We've taken the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2 for many spins and properly put it through its paces for this in-depth review.

Review: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 8.0 Di2

By Lawrence Clifford

Canyon, the brand everyone keeps buying from, I bet you know someone with a Canyon and I bet you've browsed their website. Why?

Is it the look, the feel, the weight or the value? Well, all of the above.

Dark matt frame finishes and graphics that are somewhat unintrusive and seem to be the look the humble amateur racing cyclist wants, almost as if they want their legs to take them to glory rather than their bike.

I can't fault the frames, I've ridden Ultimates before and the more you give the more they ask for, exactly what every rider wants.

If you are down on the drops going for a sprint or jumping out the saddle to tackle a climb you feel really confident the Ultimate is getting all your watts into the road.

Value: you don't get more for your buck anywhere else

The Ultimate CF SLX is no different to the trend Canyon has already set. It has all the stiffness of a policeman's collar whilst the comfort isn't compromised thanks partly to the Fizik Antaras saddle.

After 50km I was riding what felt like my own bike. The only snag I have is it's weight, at 7.8kg it feels a bit heavy for a near €5k bike.

Groupset

Ultegra Di2. Now, I'm a mechanic and a sceptic, I've gotten people home with snapped cables when no spares are to be found.

I've used a puncture repair kit box to hold a front mech in gear – I like mechanical components as I know how to keep them working.

I jumped at the chance to try Ultegra's electronic cog selector but was unsure what to expect.

Easier shifting is what you get. Just tap the levers and your gears change for you.

The gear change seems to happen quicker too. I still hold a question mark over the reliability of them though.

I was sitting in a team car during this year's Rás and a lad from Cycling Ulster dropped off the back of the grupetto because he couldn't shift gear.

He was on Dura-Ace Di2 and he had no power to his mechs. He thought the battery had gotten wet and failed as a consequence.

His team car was up the road and I couldn't help him. He ended up abandoning the race as there was no spare bike for him. If he had mechanical gears he probably would have finished.

Brakes

Now Disc brakes, why and why not?

Why not: because we've been braking with rubber pads on rims for decades and we've only got marginally faster since.

If the guy in front is riding discs and yanks them in a moment of panic the chances are you'll be riding his pillion into a ditch.

They look ugly. They could cause injury to other riders, oh and they're currently banned from racing.

Why: Well, lets give them a go....

On the Ultimate we're riding the Shimano 160mm discs. They're big.

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When riding alone you get use to how abruptly you can slow down and how easy it is to lock up a wheel.

But, there's very little graduation between nothing at-all and a full stop making it hard to modulate your stopping power giving a recipe for disaster when riding in a group.

However, it's great to be able to stop quickly. If there was an option to reduce the braking power I would opt for it.

I like the fact that you're not taking life off your rims on a wet gritty day and braking is not heavily compromised whist riding in the wet.

After looking at the bike you start to think that perhaps a bike that offers such good power transfer and such a clean look deserves some aggressive stopping power – so much so – if I was to order one of these bikes I'd only be ordering it with callipers to make it race-legal.

In the end, discs do actually get my vote but; to the manufacturers - make them less good please.

Wheels

These deep section Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon Disc roll with the classic carbon rumble on their large hubs.

The 17mm axles feel well clamped giving you the re-assurance that the wheel is going to stay put whilst you sprint out the saddle.

Though 45mm rims aren't what I'd normally pick on a windy day in the Wicklow Mountains I have to say I felt very stable whilst when crossing paths with the weather.

These Cosmics are a delight to ride on and it's nice to know the rims aren't taking any abuse from flint and metal speckled rubber pads.

Bars

Canyon H36 Aerocockpit CF

Though rigid and ergonomic, I don't like them. I prefer bar tape to run closer to the stem.

They look the business but I'd rather aim something more traditional at the bugs.

Canyon have cleverly hidden the Di2 junction box underneath the stem which is a nice touch but that's about all I can give them a point for.

Saddle

Fizik Antares R5

I love it, it fits my butt like an eager hand. I can ride for 100km and don't feel like I've been repeatedly punched up the bracket.

Overall

To summarise the ULTIMATE CF SLX DISC 8.0 DI2 is a great machine, it functions superbly up and down the hills and along the flats.

The component selection gives a modern blend of performance and comfort.

I did find after a few rides that things started to creek a bit from and the brake levers were forever rattling under the hoods.

The roads in Wicklow and Kildare do offer some seriously lumpy sections which will rattle your teeth out of your granny. But I expected the top end components to be a bit quieter.

Performance 9/10

Ride/Comfort 7/10

Value for money 8/10

Overall 8/10

Components