00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 Now, as is very common with this time of year,
00:07 of course, we've got plenty of bike launches.
00:09 And today, we have this,
00:11 the brand new Canyon Ultimate fifth generation.
00:14 Now, the previous generation, Gen 4,
00:17 came out five years ago,
00:18 so this is well overdue an upgrade.
00:20 However, the changes are quite subtle.
00:23 So let's get into them.
00:24 (upbeat music)
00:26 Now, the Canyon Ultimate has always been known
00:28 to be lightweight.
00:29 However, that isn't something they've really focused on
00:32 with this new model.
00:34 What they have done,
00:35 they've actually strengthened the frame in areas
00:38 to make it a bit more resilient.
00:39 So they've actually added 30 grams of carbon fiber
00:42 to make this frame a little bit stronger.
00:44 Now, it's not to say that the bike isn't lighter.
00:47 Of course, it's Canyon, it's the Ultimate,
00:49 of course, it's lighter,
00:50 but it's by a very marginal amount.
00:52 And they've done that by saving
00:54 in other parts of the frame.
00:56 Now, of course, with Canyon,
00:57 you've obviously got their proprietary components,
00:59 and that is where they've actually saved more of the weight.
01:01 So they've used Canyon CP18 cockpit,
01:04 and they've now got a D-shaped seat post.
01:07 So they may not have lost a lot of weight from the frame,
01:10 but they have lost it from the components
01:12 that have to be attached to this frame.
01:15 Now, as usual with Canyon,
01:17 they have got three different models of the Ultimate.
01:19 You've got the SL,
01:20 which is your kind of cheapest way
01:22 of getting into the Ultimate lineup.
01:24 You've then got the SLX,
01:25 which is gonna be for your keen enthusiasts.
01:27 And then you've got the CFR,
01:28 Canyon Factory Racing.
01:29 So that is gonna be for the pros
01:31 and the really, really dedicated riders.
01:34 Now, across those three different platforms,
01:35 you've got 11 different models.
01:38 They start at 2,699 pounds,
01:40 and you'll be able to see other worldwide pricing
01:42 on screen right now.
01:44 Now, the range tops out at 10,899 great British pounds.
01:49 And of course, we'll show you some of the other pricing
01:51 on those top-end models as well.
01:54 Now, with any bike launch today,
01:56 of course there's gonna be some sort of aero claim,
01:58 and it's the same for the Ultimate as well.
02:00 But it has been done in a couple of different ways.
02:02 With the adoption of the CP18 cockpit,
02:05 which has come across from the Aeroad,
02:07 they've also made a subtle change to the fork here,
02:09 and you can see that the shoulders
02:11 are shaped slightly differently.
02:12 And they say that is also where they've managed
02:14 to find a little bit of speed.
02:16 Now, onto the numbers.
02:17 As a frame set alone,
02:19 they say it's 10 watts faster than the previous version,
02:21 but when you have a rider on it,
02:23 it's five watts faster.
02:24 So it's a subtle improvement, but it is an improvement.
02:27 Now, one other headline feature of this bike
02:30 is that it now has clearance for up to 32 mil wide tyres.
02:33 However, that isn't what is stocked on the bike
02:36 from when it's built.
02:37 What you do have is a 25 mil tyre up front
02:40 for the Aeroad advantage,
02:42 and then you have a 28 mil tyre out on the back
02:44 for a little bit more comfort, which is quite nice.
02:47 It's nice that they've thought about that.
02:49 Now, speaking of comfort,
02:50 one thing I do really like is the adoption of this cockpit,
02:53 because for those of you who don't know,
02:55 this is width adjustable.
02:57 So it does mean it's gonna work
02:59 for a large variety of riders,
03:00 and actually handlebar width can be one of those changes
03:03 that you're reluctant to make,
03:04 because it does mean having to go out
03:06 and buy a whole new handlebar.
03:08 But with this, you just slide them in and out,
03:10 bolt them up, job done.
03:12 Now, onto sizing.
03:13 Across the entire Ultimate range,
03:16 you can go all the way down to a 3XS,
03:19 and then all the way up to a 2XL.
03:21 So they have got some really comprehensive sizing in there.
03:24 There aren't any female-specific sizing,
03:26 but that's because they've got so much versatility in them
03:29 that you can make it work for any body shape.
03:31 Now, on the SL version, on the 3XS and the 2XS,
03:35 it actually comes with 650B wheels,
03:37 and on the SLX, you get 650B wheels on the 3XS,
03:41 but not the 2XS.
03:43 Onto the CFR version, and all wheels have a 700C wheel size,
03:48 because if you're a pro, no matter what you're doing,
03:51 you're gonna want those 700C wheels.
03:54 Now, one of those final claims
03:55 that manufacturers always love to build in
03:57 is increasing their stiffness.
