Is The CANYON GRAIL Good For BIKEPACKING?

[@hasanehalim1873]

*Love the colors and **Latest.Bike** build. Rides smooth right out of the box. If you are looking to get in to riding for fitness, this is a great ride.*

[@peterbrewin4319]

Great video very helpful. Recently ordered a Canyon Grizl. They told me it was in stock then took three months to send it, when the bike finally arrived had a broken gear lever and the brake rotor on the rear wheel was bent, no damage to the box, it was shipped broken. Customer service was absolutely terrible, they just don't care and can't be bothered. Bike seems ok but I will never buy from Canyon again.

[@GalymzhanKirbassov]

Great review! I've ordered Grizl CF SL 8 which should be delivered soon. In theory, it should solve all the problems with Grail that you have mentioned. And I am watching your bikepacking videos in Norway. Absolutely amazing and inspirational.

[@matthewnorway]

Nice, the canyon grizl will be perfect for Norway!

[@CHRISTIANZEGARRA2018]

Can you do a video about your Grizl CF SL 8 experience? planning on buying this coming months :)

[@MikruZ13]

And how was your experience with Grizl , guys ?

[@nicknick194]

These are some of the best videos on KZbin! They are just awesome. I love that you use a proper bike! Where are you from in the uk, you sound like a fellow northerner 😆👍

[@matthewnorway]

Sunny Manchester

[@Nightfox56]

Great review! I own a Grail 8.0 myself and can absolutely confirm everything you said. Also with regard to the saddle: cause that's the only thing I disliked about the bike

[@matthewnorway]

Glad you think the same - such a great bike!

[@andycolby5541]

Nice bike and all the things you pointed out that you would have liked to have had on your Canyon were on my must have list, simply to make choosing gear easier and attaching it. I went for the Bombtrack Hook EXT-C which is also German and like your bike is super fast even as a 1x11 set up. keep up with the content, loving the views of Norway.

[@DustySingletrack]

Nice review. Agree wholeheartedly with what you say. I think it's also worth saying that due to the cockpit you get a lack of options to shorten / raise stem - I'm 5'8" and a medium was slightly too big for me. Not enough to change up but when I upgrade to the Di2 GRX version I'll probably go for a small. With regards bike packing I'd agree with being perfect for Europe. I took mine around Argyll & Bute and it coped with everything admirably and I'm looking forward to taking it around some more countries - hopefully Slovenia and Switzerland 👍🏼

[@matthewnorway]

Thanks for you input and very good point regarding the stem! Have fun in Slovenia and Switzerland when things open back up again 🚴🏻‍♂️👍

[@silverthesecond1944]

Hey! I’m 16 going on 17 and still growing a little bit. I’m 5,9 do you think the medium would work for me?

[@TheUniverse915]

Thanks for the review Matt, not sure you reply but would you reccomend this on the discounted price or pay a bit more for the 2024 version that just came out?

[@matthewnorway]

Personally, I would get the discounted price bike.

[@larsheidrich3836]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge about this beautiful bike. I had to make a decision between an Canyon Grail Al and a Rose Backroad Al. Because the Backroad has more mounts my decision was clear. Now I hope it will arrive early enough that I can travel in summer with it. I have to wait five more months :-(

[@matthewnorway]

Five months, Is that because of Covid?! I checked you're bike out, looks really nice! Hope it arrives in time!

[@larsheidrich3836]

@@matthewnorway Thank you! Yes, it‘s behause of Covid. Parts are not aviable... many people want a new bike... but if the bike arrives in time I will be happy, even if I have to wait this verry looooong time. It would be verry interesting to see how you handle it to have enough food during your tours in northern Norway? I think water is no problem😅 I heart that food in Norway is verry expensive. Do you have some tipps to save money?

[@matthewnorway]

@@larsheidrich3836 I guess good things come to those that wait. Imagine that first ride, it will be epic! I will make a video about food costs in Norway. They are crazy high but you can budget (kind of)!

[@kidShibuya]

I go camping (more or less bikepacking but my friends drive there) with a topeak front loader, a frame bag and a tailfin. Holds all I need on my Grail.

