Hi guys. I'm trying to solve the mystery of which of these bikes to order. The Aeroad comes with Di2 Dura-Ace and better wheels; the Ultimate comes with Super Record EPS. I'm pretty agnostic on the groupset (although I always dreamed of getting the best stuff Campy could produce but never had the cash when I was a kid). My question is what exactly is the difference in the frames this year? The website is pretty generic and says both are awesome, of course. I even e-mailed them and they replied that either would be great for the kind of riding I do (a lot of time around Geneva and Mallorca, a few sportives in Belgium and a lot of shitty rides around London) and that they have a 30 day no-hassle return policy. Well that's great, but I'd rather order the right bike the first time. If anyone has any views on how they stack up against each other, I'd love to know about it.
Thanks for any input!
Rich

I've so far used my Ultimate AL for racing and my Aeroad for training, racking up about 7000 kms on each.

Both are very very good bikes, and I will keep them at least for another season, no doubt.

The Ultimate AL is stiffer compared to the Aeroad, and I presume the CF SLX is stiffer than both. The Aeroad is somewhat quicker into turns, more agile, whereas the Ultimate feels rock solid and requires slightly more effort for turning. Also the Ultimate has no noticeable deflection in the headtube or crank area of the frame. On occasion I can feel that the Aeroad moves more, but it feels as if it doesn't affect "power transfer" or handling in any way. I ride both frames with the same type of wheelset.

The Aeroad is maybe somewhat more forgiving on poor roads, damping out a bit more of the road buzz.
The Ultimate however is also pretty good on poor roads... the very flexible seatpost does a good job.

One of the reasons I am keeping both is that I love the convenience of having an aluminium frame for racing, travelling to races etc. Aluminium is simply very hassle free.

_________________
12 Canyon Aeroad CF 9.0 ETE
12 Canyon Ultimate AL
11 Cervélo P2

Surely the answer is to ensure you have sufficient credit limit on your card, buy both, return one? Then you can give us an authoritative review.

Personally I would sell the wheels from both bikes and probably trade them for Cosmic Carbon Ultimates on the SLX or those new 80mm mavics on the Aeroad. I have no idea why the product manager put the new 80mm wheels on the top of the range SLX rather than the Aeroad. Must be madness or a clerical error IMHO.

On balance I'd probably go for the SLX:

1. As Super Record EPS is a very nice thing, and €6299 (or €5299 for record) is about the cheapest way to get your hands on it given that a good price for Super Record EPS alone is €3299, wheels are €1660 etc...
2. Everyone will realise that aero bikes barely make a difference to your speed in real conditions in a year or two - uphill speed is limited by fitness, downhill by vision and braveness, and on the flat the real trick is never to get your nose in the wind.

have a close look at the geometry tables

I recall reading that many of the riders on the 2011 Omega-Pharma Lotto preferred the Aeroad for no reason other than the superior ride quality. Considering that was a classics-biased squad that focused on 6-7 hour monuments and often vicious road surfaces, I'd say that seems to recommend the Aeroad for the type of riding you do (long sportives, crummy urban roads in London).

Here's an article that seems to confirm what I remembered about the Aeroad, and it seems to square with the ride quality comments from other posts in this thread: http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro ... -aeroad-cf

-Tim

I was actually going through the same dilemma last week and decided to go for the SLX. I believe if Canyon have got their engineering right the new SLX will have the best of both worlds. The 2012 SLX feels like a tank so Im not surprised the pro's prefer the ride of the Aeroroad. Hopefully the new 2013 will be equally laterally stiff and perhaps a little more vertically compliant.

I like the SLX paintjobs better. I agree that the 80mm mavics just doesnt look right. They are definetely gonna go on my build. Ill be replacing them with some CCU's. Im also replacing the shimano crank for a power2max rotor plus with matching neo green! I think its gonna look fantastic! Have to find a away to black out Mr. Zabel's name off the down tube though

And of course there is the weight! The new SLX with lighter wheels should come in at 6kg compared to 6.9kg of the aeroad.

_________________
Canyon Ultimate SLX 2013 + DA9070 + Red Quarq + Corima Aero+ MCC (Ordered! 6.0kg)
Canyon AeroRoad + DA9000 + Lightning Power2Max + MCU's (6.5kg)
Cervelo P4 + G3 Powertap (7.78kg)
Cervelo SLC + SRAM Red 2013 + Red Quarq (6.8kg)

Our current rr world champ used to ride the AL, it was good enough for him.

