Commuter gravel bike Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips on test: Carefree bike with lighting system
Jan Timmermann
· 01.01.2026
BIKE editor Jan Timmermann has already tested the Canyon Grizl up and down in different versions. The Koblenz-based direct mail order company offers its gravel bike with various build concepts in order to appeal to the widest possible target group, from fast athletes to endurance adventurers. The latest addition to the Grizl line-up is labelled "w/Eclips". These gravel bikes come with a lighting system from Lupine, which is powered by an integrated storage battery and a hub dynamo. The integrated battery can also be used to charge smartphones and other devices. We loaded our test bike with mudguards and a mini pannier rack to transform the Canyon into an ideal means of transport on the way to work.
I commute 62 kilometres a day by bike. Now in the wet and dark winter, a good light and mudguards are essential. Clever luggage solutions on the Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips should literally keep my back free by making a rucksack superfluous. So is the carbon gravel bike the perfect commuting solution for the cold season? - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips in detail
- Application: Gravel bike
- Price: 3999 Euro
- Tested accessories: Canyon Defend Grizl Fast Fender mudguards (€ 119.95), Canyon Load front pannier rack (€ 39.95), Canyon Load FidLock QuickLoader (€ 139.95)
- Frame material: Carbon
- Fork material: Carbon
- Weight: 9.9 kg (BIKE measurement size XL incl. Eclips system, without pedals and other accessories)
- Special features: Eclips lighting and battery system incl. hub dynamo, Full Mounty cockpit, Canyon VCLS leaf spring seatpost
Equipment
- Shifting: Shimano GRX RD-RX822, 1x12
- Gear ratio: 40 / 10-51 (510%)
- Brakes: Shimano GRX BL-RX820, 160/160 mm
- Wheels: DT Swiss GR 1600 Spline incl. Son 29S hub dynamo
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Overland Performance, 45 mm
- Lighting: Lupine C14 / SF AL Nano
With mechanical Shimano gears and a robust wheel/tyre combination, the Canyon Grizl looks durable on paper. An endurance test will have to show whether this is true. I'm going to add the gravel bike to my long-term fleet and give it a good thrashing over the winter months. Hardly any bike has to be as reliable as my Everyday Rider. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Our impression: The Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips on test
"My new bike has a hub dynamo - I can leave the battery light at home," I thought to myself in the morning. In the evening, when I wanted to set off home at dusk, the lights remained dark despite several charging rounds in the editorial car park. The battery integrated in the frame storage compartment is deeply discharged and the dynamo charge is not enough to revitalise the Eclips system. The bike has to be connected to the jumper cable. There is a USB-C charging socket under the stem, which can be used to charge not only your mobile phone, but also the power bank in the down tube. A charge level indicator is only available in the Canyon app. I couldn't manage to pair the Eclipse software unit with my smartphone that day. Only on another day with a different device do the controller and a mobile phone connect via QR code.
I pedal frantically on board my new Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips. Due to the lighting faux pas, I'm running late and have to hurry. Unfortunately, the bike struggles to get going. Although the weight of just under ten kilos including the complete lighting system and in size XL is nothing to hide, the pedals, bottle cage, mudguards and mini pannier rack at the front add another two kilos. Together with three kilos of luggage and one kilo of water, the Grizl becomes a 16-kilo gravel bike. Compared to my other commuter bike, a 9.5-kilo single-speed mountain bike with a similar price tag, I have to shift down a gear and definitely won't be setting a new best time today. Although the fully loaded Grizl with its carbon chassis is lighter than most trekking bikes and many randonneurs, it has little to do with a sporty gravel bike.
Light and shadow
Of course, the mass of accessories for the Canyon Grizl also has a number of advantages. The front rack and solid aluminium mudguards are easy to fit. The latter can also be removed in no time at all using clips and quick-releases. All parts look high-quality and robust. The small carrier above the front wheel is padded and protected in a drybag, and can even accommodate a bulky laptop. However, this positioning is probably even less aerodynamic than a rucksack on the back. On the other hand, the front rack keeps your back sweat-free. Small items and a change of clothes can be stored in the frame bag, which Canyon has specially adapted to the corresponding frame size. Thanks to the Fidlock system, there are no ugly Velcro straps to spoil the overall look. However, I don't find clipping the bag on quite as intuitive as promised.
