(dramatic sound effects)
- I'm here with the Canyon Inflite CF SLX
of Mathieu Van der Poel,
a rider who has, let's face it,
won more cyclocross races than I've had hot meals.
He's hot property right now in cyclocross
and while many teams out there are actually hoping
that he would go and ride for them on the road.
But, no, his sights I believe are firmly set
on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic mountain bike race,
believe it or not.
Anyway, enough about that.
Let's take a look at this bike of his.
Well, first of all, you can see it's decked out
in a pretty special silver, matte black,
and also a couple of different shades of blue
and some yellow stars down on there.
But what does all this mean then?
This means he's European champion.
Therefore, he's got himself a special edition bike.
Now, Van der Poel himself, he actually stands
at one meter 84 tall,
which is just over six foot in old money.
So, he uses medium sized frame.
Now, if we look closely at it,
you will in fact see he's got a bottle cage fitted
onto the seat tube here,
which is slightly unusual in cyclocross,
but if weather permits it,
you are actually allowed to have a bottle
on the bike for the race,
which is super cool in my opinion.
And some aerodynamic tests have actually shown
that a bottle on the seat tube is more aerodynamic
than on the down tube.
Aerodynamics not quite so critical
in cyclocross, of course.
So, what have we got fitted then on the bike?
Well, first up, we've got a Canyon S13 seat post,
which is in the 27.2 millimeter diameter.
So, it's not gonna give you a really, really harsh ride
like you would get with a 31.6 millimeter seat post,
which tends to come in some frames out there,
but we don't see it that often in cyclocross,
hence the use of this one.
Fitted onto the top
of that is a Selle Italia team edition saddle.
And then also we've got the Canyon H11 cockpit here,
which comes with a 110 millimeter stem
and the bars themselves are 41 centimeters wide
from where you measure at the shifters.
And what shifters we got fitted?
Well, we've got Shimano Dura-Ace DI2
and that's the 9170 models
because of course this is a hydraulic disc brake bike.
And then wrapping the integrated handlebars and stem,
we've got a slightly cushioned effect
Selle Italia handlebar tape.
The tire choice, I don't know exactly what they are.
They are 33 millimeters wide,
which is pretty much standard in cyclocross
because that's the UCI legal limit in width.
However, what brand?
I'm gonna put my neck out and say they're Dugast.
They are unbranded
and the reason behind this is
that many riders and teams actually choose not
to have a tire sponsor
so they can actually really purposefully choose
or select different models and brands for specific events
because tire choice is absolutely critical in cyclocross.
As for pressure, say, that that is about 23 to 25 psi,
something like that.
I have spent quite a bit of time helping
out mechanics in cyclocross races.
So, this thumb is a pretty good gauge.
What about the drive train then?
Well, we've got Shimano Dura-Ace 9170 derailleurs,
both front and rear.
Now, here's something for you.
These rear derailleurs are 9170.
Because of the shadow star design,
there's actually more tension in that
from the previous model, the 9070 or 9000 series Dura-Ace.
So it does in fact help the chain stay
on a little bit better
when you're riding over the rough stuff.
That's paired up with an 11 to 28 cassette
from Shimano Dura-Ace model here on the rear wheel.
Chain link size, well we've actually 46/39
and it's a two by set up.
Shimano of course not making a specific one by set up
for cyclocross just yet
or who knows if they are in fact in the future.
I'm just merely speculating.
So, we've got that paired up
with a chain which doesn't have very much lubricant
on there whatsoever
because obviously you want to start attracting sand
and dirt into the chain whilst riding
over the period of an hour.
Crank length, 172.5 millimeters,
which is pretty much spot on
because I'm the same height as Mathieu,
so at least I'm doing something he does correctly.
Pedals, again unbranded.
They have got Pro Toe 00 written on them.
So, they do look very much like Shimano model XTR
for instance, but very much slimmed down.
What about the weight of the bike then?
Well, it comes in 7.51 kilos.
What about some finishing touches then on the bike
because admittedly a cyclocross bike,
they're not quite as decked out as a road bike.
They don't have the opportunity to do special things
with bottle cages although like, as I've previously said,
there is one fitted on here.
Nothing special about that one though,
but it is a finishing touch nonetheless.
But, DI2 cable here on the rear derailleur.
It is in fact zip tied in place
because of course it's very unlikely,
but a rider they wouldn't want
to have that snag on something
like a twig or a branch, anything like that,
and pop out, preventing any gear changes.
And then moving forward to the cranks.
This is something I've never seen a pro rider do.
They've actually got scuff guards on the cranks there
to protect them from any heel rub,
something like that, which is super cool.
Shows you he actually really does care
for his equipment.
Speaking of that scuff guard,
there's also one on the head tube too,
just covering up the Canyon logos.
They aren't covering it up exactly,
but more like protecting it
and then, the pro's favorite,
some heat shrink on the cables there at the front.
So, the DI2 cable as well as the brake cable are both...
Or brake hose rather
in this case are actually integrated nicely,
keeping them out of harm's way.
From the top of the saddle to the center of the cranks,
that's 79.5 centimeters,
which is pretty much spot on for me
and the reach is pretty long actually
for a cyclocross bike I reckon.
Tip of the saddle to the center
of the bars is 60 centimeters.
So that's a little bit too long for me,
so I can give this one back to Mathieu,
don't worry about that one.
And the drop from the saddle to the stem is 11 centimeters.
So, again it's pretty much slander.
If you look at Mathieu when he rides,
he does look really aerodynamic and aggressive.
Right, and the moment you've all been waiting for:
the free hub sound check.
So, let's have a listen.
(soft clicking noise)
Sounds good to me, even over the commentator
in the background.
Now I do hope you've enjoyed this look
at the Canyon Inflite CF SLX of Mathieu Van der Poel.
I've certainly enjoyed looking at it
and I'm gutted to be giving it back
to be perfectly honest with you.
Now, remember to like and share this
with your friends too.
Share it with a friend
of yours who absolutely loves cyclocross
and if someone doesn't, share it with them anyway
so they can enjoy it.
Remember as well to check out the GCN shop
at shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com
where we have a whole heap of goodies
for you to check out including beanies.
Certainly helped keep me warm today
because it's absolutely freezing here.
Now also, why not check out another video.
This time, click just over here for one
and I'm gonna take this for a quick spin.
See you later.