By now, you should be sensing that I really quite like it.
Given its price tag, Id be concerned if it was anything other.
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In hindsight, I feel that statement now sounds a little underwhelming.
In fact, its pretty good value for money.
The brake hoses are internally routed through the frame, but enter on the downtube.
Canyons downtube routing is far more friendly to the home mechanic.
Canyons seat post is also top-notch.
Its a standardized size 27.2mm, round shape which means replacements are easy to find.
So I tend to prefer comfort to be built into bits which arent critical to forward momentum.
Believe it when I say the seat post is a blessing to the overall package.
The Canyon is a stiff out-and-out race bike.
While I found it incredibly comfortable and refined, its still plenty stiff where you need it.
In fact, it was probably the other way round.
That feeling is quite refreshing.
The bike is just the medium that facilitates this experience.
Thanks to the Canyons all-round capability, its reinvigorated training for me.
Im excited to do high intensity sprint workouts because the bike is so efficient.
Its a jack of all trades.
The icing on the cake
I also want to make a quick note about the wheels.
They perform great too.
One thing that got on my nerves was an inconsistent rattle.
I narrowed it down to one of the internally routed hoses.
For total transparency, the rattle only happens when riding over brick cobbled roads, which induce high-frequency vibrations.
The hose can still rattle around in the bottom bracket and chain stay junction.
I managed to silence this using some pipe insulation, which cost less than 50 cents.
There are plenty of professional solutions for this common problem available that I would like to see Canyon implement.
My only other criticism is of the handlebars which can be replaced if its a big issue for you.
Narrower means more aerodynamic which means faster.
With this, I found my wrists were angled a little more harshly than Im used to.
I prefer a handlebar drop thats a little shallower.
That said, Ive got used to the handlebars, and their deep drop is great for sprinting on.
Final thoughts
I have a few concerns when it comes to expensive racing bikes.
Imagine having a tire thats super fast and super light.
This intelligent blend is something that I think Canyon nails with its all-round Ultimate CF SLX.
That blend has had a pronounced effect on my enthusiasm for riding.
Over the course of a year, I typically ride somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 miles on the road.
Ive taken Strava KOMs, bested my own times, and done my first 200km ride.
The Ultimate CF SLX is a road racing, mile munching machine worthy of its name.
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Story byMatthew Beedham
Matthew is the editor of SHIFT.
He likes electric cars, and other things with wheels, wings, or hulls.
