The Endurace has long been Canyon's endurance road bike. Launched in 2014, the Endurace has seen several updates and overhauls over the course of its lifetime, some as recently as last year.
Now though, the sharp end of the range has been updated with an overhaul of the CF SLX models as well as the addition of three brand new CFR models. Canyon CFR bikes are the brand's top-level machines, think Specialized S-Works or Cannondale Lab 71 categories and you'll be along the right lines.
The Endurace is the less aggressive, more comfortable sibling of the Aeroad and Ultimate models in the Canyon lineup. It's a performance road machine without a doubt, but focuses on comfort and features what Canyon calls its 'Sport' geometry. Long story short, it's shorter in reach and taller in stack than the geometry you can expect to find on the Aeroad and Ultimate, which are the brand's dedicated race bikes.
There are a few key take-home points regarding the new bike. The first of which is a new internal storage compartment located inside the bike's top tube. I don't possess an encyclopaedic knowledge of frame storage solutions but I can't think of another bike with a top tube storage space off the top of my head so this could be a first. Tyre clearance has also been given a boost and there are additional smaller frame size options. The geometry has been given a tweak and features a shorter reach and slightly lower stack than previous models. Aero performance has also been considered and a new narrower head tube and fork blade profile is said to make the bike seven watts faster over the current Endurace at 45kph.
The five-model CF SLX lineup starts at €3,699 / £3,499 for a Shimano 105 Di2 equipped model with a 4iiii power meter, rising up to €5,499 / £5,249 for a SRAM Force AXS equipped model with a Quarq Power Meter and DT Swiss carbon wheels.
The new three-model top-tier Endurace CFR models start at €8,999 / £8,999 rising up to €9,999 / £9,499. These are top spec builds featuring Dura-Ace, Red or Super Record and DT Swiss ERC 1100 or Campagnolo Bora wheels. I am currently test riding the Dura-Ace-equipped CFR model.
I've logged 65 kilometres on the Endurace CFR so far, keep reading to get my first impressions of the bike.
Design and Aesthetics
I'll kick this section off by talking about the aesthetics of the bike. My CFR model had the Ultra Stealth finish (it's also available with a 'CFR Silver' paint job). I'd call this a dark grey colour, not quite black, with a light satin finish. The Canyon logos are all pearlescent green in colour and change depending on the light and angle you look at them from. They aren't glaring and it's not over the top in my opinion. There are also a series of textured dots on the fork legs, seat tube and seat stays. Although this sounds slightly random, they bring a somewhat 'techy' feel to the table and look like they should be there. I don't believe the dimpling has any aero purpose.
When you are stood a metre or two away the Ultra Stealth finish is subtle enough to almost fly under the radar, but get up close and things start jumping out at you and attracting attention which I like. I think the finish would be fairly easy to live with long term and wiping the bike down between my two rides (it's been wet here) with a plush microfibre did a great job at restoring it to perfect.
Visually the new Endurace doesn't look like a huge departure from the outgoing model's silhouette but like the Stealth paint finish, look a bit harder and you start noticing differences. The S15 VCLS 2.0 flex seatpost is still there compared to the current bike, as is the seat tube cutout the brand calls the 'Comfort Kink'. To my eye though the cutout looks more pronounced on the new frame.
The new CFR models represent the pinnacle of Canyon's manufacturing and that 'top fuel' category has now been extended to the Endurace range as well. This means a better grade of carbon fibre which is said to save about 100 grams over a CF SLX model. They have also received a cockpit upgrade and now feature the Canyon CP0018 adjustable handlebar and stem which feature on the Ultimate and Aeroad models already. This cockpit allows three width choices and hassle-free height adjustment eliminating the need to chop the fork steerer tube.
One brand new feature for the Endurace however and indeed for Canyon road bikes is what Canyon is calling the LOAD top tube storage system. This is an internal storage compartment which is located in the bike's top tube. There's a small 'door' behind the stem at the front of the tube which lifts open with a very nice light action and is attached to a neoprene tool roll, similar to the one to be found on the Trek Domane. This should carry most of the essentials you need to get out of trouble, saving pocket space and creating additional space in your saddle bag if you carry one. The storage 'door' isn't an eye sore and blends in well, but I wonder if placing it on the underside of the top tube would result in a cleaner look and make for the ultimate covert storage system. We're also unsure why Canyon opted for the top tube instead of behind the bottle cage as Trek and Specialized have done.
