Canyon Endurace CF SLX review: One of the fastest and most capable endurance bikes on the market right now

The update and launch of the Canyon Endurace generated a lot of chat in the run-up to Paris-Roubaix.

Canyon split the launch of its latest endurance road bike, launching the top-tier Endurace CFR, which was designed to help Mathieu Van der Poel win Roubaix first, and then announcing the second- and lower-tiered CF SLX, CF, and Allroad models a little later on.

The latest Endurace CFR really looks like an Aeroad, the brand's aero race bike, and has almost identical geometry numbers.

The Endurace CF SLX that you see here has less racy geometry. In fact, Canyon calls it 'an aero bike with all-day fit'.

Canyon sent me the Endurace CF SLX 8 in 'Champagne' colourway to test; it's one click down from the top-level CF SLX 9 and comes in at $4,200 / $4,499 / $5,999 for the Shimano Ultegra, carbon wheel-equipped model.

The Endurace has a slightly cheaper entry price point than the Aeroad, and is a lot less than the top-spec Endurace CFR, but there's not much in it. When do you buy the Endurace, not the Aeroad?

The Endurace has been considered one of the best endurance bikes for a while now, and the bike's latest update saw it get faster and more aero with bigger tyre clearances and slightly more stable geometry.

I've ridden this bike on the road exclusively for several months, and have even stripped it back to race a local hill climb. This bike is at least a must-consider if you are shopping for an endurance bike around this price point.

Design and aesthetics

The Endurace was last updated in 2023, and at that time I reviewed the CFR model.

My size small bike came in at 8.24kg out of the box with a storage bag and accessories, computer mount, TPU tubes and no pedals.

Unless you order the bike with a storage bag and accessories, which aren't included as standard, you can expect it to be a couple of hundred grams lighter than this. It depends on what you might order and fit to the bike, but it's around this mark.

Canyon has changed a fair bit on the Endurace this time around; frame design, geometry and componentry have all changed.

When it comes to the frame, the biggest visual change comes from the altered seat tube and chainstay junction shape. The seat stays are also more aero, and the bike has a new seatpost.

The round S15 VCLS 2.0 flex seatpost has gone, as has the 'Comfort kink' seat tube cutout. The CF SLX now has a comfort aero post in the form of the SP093 VCLS Aero seatpost, which the brand says increases compliance by over 25% compared to a rigid equivalent. CF models will still come with the round VCLS post, which for me offers more comfort.

Fun fact: you can swap in the rigid Canyon equivalent, which is of course what the Alpecin pros like Jasper Philipsen did when they rode the Endurace CFR.

The frame has received aero tweaks and has been to the wind tunnel. The headtube is aero bike-narrow when viewed from the front, and it's clear that aerodynamic performance has been a consideration even on this second-tier model.

Canyon tested this bike in the GST wind tunnel in Germany with a lower leg dummy across a 20-degree yaw angle sweep, with bottles and cages, 65mm DT Swiss wheels with a 29mm Continental Aero 111 tyre up front and a 30mm GP5000 S TR tyre in the rear.

Average system drag at 45km/h for the Aeroad CFR, Endurace CFR, and CF SLX models was as follows:
Aeroad CFR: 204W
Endurace CFR: 205W
Endurace CF SLX: 209W

So, according to Canyon, there are about 5 watts in it. If you're shopping for an endurance bike and are told it's only about 5 watts slower than what a WorldTour pro is riding, I think that's positive news at face value.

This bike also isn't as stiff, which stands to reason. I asked Canyon for some stiffness numbers too for context, and it sent me over some info, in Newton-meters per degree for the head tube (HT), and Newton-metres per milimetre for the bottom bracket (BB); a bigger number in each case being stiffer:

Endurace CF SLX (Size M)
HT: 98,1 Nm/°
BB: 59,9 N/mm

Endurace CFR
HT: 114,5 Nm/°
BB: 69 N/mm

Aeroad CFR
HT: 103 Nm/°
BB: 70 N/mm

From Canyon's numbers, we can get some context here on what to expect from the CF SLX; it's slightly less stiff in the bottom bracket and softer at the headtube.

I've ridden and raced on an Aeroad CFR, and whilst you can feel the difference, it isn't a gaping chasm. I'll talk about this more, because with this endurance bike getting racier, I want to highlight what you can expect from the CF SLX's riding performance if you are considering one.

What else is new for the CF SLX? Well, the top tube storage hatch has now gone; it's been moved to the down tube. The bits in the tool roll could rattle against the top tube on the old bike; things are silent now, and there's more room. It's a good change.

Tyre clearance has also been boosted to 38mm from 35, providing room for even bigger rubber. My bike came stock with Schwalbe Pro One Evo 32 mm tyres. Starting with 32mm tyres does boost comfort.

