Mathieu van der Poel's all new Canyon Endurace CFR is the fastest endurance bike the German brand has made

The new Canyon Endurace CFR represents one of the company's most significant overhauls since the jump to disc brakes on the 2016 Endurace, and updated frame and tyre clearances of the 2023 model. The new bike has come to fruition in response to the ceaseless need for speed and trend to wider tyres. The ultimate goal is to once again win Paris-Roubaix.

Canyon's headline athlete, and one of the best classics riders of all time, Mathieu van der Poel, together with the Alpecin-Premier Tech team, has been actively involved in the development of the new Endurace, providing critical feedback on frame stiffness, responsiveness, and overall ride feel.

Officially under wraps until today, the new Endurace has already bagged a victory, in its first outing at the E3 Saxo Classic, and from our first ride impressions it appears Canyon has created one of the most capable endurance bikes in the pro peloton.

We were invited to the Flemish Ardennes to test the new bike on the very terrain it was designed to devour: rough roads, undulating hills and you guessed it, the steep, cobbled climbs that feature heavily in the Belgian Spring Classics.

Shared design DNA with the Aeroad race bike

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a Canyon Aeroad CFR, such are the similarities between the two platforms. Closer inspection, however, reveals subtle differences between the two models, such as the seatpost and seat tube cutouts, which have been tweaked to accommodate wider tyres. That said, the fork and headset hardware are identical to the Aeroad, as is much of the geometry, which I’ll address later.

While the Endurace CFR was designed around 30mm tyres, it can safely house 35mm tyres and clear mud at this width with 4mm clearance on each side – Canyon reckons 32mm is no longer the upper limit but rather the baseline for Spring Classic race tyres. For dry races, tyre widths can be pushed even further to 40mm, and we might see this at Paris-Roubaix, but this is not recommended due to the minimal clearances – any damage caused by fitting 40mm tyres will void the warranty.

Weight wasn’t a massive focus for Canyon when designing the new Endurace CFR, but the engineers still looked at ways to remove as much lard as possible to bring the total system weight to segment parity. As a result, a size medium Canyon Endurace CFR will tip the scales at 7.5kg in both Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and SRAM Red AXS spec. Considering that many of the regular aero race bikes I personally weighed at Opening Weekend were between 7.4 and 7.6kg, Canyon has nailed the system weight for an endurance bike.

Owing to the frame and design similarities it shares with the Aeroad CFR, Canyon claims the Endurace CFR is the fastest endurance bike it’s ever made. In the Tour Magazine wind tunnel test protocol, the new Endurace CFR tested within 1 watt of the Aeroad at 45km/h – 204w vs 205w, proving it’s able to compete not only in the Classics but on regular roads, too.

A new carbon layup and vibration-damping components

The Endurace CFR uses Toray T1100 and T800 carbon fibres for strength and a special YS80 pitch-based fibre recipe for 10% extra head tube stiffness. The result is a frame that is super-stiff in the right places but also compliant enough to sail over rough roads thanks to the way Canyon has tuned the layup.

Canyon claims the frame was tested beyond industry standards for road bikes, with impact loads applied to the rear axle, front wheel, and fork, as well as the seat tube, to replicate the punishment of riding over cobblestones at high speed.

Cobblestones and broken roads create unique situations that require the body to compensate for irregular power delivery to the pedals. To counter this and keep the body feeling fresher for longer, the Endurace CFR comes standard with an all-new seatpost, dubbed the SP0093 VCLS Aero. As the industry's first aero-comfort seatpost, it offers 25% more compliance over a rigid alternative.

Canyon has also introduced a new bar-stem assembly called the CP0048 Pace bar. Designed to deliver ergonomics and aerodynamics of the highest order, it also allows on-the-fly adjustments with a single TX25 tool (all bolts on the Canyon Endurace CFR can be adjusted with the tool, too). With 50mm of width and 20mm of height sliding room, the cockpit boasts 15 distinct fit configurations. The bar is also available in three dedicated drop shapes to further improve fit and feel.

For the purist, the CP0053 Race bar is a customisation option and aftermarket alternative to the Pace bar. The V-shape and monocoque design maximises stiffness while still prioritising aerodynamics for riders after a more aggressive riding position. It offers a 20mm lower effective stack height, a 10mm longer reach, a 120g weight reduction, and a 2W saving at 45km/h compared to the Pace bar. The Race bar can be specified in seven stem length configurations ranging from 80 to 140mm.

The Endurace is also available in a variety of crank options, including shorter sizes. A size medium comes standard with 165mm, down from 172.5mm – ideal for opening the hip angle of riders who utilise very aggressive fits. Different crank lengths can also be specified in the MyCanyon programme, ranging from 165 to 175mm.