[@matthewnorway]

Nice! Sounds like a very good set up! I like Topeak's bags and I've heard Tailfin have the best rear racks for the Grail.

[@s1ngularityxd64]

really nice review, bike looks so cool

[@jimindetran6163]

Hey neighbour! From Sweden here and was also planning to go a long tour bikecamping. Wondered. Did you got a mudguard during your trip or you went without one?

[@matthewnorway]

I only cycle in the summer when the roads are reasonably clean. If you use bikepacking bags then they act as a mudguard and protect you to a certain degree in the wet. Easy to wipe clean afterwards so I don’t really feel I need mudguards. But I guess it depends on where you go and at what time of year.

[@grvl307]

I have the Grail AL 7.0 . The first version with the rack mounts (the current one doesn't have them anymore :(( ) - I also have a 3d bottle cage mounting place. The AL is a little bit better for touring/bikepacking than the CF. With large volume tyres and the flexing seat post it is plenty comfortable as well. Still not as good as carbon. But I can easily do 150+ km rides without getting uncomfortable :)

[@matthewnorway]

Thanks for your feedback René. Them mounts must make a big difference and it’s strange they stopped installing them on the new edition? Isn’t It a great feeling being able to ride 150+ km without feeling uncomfortable! Love the Grail!

[@grvl307]

@@matthewnorway I don't know why they stopped putting the rack mounts on. But I'm happy I have them! I did ride the CF and it feels a lot more light-footed than the AL 😁

[@megalep7025]

I see the point that you can ride faster with a gravel bike than an mtb, but there is no suspension. I as a middle aged man(51) whio has had had both roadbike and mtb without suspension, a hardtail and finally a full suspension Giant Anthem which I've had for 4 years - I will say that for me there is no turning back from full suspension on gravel and trail. The comfort and the feeling of security is so much higher. You can ride fast on bad gravel roads without problems whatsoever on washboards or other difficulties, and then anywhere you like switch over to trail and ride faster and safer than with a no-suspension bike. I find it more fun too. I see the point in bikepacking when you must travel far and often also on paved roads. But how on earth can anyone prefer the totally non existing comfort on a bike without suspension? For us with back- or neckpain issues our first full suspension bike is an eye opener!

[@matthewnorway]

I agree with your points. MTB bike is on my list to buy but I still love my gravel bike!

[@johnnylong2049]

Beautiful. I’m so undecided between this and cannondale topstone carbon

[@matthewnorway]

Tough decision, I'm sure either will bring plenty of joy!

[@mountfairweather]

Shut up and buy the Canyon!

[@bennetthasty7886]

I just ordered the 2021 Canyon Grail AL7 & looking forward to it they did add new down tube mount but still none on the forks FYI

[@matthewnorway]

Good to know, thanks. Have fun with your new Canyon Grail! 🚴🏻‍♂️💨☀️

[@erwinhartenberg9294]

Hey Matthew great video's with a good sense of humor ;-) This year we (my girlfriend and I) are hoping to go to the North Cape. We take the Sweden route to visit friends along the way. My girlfriend owns a gravelbike without the attachment points like you're grail. How did you mount the racks on you're front fork? Because we go camping the seat / frame / handlebar bags are just not enough to fit everything. So we try to fit some bags to the front fork. In you're video I saw you attached some bags to the front fork. So we are curious how you did it. Keep the smile and keep on riding

[@matthewnorway]

here you go: www.topeak.com/global/en/products/288-Bikepacking-Series/1129-VERSACAGE

[@Hapidjus_]

Great video, currently looking to buy the AL version of the grail or maybe the grizl bike. What is that bikerack you are using? The 2021 version of the grail does not come with bike rack attachment points :(

[@matthewnorway]

The rack is in this video and in the description you'll find the link to the model. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5mXh6xvqc-Leq8

[@alexmorgan3435]

What were Canyon thinking by not even giving it mounts for a rear rack or mounts on the front forks for bottle Anything cages? I guess they wanted to keep the cost of making the frame really low and the mark up high? For me the derailleur gears are definitely a deal breaker on a bike like this. The pic of the belt drive bike you flashed up would be the sort of bike I would want to ride on a long demanding tour where the weather and conditions can be very poor.

