Product news: With the Grail has Canyon caused quite a stir in the cycling world a few years ago when the German manufacturer's first gravel bike came with an innovative and eye-catching "double-decker" handlebar. Now, with the Canyon Grizl, you have a second iron in the fire when it comes to gravel bikes, although the Grail is one of the most popular and successful bikes on the market. We took a closer look at why this expansion of the range for gravel use still makes sense and which adjustments were made.
In recent years, the topic of gravel has continued to develop and a completely new cycling discipline has been created from a trend. But nobody can really answer what gravel is exactly, because the saying goes: "It depends..." Since gravel biking can be so multifaceted, the bike manufacturers also try to meet the different requirements and offer suitable products. Against this background, the Canyon Grizl was also brought into being, because while you are with the Canyon Grail developed a bike for lighter off-road use and still good rolling characteristics on asphalt, the Canyon Grizl is now also at home on rougher terrain. The basic idea behind it was that you offer a bike that can do everything, whereby you can adapt the platform to specific areas of use and thus find your perfect companion for bikepacking tours, races or small everyday adventures, for example. The aim is to reconcile driving fun, high functionality and sporty performance.
Although the Canyon Grizl and Grail look very different at first glance, both bikes are based on the same geometry concept. Because the Grizl continues to rely on a longer wheelbase, which should ensure smooth running, especially off-road. In order to still be able to show the necessary agility and control, shorter stems and wider handlebars are used than, for example, on Canyons racing bikes.
Large tire clearance even without 650B
The Canyon Grizl comes with two carbon frames as a starting point. You have the standard model Grizl CF SL and the premium variant Grizl CF SLX with its super-light frame weighing just 950 grams in size M. Both frames come in 7 frame sizes, the special feature: Only the bikes in size 2XS and XS have 650B wheels used, all other sizes can only be ridden with 700c wheels. What at first glance might suggest a design flaw was a very conscious decision by the developers. According to Canyon, you have to make significant compromises in terms of geometry and performance with a bike built for both 700C wheels and 650B wheels.
However, since tire clearance is one of the key issues with gravel bikes, special emphasis was placed on compatibility with the Grizl. All models come standard with 45mm wide tires on tubeless-ready rims. But that's not all, because the new Canyon gravel bike also offers space for tires up to 700 mm wide, even with 50C wheels. This should give you enough grip and comfort for rough terrain and various trails. But even apart from the tires, they want to offer even more riding fun on the trails, which is why the bike has been equipped with internal cable routing for an optional, lowerable seat post. Anyone who decides against a dropper post will benefit from Canyon's proven combination of a
integrated seat clamp and the flexible 27,2 mm VCLS seat post made of carbon. This system ensures a lot of comfort and good flex in the seat area.
The next bikepacking trip can come
In the slipstream of gravel bikes, the topic of bikepacking has also continued to develop and is very popular. It goes without saying that the Canyon Grizl should not be without the necessary mounting options for luggage and equipment. Two mounting points for smaller luggage solutions or additional drinking bottles have been attached to the fork. There are also attachment points for frame bags on the top tube and, on the CF SL models, the option of attaching a third drinking bottle under the down tube. If a screw is lost, the technical data is printed directly on the frame so that you can quickly get the right spare part on tour.
But Canyon has even thought one step further and teamed up with the packing system manufacturer Apidura and designed a suitable collection for the Grizl right away.
Canyon Grizl – models at a glance
The Canyon Grizl family will have a total of seven bikes, including two models with a CF SLX frame and a choice of Shimano GRX Di2 or Campagnolo Ekar groupset for €4.599 and €4.499 respectively.
The 5 other Grizl models all have the CF SL carbon frame in common and are available between 1.999 and 2.699 euros.
