 100g of extra weight. According to Canyon, the Ultimate CF SLX Disc weighs just 1,200g (2.65lb) for a medium frame, fork, and headset – excellent figures by anyone’s measure.
Canyon has yet to announce when the new bike might go into production but there’s little doubt that it will at some point – and probably in the relatively near future.
The canyon ultimate cf slx disc is the bike many have been waiting for: ultralight weight, 12mm front and rear thru-axles, flat-mount disc calipers front and rear, aggressive fit and handling, and clearance for 30mm-wide tires: the canyon ultimate cf slx disc is the bike many have been waiting for: ultralight weight, 12mm front and rear thru-axles, flat-mount disc calipers front and rear, aggressive fit and handling, and clearance for 30mm-wide tires
There's no word on when the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc will be released but we're hoping it's soon
James Huang is BikeRadar's former technical editor. After leaving BikeRadar in 2016, he worked at CyclingTips and Escape Collective. He now runs the Substack cycling publication N-1 Bikes.
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