[@ThisHaloFan]

The aluminium bike comes with a 3rd set of mounts on the underside on the downtube you can you to attach bolt-on bikepacking bags. Kinda wish they included the ones on the top tube like on the Endurace, but I’ve not had any issues with bikepacking bags. If you want to do rougher, longer rides the Grizl is probably a better idea - 50c clearance and heaps of mounts. Tbh I don’t do crazy trips with very rough terrain, so the Grail was preferable to me. Grizl would definitely tick the boxes you’ve mentioned though.

[@ThisHaloFan]

You can also buy the AL in a 1x drivetrain if that’s more your speed as well.

[@qfgerg5775]

Hey man, your vidéo was exactly what i needed to see (i want to invest a lot of money for the first time on a bike i want a multipurpose bike for bikepacking mountain and not having regrets about the speed ( i don t think i will spend this kind of money for a very long time to buy a bike ) ) I m ind of in love with the grail even if i know he is not really fited for bikepacking and you answered to all my questions but one, what rear rack are you using on it ? (i red that most of the rear racks attached without eyelets are not fitted for carbon bicycle frame )

[@cwoble]

hi matt I have the same bike and as I am bike packing this summer I wanted to get a frontloader to take sleeping bag, however when I tried the Ortlieb model it touched the frontwheel. btw next year Norway is on the list

[@thecat4272]

great review

[@DerAusreiter]

Thanks for your video. The Holy Grail! Will get mine in the next days. Subscribed 🎉

[@marcosmorales266]

Such a good-looking bike! Its a pity it doesn't have the mount screws on the back!

[@matthewnorway]

It would be too perfect then 😉

[@faceit3609]

Hello from Norway. I dont know if I should buy the grail al or grizl al. I ride most on asphalt 70% of the time. I can only afford ONE bike. Will the Grizl be noticable slower on road? And which bike would be more comfortable? I am doing trips around 50-70 km, around 150 km a week. I want to be comfortable on the road, i am not competing - only agains myself.

[@matthewnorway]

If you ride 70% on asphalt then I would go for the grail al but if you want to do bikepacking the grizl is better as it has mounts in the frame to attach racks etc.

[@mashmallowsnowy3328]

Worrying about Grizl or Grail gen2 😂I like the Grizl for more aggressive & safe adventure but i like the Grail more on the look especially the handlebar，the new grail handlebar looks so cool like a road bike😂

[@JaqueParisien]

Beautiful bike Matthew! I noticed it the very first time I saw your videos. Did you know that we can't buy the brand in Canada? I would have to order from the U.S. Anyway, I already have three in my apartment, same types as yours : road, gravel and a single speed for the city. Thanks for sharing.

[@matthewnorway]

That's really strange you can't buy a Canyon in Canada! You'd think Canada would be a big market for Canyon?! Good to hear you've got the essentials - road, gravel, and city! I bet Canada has some great off-road tracks?

[@JaqueParisien]

@@matthewnorway You bet Matthew! From beautiful bike paths to single track in gorgeous national parks, we certainly can't complain. What makes Norway so appealing to me is due to the fact that it looks quite a bit like one of Québec's most beautiful region, Gaspésie. But Norway, wow! We are so lucky. Take care.

[@julienpuech8666]

Hi, thanks for your video. Really interesting. What is the model / brand for the back structure for the bags, please? I also have a grizl but I don't know how I'm gonna put my bags...

[@magnusljadas2109]

Interesting, I find the hoverbar really good for bikepacking

[@matthewnorway]

That surprises me! Which handlebar bag do you use?

[@arnohakk114]

I totally agree, I have the Topeak Frontloader and also attach my sleeping bag and matrace to it. This way I can even squeeze some stuff like food in there as well.

