2021 Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9 hardtail review: a racing MTB

[@PaulOz]

100% agreed... this bike is so so fast. But lose concentration for a moment, it does seem like it wants to kill you! Its stiffness makes it predictable on technical descents, and it's so easy to move around. But when you're tired - make allowances. Hit a rock or roots slightly off line and it kicks like a mule. LOVE it! Climbs like a road bike out the saddle.

[@wynchesster]

My 2021 Exceed CF-7 is in the mail and on the way. The lowest end model, but I still got tons of great info about the bike overall from this review. Found it very informative. Thanks!

[@rockefelleragent1357]

CF7 is not lowest end in the MTB market. It sits in the mid-range/mid-end. Canyon has higher standards, and doesn't overprice their bikes. Don't let the price fool you the CF7 competes with $3k~4k bikes.

[@philipk4475]

I'm nostalgic for the good old days of CyclingTips

[@chasepalpatine170]

Great review. Glad to see you all reviewing XC bikes. More please.

[@collinjerome8047]

i know Im asking the wrong place but does anyone know of a method to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow forgot my login password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me

[@reneluis8842]

@Collin Jerome instablaster :)

[@collinjerome8047]

@Rene Luis I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@reneluis8842]

@Collin Jerome no problem =)

[@AceGoodheart]

I really like the look of Canyon bikes. I've been riding a 2001 Klein Attitude Race for the past 20 years. I'm leaning on getting myself a new ride and passing on my Klein to my nephew. I'm no racer by any means but I do like quality mountain bikes. There was a HUGE difference in my $2,100 Klein and my $1,100 Gary Fisher Paragon. My Klein has performed so well all these years. You really do get what you pay for. Or maybe i just got really fortunate. Best purchase of my life was that Klein Attitude Race. MTB bikes have definitely changed over the years. I had no clue what a dropper post was lol. Tires are all tubeless now. No more front derailleurs. All brakes are disc brakes. Some nice changes for sure. I'm ready to get back into this sport/lifestyle. I've been on a 3 year hiatus getting fat and extremely out of shape. Now I'm ready to get in the best shape of my life and biking has always been the most fun way to get in shape. I miss it. F COVID, F diabetes. I'm taking my life back.

[@haakonwibe9379]

Awesome man! I had a Klein Adroid 98 for over 10 years myself. One of the best bikes I've ever ridden. Superquick acceleration and nimble. Looking to buy a Canyon Exceed CF 8 now. Hope it can measure up to the blueprint lol

[@TrixieHasFloppyEars]

Appreciate your honest and sincere review about the bike. It really encouraged me to crunch the numbers on Canyon's fit chart. I too am in between sizes, but opted for the medium due to the better reach than the small. My inseam is 83 inches. The bike fits me like a glove! Stand-over height is fine, but it is more like an old traditional steel road bike with a higher top tube than the current norm. For me at solid 215 lbs it rides like a dream! The only other MTB I've ever had is my fat bike at nearly 40 lbs. So, yeah, my Exceed SLX is a joy to ride! Love the electronic shifting too! As for the inverted style dropper-post, I thought about pitching it for another, but decided to keep it after I realized it allows me to add a saddle bag! Cheers from Copeland Forest (Oro-Medonte), Ontario, Canada!

[@SmoovNerd]

Excellent review, this helps TONS! On the fence for which bike to get next, an actual gravel bike or a really good hard tail.....this helped tons, may be the bike for me! Thanks again!

[@Alenalen8701]

this is exactly what im struggeling with. A Gravel bike or a good racing hard tail. really cant tell sadly

[@patcoll7455]

Hardtail a better buy ...gravel bikes are a joke

[@dainitesoles]

Let’s all start a club

[@cheetah694]

The dropper is amazing. You can squeeze it with your knees and feel super connected to the bike to rail those bowl turns on descends. And you can do jumps and don’t feel the saddle kicking you up. It’s the best dropper I’ve used. The idea that you need the saddle completely out of the way is wrong.

[@andypaul999]

This would make an excellent gravel bike

[@glennoc8585]

Yeah thinking same

[@Foster_B]

I think it’d make a good xc race hard tail

[@rockefelleragent1357]

This is the Porsche of bike. Gravel bike is too slow for this.

[@PaulOz]

Yup - climbs like a road bike!

[@olandriocompanero5231]

Very good review with lots of interesting Details. Thank you.

[@hiro111]

Great review. Seems like a great bike... for MVDP.

[@trroland1248]

If buying this bike, I would be worried about getting the correct fit.

