Loved it mate!! Great analysis, very similar to my impressions when I tried these two bikes. For me the Ultimate discs is nice, but could not match my rim Ultimate, so for an additional bike probably I might choose an Aeroad.
@@cyclingunboxedmy rim Ultimate with the Hyper wheels is less than 7Kg with pedals and cages, it's so reactive it's addictive! Still running 105. Difficult to adjust to modern bikes feel for me 😂
The rim brake Ultimate is a beast. My SLX comes in at 6,4kg and it's just so amazing to ride I can't stop. Tried the disc Ultimate and it's just not the same anymore. The pure lightness and stiffness that the old RB offers is unmatched in hilly terrain. You just feel it from the first pedal stroke you know. It really went downhill after they introduced discs :(
I bought the Arctic Blue Ultimate that matches the one you reviewed. Then replaced the DT Swiss wheels with CRW CS 6575s which are lighter, deeper, and wider. The bike was amazing before, but now it is shockingly good. I mean every time I get on it I'm amazed at how good it is. Completed LoToJa on Saturday and the bike was flawless for 207 miles and 8900 feet of climbing. I'm thrilled with my purchase.
I have heard this from others as well. Change out the wheels and it really brings the bike to life! The effect is meant to be bigger on the aeroad as well.
good review. Ive been riding a Trek Domane that I set up as Aero as I can. Slammed the stem, Carbon Wheels, GP5000 tires, and Ive made it faster. Just took delivery of a Canyon Aeroad CF-SLX8 and have yet to put it to the test. However, I live in flat Texas with roads like glass. I have no climbing and like to ride fast for the hour I exercise every day. Cant wait to see how is stacks up.
Great comparison! I have the Ultimate CF SLX8 in Arctic Blue since a few weeks now and it is a (/my) dream bike. Great handling, seriously fast. I yet have to test it in the mountains (off to the French Alps for 3 weeks in a month) but on the small climbs on my training grounds, it feels very good.
I own both of those bikes, and I'll take the Aeroad over the Ultimate all day long! They are both nice, but the Aeroad is a fantastic machine! Thanks for the vid.
I think it does depend on what style of riding you do. I quite like to be out the saddle a lot round the steep climbs of Surrey. Ripping it up at high speeds on the aeroad is brilliant. Just goes so fast
I agree with your analysis! I live in the Netherlands, so, no climbing for me, ever. I ride on flats, in the saddle 99% of the time, on smooth tarmac. So the aeroad was the obvious choice for me, as the Ultimate's pro's (climbing, weight, comfort etc) aren't as noticeable as the aeroad's strong points 😄
Interesting review.. I jumped straight in for the Aeroad, I have never ridden the ultimate. Perhaps I just bought it for the "cool, shop window" factor. I must say though, I do find it quite nimble and agile and I do enjoy riding it, even round the surrey hills. But, I don't have an ultimate to compare against
Went to my local bike shop partner of Canyon, tried ultimate CF SL 7 and Aeroad SLX 8 di2. Aeroad is hard to handle in the wind, but the cool factor really impressed me. I tried a XS and it’s surprisingly light. The DT Swiss 1400 hub noise is entertaining as well
After some deliberation ill be buying the aeroad when its in stock end of september. My personal reasons were obviously the aeroad looks great and already having a giant defy advanced that climbs well and is a good do it all comfortable ride the ultimate would be more of the same just more modern and a bit nicer. So i feel the aeroad might not climb as well but it offers something different and i can switch between the two bikes. Great comparison though it really does help people decide as it is a hard choice and you really cant lose with either bike.
It’s true, either bike is a brilliant bike. Great value for money also. Aeroad will still climb well in the saddle because of how propulsive it is. It’s just out the saddle if feels a bit dampened.
I am just about to move to Florida from Boston and was wondering which bike would be better for the local topography. You mentioning Florida at 14:13 was a 4th wall breaking moment 😂 Great video!
I have the previous gen Ultimate, about 24k miles on it so far and it's been an amazing bike. I'm a big rider as well at about 86kg, considering switching to the Aeroad... the Ultimate is a beautiful and classic looking bike, but aerobikes make me feel like a kid looking at a super car. As a hobbyist, looks do matter IMO as getting any of these high end bikes is more of an emotional decision than a rational one.
