Lightweight and nimble, yet more than tough enough for the rough stuff, the Canyon Grizl supplies the sizzle during fast-blast gravel rides and overnight trail-blazing escapades
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(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
T3 Verdict
Reasons to buy+Lightweight frame and setup+Super responsive ride mechanics+Comfortable cockpit set-up+Ideal geometry for longer rides+Tidy internal cabling+Excellent componentsReasons to avoid-Limited colour options-Slightly bamboozling range of options-Carbon frames can crack catastrophically
Reasons to buy+Lightweight frame and setup+Super responsive ride mechanics+Comfortable cockpit set-up+Ideal geometry for longer rides+Tidy internal cabling+Excellent components
Lightweight frame and setup
Super responsive ride mechanics
Comfortable cockpit set-up
Ideal geometry for longer rides
Tidy internal cabling
Excellent components
Reasons to avoid-Limited colour options-Slightly bamboozling range of options-Carbon frames can crack catastrophically
Limited colour options
Slightly bamboozling range of options
Carbon frames can crack catastrophically
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Jump to category:Price, inclusions and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and featuresRide performanceVerdictsAlso consider
Jump to category:Price, inclusions and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and featuresRide performanceVerdictsAlso consider
The off-road cycling scene has changed beyond recognition in recent years, with the popularity ofbikepackingsoaring and turbo-charging the development of ever-better gravel bikes along with it, and this insatiable lust for dust is showing no signs of abating any time soon.
There is a bewilderingly broad range of excellent gravel bikes available on the market these days, but – spoiler alert – I believe I have recently found my perfect partner for tackling technical trails, riding rubbly tracks and enjoying lovely, long-range, lost-lane adventures – the Canyon Grizl CF SL!
Canyon Grizl CF SL review
Canyon Grizl CF SL review: price, inclusions and availability
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Grizl CF SL is available in various iterations (see below) right now. As is standard practice, the bikes come with everything you need to hit the road, tracks and trails, except for pedals, which, of course, are a very personal choice and need to be twinned with your best cycling shoes. You can only purchase the bikes new directly from Canyon in theUnited Kingdom(priced from £2,399), in theUnited States(priced from US$2,999), inCanada(priced from C$3,099) and inAustralia(priced from AU$3,439) and elsewhere in the world.
Canyon Grizl CF SL review: specifications
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Canyon Grizl CF SL review: design and features
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
In case you haven’t twigged it, the CF in the name of this Canyon bike stands for Carbon Fibre, and the SL identifies it as ‘super light’. And itislovely and light, although not quite as svelte as its newborn cousin theGrizl CF SLX[external link], which boasts a frame that weighs in at under a kilogram. At the other end of the scales, the Grizl is also available with an aluminium frame, theGrizl AL[external link], which is heavier but much more accessible in terms of cost, and arguably a bit more rugged if you like to push your gravel bikes hard on the rough stuff.
The Grizl CF SL is available in seven sizes, to suit riders ranging from 166cm to 194cm in height. The wheels are standard 700C, except on the small and extra small frame sizes, which roll with the slightly smaller 650B wheel size, and all have 50mm clearance between the tyres and the forks.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Beyond the frame dimensions and materials, there are various versions of the Canyon Grizl CF SL to chose from (too many for my indecisive mind, to be quite honest) with an array of component combinations and options, including theeTap, [external link], which boasts electronic gearing, and theGrizl Trail[external link] that features – wait for it – dynamic suspension, thanks to a RockShox Rudy front fork with 30mm of travel. (Does this mark a new dawn for gravel bikes, or is it a step too far? Discuss.) Most of the Grizl family feature a rigid carbon fork, however, which have 3-screw ‘Anything Cage’ mounting points on each side for attaching bottle cages and/or bikepacking bags.
The Grizl CF SL family all come with a comfortable and flexible 27.2mm carbon VCLS seatpost, held firmly in position with an integrated clamp.
Canyon Grizl CF SL review: ride performance
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
I’ve spent several months cycling a Canyon Grizl CF SL along the winding lanes, gravel tracks and dirt trails of Devon, and have savoured every second I spent on this beautiful bike, even the ones when I was pedalling through pouring rain and howling winds in the midst of the grizzly drizzly season. The Grizl rolls so smoothly across any kind of terrain that it forces you to have fun, regardless of the conditions.
I encountered plenty of epic mud during rides on the edge of Exmoor in North Devon, but the 50mm tyre clearance was ample, and the 700C DT Swiss gravel line wheels armed with gravel-gripping Schwalbe G-One tyres coped with the conditions in style.
Even with these reasonably knobbly tyres on, the Grizl CF SL feels every bit as light as it its initials promise it will, but it’s nimble rather than flighty, bestowing real confidence when you corner on loose dust, dirt or gravel. And, although this bike is a joy to ride during daylong blasts, or while doing loops around shorter tracks and trails, the cockpit and non-aggressive geometry of the bike is set up in such a way that I felt very relaxed and comfortable on longer rides too. It has definitely been designed with bikepacking expeditions in mind, with built-in mounts on the top tube (where I used a small bar bag to keep essentials like my phone and various snacks) and on both sides of the front forks, where three screws allow you to carry extra water bottles if you’re tackling gravel in hot conditions, or securely position ‘Anything Cages’ for stashing bags full of items such as sleeping bags during multiday missions.
The cabling on the bike is semi integrated into the frame, which keeps things really tidy, whether you’re fanging it along some mucky lanes or strapping multiple bags to the bike and heading off for a few days of filthy fun, wherever the trails might take you.
Canyon Grizl CF SL review: verdict
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
A properly beautiful bike to behold – with sleek lines, gorgeous geometry, classy components and well-considered design elements, including internal cabling – it’s only when you get in the saddle of the Canyon Grizl CF SL and take it off the beaten track that you really appreciate how great this steed is. Delightfully light and highly responsive, it seems to skim across all kinds of terrain and feels almost power-assisted during some ascents.
Outrageously lightweight and nimble, the Canyon Grizl CF SL is a bike that begs to be ridden like an impatient dog itching for a walk in the woods – you can feel it calling you from the garage or shed, pleading to be taken out, and it’s relentless.
If you’re looking for a reason to hit the trails more regularly or go exploring further afield during bikepacking adventures on unsigned lanes and gravel tracks, then this exceptionally specced carbon-framed dropbar thoroughbred is exactly what you’re after.
Canyon Grizl CF SL review: also consider
Canyon Grizl CF SL – Some alternatives to consider
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