I bought this Grail CF SLX 8 on Canyon’s site on a $1,000 “sale” since it came with the Reynolds ATR wheelset instead of the more desirable DT Swiss wheels. Honestly those wheels would have been fine, but I want this bike to be a machine on pavement and light gravel—to me the Grail is a speedy endurance bike. I want to be able to keep up on pavement group rides while being able to explore light trails and dirt roads with comfort. Some changes were in order to get optimal performance.
I quickly started upgrading components and now it’s becoming more “mine”. Today it finally saw real gravel on a 40 mile ride out and back the C&O Canal out of Washington DC. Got dusty but the bike handles great! Can’t wait to take it on more serious and longer distance adventures in the mountains/Western US later. Listing component choices and key upgrades below.
**Drivetrain**
– Shimano GRX 825 Di2 12 speed, 48/31 Chainrings, 10–34T Hyperglide+ Cassette (I wanted 2by and I bought right before new SRAM components came out, had previous-gen Force AXS on old bike and was tired of the dropped chains, it’s still a lot cheaper than new AXS!)
– 4iii Precision 3+ Power Meter with Apple Find My (so useful! love stalking my bike if I have it in the shop or stored at work when I bike commute, single sided so it doesn’t break the bank)
– iSSi Trail II Pedals in Pink (got these cheap and like the fun color but I’ll be upgrading to the reliable ol’ XTR M9100 Shimano pedals shortly)
**The Rolly Bits**
– Hunt Limitless 41/40 Gravel Wheelset (splurged and sold my Reynolds for these wide, “aero” gravel wheels. Totally unnecessary for me but so nice and light. Stuck with alloy spokes and normal hubs)
– Schwalbe G One RS Pro 40mm set up tubeless (these tires ROCK. Much better than the One R the bike came with. Brand new semi-slick. I’ve tested it through rough slippery asphalt in DC thunderstorms and now on dry/muddy gravel. They handle it all and probably much more!)
**Ergonomics**
– Canyon CP0047 “Pro” Gravel 40cm/90mm Cockpit (a must upgrade for me, so much so that I had it shipped from Germany and paid hefty VAT surcharge plus shipping to do so, but now the bars are a sensible width for my wingspan and feel awesome when tucked in/“aero”)
– Supercaz “Bling” Purple Bar Tape (matches the frame color well and looks gorgeous—it’s not the most practical since with sweaty hands it can get slippery off road but the GRX hoods are where I spend most of my time anyway, probably designed to be used with gloves!)
**Other**
– Elite Custom Race Bottle Cages (nothing much to say here, nice, cheap, and get the job done while looking alright)
– Garmin Varia Rear Light (must-have!) with Saddle Rail-Mounted Quarter-Turn
– Garmin Edge 1050 mounted up front with 3rd party Gear Groove computer mount (sits upon a Ravemen FR160 flashing headlight just to get it raised enough to clear the bars)
– Hidden in Frame Storage: Included Canyon Multitool + a Lezyne Pocket Drive HV Pump (next up is getting a bag to store a spare tube and maybe some other extras in there since I have lots of space!)
**Fit:** I’m a 6’2 rider with ~34” inseam. The Medium frame actually works best for my preferences. Seatpost is extended just past the “7” mark with at least a few centimeters before minimum insertion and so comfy raised like this! Aggressive fit with the longer stem Pro bar. My other bike is a tri bike, I don’t mind stretching and getting “aero” plus it’s lighter than a L.
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I bought this Grail CF SLX 8 on Canyon’s site on a $1,000 “sale” since it came with the Reynolds ATR wheelset instead of the more desirable DT Swiss wheels. Honestly those wheels would have been fine, but I want this bike to be a machine on pavement and light gravel—to me the Grail is a speedy endurance bike. I want to be able to keep up on pavement group rides while being able to explore light trails and dirt roads with comfort. Some changes were in order to get optimal performance.
I quickly started upgrading components and now it’s becoming more “mine”. Today it finally saw real gravel on a 40 mile ride out and back the C&O Canal out of Washington DC. Got dusty but the bike handles great! Can’t wait to take it on more serious and longer distance adventures in the mountains/Western US later. Listing component choices and key upgrades below.
**Drivetrain**
– Shimano GRX 825 Di2 12 speed, 48/31 Chainrings, 10–34T Hyperglide+ Cassette (I wanted 2by and I bought right before new SRAM components came out, had previous-gen Force AXS on old bike and was tired of the dropped chains, it’s still a lot cheaper than new AXS!)
– 4iii Precision 3+ Power Meter with Apple Find My (so useful! love stalking my bike if I have it in the shop or stored at work when I bike commute, single sided so it doesn’t break the bank)
– iSSi Trail II Pedals in Pink (got these cheap and like the fun color but I’ll be upgrading to the reliable ol’ XTR M9100 Shimano pedals shortly)
**The Rolly Bits**
– Hunt Limitless 41/40 Gravel Wheelset (splurged and sold my Reynolds for these wide, “aero” gravel wheels. Totally unnecessary for me but so nice and light. Stuck with alloy spokes and normal hubs)
– Schwalbe G One RS Pro 40mm set up tubeless (these tires ROCK. Much better than the One R the bike came with. Brand new semi-slick. I’ve tested it through rough slippery asphalt in DC thunderstorms and now on dry/muddy gravel. They handle it all and probably much more!)
**Ergonomics**
– Canyon CP0047 “Pro” Gravel 40cm/90mm Cockpit (a must upgrade for me, so much so that I had it shipped from Germany and paid hefty VAT surcharge plus shipping to do so, but now the bars are a sensible width for my wingspan and feel awesome when tucked in/“aero”)
– Supercaz “Bling” Purple Bar Tape (matches the frame color well and looks gorgeous—it’s not the most practical since with sweaty hands it can get slippery off road but the GRX hoods are where I spend most of my time anyway, probably designed to be used with gloves!)
**Other**
– Elite Custom Race Bottle Cages (nothing much to say here, nice, cheap, and get the job done while looking alright)
– Garmin Varia Rear Light (must-have!) with Saddle Rail-Mounted Quarter-Turn
– Garmin Edge 1050 mounted up front with 3rd party Gear Groove computer mount (sits upon a Ravemen FR160 flashing headlight just to get it raised enough to clear the bars)
– Hidden in Frame Storage: Included Canyon Multitool + a Lezyne Pocket Drive HV Pump (next up is getting a bag to store a spare tube and maybe some other extras in there since I have lots of space!)
**Fit:** I’m a 6’2 rider with ~34” inseam. The Medium frame actually works best for my preferences. Seatpost is extended just past the “7” mark with at least a few centimeters before minimum insertion and so comfy raised like this! Aggressive fit with the longer stem Pro bar. My other bike is a tri bike, I don’t mind stretching and getting “aero” plus it’s lighter than a L.