Test Canyon Grizl:ON CF 7: The Koblenz-based company has designed an e-gravel bike with a sporty character and plenty of thrust around the young Bosch SX motor. But even without support, this bike is a lot of fun - and so the SX is the first Bosch drive that is really drop bar compatible, whether you use it off-road or in everyday life.
Drop bar bikes with Bosch motors? Our experience with them hasn't been that great so far. It started over ten years ago with an S-Pedelec from Haibike, which was fast in traffic, but unrideable without support and of course restricted by legal regulations. A Cannondale with Bosch CX, on the other hand, was only fun up to 25 km/h; riding it without a motor made no sense.
So everything looked as if compact, moderately powerful rear motors or, of course, the Fazua unit would be the better choice for e-road bikes or gravel bikes. But with the SX motor, Bosch has now opened a new chapter - and the Canyon Grizl:ON CF 7 is the best proof of this.
Bosch SX: small, light and powerful
What can the motor, which will be presented in summer 2023, do? First of all, it is much more compact than the brand's well-known motors - two kilos instead of 2,9. The non-removable battery with a capacity of 400 watt hours is also smaller and lighter. That's a good starting point for an overall very light electric bike, and Canyon is working further in this direction with a carbon frame. And so the complete bike, including bottle holder, weighs almost exactly 16 kilos, and is equipped with a lighting system and suspension fork. Doing without the latter would save a further 700 grams, but Canyon does not offer the Grizl:ON with a rigid fork. The 45er tires on the test bike are already mounted tubeless.
Eleven-speed gears and wide gravel tires
While we're at it: The complete package includes a Shimano GRX 600/800 with eleven gears, as well as a solid DT Swiss wheelset, whose aluminum rims with a 24 mm rim width are ideal for wide tires. Fizik provides the Terra saddle; the extremely comfortable leaf spring seat post comes from Canyon. There is also the aforementioned lighting system from Lupine, consisting of a spotlight with three brightness levels and two rear lights. The latter cannot be turned off, which is inconvenient given their extreme brightness.
Suitable for trails and cobblestones thanks to suspension fork
The suspension fork and seat post already indicate it: On the one hand, the Grizl:ON is very well suited to rough terrain and is one of the gravel bikes that are more like MTBs; on the other hand, it is also very interesting for everyday use. Canyon also offers the bike in the "Daily" version with mudguards and carrier; but this model costs a whopping 700 euros more. It is equipped with a twelve-speed gear system, but you can safely do without the one gear on the e-bike.
Strong support at higher pedaling frequency
And now to the motor: How does the Bosch SX feel? Its torque of 55 Newton meters is surprising: quite little compared to the 85 Nm of the Bosch CX, isn't it? But it's not just the torque that counts, but also the cadence. And anyone who pedals at a cadence of 80 or faster will be rewarded with so much power from the compact unit that even the steepest climbs can be mastered with practically no effort. Bosch specifies a short-term maximum output of 600 watts, which means that the compact motor is hardly inferior to its higher-torque siblings. In addition, the Bosch SX has extremely low resistance, and here we are back to the e-racers mentioned at the beginning: Unlike these, the Grizl:ON can also be ridden without motor support; above 25 km/h it feels like a normal gravel bike, which, apart from the higher weight, is quick and easy to handle. So you have a lot of freedom when using the motor: if you want, you can use it only on hills, or you can let it run on the lowest of the four gears and thus compensate for the extra weight of the bike. The fact that the motor does not have to be constantly pushed also means that you can go a long way with the 400 Wh battery; you can also install a "PowerMore" battery, which offers an additional 250 Wh.
The driving modes are controlled by a system controller in the top tube; there is an easily accessible button on the handlebars for the headlight. There is no display on the bike, although you can of course use the app on your smartphone. The Wahoo bike computer shows impressive numbers, and if you try uploading a tour with the Grizl:ON to Strava (but then of course delete it again straight away), you will find yourself in the top ten of pretty much all the climbs that were on the route - and, as mentioned, without any major effort.
Going downhill, the E-Gravel bike takes advantage of the suspension fork, suspension seat post and wide tires. The 40 mm travel of the RockShox absorbs stronger shocks; all together, this provides noticeable vibration dampening, so that you can venture out onto more challenging trails with the Canyon. The balanced, handy geometry ensures a very pleasant ride; the seating position is rather compact, although depending on the seat height, a sporty elevation can be noticed.
And so the Canyon Grizl:ON CF 7 does away with all the prejudices we've had about Bosch gravel bikes from the past. The Bosch SX offers strong support and allows for a really sporty riding style; it's a very good choice for an e-gravel bike. In addition, the Canyon is fairly moderately priced at 4.799 euros - anyone interested in e-gravel should be happy with this bike.
