Canyon Ultimate CF EVO

What are Germans obsessed with? Engineering…beer…bratwurst…lifeguard imposters with terrible singing voices? Sure, but we’re more interested in the Germans obsession with lightweight bike gear and how the Germans at Canyon are bringing their A-game as they lift the curtain on their U.S. sales in the summer of 2017: the all-new Canyon Ultimate CF EVO.

PELOTON

We rode a 54cm Canyon Ultimate CF SLX all summer and it weighed just 14.6 pounds (6.6 kilograms) with a set of clinchers. The bike is much more than an astoundingly good climber, it is also a stunningly good all-rounder. How much lighter does it need to be?

RELATED: Check out the unboxing of a Canyon Ultimate.

The answer of course is: no lighter. But when did that ever stop the engineering-mad Germans? Canyon is out to make a point with its new Ultimate CF EVO. First Canyon optimized the lay-up. Yeah, we’ve heard that before; but Canyon did it "extensively." Then it asked Ms. Tomomi Inada, the Japanese Defense Minister, if its engineers might be able to gain access to some very special carbon materials. Canyon must have asked her nicely because the result is a frame that weighs just 665 grams and fork at just 270 grams. Canyon claims this ultra-light frame possesses the same stiffness, comfort and durability that has made the Ultimate CF SLX one of the best bikes in the world.

To put an exclamation point on the message, Canyon has created two builds that are mind-bogglingly light. The first, dubbed the Ultimate CF EVO 10.0 LTD, uses SRAM Red eTap, Lightweight Meilenstein Clinchers, Canyon’s own H36 Aerocockpit CF and a THM Clavicula M3 SRM crank for 12.8 pounds (5.8 kilograms).

Too heavy for you? The Ultimate CF EVO 10.0 SL uses Red 22, Lightweight Meilenstein tubulars, more THM parts and Canyon’s H18 Ergo CF bars and V13 stem for just 10.9 pounds (4.96 kilograms). Now, who wants to tell them the Americans at Trek have a 10.25-pound (4.6-kilogram) Emoda SLR 10? U.S. prices TBD (frameset and cockpit are currently €3,300); canyon.com