OK gang. Thanks for all the speedy and helpful replies. I e-mailed Canyon once a few weeks ago and got this rather unhelpful reply:

"Either an Aeroad or an Ultimate CF SLX will be perfectly suited to the type of riding you do.

In the end if you're unhappy when the bike arrives Canyon’s 30 day money back guarantee means that, providing the bike has not been used for more than a test ride on a clean, dry surface, we can offer an exchange or full refund anytime during the first 30 days after delivery of the goods."

So I e-mailed again last night and got this slightly more helpful one:

"The Aeroad is designed with aero performance in mind.

The Ultimate CF SLX is our all round road racer. It is a lot stiffer than the Aeroad, more comfortable and climbs better. The Ultimate CF SLX is the right bike for 90% of road riders."

Hard to convey tone and attitude in an e-mail but thought the second reply sounded a little snippy! Anyway, I guess it more or less confirms what has been discussed here. Seems like the Ultimate is stiffer and hopefully the 2013 version has seen some improvement in ride quality. Personally couldn't give a toss about having an aero frame. In the end, I'm gonna pull the trigger on the Ultimate with Super Record EPS and the R-sys SLRs. Wheels should be great for climbing and sturdy enough to withstand a beating on the cobbles of Flanders or Roubaix (not sure about getting through central London though!) With the great price, even leaves me with some change left over for some aero wheels. Only downside is the Ultimate delivery date is in April, 9 weeks later than the Aeroad.

Anyway, thanks for the help. Anyone else wants to chime in, feel free. Don't be shy!

Good choice mate! The EPS all black SLX paintjob is one of my favourites. I wish they did the Di2 version in that paint scheme.

One thing to consider though is the battery placing. The campy EPS has the bulky battery placed on the downtube while the di2 9070 version will have a trick cylindrical battery hidden away in the seat tube. Conclusion: The shimano will look a lot cleaner.

_________________
Canyon Ultimate SLX 2013 + DA9070 + Red Quarq + Corima Aero+ MCC (Ordered! 6.0kg)
Canyon AeroRoad + DA9000 + Lightning Power2Max + MCU's (6.5kg)
Cervelo P4 + G3 Powertap (7.78kg)
Cervelo SLC + SRAM Red 2013 + Red Quarq (6.8kg)

+1

_________________
2012 Canyon Aeroad CF 8.0 Di2 (6.250 grams)
2010 Canyon Grand Canyon F6
2012 (2013?) Canyon Speedmax Evo (is ordered)

Thanks aerozy! Goddamit! I had my mind all made up. Now I'm doubting. The other point is that the TEAM version with Di2 will ship 6 weeks sooner!!!

I'm riding a 2012 all black Ultimate CF (my 2nd) and love it. My Dogma2 collects dust. I'm interested in the 2013 but only if Canyon will sell as a frame only.
I only ride campy but if I would go electronic shifting it defiantly would be DI2 and I never thought I would say that. I only would buy campy if they change the battery pack and the design of the wire harness connectors who are so flimsy and brake just looking at it. I have seen it at my friends BS who are Campy experts. Simply made cheap and not up to Shimano standard. Oh my, did I just say that?

_________________
Pfeiffer's Rennrad Camp and Cycling Coach
Independent HED Wheels/Powertap Dealer

Hi,



I wouldn't change my mind if I were you.
First of the Aeroroad's geometry is not the same as the SLX's and you'll notice it. While I can see why some riders (pro or otherwise) would prefer it on perfectly flat roads or long stretches of cobble stones, to my mind that's about all it's good for (O.K. I exaggerate a bit).
Then there's this Shimano stuff on it that I wouldn't want but that's probably just me, I just view it as of little added value not to mention lowish resale value in the long run...

The SLX otoh could do with not too ueberstiff (in the vertical plane) wheels, preferably of the tubular persuasion, shod with nice quality tyres to give you a bit more comfort. Not that it's too stiff, just be aware it requires a well trained rider to bring it to its full glory.

In a nutshell; Aeroad > Gran Fondo style, CF > pure pro level competition.

Ciao,

_________________
Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

When did Gilbert ride the AL? He rode the CF SLX then the Aeroad at Lotto

Agreed. I'm a campag chap also, but that zeppelin battery thing isn't going on any bike of mine.

I've had a CF SLX for 2 years. As fdegrove says ... with some nice wheels and tubs it's an amazing bike ... mine with 202s and Vittoria SCs is a smooth killing machine. Also nice with Boras. Front end is not one to mate with alu spoked wheels on anything other than billiard table roads.

Friend has an Aeroad which I need to get a ride on to compate.