When It's Released, You Probably Won't Buy a SpeedMax CFR: Still Worth Drooling Over

Folks, Canyon Bicycles has recently unveiled this year's machines that will soon be available to cycling lovers worldwide. One lineup that has been announced is the Speedmax CFR, bikes meant for a single purpose, to be the pony you're seen riding as you cross the finish line. But, one trinket I want to bring to your attention is the CFR Disc eTap, which, might I add, features a starting price of $12,000 (€12,500 at current exchange rates). You'll have to bring home quite the amount of gold medals to pay this off.

If you're familiar with bicycle design, you can tell right from the start that this is the sort of demon spotted on TV in some Iron Man or other triathlon event. And while you may never drop $12K on a bicycle, I felt it's a rather neat idea to bring it to light; it's quite special.

Whenever manufacturers take on designing a bicycle like this, it's all about shaving seconds off the clock and grams off the scale. To do that, crews focus on optimizing every inch of a bike. All are considered, from the fork to the frame, wheels, and even spokes. After all, it's all to help you win those races.

To grasp what it is that's going on with this one, we need to take a closer look at the needs of the racing athlete. As most riders know, wind resistance can be a deciding factor in your ability to win a race. To combat this element, Canyon takes excellent care in making the CFR as aerodynamic as possible. This is the reason for the long fork legs, frame shape, and even the seat and chainstays; seat tube too. The result? Imagine that you and this bike are a hot knife, and the air particles around you are the softest, most luscious butter you've ever cut through. You like that, don't you?

One aspect of bikes designed for triathlons is their ability to be a tad more than just a bicycle; they are downright refueling stations. If you happened to see such a race or competition, you might have noticed riders refueling with all sorts of jams, jellies, and liquids designed to reenergize the rider.

To be the sort of machine I've just described, Canyon took that carbon fiber frame and designed it to act as a mobile bento box. It even includes an integrated Hydrapak bladder that can be refueled via that refill valve you see behind the cockpit. Sure, sucking up much-needed electrolytes out of your bike frame may sound weird, but you'll be using a flexible straw to replenish; you won't be drinking out of your bike like it's a beer can. This pouch can be removed, but it will require you to pull over as you'll take apart a couple of bits of the top tube. With liquids stored in the down tube, the top tube is the place to store your vitamin B jellies. One other storage bay is located above the BB and is suitable for tools and tire repair kits.

Finally, it's important to note that this trinket is as optimized as you can get in terms of a bicycle. This also applies to the drivetrain used, a Sram Red eTap AXS setup tuned to just 12 speeds. If you're unaware of this system, it's an entirely wireless shifting system. Press a paddle and watch the magic happen with electronically controlled precision.

I initially opened this one-sided discussion about how this is the sort of machine that you probably won't buy unless cycling is what you do for a living. But, the way it just looks like a raging bull, and the fact that everything on it is designed for speed, it's still lovely to see the peak of modern cycling.