Canyon Aeroad CFR 2024 first ride review: Stiff, fast, and easier to live with

Tech Specs: Canyon Aeroad CFR Di2

Price: $8,099

Weight: 7.0 Kg - Size S

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Wheels: DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut

Tyres: Continental GP5000 S TR 25mm - F 28mm - R

Sizes: 2XS-2XLColours: Alpecin / Sparkle Stealth - pictured

When I think of the Canyon Aeroad, I picture Mathieu van der Poel absolutely hammering his own up a cobbled climb in the Spring Classics or flying over the Roubaix cobblestones, all raw power and poise and often to a victory.

The World Road Race Champion now has a new bike to race on as Canyon has released a new version of its Aeroad race bike today.

We spotted this new Aeroad at the Critérium du Dauphiné earlier in the year, a race that's often a proving ground for new equipment ahead of the Tour de France. It’s been hiding in plain sight ever since and Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar are currently racing on the bike at the Tour de France. As bike launch tactics go, I’m all for it, own the news and publicity rather than worrying about the bike being spotted and trying to hide it. In fact, as of today, the bike has won three stages of this year's race thanks to sprint ace Jasper Philipsen and his custom-painted version, not a bad start all told.

This is the 4th generation of the Aeroad - a model which has existed since 2011, a fact which reminded me how time flies - and Canyon says its development has required "a depth of pro rider feedback" as well as feedback from mechanics. Promising stuff!

You can read all about the changes in our news story overviewing the new bike, but summed up, the new bike is different enough that it's easy to spot, and has received some frame and tube profile refinements to make it quicker, some updates to aid serviceability, as well as an interchangeable handlebar drop section that riders can easily swap between.

I've ridden just over 100 miles on my test bike at home so these are only my early impressions. That distance isn't enough for me to fully test the bike, the new handlebars and really "live with it". So I will convert this to a full review after more riding and testing. 

The new Pace handlebar has two choices of interchangeable drops which promise to be easy to swap and don't require brake hose disconnection  (Image credit: Tom Wieckowski)Design and specifications 

I'll start with the aesthetics, the Aeroad just looks mean. Its angular and aero tube profiles look fast and aggressive standing still. I've been testing the 'Sparkle stealth' paint scheme as pictured. I'd call it a gloss dark grey with silver flecks and don't forget the big chrome Canyon logos. It's not too much though and the bike looks great. Add in a decent bit of seatpost and the deep section wheels and you have one fast-looking race bike. 

I'm testing the CFR Di2 model, the CFR being Canyon's top-tier frame spec option. The bike as pictured retails for $8,099. For that, you get the Dura-Ace groupset, with power meter chainset, DT Swiss wheelset, GP5000 tyres and Selle Italia SLR boost saddle. The rest of the finishing kit is from Canyon and is bike-specific.  

The bike arrived with DT Swiss ARC 1100 wheels and DT Swiss 180 hubs. Tyres were Continental GP5000 S TR tyres in a 25mm size up front and 28mm at the rear. The wheels have a 20mm inner width and with a 25mm tyre up front, things feel slightly narrow and perhaps a touch harsh on some roads. 

I assume the 25mm / 28mm combo was tested as the fastest, and that's what you will want if you're buying this bike. Indeed, Canyon told me the 25mm tyre is the fastest for the specced DT Swiss wheels. Philipsen is racing, and winning on 28s though. I was a touch surprised not to see 28s or even 30s fitted on a consumer bike. The clearance for the frame is 32mm though, apparently requested by Van der Poel himself. 

While on wheels and tyres, I'll mention the DT Swiss 180 rear freehub which is uncomfortably loud. It isn't the most ridiculous I've come across, but it is too much for me. You may be able to quieten it down to a degree, but it's worth noting if it's a big deal for you and your wheels. Conversely, if you like your freehubs to make a racket, you'll be well pleased.

The bike was very easy to set up out of the box, It was a case of installing the seatpost, which was very easy to do, some seatpost bungs and bolts are a faff, but not so here. I installed the drops of the handlebars on the width adjustable bar. The second time I've done it and it still feels just as odd to me, but it was easy and after the first shakedown ride, I moved them to their narrowest setting. Everything else was done for me, I just added sealant to the tyres, installed the neat new computer mount and ran a torque wrench front to back for peace of mind. 

