Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 review | Gravel Bike of the Year contender

Canyon’s original Grail was quite a divisive design; the low head tube paired with the double-decker shape of the Hover handlebar certainly looked unique and piqued interest, although how much performance it added was open to debate.

The new Grail cuts out the extraneous flourishes and simplifies the design. It has lost a little weight and pays more than just lip service to improving the aerodynamics.

It’s already a proven gravel race bike (taking the Unbound 2023 title under Carolin Schiff), but Canyon sees the Grail as a versatile bike with a progressive geometry, rather than an out-and-out racer.

The Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 is still a very fast gravel bike, and has been improved since the previous generation. That said, for many gravel riders (those who aren’t preoccupied with simply going fast), I suspect the Canyon Grizl could be a better all-round bet.

Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 frameset details

The CF SLX frameset is Canyon’s second-tier Grail (the top being the CFR). At 933g (claimed, in a size medium), it’s a very light frame in its own right (the CFR weighs a claimed 855g).

Canyon has set the maximum tyre width at 42mm, stating it works with 2x setups (chainring sizes up to 52/36T) without having an adverse effect on the chainline.

Elsewhere in our 2024 Gravel Bike of the Year test, the similarly sporty Merida Silex comes with 45mm of clearance, while Santa Cruz’s Stigmata offers 45mm in 2x trim or 50mm in 1x.

The bottom bracket is a press-fit BB86 standard, and the frame comes with twin bottle bosses, a top tube bento box mount and bottle bosses under the down tube.

The frame doesn’t have standard mudguard mounts, though, and the fork doesn’t have bosses on the legs for increased carrying capacity.

Instead, Canyon has a set of dedicated quick-release ‘Defend Fast Fenders’, which don’t encroach upon the stated tyre clearance.

Sleeves feature on the fork legs, wrapping around them and clamping in place – effectively providing storage mounts without the need to add weight to the standard carbon fork. It’s a light-touch solution and should be fine for less heavy loads.

Canyon has approached the Grail’s featureset in a more holistic, but proprietary, fashion.

Instead of adding mounts for a frame bag, it worked with German magnetic fixing specialist Fidlock on a flush-fitting, arguably aero-optimised frame bag that locks magnetically into place (thanks to magnets bonded inside the frame).

Canyon claims this design is 1.5 watts faster (at 45kph) than the previous bike with a standard frame bag.

The down tube also features storage with the ‘Aero Load System’, taking the form of a hatched compartment positioned just above the bottle cage. Lift the hatch and underneath you’ll find an anchored tool bag designed to take a spare inner tube, multi-tool, tyre levers and patches.

This compartment is also designed to hold a Topeak Micro Rocket mini-pump (this isn’t included, though).

The one-piece CP0047 handlebar and stem follows this integrated approach with a slotted channel in the centre of the bar called the ‘Gear Groove’.

Optional inserts for the Gear Groove include an out-front GPS mount, phone mount and lights. You can even bolt on aero extensions (which are based on the tall-wide design, as found on Canyon’s Speedmax time trial bike), which may help the Grail appeal to ultra-distance racers.

The Grail’s suite of proprietary parts now extends to the new SP0072 seatpost, which is D-shaped. Canyon claims the new post is 42g lighter at 206g and more aerodynamic than the classic leaf-spring inspired VCLS 2.0 post found on the previous-generation bike.

Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 geometry

Canyon has looked at the geometry to enhance the off-road capability of the new Grail.

That means a head angle slackened by one degree to 71.5 degrees, while keeping a steep 73.5-degree seat angle.

My large-sized test bike has a sporty 613mm stack and a very long 427mm reach. The reach is countered by the cockpit’s effective 70mm stem length.

The increased tyre clearance extends the wheelbase to 1,080mm, although the 425mm chainstays keep the back end short enough to make the bike swift in its responses.

The fork trail, at 69mm, is optimised for stability on tougher terrain, without overly slowing the steering on smoother surfaces.

Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 specification

The Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2’s build is typically Canyon in that it’s all quality stuff, offering class-leading value for money, with the bike priced at £4,799.

A Shimano GRX RX800 Di2 groupset is supplied. Given its road-going siblings are now semi-wireless and 12-speed – even the mechanical version of GRX is now 12-speed (as seen on the GT Grade Carbon LE and Merida Silex 7000) – you could be forgiven for thinking you’re buying into outmoded tech.

Irrespective of the extra wires and one less sprocket, though, rest assured GRX Di2 is still superb. Shifting is accurate and exact, the clutch-equipped rear derailleur handles chain bounce easily, and the Servo-Wave assisted brakes are powerful and have a progressive feel that’s as good as it gets.

The 48/31-tooth chainset, matched to an Ultegra R8000 11-34t cassette, is both wide-ranging and road-rapid, while having close ratios at the heart of the range.

