CANYON ENDURACE AL 7.0
Minimum weight and maximum value
Canyon’s Endurace AL 7.0 is a regular visitor to our Bike of the Year’s upper reaches. The 2020 model is similar to 2019’s and in the absence of the Rose Pro SL, the Endurace is flying the flag for Germany’s online suppliers. However you spin it, this Endurace represents great value.
It’s yet another bike that has endurance as its top priority: “Made for gran fondos and long weekend adventures,” Canyon says, “comfortable, fast and durable, the Endurace AL 7.0 is the definition of the modern do-it-all bike.”
I found the Canyon to be an impressive mileeater. My medium-size model has a middling 547mm top tube and 175mm head tube, resulting in a position that isn’t stretched out, but is far from sit-up-and-beg. The frame angles aren’t that removed from a race bike’s with a steep 73.5-degree seat paired with a 72.5-degree head angle, keeping the handling on the sharp side. The 989mm wheelbase adds to a lively, chuckable machine that will spin smoothly at 20mph.
Its stiff frame and taut front end – the all-carbon fork has a 1 in steerer – deliver a dynamic ride and although the Canyon isn’t super-plush, it’s more than comfortable, helped by well-chosen components, including Canyon’s carbon VCLS – Vertical Compliance, Lateral Stiffness – seatpost that reduces pressure via the excellent Selle Italia saddle.
The rest of the cockpit components are equally well considered. Canyon’s H17 Ergo AL bar is ovalised and slightly swept back – a combination designed “to provide more comfort as well as control”. The gel-backed, grippy, rubberised bar tape is a nice finishing touch.
If you’re looking for low weight and maximum bangs for your £1000, Canyon’s Endurace has those credentials. Its 8.36kg
weight isn’t low by superbike standards but not that long ago this would have been cutting edge. This compares with 8.83kg for our winning bike and over 9kg for some of the others here.
It has full Shimano 105 including the excellent rim brakes. One change is the move to a 52/36 chainset, which gives you a top gear of 125in that I don’t think you’ll spin out on. Unlike Giant, Canyon has paired this with an 11-34 cassette, giving a more climbing-friendly 36x34 bottom gear – more than 10 per cent smaller than the Giant’s lowest.
The Fulcrum wheels are new, although frankly I couldn’t detect any performance differences between them and last year’s Mavic Aksiums. The rear has four more spokes than the Aksium’s, but with a 10g weight difference and similarly shallow rims there’s little to choose from. The Fulcrum’s rear wheel is asymmetrical for improved “lateral and torsional stiffness” and I couldn’t induce brake rub.
Another thing the Fulcrums have in common with the Aksiums is a small imperfection where the rims’ pinned ends don’t align perfectly. This causes a ‘tick’ when braking, which is annoying but temporary. Overall, though, they work well with the Shimano brakes and drivetrain.
The tyres are as good as it gets at this price. Continental’s Grand Prix SL is the least expensive tyre featuring Conti’s BlackChili compound, which maximises speed and grip without overly compromising durability. The 25mm-wide tyres measure a shade under 26mm on the rims, eking out a fraction more comfort.
One of the few criticisms I have is of Canyon’s peculiar sizing. I’m 176cm tall and Canyon’s sizing chart has me riding a ‘small’ frame, but I know from experience that I need a medium. Even in medium a lot of the seatpost is exposed and at the top 4cm seatpost height markings are visible.
Overall, there’s little to fault the Canyon on. The wheels will lose their annoying clicks and then you’re left with a lightweight, aluminium distance machine with the best kit on any £1000 bike. I also believe that 2020’s red-and-black colour scheme looks better than last year’s largely black finish.
“A dynamic ride and although not super-plush, it’s comfortable, helped by well-chosen components”