Sometimes we have leaks in the cycling industry. Like, you’ll see a pro rider on a cafe ride supporting some unreleased gear, or a bike with wild graphics to hide the design and shaping. Sometimes, however, the secrets are too good to keep. That was the case for Mathieu van der Poel (MVDP) and the unreleased Canyon Endurace CFR.
Not only does the cycling world have an eagle eye on all the gear MVDP uses, but it also has an obsession with which bike he’s using for each race. It’s also hard to keep the bike out of the limelight when MVDP uses it to win the opening weekend of the classics. Like what happened at E3 Saxo Classic, but now, we can all talk about that bike.
Endurace-Evolution
What used to mean an upright fit, mellow handling, and a “comfort first” badge now means something much more interesting. Riders still want a bike that takes the edge off rough pavement, but they also want it to be fast, sharp, and ready to line up for big rough days.
For most serious riders, that means a long day with mixed terrain; for Canyon athletes like Mathieu van der Poel, that means cobbles and Paris-Roubaix. That’s where Canyon is aiming the new Endurace CFR.
The new Endurace CFR was developed with Alpecin–Premier Tech, with a clear focus on rough spring racing. That means wider tires and control. The idea that comfort and confidence are not the opposite of speed. On broken roads and cobbles, staying fresher longer matters.
Meet The All New Canyon Endurace CFR
The new Endurace CFR is Canyon’s top-level all-road race bike. This is the bike that you’ll see under the professionals in the classics and on the team cars for the spring.
Canyon took the Endurace platform and gave it teeth. It keeps the rough-road intent of the Endurace family, but brings in more of the stiffness, aero thinking, and race fit you’d normally associate with Canyon’s Aeroad and Ultimate. This is not being pitched as a fondo bike with a nice seatpost. It is being pitched as a race bike for the monuments.
That distinction matters.
The new Endurace CFR shares technology with the Aeroad CFR (one of our favorite road bikes), including much of the thinking that has helped the Aeroad CFR win at the highest level in the Classics. But instead of chasing pure aero at all costs, the Endurace CFR adds more tire room, more compliance, and oddly enough, some additional stiffness for max performance.
Build For The Cobbles
The new Canyon CFR Endurace frame uses a reinforced CFR-specific carbon layup made with Toray T1100 and T800 fibers. The CFR layup adds exclusive YS80 pitch-based fibers to increase head tube stiffness by 10 percent compared to the Aeroad CFR – 115 N/° for the Endurace CFR versus 103 N/° for the Aeroad.
Canyon didn’t build this bike to be vague or sleepy. It wanted a front end that still feels precise when the speed is high, and the road surface is doing its best to knock your hands off the bars. That extra front-end stiffness was apparently requested by the pros (one in particular), especially for hard efforts and cleaner handling over cobbles.
More Room For Fun
For the updated Canyon Endurace CFR, tire clearance is up to 35mm. This sizing feels right on target for where performance road bikes are now. Big enough to open up real setup options for rough pavement and Classics-style conditions, but still firmly in fast-road territory. The updated CFR frame leaves more than 4mm of ISO clearance to help with mud shedding.
Roubaix Machine At The Core
Canyon is clearly trying to ensure the Endurace CFR does not end up in the “comfortable but slower” corner. Its kinda clear with the “CFR” notation, but Canyon wants that clearly stated, and they tested the bike to perform under pro-level conditions.
The new Endurace tests at 205 watts in the wind tunnel, putting it within one watt of the Aeroad CFR at 45 km/h. This basically gives riders almost-Aeroad speed with room for bigger tires, more comfort, and more resilience.
There is also a long list of durability features, including double-sealed ceramic-hybrid headset bearings and titanium cockpit screws. All to keep weight down, but performance (and resilience) high.
The Endurace CFR has been tested beyond normal road-bike standards. The tests are specifically designed to handle the impact loads that come with racing hard over cobbles.
Devil In The Details
One of the more useful details on the new bike is the SP0093 VCLS Aero seatpost. Canyon says the post boosts vertical compliance by more than 25 percent compared to a rigid equivalent.
Aero seatposts are usually built to save watts, not save riders’ backsides. Canyon is trying to do both, which makes sense.
Familiar Ride
If you like the feel of the Aeroad, we’ve got news for you. The Endurace CFR keeps the same Sport Pro Geometry used on both the Aeroad and Ultimate. That means the comfort story here is not coming from a tall, relaxed fit. It comes from the frame, tire volume, and the compliance built into the seatpost and overall chassis.
Choose Your Cockpit
Canyon is also leaning hard into fit with its PACE Bar system. The idea is simple: easier height and width adjustment without the usual integrated-cockpit headache. But if you’ve used the platform in the past, you might not have experienced that exact sensation.
Now they have a slight update with different drops, shapes, and compatibility. The fitting and movement of the PACE system is still the same. Riders can make changes with a single TX25 tool.
However, they can now choose between Classic, Race (updated from the Aero drops, with 14 deg flair), and Compact drops for the best fit.
Not down with the whole PACE bar situation? There is also a new CP0053 RACE Bar for riders who want the Endurace CFR to lean even harder toward race mode.
The new bar lowers the effective stack by 20mm, adds 10mm of reach, and saves 120g. Plus, it cuts 2 watts at 45 km/h compared to the standard PACE Bar. It’s a mouthful and some serious scratch, but it looks very nice, and just think of where you can spend those 2 watts!
Cut The Cranks
Another interesting move is the switch to shorter cranks across the new Endurace family. From now on, size M now comes with 165mm cranks, down from 172.5mm. This “shortening of the cranks” will affect all Canyon Endurace bike sizes, with the shortest at 155 mm and the longest at 172.5 mm.
Why shorter cranks? Shorter cranks are becoming more common in road racing and performance fits. Shorter cranksets can open up the hip angle, reducing joint stress and making it easier to hold a higher cadence. A few years ago, it would have seemed like an oddball spec move. Now it feels like Canyon is just getting ahead of where more brands (and consumers) are likely headed.
Builds | Prices | Availability
The new Endurace CFR will be offered in three colors and six sizes, ranging from 2XS to XL, to fit riders from 160cm to 196cm. Price is $10,499 (USD), €9,000 (EUR) / £8,500 (GBP).
There are two build options: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and SRAM Red AXS, though the Red AXS build will not be available in the USA.
The Dura-Ace bike gets Shimano’s power meter, a 52/36 crank, and an 11-30 cassette. The Red AXS version comes with SRAM’s power meter, a 50/37 crank, and a 10-33 cassette.
Both complete builds are listed at 7.5kg and come with DT Swiss ARC 1100 65mm wheels, Pirelli P Zero RS 35mm tires, the CP0048 PACE Bar, the SP0093 VCLS Aero seatpost, and a Selle Italia SLR saddle.
(Photo/kramon)
Who Is Using It?
It’s not just MVDP racing the Endurace CFR. The new machine has already been raced and won this spring, including a victory for Movistar Team’s Carys Lloyd at Ronde van Bruggen. If you have a good eye, you’ll see riders from Alpecin–Premier Tech, Movistar Team, and CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto on the new ride as well. Though all the Canyon teams will be able to choose between the Aeroad CFR and the new Endurace CFR, depending on conditions for the biggest cobbled races.
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