Up front, the CP0039 one-piece bar and stem is full-on aero-shaped, but with a gravel-specific 16 degrees of flare. On my size-large test bike, it has an effective 70mm stem and a 44cm width, with a shallow 115mm drop. The Gear Groove comes equipped with an out-front bike computer mount. The whole CP0039 unit weighs in at a claimed 499g.

At the back is Canyon’s D-shaped carbon seatpost, topped with Fizik’s slick, short Vento Argo X3 saddle with Kium (alloy) rails.

The Grail rolls on DT Swiss’ GRC1400 Spline carbon wheelset. At a claimed 1,602g a pair with a 42mm-deep, 32mm-wide (externally) rim, complete with a 24mm-wide hookless internal profile, the GRC1400 are a real gravel racer’s choice.

The 240 hubs are equipped with the brand’s highly regarded 36-tooth star ratchet freehub system for a 10-degree engagement angle. It’s worth noting this isn’t the latest EXP system, though.

The wheels are shod with Schwalbe’s G-One RS Evo tyres, in a 700x40c size. Schwalbe describes the G-One RS Evo as a race-oriented semi-slick gravel tyre.

The RS Evo is constructed with a compound and sidewall designed to be flexible, so while narrow and low on tread, it promises both speed and comfort.

For the money, the Canyon represents excellent value – an electronic groupset, premium wheels and carbon everything else is impressive at under £5,000.

BMC’s similarly racy Kauis 02 with Force AXS and carbon wheels is £8,350, while Factor’s Ostro Gravel with Force AXS will set you back £8,430, for example.

Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 ride impressions

The Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 is a seriously quick bike. The low overall weight and lightness of the wheels, shod with low-profile tyres, makes it as rapid on the road as you need it to be. Get onto unmetalled roads and it's similarly fast.

The taut, stiff frameset transmits your efforts superbly, making for a bike that accelerates with ease. The stiff wheels confirm and expand that feeling – the Grail is a pure racer at heart.

Climbs are met with a willingness to go quickly and the solidity through the bars when putting the effort in encourages out-of-the-saddle efforts.

In fact, the Grail is racy enough that every incline feels like an opportunity to attack.

The 2x drivetrain makes this version of the Grail much more of an all-roader than a pure gravel machine, but the 22 speeds mean the ratios are closer than a 1x setup. If it's efficient speed and cadence management you’re after for a competitive edge, this way works.

I’ve never really considered a power meter for recreational gravel riding, but this Grail feels as though it warrants it to satisfy the racing fraternity.

The handling and steering responses are similarly sharp, with a slightly relaxed head angle, yet a trail figure that offers a more responsive than relaxed sensation. It all adds up to a bike that’s fun to ride at speed, yet feels stable on descents and rolling terrain over light-to-middling surface undulations.

It can get a little bit feisty when you get into trickier technical stuff, though. Exposed roots, off-camber turns and rockier sections can upset the front end a little, pushing you off-line. Here, you need to keep your wits about you.

The Grail CF SLX isn’t the most comfortable of bikes over choppy surfaces and lots of bumps. The front end that feels so tight and taut under acceleration doesn’t do a huge amount to mute chatter.

Although I’ll vouch for the ergonomics of the bar and the quality of the bar tape, I still found myself often switching hand positions between hoods, drops and tops, looking for a way to ease the vibrations making it through to my fingers.

Likewise, the frameset, right through the chainstays to the rear axle, is stiff. It’s great for power transfer, but not brilliant at smoothing the surface you happen to be traversing.

The new D-shaped seatpost and well-shaped saddle, however, combine to take the worst sting out of trails.

This manifests itself with a definite feel of the saddle shifting backwards as the post flexes. This is impressive, just somewhat at odds with the solid front end. It gave me the impression of the front of the bike shifting forwards as I rode over a barrage of ruts or a section of exposed roots.

The Schwalbe tyres and DT Swiss wheels are a great combination – fast and light. The downside is the G-One, in this low-tread, ultra-fast specification, is great for dry conditions, but suffers when grip is scarce.

The wheels are superb if you want to go fast, though they are quite stiff. The deep carbon rims aren’t the most forgiving and when shod with a relatively slender (by gravel standards) 40mm tyre, there isn’t the same level of compliance and cushioning on tap.

The Grail’s 42mm tyre clearance limits the opportunity to buy in more compliance by going for wider rubber, too.

As it is, the Grail comes across as a fast and flighty gravel race bike. That will certainly appeal to fans of bikes such as BMC’s Kaius, Factor’s Ostro Gravel, and even the Specialized Crux. The major plus for the Grail is it’s vastly better value than all of those rivals.

Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 bottom line

On the right kind of gravel, unmetalled roads, wide undulating gravel tracks and doubletrack farm roads, the Grail is explosively fast.

It does, however, come undone on more technical terrain.

Canyon has pitched the latest Grail as its racing rig for gravel, and for that narrower thread, it’s quite brilliant – and very good value.

For the wider world of gravel, though, Canyon has a better option with its excellent Grizl, and in this year’s Gravel Bike of the Year cohort, its rivals are more rounded too.