There are certainly better things than riding a road bike in cloudy, cold and wet weather. Nevertheless, many cyclists don't want to do without it even in winter. Whether it's to maintain their form into spring with regular training or out of the conviction that they want to use a fast yet environmentally friendly means of transport on their daily commute. Experienced winter cyclists know that a road bike has to be able to take a lot of punishment for this purpose. Wet conditions, grit and road salt wear out the components in fast motion, and the adverse conditions put a strain on the drive, brakes and tyres. Fixed mudguards, reflectors and lights are also extremely useful accessories. There are hardly any suitable bikes off the shelf, most winter cyclists end up building their own bad weather racers - which requires a certain amount of leisure. With the Inflite AL 8.0 S, Canyon now wants to offer a ready-to-ride alternative.
Two in one
The bike is based on the brand new aluminium cross frame from Koblenz, which comes with disc brakes in keeping with the spirit of the times. With fairly inexpensive add-on parts, it is also the cheapest version of the model for rough terrain. The grey anodised aluminium frame is suitable for mounting, as it offers enough space for 28 mm wide road tyres including the optional longboard mudguards from SKS, which are specially designed for this bike. These reach far down and effectively protect the drive, feet, back and rear rider from road spray. Thanks to the clever attachment, the struts do not get in the way of the disc brakes - a problem on many other bikes. The effective protectors are available for a fair surcharge of 35 euros. Without the accessories, however, the only difference between the bike and a crosser is the tyres, which somewhat calls into question the point of the €1,299 basic offer. The rest of the equipment would be fully suitable for off-road use: the Canyon can be converted into a cross bike in just a few simple steps - remove the mudguards and fit studded tyres and you're done. On the one hand, this expands the range of use, but on the other hand it's a pity, because a reliable lighting system with a hub dynamo would have been more consistent. As it is, you have to resort to clip-on lights and always remember to charge the batteries.
Apart from the high frame weight, which is relativised by the light disc fork, the frameset has hardly any weaknesses in the measured values. The frame is extremely stable and has plenty of safety reserves. However, the bike could be a little more comfortable - the simple VCLS seatpost does not offer the compliance of the Basalt or even the innovative VCLS 2.0 seatpost from the same company. The Crossone wheels from Mavic with Continental's 4Season tyres, Shimano's 105 groupset and the aluminium add-on parts are robust companions in the best sense of the word. They promise high mileage and the wearing parts are relatively inexpensive. The brakes on the test bike are Avid BB7 brakes - a temporary solution until Shimano's CX77 is available. Both are a good choice, the braking performance of mechanical disc brakes is largely independent of the weather and maintenance is comparatively simple. However, the functional equipment also increases the weight of the bike; even without pedals and mudguards, our test bike weighs more than nine kilos.
All-rounder with weaknesses
For a training bike, the weight is of secondary importance and occasional off-road excursions are still fun - but for a competition bike, the bike lacks the agility. Even on the road, the Inflite feels very good-natured to sluggish due to the high wheel weight and the geometry with a lot of trail, which doesn't feel too bad for the intended use. The riding position is neutral and not too sporty, which also suits the concept. All in all, the Canyon Inflite is above all versatile - a bike that can really do a lot. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that it can do everything really well. It lacks the lights and reflectors for a proper winter bike, the rack eyelets for a touring bike and it's a little too heavy for cross competitions. But if you're looking for an inexpensive compromise for many occasions with little conversion effort, the Inflite AL 8.0 S is a pretty good value.
Price complete wheel 1,334 Euro
Weight 9.5 kilos
Reference/Info www.canyon.com
Frame sizes** 50, 53, 56, 58, 60, 62 cm
Seat/steering angle 74°/71,5°
Seat/top tube/head tube 575/560/159 mm plus 18 mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 1,030/63 mm
Stack/Reach/STR*** 587/391 mm/1.50
EQUIPMENT
Steering bearing Acros Ai-70, top 1-1/4, bottom 1-1/2 inch
Brakes Avid BB7 Road
Gearshift/bottom bracket Shimano 105 (50/34 t., press-fit)
Wheels/tyres Mavic Crossone Disc/Continental Grand Prix 4Season (28 millimetres)
Handlebar/stem Ritchey Comp Logic Curve/Ritchey WCS
Saddle/post Selle Italia X1/Canyon VCLS (27.2 mm)
MEASURED VALUES & INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Weight of complete wheel 9.1 kg (without pedals)
Weight frame/fork/steering bearing**** 1.528/462/59 g
Standardised weight frame set***** 2.049: 4,0
Steering head stiffness 118 Nm/°: 1.0
Lateral stiffness fork 49 N/mm: 1.7
Bottom bracket stiffness 64 N/mm: 1.0
Comfort frame 178 N/mm: 2.0
Comfort fork 88 N/mm: 4.0
* The frame set accounts for 40 per cent of the overall score and the features for 60 per cent. Individual grades are included in this evaluation, only some of which are printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated up to the final grade with all decimal places; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are given with rounded decimal places.
** Manufacturer's specifications; test size bold.
*** Stack/reach: projected vertical/horizontal dimension from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube;
STR (Stack to Reach): 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright sitting position.
**** Weighed weights.
***** Adjusted weight for frame size 57 cm and fork steerer length 225 mm.
