Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 road bike review

Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 road bike costing £1,899 is the perfect bike for the aspiring racer

Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 road bike

Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 road bike

Cycling Weekly Verdict

This bike wants to go racing, that’s obvious. But it would also make a superb sportive bike. Indeed, the few concessions Canyon has made to comfort — compliant seatpost, quality saddle and ergonomic bars — add up to more than their apparent sum. In fact, the only thing that’s lacking is the personal touch you can only get from buying from your local bike shop. Provided you know exactly which version you want, there’s little to rival the Ultimate CF SL 9.0. Particularly for those struggling to resist the lure of their first fourth-cat race…

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Low weight means it’s ready to race

  • +

    High specification at a low price

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Purchase lacks the personal touch of the LBS

  • -

    Shiny finish option would broaden its appeal

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Think ‘race bike’ and it’s easy to be put off with negative ideas about cost and comfort. Surely an out-and-out racer is supposed to be as stiff as a board and prohibitively expensive, right?

Well, apparently not. As well as supplying race-winning bikes to top-level professional teams like Katusha and Movistar, Canyon has garnered quite a reputation for providing high-spec bikes at great prices to Joe Public, and the Ultimate CF SL 9.0 is perhaps the best example we’ve come across yet. Weighing in at 7.45kg and coming equipped with a whole list of big-name brands, it’s ‘race-ready’ in the truest sense with no need for any upgrades before hitting the local road race or criterium.

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