Canyon, Cervelo: new bike musings
 

I’m considering a new bike and would like to hear experiences with two Canyons (Ultimate SLX and SL) and the Cervelo R3. Rim brake versions. I’ll use them for racing Cat 3 and masters.

For those who know the Canyons, is the SLX worth the premium over the SL, in your opinion? I recognize that the SL can’t be had (or maybe just one model) in the US, but I’m in Spain at the moment.

My wife has the new black and white r3 rim brake with 6870. It’s so freakin nice. Anything specific you want to know?

Great to hear. Most of the reviews on the new models are for the R5, so mostly interested in whether it remains race-worthy. I’m guessing yes, but Cervélo seems to be trying to thread the needle with its advertising between endurance and racing that makes it a little unclear. Same goes for the Canyon SL vs the SLX.

Cat 3 and Masters = beer league racing. It's not the bike that's going to make the difference. I'd get the one that fits:
- budget
- body
- aesthetic preferences

Yes, yes, might as well ride crits using the original bomber bike conversions used on Repack Trail. If you want to make fun of me, try something that really irks, like “you haven’t published a peer reviewed article in two years, you loser”.

My point in mentioning racing isn’t to argue that I need the bestest bike ever. However, the difference between, say, my ti coupler and my Fisher Cronus and then between he Cronus and an Emonda I owned for a while are quite noticeable.

All the bikes I mentioned will fit, won’t break the bank, and look just fine to my eye. So curious about experiences.

She raced hers last year (and got her upgrade 4->3) after her previous R3 frame cracked along the seat tube and was warrantied at no cost except for a new BB. The previous one was ten years old, and had seen 3? years of racing as well. The Cervelo warranty is worth it.

Every time I ride her bike, jumping back onto mine is a big let down.

I raced an R3 for the last two years. The rest of our team races an S3 or S5, but I felt the geometry on the R3 was a bit more upright and the bike was super light and a great crit / road / long weekend ride bike. I ran 25mm GP4000s on Martindale (Reynolds / White Industry) 50mm carbon clinchers and loved the ride on all types of surfaces.

For reference, my R3 replaced a 2014 S5 (the ugly black and grey one) which was fast, but the most unforgiving bike I've ever ridden. I've never ridden a Canyon, so no help there.

Anything in particular you're wondering about the R3?

Also, I wouldn't necessarily call Cat 3 "Beer League Racing"...

(sniffles quietly while rethinking life goals in a dark corner)

You're not going to find a flexy bottom bracket on any of these bikes, so I would look to geometry differences that might distinguish one bike's suitability to crit racing over another bike.
I've only ridden the R5 myself, not even my own bike, so can offer no experiential advice here.
Your size/weight might affect how well that one of these bikes works versus another, and thus also how well that it works for you versus any other rider.
If you are relatively long in the leg, as I am, you may well find that the Endurance-leaning geometries are of some benefit to fitting. And vice-versa of course!
I have a reservation to test the Canyon SLX this coming Saturday on a full 25-mile loop with a group of other locals. Can you perhaps find a demo day near you? Next one out will be in San Mateo, CA on the following Saturday I think.

As in harsh on bad road surfaces? I've been looking at S5 frames, but the roads here can be rough...

Canyon seems to offer a lot of bike for the money.

If I were racing (and I'd be Master's Cat5, I guess), I'd run either a CAAD10 or a Cervelo R3. I thoroughly enjoyed riding a 2013 Cervelo R3 for spirited solo/group rides. Only sold it because it was a little harsh (and only fit measured 27mm tires) on our local crappy roads. I still think about picking up another for funsies.

But the geometry (as least as far as fit goes) is the same between the R3, the S3, and even the 2014 S5. All three of these frames have the same stack and reach dimensions for any given size.

Cervelo is very consistent about sizing geometry between different models. For example, the original S5 (2012) had the exact same geometry as the S3, but when they wanted to lower the stack for the 2015 S5, they simply shortened the head tube - all the other dimensions stayed the same (even the effective top tube length stayed the same). If the 54 cm model, the stack is 13mm lower - but if you added 13mm of spacers to the steerer, it would effectively have the exact same geometry as the original 2012 54cm model. Even for the their gravel bikes (the C series), in terms of fit all they did was increase the length of the head tube . This change had the same effect on fit as if you simply added spacers on the steerer tube.

I've raced on Canyon Ultimate CF SLX's from 2012 until 2017. I've been on 3 different versions of the model. If I had to guess, I've ridden 30,000 miles on Canyon ( The Canyon shared time with other bikes). IMO, they have good design, average build quality, and not so great durability. I broke the first 2 frames in minor bump ups, with my knee tapping the top tube and crushing it like a hard boiled egg shell. They are cheaper, but the finish is nowhere near the more expensive brands, or even on par with my team mates' Speshies. I think they are popular here because of the "exotic" factor. In summary,I think they are a decent purchase to race on as long as they are cheap. If you have a team deal that puts a top end Speshy,Trek, or Cannondale in the same ballpark, I'd go that route.

Harsh in that the 2014 frame's bottom bracket, chain stays and seat stays were massive and incredibly stiff. The rear tire sat in the curve of the seat tube and only allowed for a 23mm tire. The combination of the beefy rear end and 23mm tire made the ride harsh on imperfect surfaces and was a general beating over a long day on the bike.

From what I understand, Cervelo was clear that they intentionally compromised comfort for aerodynamics on my version of the S5. And that the two most recent S5s have thinner seat stays and more tire clearance (I've run a 25mm with no issue).