Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8.0

The climbing prowess of the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8.0 is clear to see just from its appearance.

This has the look of a classic lightweight machine, with slender seatstays and a slim seatpost, but Canyon hasn’t

ignored aerodynamics entirely, with a redesigned down tube and front end saving a claimed 7.4 watts at 45kph

compared to the old model.

Comfort has also been factored in too, with the lowering of the seatpost clamp helping to improve rear-end

compliance.

Specification

The 8.0 sits at the bottom of the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX range, but that’s no reason to be snobby about the build.

In fact, the Shimano Ultegra groupset with a race-ready 52/36t chainset offers close to Dura-Ace levels of

performance at a fraction of the price.

Add in to the mix some well-built and relatively light Mavic wheels and the spec cannot be faulted.
Ride

The standout figure from this bike’s stats is the 6.8kg weight, putting it smack on the UCI weight limit. No

surprise then that it’s an absolute rocketship when the road ramps up.

On steep slopes with double-digit gradients the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8.0 springs into life, letting you dance on

the pedals as if you were Nairo Quintana scaling the slopes of Mont Ventoux.

Performance is also faultless on gentler grades, where the bike taps along with minimal fuss aided by the super-

stiff bottom bracket and rear end.