[@xaviermassart2139]

Hi Matthew ! Thank you for your vidéos. I.m planning à Bikepacking trip there this summer. Whats the best way to contact you to exchange on your route choices? Cheers

[@matthewnorway]

Hi Xavier, I’m getting more and more information requests as I grow the channel. Starting in the March I will do a live Q&aA on KZbin each month for everyone who has questions and requires further information about traveling in Norway. I will let you know the date when it’s confirmed.

[@JohnLee-ud8tw]

Have you tried throwing road aero wheels on the grail? Seems like it would make it ride even better for tarmac

[@matthewnorway]

If I was only using my grail for road with a light set up that is certainly a good idea!

[@matthewnorway]

@@philipjackson8584 It depends on many factors. How heavy your bike set up is? How far you expect to travel, What sort of tires you will have on. Your bike takes a beating being ridden every day for a long period of time. Expensive carbon wheels will get a lot of wear and tear are you happy for that to happen?

[@timmichaelsen207]

Nice review! @matthew which bags are you using ?

[@matthewnorway]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5mXh6xvqc-Leq8

[@travis2wheels]

Really curious how you mounted your top tube bag? Since there isn’t a traditional stem, I’ve been concerned that a top tube bag would be tough to place on it.

[@matthewnorway]

duck tape

[@matteoe.2496]

Great review! at 6.35 wich rack are you using? what did you buy to adat the rack to the bike? ty

[@matthewnorway]

Hi Matteo, the rack info is mentioned in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5mXh6xvqc-Leq8 (time 13.40)

[@LuxonGuildftw]

Hey Matthew, great content! I just received my canyon grail al 6 last week and I am super stoked about my first bike packing trips. But I wonder if you exceed the maximum luggage weight recommended by canyon which is 15 kg according to the manual that was included in the bike delivery. I was kind of surprised and am now really unsure if it is safe to go above 15kg luggage weight. I only weigh

[@matthewnorway]

From Canyon: "The models GRAIL CF and GRAIL AL are designed so that you can also take your luggage in specific pannier bags for road and fitness bikes. Make sure that you do not exceed the permissible overall weight (rider, luggage and bicycle together) of 120 kg." I have cycled for three years with more than 15kg on my frame. I weigh 65kg so the max (rider, luggage and bicycle) has been about 93kg but usually around 85kg. You have an AL which is more robust than CL so personally I wouldn't worry about exceeding 15kg especially if you have good weight distribution. But note I'm no expert and if unsure you should contact Canyon for professional advice and then make up your own mind.

[@4everBeaconman]

Has anyone heard if it is possible to adjust an aeerobar on those handlebars?

[@SaikSaketh]

Great review mate, can I put on the tyres that are on these Grail CF L 8 to the new grizl ?

[@matthewnorway]

I don't see why not, the Grizl has a clearance of 50mm. Grail 42mm

[@gunnaraavik]

Would Canon Grail be suitable bike for riding the Rallervegen in Norway ?

[@matthewnorway]

yes

[@jorgepradagast4818]

How much weight did you put in the rear rack? I never see rack in carbon bikes before.

[@matthewnorway]

5kg - google tailfin

[@gijsvandebrug2990]

How to you put bags on your fork and what kind of luggage rack do you use?

[@matthewnorway]

studio.kzbin.infoQh4Vy9tjXDM/edit www.topeak.com/global/en/products/288-Bikepacking-Series/1129-VERSACAGE www.thule.com/en-sk/bike-packs-bags-and-racks/panniers-and-bike-bags

[@Balovante]

Song in the intro? pls

[@lukasreissig4500]

How wide are your tires? Which tyres are they?

[@matthewnorway]

schwalbe g-one bite 40mm

[@HansComyn]

Lovely! How did you decide on the size?

[@matthewnorway]

www.canyon.com/en-no/buying-tools/positioning-system/

[@sergeykeso8178]

@@matthewnorway a what height you. And what size choose)? Thx

[@creepycreeps4914]

Is this a Canyon Grail 6?

[@matthewnorway]

Canyon Grail SL 8.0

[@ZixxTheLegend]

Grizl 😆