(whooshing sound)
- This is the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX.
It is a proper all-around road bike.
I mean, it's got clearance for 30 millimeter wide tires
but yet, this one also weighs in at
just under seven kilos.
And yet, it's also got aerodynamics
taken into consideration in the design.
I mean, it is a proper super bike.
It's raced in the World Tour.
It's got stacks of victories to its name,
lot of them thanks to Alejandro Valverde,
including the 2018 World Road Race Championships.
But what happens
if Canyon engineers are let off their leash?
What happens if they turn it up to 11?
(fast heavy drumming)
(light piano)
You get the EVO, the latest in Canyon's ongoing project
to create the lightest bikes possible.
It's incredible piece of engineering,
but you have to look really closely to see the details.
This is understated with a capital U,
unlike a lot of hyper bikes that just want to
slap you 'round with a piece of carbon fiber.
This, this is stealthy.
And today, I'm going to have the tough task of comparing
these two bikes, and then putting this one through its paces
on one of professional cycling's most famous tests:
Alpe d'Huez.
I cannot wait. Let me at it.
(light electronic music)
Given that outwardly both bikes look so similar,
you might be wondering what the difference between them
actually is, are they both super bikes?
Is the EVO a genuine hyper bike?
I will leave you to be judge and jury on that one.
My own personal qualification for hyper bike status
is that it needs not just to break the rules
of the international governing body of cycling,
but to tear up the whole book.
And it's funny really because we shouldn't be governed
by UCI rules anyway, or 99.9% of it,
because we're not restricted by them in any way.
But it has a huge influence over the bikes that we ride
because manufacturers, by and large, stick rigidly to them.
And so it might be the restrictions on tube sizes, shapes,
and locations that mean that aerodynamic improvements
are largely plateauing.
Or that pesky 6.8 kilogram weight limit
that means that manufacturers have been focusing
on other things rather than light weight.
So, those aforementioned aerodynamics
or improved integration.
I mean, we can probably thank the weight limit
for introducing us to disc brakes.
Except, in this bike's case,
the brakes are partly what it's about.
Canyon have built a super light disc brake bike.
How light?
Well, as you see before you,
it's 5.86 kilograms.
That's how light.
But, this is no fragile exhibition piece, Canyon say,
it is designed to be ridden hard.
And frankly, that's really reassuring
because on this road that we're filming on,
it would not be kind to any sort of mechanical failure.
It is frankly the most terrifying road I've ever been on.
(light pop instrumentals)
To create this bike, Canyon engineers have firstly
thrown everything they can at refining the frameset.
The result is that the frame fork
and bar and stem combo shed 234 grams.
If you're thinking, "well that doesn't sound
like all that much,"
bear in mind the other frame doesn't weigh very much at all
in the first place.
And now, this one is 16% lighter.
To do that, they've been experimenting with new ways
of using carbon fiber both in the types of fibers used
and in the way they're laid up in the mold.
The result is the reduction in material density
whilst there is also a corresponding increase
in the stiffness to weight ration, they say.
Now that would be a good thing
'cause there's no point having a feather-weight bike
if it's as flexible as a Californian yoga teacher
on a diving board,
working flexi time.
Then there are some other neat touches
like the fact that they've saved seven grand
from making the front derailleur mount in carbon fiber,
and then another 35 grand by replacing
the steel seat clamp hardware with titanium.
As you can see though,
the groupset is the same as on the super bike,
SRAM's top of the range Red ETap AXS.
But other components have been changed
to shed a few extra grams,
so the wheels are special edition
DT Swiss PRC Dicut 1100 25Y,
to give them their full name,
the only way, 1,250 grams for the pair.
Then, the seat post (knock knock)
from Schmolke is just 120 grams.
And then the saddle, if you can (hollow tap)
call it that, is just 61 grams.
Now I'll be honest, I don't think from looking at that
that you should ever try and ride this bike naked.
And if you do, don't brake suddenly.
And to complete the components on this hyper bike,
the finishing touch are my eight year old set of
Look Keo Blade pedals.
(electronic music)
Right, I think that is quite enough chat.
It's time to see what this bike is all about
and go for a ride.
You know, I don't think I've ever sat on one of these
carbon saddles before.
It's not that bad!
(energetic music)
Right then, first impressions as I swing a leg over,
I think was the lightest road bike I've ever ridden.
And it's got to be said, first things first,
descending felt reassuringly normal,
which I'm particularly glad to hear
when there is a (yelps) 500 meter drop off to one side.
And that's no exaggeration.
