Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Aero

£4,799 Super spec, divisive bars

Weight 7.83kg (M) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 (11-30t, 52/36t) Brakes Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 Wheels DT Swiss ARC 1600 DICUT Finishing kit Canyon SP0055 carbon seatpost, Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow S manganese saddle, Canyon CP0018 Aerocockpit bar/stem, Schwalbe One TLE, 700x25c (front), 700x28c (rear) tyres, 4iiii Precision 3 power meter (single-sided), 2 composite bottle cages

Canyon’s Ultimate CF SL platform offers a value-driven take on the German brand’s popular all-rounder road racing bike. With the Ultimate range pitched as delivering “the perfect balance” of low weight, stiffness, durability and aerodynamics, Canyon says this third-tier Ultimate uses a carbon fibre lay-up that prioritises toughness and value.

In terms of shape, the Ultimate CF SL frameset is identical to that of the rangetopping Ultimate CFR, and Canyon claims this fifth-generation Ultimate is five watts more efficient at 45kph compared to its predecessor. The frameset retains a familiar silhouette, but the truncated aerofoil shapes have been sharpened and elongated, while a D-shaped seatpost has been added in place of a round one. Up front, you’ll find Canyon’s sleek and adjustable CP0018 Aerocockpit, which debuted on the Aeroad CFR aero road bike in 2020.

Canyon claims a size Medium Ultimate CF SL frame weighs 1,062g, while our complete, test bike (Medium) weighs a competitive 7.83kg, including two supplied composite bottle cages. The sub-£5,000 price is notably lower than similarly specced bikes from rival brands.

Fixed front end

There have been a few subtle geometry tweaks to bring the Ultimate in line with the Aeroad, with reach upped a smidge and stack lowered a little, for a long and low racing-bike position. It’s worth noting the handlebar stack height can only be increased by up to 15mm using headset spacers, due to the quill stem-style system. Likewise, the Medium gets a 100mm stem paired with a 41cm (centre to centre) handlebar, which can be adjusted by 20mm to offer a 390mm or 430mm bar width. Unfortunately, Canyon doesn’t offer a choice of stem length or handlebar width at the point of purchase.

It’s also worth noting the Canyon CP0018 Aerocockpit is the only frontend option for this frameset, due to its proprietary fork steerer and stem design. This means you can’t swap in a standard stem and bar as you can on many other bikes. Canyon has previously said you can buy the Aerocockpit in alternative sizes separately, but it’s not listed as a spare part on Canyon’s website at the time of writing.

Despite its competitive price, Canyon hasn’t made many compromises in terms of build spec. The CF SL 8 Aero gets a full Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 groupset, complete with the new and improved RT-CL800 brake rotors. It also has a singlesided 4iiii Precision 3 crank power meter.

A speed-friendly 52/36t crankset is paired with a tight 11-30t cassette out back. The bike rolls on DT Swiss ARC 1600 Dicut wheels with a 50mm-deep front rim and 62mm-deep rear, built onto DT Swiss 350 hubs with DT Aero Comp spokes. These rims are tubeless-ready and measure 20mm-wide internally and 27mm-wide externally, though they use hooked rather than hookless rims. This means they’re compatible with clincher tyres, as well as tubeless ones. Schwalbe’s mid-range One TLE tyre is specced here: 700x25c up front and a wider 28c on the rear. Although it’s a tubeless-ready tyre, the bike comes set up with butyl inner tubes.

The CF SL 8 Aero has a D-shaped carbon seatpost with 10mm of setback (a zerooffset post is available for £186.95). On this build, the post is topped with a Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow S manganese saddle.

Competent and speedy

On the road, the Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Aero is an intriguing bike. Thanks to its speed-focused build with an aero cockpit, deep-section rims and tall, fast gearing, it clips along with noticeable pace on both flat and rolling terrain. Much like the Aeroad, the Ultimate CF SL is a competent climber by virtue of its stiff pedalling platform and competitive weight. The handling is sharp and engaging, with the front end feeling stiff and responsive, and the deep rims not causing an issue on windy days.

It did feel a little tamer than expected on the climbs, though, which may well be down to the wheels and tyres. The deep rims could make the bike feel a touch less reactive on steep gradients, while the middling Schwalbe One TLE tyres, though fine training tyres, have a lot more rolling resistance than the pricier Pro One TLEs. It wouldn’t cost loads to upgrade these, of course, but they’re a small weakness in an otherwise excellent spec.

The Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Aero offers a lot of bike for the money. It’s fast, wellspecced, competitively light and offers an engaging, responsive ride feel. The tyres are uninspiring and I’d prefer a dual-sided power meter in an ideal world, but the spec and performance are hard to fault at this price. The only notable downside is having to make do with Canyon’s one-size-fits-all front-end solution. Given the handlebar width and reach can be adjusted a bit (the latter via saddle setback), it could work fine for you, though.

“It clips along with surprising pace and the handling is sharp and engaging, with the front end feeling stiff and responsive”

Verdict A great-value all-rounder packing a lot of performance, but make sure the front end suits you