The CF SLX can also be fitted with Canyon's Endurace CF SLX Fast Fender set, which comes in at £119.99. The fenders quickly fit to semi-permanent mounts which are fitted to the bike frame. You can of course just fit a clip-on guard, but they tend to need more fiddling with. It's a valuable option if you are considering this model as a winter bike or all-round workhorse, though clearance will be reduced to 35mm with them.

The Canyon Load tool pack costs £19.99 and doesn't come with the bike, so you will need to buy a frame storage bag at the least to take advantage of the built-in storage space.

I'd also recommend just mentally adding £33.99 / $39.95 to the cost of the bike you may be looking at, as you will need to buy the Gear Groove computer mount, which neatly integrates with the handlebars. There isn't really another option apart from O-rings and a basic mount.

Canyon doesn't tend to include mounts or many accesories. It would be nice to see the proprietary mount included with the bike, or just the price increased to cover the mount and eliminate a bolt-on at checkout; it feels a bit clunky to me, especially now that many brands include specific mounts.

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The CF SLX 8 comes with a dependable Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset with a 34-50 chainset and 11-34 cassette. You also get a 4iiii P3+ left-hand crank-based power meter; I found its numbers a tad jumpy compared to some dual-sided PM pedals, but it's nice to get one included for the price.

Endurace bikes now come with shorter cranks; depending on size, bikes have 160, 165 or 170mm cranks, to facilitate more comfortable positions and opening up riders' hip angles. My size small bike came with 165mm cranks.

There's also the integrated CP0048 PACE T-Bar with new 'compact' drops. The Endurace stock handlebar is 390mm to 440mm wide, with three adjustable settings via a pair of T25 Torx bolts under the bar tops. The bars have a 108mm drop and an 8-degree flare.

If you want a narrower handlebar, you will need the Race Drops with their 350 and 400 mm width, but they are going to set you back £219.99. It would be really nice to see these as an alternate option when speccing the bike at checkout.

The CF SLX also gets the Canyon Sport Geometry; the CFR has different Sport Pro geo. Compared to the previous Endurace CF SLX, the chainstays are 3 mm longer, the wheelbase is 16mm longer, and the effective stack and reach are pretty much identical.

The last Endurace CFR I rode was a real hot hatch; this updated model does feel a fraction longer to me, and just a little bit calmer in the handling department.

I've ridden a size small and am 176cm in height; my bike came with 165mm cranks as mentioned, an 80mm stem as standard, and has a stack and reach of 565mm and 386mm. Whilst that 80mm stem size may seem too small, I've ridden endurance bikes with longer stems that felt shorter; the Canyon geometry is well designed to make life easy, whilst still keeping everything looking good.

I think if you're a rider that needs a longer reach, double-check things, but this being an endurance bike, you're possibly on board for shorter reach numbers anyway.

To compare that to the recently launched Trek Domane in a Medium (an equivalent size for me) that I rode, the CF SLX is 10mm taller with a 12mm longer reach.

Compared to a size small Aeroad, the Endurace is 26mm taller and 4mm shorter.

Performance

My previous best-ever recorded power for one minute was set riding the Aeroad CFR a couple of years back; I improved on that number in my final week of testing on the Endurace.

Of course that doesn't mean this bike's faster than an Aeroad, but I share that information to show that it's a competitive bike with racy performance. This isn't a boring, endurance machine that can't be ridden hard.

'More speed, Captain' has been my train of thought for harder rides on the Endurace; I personally want a narrower handlebar. Coming from the 35cm Hyper bar I rode on the Winspace M6 left me disappointed at first and has been one of the things that makes the bike feel less quick for me, but I've adapted to the wider bar over time.

I've swapped in the new Dura-Ace C50 wheels I'm testing at times with fast 28mm tyres to sharpen things up, and they do extract more speed from the bike; a quicker pair of wheels does add more speed to the Endurace. Switching back to a 32mm tyre and lower pressures does introduce more comfort and just calms things down, which is great for everyday riding.

If this sounds a bit like you, the Aeroad or even the Endurace CFR (though it's expensive) is probably going to be the model to go for. If you purchase this bike and then constantly look for ways to make it faster, it's probably the wrong choice. Though the prospect of a fully aero, race-spec Endurace with that higher front end is an intriguing one. But if that is the case, the Aeroad or Ultimate, depending on what you need, are the way to go.

However, Canyon has, in my opinion, brought its endurance bikes even closer to its race ones with this update; the differences are finer in many areas. This is a key point to convey: the Endurace is a fast, capable bike with racy characteristics; it's just more comfortable and versatile.

The ride experience from the Endurace has been very good. The handling for me is just a touch calmer and slower than the previous bike, probably due to that longer wheelbase.