[@Toto_Muc]

So, you are disliking all the extra features of the SLX ( dropper post, axs groupset and the one piece cockpit). Why did you say in the beginning that the you recommend the slx (and not the Standard cf)?

[@DjTomnie]

When size 54 cm will be available?

[@joseluissantiago7971]

Very nice review. Hope you can also review a trek 2021 procaliber 9.7 or 9.8 cheers

[@chrburgos]

I'm between procaliber 9.8 and exceed cf slx 8. What is better?

[@EnduRACEcoaching]

Is it tubeless tires coming out of factory or do we need do buy our own ?

[@Chriesje11]

The wheels come with inner tubes but are tubeless ready just as the tires. Remove the inner tubes, fit in a tubeless valve kit and add some sealant. Super easy, it also works with a normal pump.

[@rockefelleragent1357]

@@Chriesje11 You bullshittin'.... this bike comes tubeless. They remove the tube, make it tubeless, put em in the box, and ship to your house. I have proof.

[@PaulOz]

@@rockefelleragent1357 Mine came with latex tubes fitted....

[@rockefelleragent1357]

@@PaulOz You are right... I found out the painful and hard way. After I got punctures on both of the wheels the puncture would not get fixed on its own...(was expecting sealant to fix them). So I tried putting sealant inside the tire but it would not fix, all air gets out. So I finally deceided to take the plunge by removing the tire from the rim and there was a tube...all covered with white sealant. It was a mess ☹🙊🙉 I removed the tube and put the tire back on with new dose of sealant but air escapes right away 🥺😥....turned out that I had multiple punctures on each tire and was real pain to patch them. One of the two tires I got it working...the other tire had to go. I had to buy a new tire to go tubeless. ☹

[@glennoc8585]

Nice. About xc frames have gone 67 deg on the head tube now

[@tomjens2046]

so what is the bike for technical and rough trails?

[@terrancegrant1664]

She's a beauty!

[@PsychopathyInArabic]

I am 179 cm. Should I go with medium or large ?

[@Paulklampeeps]

My height is 173cm and I have a bike that has 440 reach and it feels spot on. Definitely you should go for the large

[@stefanlukic7272]

You are entering in the beginning of large scale,so I would definately pick L...

[@AnCap16]

185/87 insame, maybe L size?

[@markdandridge79]

Value for money 200 miles in one month

[@kibot2815]

Just reminder that Pauline doesnt ride for canyon anymore

[@VeloVeloVeloTV]

Indeed! This was filmed before that news came out.

[@rockefelleragent1357]

Man that's one sexy bike (I have one, lol)... You guys complain too much. If you want softer bike for rough trails then have at it but there is trade-off. You will be slower in the straights and hill climbing...

[@michaelohare390]

What would you suggest that would have better handlebars /cockpit, so you wouldn't feel beat up after it?

[@cheetah694]

@@michaelohare390 I ride Exceed almost daily and I’ve never felt freshier. The review is biased. The bike is perfect for what it’s meant for.

[@김영길-l1v]

Why are there no cfr version of lux??? Anyway thanks for great video!! Really enjoyable!!

[@niklasweber9173]

MVDP always ride the canyon Lux😅

[@cheetah694]

He was also seen on Exceed.

[@janvanrookhuijzen8309]

Great review. Considering the slx8 myself, ..or 2020 Giant xtc adv SL 1, ..Trek procaliber 9.8, .. can't decide :(. Only about the frame weight.. even the budget carbon frame from Giant (XTC Advanced) is lighter. So, not really impressed at this price point. Also I really don't like the looks of the new cable routing. Ugly bends and it's rubbing the bar. Complete package looks great though.

[@cheetah694]

It doesn’t rub anything.

[@RITADEVI-ey5yx]

I am from india how I can purchase it

[@High_Octane]

Have not seen a xc review for awhile, they seems so awkward to me, gravel bike please. or trail mtb.

[@VeloVeloVeloTV]

We leave the trail mountain bike stuff up to our colleagues at PinkBike. ;)

[@High_Octane]

@@VeloVeloVeloTV faaaiiir enough

[@zatanick5676]

5, 000 dlls. ID rather buy a motorcycle.

[@user-ov7sx5ur6u]

Epic HT or yhis

[@지니-l2o]

174cm~~~~~M? S?

[@eugeniomachado3394]

get an S, I have one exceed 7 size M (which is the same frame with lower quality carbon fiber) I'm 1,75 with 85 inner leg length and I feel she's a little bit to big for me...

[@cheetah694]

S for sure.