Canyon Inflite CF SL 8 2021

For 2021, Canyon's Inflite CF SL 8 uses the same frameset as the bike that we reviewed when it launched in 2019. The handling is still superb, balancing the ability to flick through technical corners with decent stability at speed. The top tube design doesn't do anything for me aesthetically or when shouldering the bike, but the way the rear end soaks up rough terrain suggests that it is doing something useful. A brilliant cyclo-cross bike for racing and so much more.

Canyon's 2021 Inflite range has no major changes over the 2019 version. There are a couple of small spec changes to go along with some new colours, but essentially the bikes of Alpecin Fenix's two world champions, Mathieu van der Poel and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, are the same.

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The build that we have here is quite a bit different from the one that David Arthur tested in 2019. The new CF SL 8 features SRAM's Force CX1 groupset, my favourite SRAM offering. There is also the carbon Reynolds AR41 DB wheels, the ever-dependable Schwalbe X-One Allround TLE tyres and Canyon's H31 Ergocockpit. At £3,149, it's a lot of bike for the money and one that I've been having a lot of fun riding on everything apart from a racecourse.

The majority of my riding has consisted of what I'd deem 'adventure cyclo-cross'. That is to say, I've ridden just about everywhere on this bike, from road group rides through to single track descents where a mountain bike would have been far more appropriate. I've done some race training to mimic typical cyclo-cross terrain, but I've not had the chance to ride this bike in anger thanks to our friend COVID.

My lasting impression of this bike is how much more of a capable off-road bike it is than 'just' a dedicated cyclo-cross race bike. I've happily ridden road, gravel and mountain bike rides on this bike, with the Inflite only really struggling on properly rocky terrain.

I'm really sad to have missed out on racing on the Inflite but some race training on flat grassy surfaces with some corners marked out by cones gave me a good idea of how the bike would handle tighter race circuits. I've been riding a very traditional cyclo-cross bike for a few years and the difference here is definitely noticeable.

The Canyon is slacker with a 73.5-degree seat tube angle and a 72.25-degree head tube angle on this size small. It is also quite a bit longer, with a reach of 381mm and a top tube measuring 550mm. Canyon has done this on purpose to make the bike more stable at speed, and it shows. The Inflite is a calm bike when pointed down fast single track and this is confidence-inspiring to the point that I was running out of bike handling skills on several occasions. Still, I suppose it's good to push the boundaries from time to time.

Back on my preferred cyclo-cross terrain of the local sports pitches, the Inflite still handles slower, more traditional cyclo-cross corners and features well thanks mainly to the short stem offsetting the 1,006mm wheelbase. Coming from a bike with a longer stem, I did find that this front end flickiness took a little while to get used to, but once I settled into the bike's handling, the performance, particularly in sandy conditions where constant adjustments are needed, is really good. It's a setup change that I'll be taking forward to future bikes.

The top tube design wasn't to my taste when Canyon first launched the carbon Inflite, and although I'm now less bothered by it aesthetically, I still don't think it does much for shouldering comfort or ease compared to the likes of Giant's TCX or Ridley's X-Night straight top tube designs.

While you may shoulder the bike using the 'kink' when walking up stairs, the bike feels far more secure and balanced if you place your shoulder further along the top tube. This allows you to wrap your arm either under the down tube or around the head tube and grip the inside drop with your shouldering hand. In this position, running with the bike is easier and more comfortable, and if you want to get tactical you can use your bike to block other riders from passing you. All is fair in love and bike racing.

The top tube design does have another purpose which I do believe is working. The extra exposed seatpost adds to the calm feel of the bike and the resulting reduction in ground chatter reaching me led to a marginally less beaten up feeling at the end of hard rides.

Groupset

SRAM's Force CX1 groupset is perhaps old technology now, but it still works very well. A lot has been said about the groupset so I'll keep this bit brief and focused on my impressions of it.

I find the hood shape to be great for the rougher terrain of cyclo-cross, with the added height of the shifter providing a secure grip that is also very welcome in muddy conditions.

The shifting is incredibly fast and crisp, but you need to have it set up perfectly and keep on top of cable maintenance or mis-shifts will become common.

The brakes just work, and the pad spacing in the calliper allows any mud to clear easily, keeping the wheels turning.

Apart from that, the combination of a 40-tooth chainring and an 11-36 cassette provided plenty of range for road, CX and gravel riding.

There were times on some road group rides where I might have wished for a 42T chainring or a 10T sprocket, but for the majority of my time on the bike, the gearing was ideal.