Cool comparison. I recently decided on the Ultimate and versatility played into my choice. It came with Zipp 303s, but I can throw 404s on it and close some of the aero gap, or use a super light set for big mountain rides (202s or similar). Finally there is enough clearance for some smaller gravel tires, e.g 34mm
Have an Aeroad CFR with SRAM Red. If I had to do it over again I would get the Ultimate. In a crosswind and descending, the Aeroad is very skittish. Also it is not geared low enough for climbs greater than 10% for me. I will eventually put on a larger cassette. It is a fast bike. Also a lot of issues in first month. Shifter got loose, had to center rear brake caliper, align front derailleur and bottom bracket creaks like crazy. Never had such issues with my Merckx or Cervelo.
I didn’t personally find it skittish. It’s the second time I had ridden one and it felt like I could nail the handing within 1-2 weeks. Not perfect but learnable I wish I had said in the video. But of course you are a much more long term owner and so I will take your word with much consideration. I do wish that one day they will provide a more “climbing” cassette as an option you can stock when you buy the bike. Maybe this will be something they provide in the future. No doubt it’s one of the fastest bike I have ever ridden
I agree with most of your experiences with these 2 bike and to be complete I purchased recently purchased Abroad CFR Sram Etap after having purchased Ultimate SLX9 di2 in February this year. When my friends ask me the difference I say the Ultimate is a Sportscar porsche 911 better climbing, handling, acceleration and I use for the most hilly trips here in Denmark and the Abroad is a big fast AMG good for straight flats to maintain high speeds. The Ultimate is more fun to ride from day 1 and the Aeroad you need to learn more to ride for me especially turning at higher speeds so I think it's more for straight lines. But the Abroad looks cooler definately. About the comfort I have Vento Argo 00 ont he Ultimate size L and its really comfy so I planned to use 30mm. tires on the Aeroad for more comfort because the saddle stem on Aeroad is less flexible and stiffer than Ultimate and I think the bigger tires do their job for more comfort. The Abroad did surprisingly well more than expected in strong crosswind actually I find the 62mm DTswiss more stabile than the 50 mm. DTswiss on Ultimate so I can go in very windy conditions on the Abroad which I not expected. The Abroad is really funny to go with in a straight line for me 40-45km. pr. hour very good to maintain that speed and I feel a little pro these moments. The Ultimate is more fun to ride tracks with small hills and turns then you feel great respons. When I go to Gran Canaria in the winter I will bring the Ultimate definitely and the Shimano disc brakes requires less power and breaks faster on the descends than the now Old Sram Red disc brakes I have but I think sram solved it with their new groups. Here in Denmark the disc brakes are not nessescary only to make your rims live longer for my kind of rides. There are upgrades for these bikes if you only want to buy a Canyon. I noticed the Scopewheels Artech 6 you safe 450gr. on the 65mm and 420gr. on the 45mm. but also expensive. The prestacycle 12speed cassette is 100gr. lighter than dura ace. It could be funny to try some lighter wheels though to see how it would be in real life but am very happy with the DTswiss especially th 65mm. The 50 mm. I experience more unstable in crosswinds and not so good to maintain speed as the 65mm. I was actually considering to buy the speedmax but the bike fitter recommended me to buy Aeroad instead and I am happy for my choice and that I can choose between those 2 racemachines for my rides.
Great and in-depth comparison, really liked it! And I’m happy it confirmed my decision - just got my 3rd Ultimate a week ago (having already spent 17 years on 1st and 3rd generation).
I’ve had both of these bikes, currently have the Ultimate CF SLX 8 Launch Edition (also arctic blue). I agree with most of this! I will say, you really should go get a bike fit. Your position is WAY too high… or if you’ve gotten a fit, never use them again and go find a more experienced fitter.
It is. Not the ideal length but it’s what I could get them for. It’s a great chance to ride them back to back though. Then the differences really show themselves
Nice review! Love my aeroad, and you have to multiply that cool factor by the fact that all pro teams are using it everywhere, instead of the Ultimate. Also, crazy bar drop. What's your inseam???
