Hi everyone,
I’m planning to get my first good gravel bike and would love some advice. I’m in the Northeast USA (Massachusetts) and will mostly ride on a mix of gravel roads and asphalted trails. I’ve been looking at Canyon bikes, but I am struggling to navigate through the many options available, and I would appreciate some inputs.
These are the models I’m considering:
Grizl CF SL 6 AXS — $2500
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/outlet-bikes/gravel-bikes/grizl-cf-sl-6-axs/3696.html?dwvar_3696_pv_rahmenfarbe=R095_P14
Grizl 7 AL — $2100
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-bikes/adventure/grizl/al/grizl-7-raw/3715.html?dwvar_3715_pv_rahmenfarbe=R075_P06
Grizl CF 6 — $2800
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-bikes/adventure/grizl/og/grizl-cf-6/4141.html?dwvar_4141_pv_rahmenfarbe=R126_P01
Also considering waiting for the Grizl CF SL 8 — $2600
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/outlet-bikes/gravel-bikes/grizl-cf-sl-8-1by/3697.html?dwvar_3697_pv_rahmenfarbe=R095_P14
My main questions:
1. Is it worth paying about $400 extra to go from aluminum (AL) to carbon fiber (CF)?
2. Is it worth waiting for soon to be released models, or for the SL 8 going back in stock?
3. Are there other comparable Canyon models in this price range that I should consider?
4. If anyone has experience riding the Grizl in the Northeast USA, how’s it holding up on mixed terrain?
Also, can someone please explain what all these letters mean? SL, AL, CF, AXS — I get that CF is carbon fiber and AL is aluminum, but what does SL mean?
My budget is flexible, but this will be my first serious gravel bike, so I don’t want to go overboard either. I’m looking for good value and a bike that can handle long rides on rough roads but also cruise smoothly on pavement.
Any advice, experience, or comparisons would be super helpful — thank you!
by EnvironmentalLeg6584
4 Comments
Always carbon over Alu
Hey,
Those can be quite different depending on your need !
Grizl 7 AL RAW.
Frame wise it will be heavier than the carbon versions and less ‘confortable’ assuming you could feel the difference with 45 mm tires.. You also get “external cables” and mounts for a pannier on the back.
It’s the RAW version meaning that you will have visible welds – /!\ Not as pictured on the website.
Component wise, it’s 2×12 mechanical from Shimano and you have the straight seat post, you could also go for the Grizl 6 RAW with 2×10.
Grizl CF SL 6 AXS
Here you are paying for the electronic shifting from sram (AXS), you get the same basic seat post and wheels as the alloy version, but a carbon frame and integrated cables.
Do you want to charge a battery in exchange of a simpler setup/maintenance?
Grizl CF SL 8
Back to mechanical from Shimano but in 1x this time, integrated cables, marginally better wheels and the leaf seat post that can aid in confort.
The three models above are the old versions of the Grizl (Alloy not out yet), hence the price reductions.
New version of the grizl come with a wider tire clearance, standard steerer tube, integrated storage (this is useful), more relaxed geometry, more mounts (pannier mounts on the back) and is 1x only.
Grizl CF 6
Mechanical 1×12 from sram, integrated cables and no fancy seat post.
You could also have a look at the grail ; price starts around the 2.8K mark if I remember correctly.
The Grizl CF 6 would be my pick from the list for the versatility, the extra mounts, the storage, the normal steerer tube size and the lack of fomo.
Honestly, unless you are planning on bike-packing, pick the color you like the most ..
I’ve just bought the CF 7 after weeks of contemplating between the Al and CF.
In the end, I put my misconceptions about the fragility of CF to one side and went with what I’d like to keep long term. Also I found the frame storage handy. I wasn’t keen on the pineapple gummy colour at first, much preferred the cream colour of the Al. Its grown on me now though.
Electric shifting is probably great, but I’ve never experienced it and I know how good GRX can be so I saved some money by staying with the shimano grx setup. Just waiting for delivery now.
My wife has the 6 RAW and I have the CF SL 6 AXS. She rides mostly wide smooth gravel and likes banging out miles, but she’s a runner, not a bike girl. Drivetrain works great for her.
My favorite rides have a wide variety of terrain. I would not be in love with the ALU frame. (fwiw my MTB is ALU, so I’m not a carbon snob) The real surprise was how much I like the electronic shifting. It’s the luxury you didn’t know you needed.