Wheels

The Reynolds AR41 carbon tubeless wheels are a great pick in my opinion. The rim is very wide, with the 21mm internal width giving the 33mm tyres very good support that shows when you drop the pressures.

Away from tyre support, the wheels feel very fast when you hit the power out of the corners. This is imperative for me in a cyclo-cross bike as races feature countless small accelerations and so a bike that feels nippy really encourages you to keep making those efforts.

The wheels felt perfectly stiff enough when I pumped up the tyres for road rides, and they match their rapid acceleration with great rolling speed. The hubs gave me absolutely no issues and seem to be rolling smoothly even after they've seen a lot of sand, a very good bearing killer.

Tyres

I've used the Schwalbe X-One All-Round TLE tyres on a number of CX bikes and they're a great choice for a mix of surface conditions should you not have a truck full of wheels with different tyre options like the pros do.

The tread profile is great, with a pattern that grips effectively and clears reasonably well too. The knobs are taller towards the shoulders on the tyre and they're very soft, allowing them to deform.

The casing isn't the highest thread count out there, but the tubeless fit is very secure so you can run the 33mm tyres at low pressures without fear of burping air. These factors combine to give you a lot of grip in a range of conditions, and with the space in the frame, you can always go a bit wider if you're not subject to the UCI maximum 33mm tyre size for racing.

Finishing kit

At the front of the bike, Canyon has used its integrated H31 Ergocockpit carbon bar and stem. While this chunky design provides a stiff platform for big sprint efforts, I'd personally prefer a two-piece design, with a separate bar and stem providing a far greater range of adjustability.

Canyon says that each size comes with a bar width and stem length that has been chosen for maximum control, but we're all different, and being able to fine-tune your position is critical in a discipline that relies so heavily on balanced handling.

At the rear end of the bike, Canyon has included its catchily named SP0042 VCLS CF carbon seatpost. I mentioned earlier the smoothness of the Inflite and I believe that the seatpost, and the amount of it that is exposed here, is key to that feeling. Aside from a smooth ride, the post didn't slip under my less than perfect remounting, and the clamp held the saddle firmly in place too.

Talking of saddles, the Selle Italia SLS Boost FeC is a very comfortable choice for this type of bike, with generous padding, a relatively wide and flat nose and loads of space to move your weight around. I had a few rides of over four hours and I was very impressed with the saddle, although if this is going to be a dedicated race bike, you could save a bit of weight here.

Value

Canyon built its slice of the bike market based on its good value, and while this has possibly become a shrinking factor, what you're getting for your money here is still very good indeed.

As a recap, you've got a very good carbon frame, modern and wide tubeless carbon wheels, excellent tyres, a groupset that is perfect for the bike and a fancy integrated carbon bar/stem for £3,149.

Trek's 2021 Boone 6 Disc is cheaper at £3,100 but its wheels don't match the quality of the carbon ones on the Canyon. For the UK market, this is the only Boone that Trek is offering, and it has opted for a Shimano GRX RX810 1X drivetrain and Bontrager Paradigm Comp alloy wheels.

Ridley's X-Night SL at £3,189 steps down a groupset level to SRAM's Rival 1, though this is still a great groupset. You also bump down to alloy wheels, though Ridley has taken the step of hiding the cabling inside the head tube. How useful that really is in a discipline where bike maintenance is a regular requirement isn't that clear, but combined with the straight top tube design, it creates a very clean design that I much prefer.

> Buyer’s Guide: 12 of the best cyclo-cross bikes

If I was going for the Inflite, I'd be tempted by the cheaper CF SL 6 model that ditches the one-piece bar/stem and the carbon wheels. In normal times my CX riding consists mainly of racing so I'd be looking to put tubular wheels on, so wouldn't need the very nice carbon tubeless hoops. I'd also want the adjustability that a separate bar and stem brings. SRAM Force might be lighter than Rival, but I find that they perform similarly well, especially when race conditions are properly muddy. Me being me, the money saved on the £2,049 CF SL 6 would be headed straight for some tubular wheels and maybe a lighter bar and stem.

Conclusion

All in, I think the Canyon Inflite CF SL 8 is a brilliant package for keen racers who also want to explore cyclo-cross riding beyond the confines of the race tape. The bike is very capable and the geometry works very well to balance calm handling at speed with the sharpness needed for your classic cyclo-cross course features. While I'd pick a different build for my required fit adjustability, the CF SL 8 offers everything that most people would look for in a higher-end cyclo-cross racer.

Verdict

Fast and fun with brilliant handling and a very good price