Canyon Brings Their A-Game to Create One of the Lightest XC Bikes Ever: Grab One in 2023

Folks, it’s called Lux World Cup CFR Team bike, a full-suspension cross-country mountain bike that is currently available just to admire. Nonetheless, once February 2023 rolls around, you, too, will be able to get your hands on this $7,500 machine. Time to see what’s in store for you and those bent on bringing home the gold.

Now, whenever you look into grabbing yourself a bike, no matter if it’s for racing or for pure pleasure, there are some things we need to consider. Mainly, the sort of terrain we’ll be riding, and in the case of the Lux CFR, that terrain is single tracks, trails, and routes designed to push you and your machine to the limit. Simply put, a cross-country bicycle, but one designed a tad differently than most. Hell, it only weighs 10 kilograms (22 pounds). That’s lighter than most road bikes.

Now, the Lux class of bikes feature a slacker geometry than other cross-country bikes simply because they’re designed to feel at home on descents. Canyon also features up to 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of fork travel on these buggers with a 68.5-degree head tube. The result? As Canyon likes to put it, “pinpoint handling.”

At this sort of price, there’s also no need for me to tell you that this is a carbon fiber frame we’re looking at, but several other components are built from the stuff. Things like the seat post, saddle, and a ceramic bottom bracket only bring more value to the game. But the real trick lies in the fact that this generation is longer than previous ones, but lighter. Again, this is the result of bringing Canyon’s A-game to this industry.

But, as I explored more of what this unicorn will have to offer, I realized that Canyon takes precautionary measures to ensure your bike remains undamaged in case of an eventual wipeout. There you are, riding or racing along, and suddenly, a root decides to show off its slippery surface just as you take a turn.

Knowing what’s next, you brace for impact without worrying about the CFR. Canyon drops their Impact Protection Unit (IPU) 2.0 onto the Lux, and what this feature does is simply stop your handlebars from over-rotating and shoving your fork crown into your down tube. Oh, and this doesn't affect your ability to maneuver tight corners either.

Other small but significant touches are a simple and decluttered cockpit - even though both your shocks feature remotes to affect their compression – and the Shimano drivetrain. The latter is an XTR setup tuned to the sounds of 1x12 speeds and spinning a chain on a 10-51T cassette. XTR brakes are also part of the package and clamp down on 180-millimeter (7.1-inch) rotors. Since this two-wheeler is designed to help you bring home the gold, the frame is also equipped with a couple of mounts to ensure you have plenty of water to keep those legs pumping.

Other than that, I can sit here and talk to you about all the magic this bike’s geometry entails, but at the end of the day, the one true way to see what’s in store with this XC racing bike is to find a local shop with one of these hanging on its walls and ask to take it out for a spin. Then again, if you’re into this sort of sport, then you probably know what you’re looking at and can imagine what a day in the woods or on a desert trail could be like.