Hello fellow humans,
I recently came across the Inflite CF SL 8 ( [Inflite CF SL 8 | CANYON DK](https://www.canyon.com/da-dk/racercykler/cyclocrosscykler/inflite/cf-sl/inflite-cf-sl-8/3311.html?dwvar_3311_pv_rahmenfarbe=R063_P25) ), and it struck me generally as a pretty good deal: carbon wheels, electronic shifting, power meter. However, I am a little concerned if the bike is too much cross only.
I am purchasing the bike with these few things to consider:
\- It will be my only bike (besides the old alloy bike on my home trainer)
\- From April to October I will use it as a road bike with the occasional gravel ride
\- In winter I will use it primarily for gravel rides and maybe the occasional cyclo cross race
Bear in mind that I am riding my bike in a fairly flat country (Denmark) without any long climbs, so I am not too concerned about gear range.
Any opinions on this bike and my use cases? Or any better recommendations?
by Trick_Parsley7501
2 Comments
I would take a 2-by for road cycling (or change the chainring in the summer). The stem is shorter than on a road bike, so it’s agile but not the same geometry as a road bike. Personally, I’d look at a gravel bike and mount road tires in the summer.
Edit: that doesn’t cover your cx races but it’s difficult to find a bike for cyclocross, gravel and road, methink.
I’ve got a CF SLX9 – 2×11 Di2. I got it for cyclocross, but also I got it in June, and haven’t ridden my old gravel bike since then. I used the Inflite in a few gravel races, it was super. I also did quite a few road rides (with 30mm tires) throughout the summer. If I was forced to have only one bike, this one could do it. The front derailleur is a definite plus for combo road/gravel/CX. I had been using 1x in CX for several years, but I’m enjoying the front derailleur in CX now, and it definitely makes it more versatile for road and gravel.
However I do have a road bike, which is a bit lighter, a bit lower, and longer stem. When I’m really worried about getting dropped, I’ll ride the road bike, for sure.
My Inflite is M (vs. road bike: 1st gen Foil, 56cm), and it has a 90mm integrated bar/stem. It is a pretty reasonable fit for CX, but a bit short for gravel/road. The integrated bar/stem is nice, but it does mean that you can’t adjust that dimension at all, without finding/buying a different bar/stem.