You can now have the Canyon Grizl with an alloy frame and rack mounts (it's more affordable, too)

Canyon has added an aluminium-framed version of the Grizl gravel bike to its range, with the Grizl AL dropping the price significantly while adding pannier mounts for touring duties.

The range starts at £1,499 with the Grizl AL 6 and is topped by the £1,999 Grizl AL 7 Suspension, which includes the RockShox Rudy gravel suspension fork.

Aside from a difference in frame material and the associated increase in weight, Canyon says it has preserved all of the characteristics first introduced in the Grizl CF, and has also made one or two additions over the higher-end design.

According to Canyon, just like the Grizl CF, the Grizl AL uses the same “Gravel Plus” geometry, and has enough tyre clearance for 50mm 700c tyres, but also goes beyond to offer pannier rack mounts and extra sizing options, with a 3XS bike size available.

Ready for the rough stuff

The Grizl AL was promised back in March when Canyon first introduced the carbon fibre Grizl– one of the best gravel bikes we’ve ridden, with the Canyon Grizl CF SL 8 1by receiving a five-star review.

Despite the component shortages and supply issues currently affecting the bike industry, the German brand has delivered on that pledge in good time.

The Grizl AL is Canyon's first pannier-compatible drop-bar bike. - Marco Freudenreich

Canyon says there has never been a greater appetite than right now for solid, functional bikes that can do it all, so bringing in the Grizl at the more accessible price points was a big priority.

The Grizl bikes sit alongside the Canyon Grail in the direct sales brand’s gravel portfolio. They use the same rationale when it comes to geometry – long wheelbases for stability paired with shorter stems for reactive handling – but where the Grail caters more towards faster gravel riding and racing, Canyon says the Grizl is equipped to tackle the rough and tumble of more technical terrain over long distances.

An aluminium version of the Grizl makes a lot of sense then, given that aluminium frames tend to be a little more robust to the impacts and dings that can be a frequent occurrence over adventurous terrain.

What the switch in frame material has cost in terms of weight gain hasn’t been detailed, but we’ve asked Canyon for the numbers.

The Grizl AL preserves the Grizl CF's 50mm tyre clearance for 700c wheels. - Marco Freudenreich

Thanks to features like the Grail’s double-decker “Hoverbar”, the difference between the carbon fibre versions of the Grizl and the Grail are clear, with the Grizl getting a conventional cockpit.

On the face of it though, the need for a Grizl AL, looking similar in form as it does to the Grail AL, is less clear cut.

Canyon says it comes down to the type of features each aluminium bike offers. The Grail is more stripped back, but the aim of the new Grizl AL is to give the rider the option to dress it up or down however they like, whether that’s for bikepacking, cycling to work, touring, or plain-old gravel riding.

A fistful of features

Tyre clearance is the most obvious differentiator.

The Grizl AL uses a dropped driveside chainstay so it can offer 50mm clearance for 700c wheels, compared to the Grail AL’s 42mm.

The Grizl ships with 45mm tyres as standard, which Canyon says are simple to set up tubeless if desired.

Canyon says the Grizl is all about big days out over rough terrain. - Canyon / Marco Freudenreich

Mounting points are another area where the new Grizl AL differs. Canyon says the bike is its first pannier-compatible drop-bar design, coming as it does with a full complement of rack mounts in the rear triangle.

Additional mounting points scattered across the rest of the frame – on the underside of the down tube, on the top of the top tube and in the main triangle, as well as on the carbon fork (which the Grizl AL shares with the Grizl CF) – should mean the rider has the scope to attach all manner of luggage depending on their needs. Provisions for mudguards/fenders complete the Grizl AL’s versatile setup.

Finally, just like the Grizl CF, the Grizl AL offers spec options to include Rockshox’ new Rudy XPLR gravel suspension fork, which is not a setup offered as standard by Canyon in its Grail platforms.

2021 Canyon Grizl AL specs and prices

The Grizl AL will be available in five different guises.

In short, the Grizl 6 models will feature Shimano’s GRX400 groupset, while Grizl 7 models will use GRX600. The suspension models feature the RockShox Rudy XPLR Base fork. International pricing and full specs are TBC.