The paintjob is flash, but not over the top. There was also a time when that downtube / front wheel gap would have been considered enormous on a race bike.  (Image credit: Tom Wieckowski)

I was pleased to see that Canyon has got rid of the proprietary headset pre-load tool that the CP0018 bar found on the old bike used. And replaced it with a Torx bolt which will be a lot more user-friendly. The older design I'm sure has caught users out and a wobbly headset you can't adjust is a potential safety issue. It makes the bike easier to live with and more user-friendly and I'm all for it. 

All handlebar, headset and seatpost bolts are also now T25 Torx, so you only need one tool. Perhaps evidence of the mechanic consultation that is mentioned in the bike's press material. The included thru axle handle has a T25 bit included on the end, a nice move to streamline and aid adjustments. 

On the subject of living with the bike, Canyon has upgraded all the headset fasteners on the new bike to titanium bolts and has also upgraded the headset bearings. There is also a titanium fork crown race, which I can't say I've heard of before which Canyon says is for 'maximum abrasion resistance'. I'd guess there have been some rounded-off, seized bolts in the handlebar assembly and possibly some prematurely worn-out headset bearings due to the integrated handlebar and stem making access for servicing harder than normal. 

I mentioned the need to not overwash the CP0018 bar in my Endurace CFR review. If these changes help cause less headaches and save money for owners generally then it's great news and they can only be an improvement over the outgoing bike. 

The frame updates appear to be to extract speed and increase stiffness and handling. At the front, the deepened fork legs clearly stand out, and the closed drive-side dropouts are a nice aero touch. The headtube profile has been narrowed as has the downtube. Whilst the seat tube / seatstay junction and top tube have been reinforced.

The Pace handlebar is new and will come fitted to all seven Aeroad models. Two changeable bar drop sections will be available, which I think is a first for a road bike, correct me if I'm wrong here Cyclingnews readers. 

Look closely, some Alpecin riders are using this bar in the Tour right now. As well as a negative drop stem that will be pro only I'm told to help them get even lower. 

The seatpost shape has been revised and the top tube broadened and reinforced to aid stiffness. (Image credit: Tom Wieckowski)Performance

So just how does a new bike Canyon claim is the fastest in the peloton that's just been ridden to three stage wins in the Tour de France ride? 

Well, it became clear pretty much from the first ride the Aeroad CFR is a very capable bike. I was able to get comfortable with it almost instantly. Despite its speed, this thoroughbred doesn't seem high-strung or hard to get on with at all.

Two words are at the forefront of my thoughts when talking about the Aeroad at the moment and that’s stiff and fast. It does feel stiff under load and when delivering power, particularly at a slower speed out of the saddle. Is that just because of what I see when I glance down at the bottom bracket shell? I don’t think so. I've done plenty of sprints on the bike, and even set a new one-minute power PB up a short local climb, which I'm sure the bike helped with to a degree when really putting the power down.  

The handling is very good too, to my mind. It's stable at higher speeds and under hard braking, precise and sharp turning hard into corners or guiding the bike through sweeping bends, no issues there for me whatsoever. 

Hunkered down on the hoods for extended stretches or in the drops the bike just feels quick pretty much everywhere. I turned up for a local club bash on the bike for a hard 30 miles and it was good everywhere, riding hard on the flat, sprinting, and smashing up short British climbs, it's just got you covered and makes you want to ride it hard all the time. 

The bike spec is high end and as you may expect, Dura-Ace bring a very high level of performance to the table and the power meter chainset is included from the off. The DT Swiss 50mm rims are said to be as fast as the old Aeroad with deeper 60mm+ wheels, shedding weight and improving handling in one go. 

There isn't any detectable flex that I can feel in the integrated and adjustable handlebar and it feels rock solid when wrenching on it getting a big gear turning. In fact, the integrated features all feel solid and well executed, yes there will be some initial working out of what sizes you need if you're looking to buy, but once installed and set up everything works without issue. 

The bottom bracket shell area is really large, there's almost a 'shelf' where the NDS chainstay meets the shell  (Image credit: Tom Wieckowski)Early verdict 

I seem to have clicked well with the Aeroad from the off and feel at home on the bike already. It's undeniably stiff and fast and urges you on at every turn. 

Thus far, it seems like a quick, agile and aggressive race bike that will just have your back whatever you are doing. I've experienced zero rattles over rougher British roads and there have been no bedding-in issues anywhere. My only initial niggles are a slightly harsh feeling front tyre and narrowish rim and the angry bee freehub as mentioned. But they are points on the spec, nothing to do with the frame itself. 

Next up in testing will be swapping out the handlebars for the aero drops and testing those, hopefully a race or two, washing and working on the front end, and some longer adventures to see if the Aeroad is as strong an all-around race bike as it initially seems to be.