Canyon Speedmax CF

Continuing our series looking at time trial bikes, which has so far included Giant’s Trinity Advanced SL, the Ribble Ultra TT and the Wilier Twin Blade we have the Canyon Speedmax CF.

Canyon produced their first TT bike back in 2006, gathering together a team of specialists to help further the project, which included experts in engineering and aerodynamics plus top athletes like Michael Rich, the ex-Gerlosteiner pro with individual and team TT victories on his palmares. Skip forward 6 years and they needed all their skills again to build the Speedmax, which is the most complicated project the company has ever undertaken

 

And it seems that all their work paid off as the first official outing for the Speedmax CF was at the 2012 Giro d’Italia, where Katusha took second in the team time trial; not bad for a team that was put together to support climber Joaquim Rodriguez, not post TTT results. Team rider Denis Menchov had ridden the Speedmax CF on the track in testing and was able to ride at 47Kmh for a power output of only 270W – fast for not a lot of effort.

 

The UCI compliant frame, which is interchangeable between TT and triathlon positions by switching out the stem and seatpost, is available with Shimano electronic shifting, offering multiple changing positions. The batteries and cabling are all hidden away inside the frame to aid aerodynamics, with only 12cm of cabling left to snag the wind… (continued on page 2)>