03:59 And of course, this is no different.
04:00 Canyon claim that this is 5% stiffer,
04:03 although that is always one of those very tricky things
04:05 to actually quantify.
04:07 But when we head out for a ride later,
04:09 maybe it will feel beautiful.
04:11 One thing that will also contribute
04:13 to that stiffness feeling
04:14 is actually this brand new D-shape seat post.
04:17 Not only is it great for aero,
04:19 but it does also mean that it's incredibly stiff as well.
04:22 Now, that's not something you potentially want
04:24 on a seat post,
04:25 'cause usually it's nice to have some compliance in there
04:27 to make it nice and comfy,
04:28 and Canyon have recognised that.
04:30 So what they've done
04:31 is they've changed the carbon layup of this bike
04:33 down on the seat stays and in the frame itself
04:36 to kind of build in the compliance from there,
04:38 because they do recognise that obviously this
04:40 probably won't be the most comfortable seat post
04:41 in the world.
04:43 One other little feature,
04:44 and actually is a big sign
04:46 as to what's to come from Canyon,
04:48 is this, the computer mount.
04:51 It's actually 3D printed.
04:53 It weighs 17 grammes, so pretty light,
04:55 bolts straight into the cockpit itself
04:58 and comes with either a Garmin
04:59 or a Wahoo mounting option,
05:01 which is perfect.
05:02 But what that does
05:03 is that it raises the bigger question
05:05 over what's gonna come from their accessory line-up.
05:08 Because back here on the back of the seat post,
05:11 we actually have a little threaded bolt hole,
05:13 and that is because Canyon are bringing out
05:15 a rear light that can be threaded
05:17 straight into the seat post
05:19 and is also held in place with magnets.
05:21 So no matter how bumpy the road gets,
05:23 it's not gonna be falling off.
05:24 Now, one thing which I'll be sporting later
05:26 is some of Canyon's very own kit.
05:28 And they have actually designed this from the ground up
05:31 and then have it produced elsewhere.
05:33 It's gonna be really interesting to see what it's like.
05:35 And I think this could again be the start of Canyon
05:39 bringing out even more products.
05:41 Now, this fifth generation Ultimate
05:43 is very much an incremental improvement
05:45 over its predecessor.
05:46 So if you have recently bought a fourth gen Ultimate,
05:49 I wouldn't feel too hard done by it.
05:51 The fourth generation Ultimate
05:52 actually won bike of the year
05:53 here at Cycling Weekly for two years.
05:56 So we think the platform is really good.
05:58 And if this is gonna be anything like the fourth generation,
06:01 then it should be a bit of a recipe for success.
06:04 All we do know with this fifth generation so far
06:06 is that it has taken home a couple of stage wins
06:08 at the Vuelta.
06:09 So we know it can perform well,
06:12 but will it perform well for everyone?
06:15 Right, talking over, it's time to jump out onto the roads
06:17 and see how this really performs.
06:19 (upbeat music)
06:22 Well, we are currently on the roads
06:32 that the Ultimate finds home, the hills.
06:34 Bit of a steep one, but the bike does feel nice.
06:40 I'll give it that.
06:42 My leg's ruined.
06:45 (upbeat music)
06:47 Well, ladies and gents, we're back now at base.
06:56 I've had a bit of time to settle down from that ride.
06:58 It did get pretty punchy on that final climb of the day
07:01 and the descent was equally as fast,
07:02 but it was really, really enjoyable.
07:05 I think my key takeaway from that ride
07:08 was that on the climbs, it felt really playful actually.
07:11 And it kind of urged you to kind of keep going,
07:14 keep pushing, which was really nice.
07:15 It's something you'd kind of expect
07:17 from a racy Ultimate climbing frame.
07:20 The other thing that I found was how stable it felt.
07:23 On the descents, it felt absolutely rock solid
07:25 and it was so stable that it made me notice.
07:29 I think you can always say that bikes handle
07:31 like they're on rails and they corner incredibly well,
07:34 but this really did feel very stable
07:37 despite it's kind of quite direct and pointy front end.
07:41 Now that it has adopted the aero geometry,
07:43 it could be at risk of being too aggressive,
07:46 but actually it felt really nice to ride.
07:50 And if you kind of put your weight further back
07:51 on the descents and just let the bike flow down,
07:54 it felt really, really good.
07:56 So I think it's gonna be very interesting
07:59 to ride this bike for longer,
08:01 see how it performs on the long-term.
08:03 Do let me know what you think about this bike though
08:05 down in the comments.
08:06 I always enjoy reading what you guys have to say.
08:09 If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like,
08:11 subscribe to the channel for more content
08:12 and I'll see you again very soon.
08:14 (air whooshing)
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