New Canyon Grizl Gravel Bike for the Ladies Is One Tasty Cookie

Bicycles that bear the Canyon name can be seen all over the world and in the hands of children of all age. Some of those children grow up and become world-renowned athletes; guess what, they still ride Canyon through the years.

One new bicycle that this team has recently announced is the Grizl gravel bike lineup. Among the several models available, the CF SL WMN 6 is a bike designed specifically for the female rider—as if the Wildberry Splatter paint job doesn’t already give you that impression. But I'll be honest, once I got to know a bit about this Grizl bike, I would totally see myself riding this. As they say, only real men wear pink. All puns aside, time to see what Canyon has in store for those that run the world (girls).

Right off the bat, you can tell Canyon is pushing the limits once again in terms of bicycle construction and value. Not only does this bike include a carbon fiber frameset, but it does so for a price rarely seen among such models: $2,199 (€1,723 at current exchange rates). Yes, that's all a grade A gravel bike runs for these days. It comes with internal cable routing to keep things clean, protected, and snag free.

Because gravel riders have a tendency to ride long, far, and hard, you’ll find numerous water bottle and toolkit mounts all over the frame. The fork also includes a set of mounts to bring along water bottle cages, clothes, sleeping bag, and even a tent.

Since most gravel bikes don’t include a suspension, riders rely on the frame material flexibility, but also the wheels, and most importantly, the tires. A pair of DT Swiss C 1850 Spline aluminum rims hold onto 45-millimeter Maxxis Rambler tires with a gravel-specific tread pattern. That should be enough to offer grip and relieve some of the vibrations you’ll experience. Oh, and then there’s the seat post which includes a “vibration-absorbing" design.

Moving everything along is a set of Shimano RX600 cranks and a Token Ninja Lite BB with Thread-Fit Technology meant to reduce the chance of bearing misalignment. Shimano continues its domination on this Grizl with a 10-speed HG500 11-34 tooth cassette. Furthermore, a GRX RX400 front derailleur and RX400 GS rear derailleur will keep your shifting in line with what you need.

To control the derailleurs and brakes, a Shimano GRX RX400 setup includes shift and brake levers. Speaking of brakes, centerlock disc mounts with Shimano RT70 rotors offer the control and stopping power you’ll need.

The cockpit is also an important feature to consider when looking for a gravel bike. A Canyon HB 0050 aluminum Ergobar offers 70 mm (2.75 in) of reach and a drop of 130 mm (5.12 in). That’s then held in place by an in-house V13 stem.

Personally, I've seen a huge push towards gravel riding lately. Maybe the roads are getting worse and worse, or folks are starting to get an idea of what it’s all about. After all, who doesn’t like scenic bike tours through the French Riviera?