It has so much presence as a bike the aeroad. Unsure on the inseam but I do have a very long leg compared to the normal human. I chose L as it’s the closest size to a 58, what I normally ride.
@@cyclingunboxed That’s interesting - I’m 6’4 and 85kg - but canyon recommend the XL, even if I up my inside leg measurement by a fair bit. I’m looking at the aeroad, but would be an n+1, so my current summer bike I’d keep and use for group rides and hill climbs. Wish I could go try one of these for size! Are you at the limits for adjustment on the large?
You can look at your Garmin and not notice much speed difference. We all know conditions vary and a lot of things affect speed. However, if you have a fixed route that you ride over and over, and you do this on different bikes. you will see the average Aeroad speed noticeably higher than your other bike.
Thank you so much. I am total Fan of Aero Bikes. Once i have ridden the Ultimate i changed my mind. In a long Ride the Ultimate gives so much more performance. But i love my Giant Propel too. It is just like .....how can i put it down? The Ultimate serves you more over Rides longer than 70-100 Kilometers and is still fast on Flat terrain.
Did you do any segement testing where you hold a similar body position and power for a given interval? Would be super interesting especially as you test more bikes to build a data base of segements and times.
I didn’t for the reasons below I have done 2 aero test videos on this channel so far (disk wheel + aero helmets): Test variability. Where I live round Surrey there is far too many cars to get a consistent. The test segments would also be very long. It took me 90km of testing down the same stretch to test different wheel sets. Even on the TT helmet test round the velodrome in Mallorca it was tough to analyse and get accurate results without and aero sensor to hand. Finally, different days, different weather. I believe it will have too big of an impact to the test. As much as I would like to, I will leave the objective tests to Tour magazine and the wind tunnel and I will stick to the subjective differences. I hope that explains why I haven’t done it
Would be a great video! Probably too hard to get those bikes together back to back for a channel my size. It takes long enough getting my hands on the current bikes 😂
This is a great video suggestion. I have just emailed them now to try and get in contact. If I am successful, I will reply to this post again so you will know the video is coming.
I tried out an Aeroad recently, and I have to agree on your opinion about the handling (2:00). Made me doubt if I should buy it. However, the Ultimate has basically exactly the same geometry, how can it have different handling?
You are right, It is the same geometry! I’m not totally sure why but my theory is the carbon lay up and possibly the stiffness of the top tube, or maybe the way the seat stays flex? To me I really do prefer the way the ultimate feels out the saddle and round the corners. It really is a difference you can feel, especially when ridden back to back.
@@cyclingunboxed I'm not certain which version of the Aeroad you compared, but the new 2024 Aeroad features geometry that is nearly identical to that of the Ultimate SLX8. Therefore, the handling differences you mentioned might stem from the outdated geometry of earlier Aeroad models. Read from a blog dated 12th Jun 2024: "Previous versions of the Aeroad had a much more aggressive geometry to take full advantage of its deep, aerodynamic tubes. But after getting feedback from the pro peloton, including Tour de France green jersey winner Jasper Phillipsen, Canyon relaxed the rider positioning, opting for the Pro Sport geometry of the Ultimate."
Which way has it directed you out of curiosity? It’s not too high for me but in all fairness, I think in the video I was just spinning at a high cadence on an easy hill which was shifting the hips more than in normally would.
These are the cf slx versions, so the ones most people are going to buy. As far as I have been told from the guys at Canyon, the rides are the same on the cfr version. They are just a bit lighter
The downhills are in included in the handing section really. It’s all about covering. For top speed I would say yes. But for the handling. It’s not exactly hard to get a hold of but it will be 2-3 weeks before you can really rail the corners hard as you get used to the way it feels
That’s a fair comment l. I should have elaborated further in the video. What I was trying to get across was the sensation of speed on the bike. The Aeroad gathers and maintains speed like a TT bike. It’s a road bike that makes it easy to be fast. So in this one particular category it has the attributes of how a TT bike feels in terms of sedation of speed
I have ridden the aeroad before so it wasn’t hard to get the fit the same. Especially very easy to get them both the same as they are the same geometry
Great comparison video! I’m currently riding a BMC Team Machine SLR6 with mechanical 105. I’m considering upgrading to something more high-end, and I’m torn between the Ultimate CFR and the Aerode CFR. Based on your video, it seems like the Ultimate CFR might be the better choice for my location (Monaco-Nice), given the terrain. However, I’m curious-do you think I’ll notice a significant difference between my current Team Machine SLR6 and the Ultimate CFR? Thanks for the great content!