So the bike didn't need nursing, I didn't need to take care.
It was absolutely normal,
but sounds surprising perhaps
that the difference you feel is when you're climbing.
That is where a reduction in weight becomes apparent.
And it is tangible, every time you get out of the seat,
it kind of feels like, like a dog pulling at its lead,
like it just surges forward.
And I bet you can't measure it, but it's definitely there.
You can tell the difference.
There might be lower inertia of the lighter wheels,
it might be the overall aggregate low weight,
but it's very definite.
This bike feels like it's climbing faster.
It'd be interesting to see whether we could actually
measure the difference with a stopwatch.
(tribal drums)
[Voiceover] To find out, I'm going to hit a short
1.5 kilometer section of this killer climb.
And I use that phrase not because it's steep or long,
although it is, both of them,
but actually because if I veer off the road,
I will undoubtedly die.
And now, there are now power meters on these bikes,
so in order to ensure that my effort is consistent
on both runs, I'm just going to go flat out.
Can we measure a difference between the two?
Run number one, just the super bike.
Ready?
3,
2,
1,
go!
(bright pop music)
Right then, run number two. Hyper bike.
3,
2,
1,
go!
(pop music)
♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
(heavy breathing) (bike ticking)
Well I won't keep you waiting long for the results.
They've conveniently been instantaneously beamed
from my Wahoo up to my phone,
and so I can tell you that I was 3 seconds quicker
on my second run,
which was this, the hyper bike.
And it's got to be said that
this is a deeply unscientific and very short test.
And because there's no options of power meters
on these bikes, then I can't actually read too much
into the results.
Other than to say, I'm quite surprised
because they were full-gas efforts,
and to be able to get quicker on the second run
than the first run, I don't know, maybe it's the bike,
or maybe it's the fact that it inspired me to try harder
and go quicker. I don't know.
Whatever it is, it certainly felt quicker,
and so that's kind of cool.
Now having taken it for a good old spin,
I have been thinking a little bit more
about this hyper bike versus super bike thing.
And there's part of me that wonders whether or not
this is actually just a bit too practical
to be a genuine hyper bike.
I mean, it's not a stupid bike, and that also feels like
a selection criteria for it.
I mean, it's practical.
For one thing, it's not going to break if you ride off a curb
or hit a pothole, it's tested to exactly the same standards
as all of Canyon's other bikes.
And then, it doesn't have little bits of carbon fiber wafer
pretending to be rim brakes.
I mean, it's got out-and-out disc brakes.
And if you look, that front rotor is a 160 mil.
I mean, there's another 20 grams you could save there
if you replaced it with a 140.
And then there's the fact that the price is less than
the number of ordinary super bikes.
I mean, it comes in at less than 10,000 pounds sterling.
And you also won't have to wait ten years for it
because in part, it's not being built
by a bearded eccentric in a garden shed.
And though, I should probably add that although this bike
smashes the UCI minimum weight rule,
ones exactly like this will be used
in the Tour de France this year.
Albeit with weights added,
and well I suspect probably a different saddle.
But then maybe the chat about hyper bike versus super bike
is just slightly academic.
Maybe bikes like this should just be ridden and enjoyed.
Which is why, if you'll excuse me,
I'm about to go and ride up Alpe d'Huez
as fast as I possibly can.
Woohoo! Yes!
(inspirational music)
Well, here we go then.
One hyper bike, one very iconic climb.
All 13 kilometers of it, and 21 hairpin bends.
I have technically done this once before,
15 years ago, in fact.
I don't think I'm going to be chasing that time,
but I don't think it really matters.
This is just going to be one of those moments to savor.
(slow instrumental music)
It is hot!
Hot hot hot!
Number 15!
Ah, long way to go!
Bit of respite.
(guitar music)
Well as you can see, we've got a bit of altitude now.
Can actually see this morning's climb
in the background there.
Slightly quieter than Alpe d'Huez, I'm not going to lie,
but nevertheless, got nine hairpins to go.
I'm not going to break any records,
well clearly 'cause I've stopped,
but not that Marco Pantani's nor my own
is going to be within reach today.
But I don't think it matters
when you can just enjoy the ride.
That seems like a bit of a victory.
Anyway, if you want a little bit more information
about the technical side of this bike,
Alloredi did an absolutely crackin' video,
it's over on the Tech channel. You can check it out now.
Otherwise, make sure you let us know what you think
of the whole hyper bike super bike divide.
Be very interested to hear your thoughts.
And otherwise make sure you give this video a big thumbs up.
I'm going to go carry on riding up Alpe d'Huez.