Sizing and geometry

The new Endurace CFR is available in three colour options (Pro Black, Paradigm Shift, and Dark Matter) and six sizes spanning 2XS to XL and catering for heights from 160 to 196cm.

As requested by pro riders, the fit of the Endurace CFR mimics that of the Aeroad CFR, with the same Sport Pro Geometry, allowing riders to switch between race setups. The geometry is not identical to the Aeroad CFR, but is very similar with a marginally longer wheelbase and chainstays for improved stability. In size medium, the parallel head and seat tube angles of 73.25 and 73.1 degrees are spot on for this racing application and complement the aggressive stack and reach numbers.

Canyon Endurace CFR - First ride impressions

The Endurace CFR rides confidently and feels like a regular aero bike on smooth tarmac. To ensure the most accurate account of its riding manners, I rode it as hard as I could on the cobbled sectors and climbs and tried my darndest to unsettle it in the corners and over choppy terrain. Cobbled sectors such as the Muur van Geraardsbergen, Bosberg, Paterberg, Kanarieberg, Koppenberg, Taaienberg, Molenberg and Oude Kwaremont were all on the menu and were good indicators for testing the Endurace CRF’s mettle.

While this type of terrain is very alien to me compared to the smoother Surrey roads where I live, I feel the Belgian roads best showcase the planted nature of the bike's underpinnings.

It’s a confident performer, no doubt. Especially at speed, where it manages to maintain progress effectively thanks in part to the aero-optimised frame, but also the tyres, which can be run at radically low tyre pressures thanks to the 35mm stock Pirelli PZero RS tyres. Personally, I ride 28mm tyres as a go-to width, usually paired with tyre pressures of 55/60psi front/rear at 61-62kg, but this width would be a diabolical choice on cobbled roads. As a result, I experimented a fair bit with the 35mm Pirelli PZero RS tyres, opting for 48/50psi front/rear before settling on 41/43psi, which provided the best balance of control, speed and grip on the variable-surfaced Flemish roads. This allowed me to float more across the cobbles rather than ram into them, keeping my speed without losing control at the front.

You can also feel that your rear end is more stable and planted in the saddle thanks to the compliance of the new SP0093 VCLS Aero seatpost, which lets you continue to drive power through the cranks without being bucked by blows to the rear wheel.

While I did feel the handlebars and stem could have been slammed to place more weight over the front end, in retrospect, I didn’t adjust my seat height to account for the 165mm cranks. This effectively placed more of my weight rearwards, resulting in some understeer through the damp, sharp corners. I did readjust the seat height, but felt the bar-stem could still be slammed to provide a more forward-facing position.

While I’m yet to sample the Endurace CFR on my home roads, where I’ll test it on the roughest sections Surrey and Hampshire have to offer, I feel the 168km worth of riding I amassed on the launch ride is enough to form an opinion on the new platform – a platform I feel can only improve your riding experience. Whether that’s making you faster overall or giving you more confidence on mixed terrain, you’ll be rewarded by better sensations overall and not feel as battered and bruised as you would on a bike with narrower tyres.

Whether you go this route or prefer to wait for updated Endurace CF SLX and CF models is another consideration, especially since the Endurace CFR is based on the same racy fit and angles as the Aeroad CFR. Based on Canyon's legacy model releases, the launch of both the Endurace CF SLX and CF should be imminent.

We have a Canyon Endurace CFR on the way for testing on UK roads, and we'll publish the review as soon as we're done putting it through its paces. Make sure you keep an eye on the homepage.

Pricing and specifications

The Canyon Endurace CFR will set you back £8,500 / $10,499 / €9,000, which is still a sizeable outlay despite it coming in slightly cheaper than its rivals from Specialized, Giant and Cervelo. It won't suit everyone owing to its racy fit and angles, so I suggest holding out for the Endurace CF SLX and CF, as both bikes have historically possessed a more relaxed, endurance-focused geometry.

In terms of specifications, the Endurace CFR can be had in one of two configurations – outfitted in SRAM Red AXS or Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. Chainset arrangements come in the form of 52/36T, 11-30T for Shimano and 50/37T, 10-33T for SRAM.

Regardless of which groupset you prefer, total system weight is pegged at 7.5kg for both models (you can shave 120g by speccing the CP0053 Race bar). The balance of the build across both configurations comprises 65mm DT Swiss Arc 1100 wheels wrapped in 35mm Pirelli Pzero RS tyres and a Canyon CP0048 Pace bar with classic drops. a Canyon SP0093 VCLS Aero seatpost and a Selle Italia SLR saddle.