Canyon Grizl 1st test: What can the gravel bike with the Rift suspension fork do?

This gravel bike has something that no other has! The new Canyon Grizl is packed with cool features right down to the saddle. These include a clever bag system, a unique suspension fork solution and much more. Typical for Canyon is also a good price-performance ratio with a carbon frame and beautiful equipment. If you want to know which of these features really convinced us in the end, then watch this video.

Well thought out down to the last carbon fibre

There is probably no other manufacturer that puts more brainpower into the gravel bike concept. The frame of the Canyon Grizl has been thought through down to the last detail. You never know what you might encounter on a gravel adventure. That's why the developers have given the bike a modern geometry with a long wheelbase for a smooth ride. But let's get one thing out of the way before the test: The Grizl still remains easy to handle. Despite the robust carbon frame, weights from 8.8 kilos are possible. Our Canyon Grizl CF8 w/Rift test bike with suspension fork and in size XL weighs in at 10.6 kilos.

This bike costs 3499 euros and comes from the so-called "OG series", which stands for Original Gravel. These bikes are something like the Swiss army knives of gravel bikes and should really be able to do everything. Canyon also offers the Grizl in the so-called Escape line, which is fully optimised for long-distance adventures with a special Full Monty cockpit. There are even versions with a hub dynamo, lighting system and USBC charging port. No matter what outrages bikers have in mind: With eight models, 7 sizes and prices starting at 2399 euros, everyone will find a suitable gravel bike with a carbon frame.

>> We have compiled even more information about the new Canyon Grizl in this article.

All variants have a frame storage compartment on board. A multi-tool and a CO2 cartridge can be stowed here. There is also space for a windbreaker, for example. A bag can be mounted on the top tube - without any fiddling with Velcro, thanks to the screwed mounts. There are also mounts for luggage on the fork. Incidentally, this also applies to the version with suspension fork - a truly unique selling point! No other gravel suspension fork has this feature to date. There is plenty of space in the frame for a large frame bag. Canyon has also come up with something very special when it comes to bags.

With the additionally available Fidlock system, bags can be clipped on and off in a matter of seconds. It's child's play and fits like a bomb. So it's really cool when I want to go for a quick spin on Sunday and commute to the office on Monday with a change of clothes. There is still room for two bottle holders. A third can be mounted under the down tube. Ready for the desert crossing, so to speak. As if that wasn't enough, the Grizl can also accommodate a front and rear pannier rack.

I've travelled all over Europe on my gravel bike myself and can tell you: plenty of space for a frame bag is super practical! For example, if you want to store a foldable pot for dinner. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor

The special leaf spring system of the seat post should have a certain amount of flex and thus give the Grizl a good level of comfort. For even more comfort and grip, up to 54 millimetres of tyre clearance is permitted. The gravel bikes are fitted with 45 millimetre wide tyres ex works. The suspension fork solution on our test bike is something very special. The DT Swiss F132 is fitted to the Rift models of the Grizl, was developed in direct collaboration with Canyon and provides 40 millimetres of suspension travel. The fork can be locked by means of a handlebar remote so that no unnecessary power is wasted.

>> The Canyon Grizl with aluminium frame is cheaper. We tested it here.

Riding impression of the new gravel bike from Canyon

Canyon defuses the long main frame with a short stem. The handlebars come from the Koblenz-based company itself and offer many good grip positions. We like the concept! You sit neither too stretched nor too upright, but relatively balanced. 100 kilometres and more are no problem at all on board the Grizl. The seating comfort actually comes mainly from the seat post. The frame itself is robustly constructed and relatively stiff. Together with the geometry, this results in a very smooth ride. At 440 millimetres, the chainstays are slightly longer than on other gravel bikes and we know: "long runs"! For bikepacking adventures with luggage or if you ever turn into a trail, this smoothness is great. The Canyon is bombproof and can hardly be rattled by anything.

>> Incidentally, the Canyon Grizl is available with an aluminium frame for less than 2000 euros. Here we have tested the gravel bike for small budgets.

Especially because the front suspension fork does a damn good job. It filters small bumps out of the ground with great sensitivity and glides smoothly even over rough gravel. No other gravel suspension fork currently does this so well. But the DT has another ace up its sleeve. While most gravel suspension forks bob when pedalling, it can easily be calmed down from the handlebars. One grip and bang! No more energy is lost in the fork. This works super intuitively after a short time and, together with the good response behaviour, makes the DT Swiss a superior product. The great thing about it is that you can currently only buy the fork on Canyon gravel bikes. In other words, if you want what is probably the best gravel suspension fork currently available, you should take a closer look at the Grizl.

The Grizl can also go fast. Then it's head into the wind and full throttle! I commute to work by bike almost every day. 30 kilometres there and 30 kilometres back. With the Canyon, I can be there in an hour. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor

In order to keep the Grizl manoeuvrable despite its smooth ride, the steering angle of 71 degrees is on the steeper side and the bottom bracket is rather high. When changing direction, this calculation works out perfectly. Thanks also to the good Schwalbe tyres, the Canyon scurries skilfully through corners while still maintaining a high level of safety. Thanks to the direct steering, it's no problem to lob over kerbs or roots. The bike always does exactly what the rider wants it to do. However, if we go back to the pedalling, we notice a small shortcoming. Due to the high bottom bracket, the bike tilts into the pedal stroke with more leverage and you feel a little disconnected from the ground. This isn't a problem, but it's a characteristic that you have to get used to when riding in a sporty style. Apart from that, the handling of the Canyon Grizl impressed us completely.

>> Read more about the joint development of a gravel suspension fork by Canyon and DT-Swiss in this background article.

Conclusion from BIKE editor Jan Timmermann

The new Canyon Grizl is a really exciting bike with a whole host of possibilities. The clever details, such as the storage compartment and the bag system, show that Canyon has built this bike for people who really want to use it: for commuting, bikepacking or after-work rides. We were particularly impressed by the high level of safety due to the smooth ride. You can simply hold on with the Grizl and don't have to worry about anything. This is also due to the really strong fork, which also has a handlebar lockout. If you're considering a suspension fork on a gravel bike, you're doing everything right with one of the Canyon models. Of course, you could make a carbon gravel bike even lighter and sportier. But that's what the Canyon Grail model is for. On our test bike, we wouldn't want to trade riding safety in favour of a lower weight. You have to get used to the somewhat unconventional geometry, but it works really well in practice. To be honest, there's almost nothing the new Canyon Grizl can't do.