CANYON LUX CF SLX 9 LTD

£6,548.80 (shipped) A traditionalist’s dream XC bike

The Lux has been around for a few years and its shape is conservative by today’s standards. This doesn’t necessarily hold it back between the tape though, with XC superstars Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Mathieu van der Poel both racing the bike to numerous titles and podiums.

The frame

Made from Canyon’s SLX carbon, the Lux provides 100mm of travel, with no pivots in the rear triangle to keep weight low and stiffness high. The front of the frame has a block to prevent the bar swinging all the way round and damaging the top tube in a crash. Further back, there’s room for two bottles – handy for marathon racers. Cables run internally, including to the front of the shock for the remote lockout. At the back, asymmetrical stays aid stiffness and tyre clearance, while the rear axle has a neat hidden lever for smooth lines. A mini chain guide is attached to the main pivot, above the chainring.

The kit

Unrivalled in this test, the Canyon’s spec leaves little to be desired. Ultimate-level suspension from RockShox, comprising a SID SL fork and SIDLuxe shock, is controlled by a bar-mounted lockout. Reynolds Blacklabel carbon rims are built onto co-branded Industry Nine hubs with a ridiculously fast freehub pick-up, and shod with Maxxis Ikon (front) and Aspen (rear) tyres. SRAM’s XX1 AXS wireless drivetrain removes a cable from the cockpit, where Canyon’s CP08 integrated bar/stem sits. This has a flattened top section to make holding the bar centrally (for aerodynamic reasons on long drags) more comfortable. You also get a

DT Swiss D 232 One post, with an inverted design and 60mm of drop.

The ride

Despite its traditional geometry, the Lux still gets around fast. The suspension is stiff in its early stroke but opens up when hitting fairsized obstacles. It absorbs impacts effectively, helps you pedal smoothly over rocks and roots, and maintain momentum up technical climbs. That said, if you encounter multiple impacts on a flatter section of trail, you can end up pedalling in the soggier mid-stroke.

On the smoothest climbs we used the lockout to further boost efficiency. It gives a very firm pedalling platform, though, so use with caution if the trail is loose and you want to sprint. Where the Lux really stands out from the crowd is on the most technical climbs. With a shortish wheelbase (1,151mm) and steep 70-degree head angle, it’s the

easiest bike here on which to thread a line through narrow gaps or pull round the tightest corners. It also has a mean turn of speed, reacting instantly to inputs and feeling razorsharp on flat, twisty tracks.

With XC courses becoming more technical, the Lux’s conservative shape held it back when we pushed the bike down gnarlier tracks. Your weight is well over the front wheel, which doesn’t bolster confidence, and the Canyon is the only bike here with a head angle in the 70s. While a degree or two might not sound a lot, it makes a difference to handling, especially when paired with a shorter reach. As on the Synonym, the Ikon front tyre rolls fast, but doesn’t have the cornering grip of some.

In terms of kit, the AXS drivetrain is near faultless, although with such a light action through the lever you’re relying on feel through the cranks to confirm a shift in gear. The fork is also excellent, with a smooth yet very supportive feel. RockShox’s new Charger Race Day damper feels plush even when running the fork with more pressure and less sag to keep it from bobbing under power. We’re not keen on the integrated cockpit, though. The bar feels harsh and, being fixed, we couldn’t roll it to our preferred sweep. On the other hand, the DT Swiss post is great, providing just enough drop to get the saddle out of the way for better control of the bike. The long seat tube on the large size (505mm) meant even 182cm (6ft) tall testers had to run the post as low as it’d go.

Quickly up to speed and with no kit compromises, we loved the Lux on all but the steepest descents