Aerodynamics has also been factored into the design of the new bike. Canyon makes the point that the Endurace is a bike for long days in the saddle, where aero optimisation can also provide an advantage. The front end of the bike has received the most attention with a combination of the CP0018 handlebar, narrower head tube and an updated fork shape all helping reduce frontal surface area. Canyon claims these updates provide a seven-watt gain over the previous Endurace at 45kph.
Specs and build
I was lucky enough to receive a top-end Endurace CFR Di2 bike to test. This meant a Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and power meter chainset, DT Swiss ERC 1100 wheels with DT Swiss 180 hubs, Fizik Aliante R1 saddle and Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres. The cockpit and seatpost are Canyon's own CP0018 adjustable aero cockpit and S15 VCLS 2.0 seatpost which feature on every model in the range. I have to say, the CP0018 suits Canyon's direct sale model very well, allowing owners to adjust their bar width and height easily at home.
All bikes will also come fitted with 30mm front tyres and 32mm rears with a max clearance that has been increased to 35mm. So although the Endurace is a road bike and is billed as such, you could fit certain gravel tyres should you wish. My CFR model is equipped with Schwalbe Pro One TLR tyres.
All bikes come with the new LOAD top tube storage sleeve, but not with the tools included. The Canyon 3-in-1 multitool, CO2 cartridge, tyre levers and hex bits are available as a bundle or individually when ordering or on the Canyon website. It would be nice to get these included with the bike from the off, but I suspect plenty of customers will add them to their order or fill the roll with their own spares.
First ride impressions
My very first ride on the Endurace was just over an hour on the morning of the Elite men's road race at the World Championships. I enthusiastically threw in three short hill-climb efforts in a bid to emulate the Montrose street climb from the race circuit, but more on this in a second.
I felt really comfortable on the Endurace from the off, I can't really say there was much settling in or working each other out, we were off and rolling. The very first thing that stood out about the bike, within the first few hundred metres was the light, nimble feeling handling and front end. The bike is a competitive weight but isn't featherlight so I'm more inclined to think this was from the shorter reach and stem, so far so good for the 'Sport' geometry numbers. The fact it jumped out so clearly from the off also leads me to this conclusion.
My test loop is one I have been riding for years and includes some rough surfaces and poor tarmac. No huge crater potholes, but just generally broken and unsmooth tarmac. I did feel less chatter generally and the larger volume tyres dampen road buzz well. You can also actively feel the S15 VCLS 2.0 seatpost moving and flexing, Canyon says the two carbon blades work like a leaf spring and provide up to 20mm of movement. You can even flex it yourself and see the movement. It's actually rather firm and doesn't feel wallowy, but I feel confident that it dampens things out well. My personal bike rolls on 25mm clinchers on wheels with a narrower internal width than the DT Swiss hoops fitted to my test bike, so the comparison was clear for me here. There was just less buzz and chatter over these sections.
Comfort factor aside, and it is a comfortable bike, the Endurace certainly doesn't feel sit-up-and-beg or dare I say it slow. Whilst the geometry creates a comfortable platform the bike still feels racey and very performance orientated, especially in this Dura-Ace equipped CFR guise.
As mentioned, in my own nod to the Glasgow Worlds course, I threw in three hard uphill sprints on short climbs and the bike felt stiff and direct here, in short, it still felt like a race bike. My second ride included a couple of max sprints and an all-out assault on a five-minute climb I use for a lot of efforts and the Endurace felt really good.
Summed up, it didn't feel like the comfort focus and features built into the bike detracted from the performance aspect, but they are there when you need them. It feels like a nice balance. If riders want a more aggressive position or more speed overall, they only have to look to the Ultimate and Aeroad models in the Canyon lineup, as Mathieu van der Poel proved when he blitzed the world's road race field on his Aeroad CFR.
Early verdict
I'm very much still in the early phase of testing, but I've really enjoyed the time I've spent on the Endurace CFR so far. As far as I can tell thus far it does exactly what it says on the tin.
It's comfortable in terms of geometry and the comfort-enhancing features built into the bike. The geometry seems to be in something of a sweet spot between comfortable yet still feeling purposeful and performance-orientated. A noticeable point for me was being absolutely locked into the shifters when holding them, with no shuffling hand position around every so often as is often the case when bikes are too long. My size small bike just provided a really stable, planted position.
Make no mistake though, the Endurace CFR is still a quick bike, it's stiff and fast, and the handling is excellent. It tracked well carrying pace into corners that I ride week in and week out.
I'm looking forward to getting in a proper big ride on the Endurace soon to test it's all-day comfort. If first impressions are anything to go off it's going to provide a very comfortable ride experience yet respond in kind when you want to press on.