As I leave the city lights behind me, tall piles of leaves pile up on the cycle path. This is the hour of the Canyon. In previous tests, I have already learnt to appreciate the high riding stability of the latest Grizl generation. I would have struggled here with thin road bike tyres or the nervous handling of a trekking bike. The smooth-running Canyon gravel bike runs its course unperturbed by potholes and gravel stones, rolls over the branches hidden in the leaves without batting an eyelid and even defies the milling edges in the tarmac that suddenly appear out of the darkness. I can switch off my head with a clear conscience. It's only when there's a little more rumble that the chain bangs loudly on the frame and pulls me out of my thoughts.
Meanwhile, the powerful Lupine lighting of the Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips shows me the way and although I'm surrounded by pitch-black night, I feel completely safe. Thanks to the high beam function, this also applies when riding fast through the darkness. The Canyon remains stable on the piste at all times. This level of confidence is worth its weight in gold in adverse conditions and is even more important to me right now than a fast commute time. At the same time, the handling of the gravel bike remains easy to control and I can get up and down the kerb with ease. That's how I like it!
Canyon is known for experimenting with the Garvelbike handlebar and has given the Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips a so-called Full Mounty cockpit made of carbon. This offers mounting points for various accessories, such as an aero trailer or an additional luggage box, and is designed to offer even more grip positions. This may be a small advantage for long rides of over 200 kilometres at a stretch. On my one-hour commute, the benefit is not really noticeable. Although the hands can grip the bar that extends forwards, it is too short to rest the forearms on. There is no aerodynamic advantage in this narrow but upright riding position compared to the lower handlebar grip.
On the last few metres of my journey to work, the lights flash to warn me of a low battery. By the time I come to a standstill in front of the front door, the juice from the 15 minutes on the jumper cable is already empty again. Although the hub dynamo supplies enough energy to keep the daytime running light running at speeds of 15 kilometres per hour, the Lupine front light, which has a power output of up to 1000 lumens, requires additional energy from the 2500 milliampere-hour battery pack. The 14 LEDs of the rear light with a total of 45 lumens also draw power, but then provide 240 degrees of visibility. Long rides with full lighting push even the dynamo bike to its limits - the endurance test of the Canyon Grizl CF8 ESC w/Eclips will show how long the ride really has to be.
The Eclips system is exciting in any case. From 20 kilometres per hour and without a consumer, the Son dynamo charges the buffer battery at a rate of twelve percent. Thanks to the rechargeable battery solution, the lighting power remains constant even when stopped at traffic lights or when patching a flat tyre in the dark. What's more, the integration of the electronics has been a marvellous success. There is nothing to be seen of the cabling on the outside and the hub dynamo even transmits the generated power wirelessly via two pick-ups integrated into the fork. This means that there is no need to disconnect a plug when removing the front wheel - great!
Data from the BIKE test lab
At BIKE, we go to unprecedented lengths to test bikes. We are the only trade magazine in the world to operate its own test laboratory. The data obtained supports our impressions from the practical test. When it comes to geometry data, we don't just rely on the manufacturer's specifications, but also use the laser measuring device ourselves.
- Complete weight: 9.94 kg (without pedals, incl. Eclips system)
- Impeller weight: 4109 g (incl. tyres, tubeless setup, cassette, brake discs)
- Impeller inertia2706 kg x cm2 (the lower the value, the better the acceleration)
Geometry in size XL
- Seat tube length: 580 mm
- Chainstay length: 433 mm
- Wheelbase: 1116 mm
- BB drop: -75 mm
- Steering angle: 71.3 mm
- Seat angle: 73.8 mm
- Head tube length: 200 mm
- Handlebar width: top 430 mm / bottom 510 mm
- Reach / Reach+: 425 / 578 mm
- Stack / Stack+: 639 / 713 mm
Conclusion
After some initial difficulties, I warmed to the winterised Grizl commuter bike. The clever system integration makes the Canyon, which is loaded with accessories, a product that is a pleasure to use in everyday life. Riding safety and smoothness stand out in particular. The hefty weight is annoying, but it's the least of my problems on rough winter days. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Pro
- Sophisticated package of luggage transport and lighting system
- Extraordinarily high driving safety
- Many options for customisation
Contra
- High weight restricts sporty use
- Full mounty cockpit with manageable added value
Jan Timmermann
Editor