It’s going to be tough for me to say as I have never ridden the BMC! But here are my thoughts anyway. For the climbs you have around Nice (love them) then yea, I think you would have more fun on the ultimate. If you like to spend time out the saddle then definitely so. If you do most of your climbing in the saddle then the aeroad will be just fine. For the descents, I also enjoyed the ultimate more. Just felt more playful. If you really LOVE the look of the aeroad though then it’s still a great choice. Anyone would be happy with the bike
Great review with some important lessons for a potential buyer. One question, what size did you ride and why? Only thing is that I find the score differences a bit exaggerated sometimes. Geometry is the same and a similar spec ultimate is only 200gr lighter, but pro’s always pick the Aeroad.
I rode a L as it corresponds with a 58 which is what I ride normally. Geometry just feels right on that size. A 56 is too small. The aeroad definitely feels a lot faster so I see why they choose it. And it probably tests a lot faster on the pro wind tunnel tests. The Ultimate is definitely more spritley on climbs though. I see why other teams now use both bikes such as Visma lease a bike
First video that help me for a decision… As a beginner I know now that the aeroroad is to much, and also my space is relative hilly, there a lot of flat streets but almost only at the river sides…. On the otherhand: the coolnes factor and the looks and the potential more Speed is still triggering to a aero… 😂 It’s just more fancy…. I want both … But paying in the entry Level Specs 4,5K per bike(availability is a big Problem for the cheaper ultimate with my size)… I could, but I wouldn’t want…. It‘s time that prices goes down …. Both in the 2,5 or 3k with di2… I would love to buy (over the years )a second cool bike 😅… For now it is one bike only for the next 5-10 years
@@cyclingunboxed Yeah to be clear there are no big climbs but more like "a lot of small ones" ... And even when I head to a flat road I have ride those smaller climbs before or after. But yeah it's like seeing the Aeroad my heart is beating faster and seeing the Ultimate it's like: "yeah nice bike"
It depends. I would measure your current bikes geometry and compare it to the canyons on the website. That will give you a good idea. I have quite long legs which usually puts my seatpost high
The bike weights are different btw: 7kg for Ultimate and ~8 for Aeroad. I think when it comes to climbing, bikes should be equal in terms of weight if we want to compare them:)
@@cyclingunboxed interesting. I did have Ultimate CF SL 8 Aero and now I have Aeroad CFR. Didn't notice a huge difference in terms of climbing. Maybe because Aeroad is even lighter (7.3) than my Ultimate (7.5)
Possibly so! It’s out the saddle where I felt it the most. The ultimate felt flicker and more nimble. Whereas the aeroad was really propulsive in the saddle but as soon as I got out it felt dead. I did ride a size L. What size is your bike as this could have something to do with it?
This is very true . Makes a massive difference. The schwalbe pro one and the gp5000 are a very similar performing tyre and the aeroad was 28/28 whereas the ultimate 25/28. The ultimate was still more comfortable from the frame. Noticeably more
Never a canyon because the bikes may be ok but not better than anything else on the market. They tell people to go to the local bike shop with problems but don’t let the bike shop make profit on the bikes. Pretty shitty business model for clients and shops…u pay more in the end 😊
because...it is really fast....if you ride alone,then is not matter...for any club group ride,aeroroad all the way,beast....I purchase it for my wife..since then she can hold us- men all the time,no problem40-50km/h
I have ridden the ultegra level sl7 quite a lot and the frame characteristics still holds true. When It comes to value, you may not have watched some of my other videos (Aethos frame comparison + what are specialized doing wrong) but I go pretty hard into specialized for speccing their lower tier frames poorly. Very poorly. The value of the canyon is near impossible to beat and you are getting tonnes more bike at the low and mid level.