Handling and cornering on the bike are excellent; no concerns there for me. Diving into corners or braking hard are tackled with ease. Canyon has created a very capable overall handling package.

The geometry is also very balanced; it's an impressive blend. The bike doesn't feel too short or sit up and beg, but I can still achieve my usual hunkered down on the hoods aero position. However, due to that shorter reach and taller stack, I'm locked into the hoods very comfortably. I can also ride the bike slammed with ease due to that taller front end, and the saddle-to-bar drop makes it look attractive.

It's not as stiff and zippy as an Aeroad, or another full-blown race bike, and that's part of the feeling I miss slightly. It's not electric to ride, but the experience is still very pleasant.

I can't say I feel much ride smoothing from the new VCLS aero post; that's not to say it's not doing its thing, though. I think tyre and pressure will do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to smoothing things out. With a 32mm tyre, or bigger, the ride is refined and smooth.

The shallower DT Swiss wheels are also a good call for me; their 35mm rims just make things that little more user-friendly and aid the handling compared to a deeper, more aero wheelset. It's a nippy yet comfortable wheelset and pairs very nicely with the good-quality 32mm Schwalbe Pro One tyres.

The stock Fizik Aliante R5 isn't a saddle I'm crazy about; the way its profile changes shape, rising near the nose, makes it hard for me to get truly comfortable. I'd probably change it, but as ever with saddles, it will come down to personal preference.

The only niggle I've had from the bike came from the saddle rail adjustment bolt, which worked loose, meaning the saddle dropped forward at very annoying times on a hard ride until I torqued it to spec. Saddle fore-aft and angle adjustment bolts are seperate, which makes life easy, but it's the second Canyon model I've experienced it on, so do check this bolt after a few rides, which you should be doing anyway.

Everything else has been perfect on the bike, and I've had no issues. I feel riders are familiar with Canyon's adjustable stem and bar platform now, and it is very easy to adjust. Just look after it long-term to prevent any issues.

Maintenance and servicing

The key maintenance considerations when it comes to the Endurace CF SLX are front-end related. The integrated Canyon handlebar assembly will need to be looked after long-term to help minimise big workshop labour bills. A full strip-down for headset bearing replacement won't be that cheap.

Minimise front-end blasting when washing, and consider a mudguard or the Canyon fender set for wet weather riding to look after those headset bearings.

Check bolt torque specs every so often, particularly the pair of Torx bolts under each bar top, and the stem bolts.

I'd recommend something like six-monthly-ish headset bearing cleaning and re-greasing just to stay on top of them and prevent them getting into a real state; that's when things will get expensive.

Value

The CF SLX comes in at $4,200 / $4,499 / $5,999 as pictured, a very competitive price for the solid spec, which includes a power meter. Don't forget the £80 / $99 Canyon shipping and packaging fee at checkout.

For me, you get more value with this spec than a range of other big-name endurance bike competitors that I have tested personally.

Don't forget there's also the 105 Di2-equipped bike for slightly less cash, the performance will be on a par with Ultegra overall.

It's a good chunk of cash cheaper than a similarly specced Specialized Roubaix endurance bike, and if you want an equivalent Ultegra Di2-equipped Domane from Trek, you will spend over $1,000 more. Ditto the Cannondale Synapse, which, for a similar Ultegra Di2 spec, costs £6000 / $6,499.

The Ridley Grifn RS endurance bike is another competitor with similar performance, which I rate, but the CF SLX also has it beaten on price by a fair chunk of cash.

The Endurace spec is solid, with no gaping holes or weak points; yes, you might want to change the saddle, and you will need to buy at least the Canyon computer mount.

Canyon's direct-to-consumer pricing has a lot of its big-name competition beaten on price and in performance.

Verdict

The Endurace CF SLX is an excellent all-round endurance bike that sits at the faster, performance-oriented end of the endurance bike spectrum.

It isn't as stiff or as exciting to ride as a full-blown race bike, but it isn't too far off at all and offers a competitive, comfortable, and confident riding experience that will welcome you pushing it hard and going fast or tackling an all-day adventure.

The taller front end and more relaxed geometry are still purposeful, but it's more user-friendly than the Aeroad or Endurace CFR geometry. If this is a key concern for you, and you don't need a massive amount of reach, don't chance the Aeroad and regret being too stretched out or low; go for the Endurace.

Throw in the 38mm tyre clearance, which gives you plenty of room for bigger comfort-boosting tyres, improved down tube storage and the ability to run full fenders, and you have one of the most well-rounded endurance bikes out there right now.

After months of exclusive riding on the road, I'm in agreement with Canyon's statement that this is 'an aero bike with all-day fit'.