So I was looking at the Grizl and a couple things jumped out at me...
Head tube length & Stack: When compared to a number of other 60cm ish gravel bikes and my Specialized Tarmac, the Grizl's head tube is very short at 164 mm while the other bikes range from 190 to 214 mm. Yes I even double checked the Canyon web site and confirmed the "L" is spec'd for a 164 mm head tube.
The key place this shows up is in the Stack. The implication being that one will need a stem with a lot of rise to achieve a position with little drop from saddle to bars. Or to look at it another way, this probably isn't your ideal bike if you want/need the bars above the saddle.
Also note the BB drop is 5mm more than most bikes. The BB height appears in line with other gravel bikes, but this is mostly due to Canyon spec'ing the bike with 45mm tires. If one were to use this bike for CX and used 33mm tires it would have very low clearance.
Stack height looks exactly where I would want it to be. To be honest - and maybe a bit blunt - riders should work on their mobility and flexibility. I'm no yoga master or gymnast, but stretching and mobilizing keeps my muscles fresh, healthy, and pain free - the cherry on top is running a lower stack.
smoothmoose wrote:Stack height looks exactly where I would want it to be. To be honest - and maybe a bit blunt - riders should work on their mobility and flexibility. I'm no yoga master or gymnast, but stretching and mobilizing keeps my muscles fresh, healthy, and pain free - the cherry on top is running a lower stack.
Agreed completely, but I do know some folks simply need a higher position.
Per the last fit I went through... Having the bars below the saddle allows (forces?) the abs to engage. The abs support one's back and also allow the legs to deliver more power. My new fit on my race bike ended up dropping the bars 15mm when I had expected a higher position was needed. I've since played around with bar hight some and have to agree that I feel I deliver more power with lower bars.
I helped a friend assemble his size XL Grizl CF SL 8 with the 2x GRX 810 groupset. I was really impressed with the bike and the build. I was also impressed with the packaging, very little plastic, a few small foam blocks, lots of cardboard and reusable Velcro straps instead of zip ties.
Canyon did a good job getting it ready to ride out of the box, you basically only need to put on the handlebars and wheels and you are ready to roll. Everything was well adjusted, I didn't need to mess with the derailleurs or hydraulic brakes at all. The stock DT Swiss G1800 wheels are taped but came with tubes. I set them up tubeless - which only required the use of a floor pump, the beads popped on dry with no soap, and they held air with no sealant.
It came with 45mm Maxxis Ramblers, and there was still gobs of tire clearance, I believe it is rated for a 50mm tire. Looking at the chainstays, downsizing to a 27.5 wheel doesn't get you any additional clearance either (Canyon basically says this so I am not reporting anything new there).
Set up tubeless, without pedals it weighed 19 1/2 lbs. on my Park scale.
For the price, I don't think you can beat it's parts spec. We went for a shakedown ride and there were no issues - I didn't get a chance to take it for a spin, but it's a size too big for me anyways.
Thanks for the review. Yup, Canyon does an amazing job of packaging and shipping. So many other brands don't, and you end up with bent derailleur hangers and stuff, but Canyon knows how to do it.
I see the CF 8 with the 810 2x setup is $2999, has the high end icetech rotors and a pretty decent wheelset. That is an unbeatable price if you can get it to your door without any other cost hikes. With that seatpost, I think a redshift stem is all I'd need to have a pretty serious backroad bomber.
The seatpost definitely had some flex to it. It is two independent halves that slide against each other to adjust the angle. The angle is then fixed by tightening a bolt at the bottom of the post. So you would need to take the post out of the frame to change the seat angle. There is a scale/guage on the side of the post so you can dial in the adjustment. There is also another scale printed on the post for seat height.
As someone who likes to wrench on bikes I also appreciated that every single fastener appeared to have the torque spec printed next to it.
