Every stiff frame seems to 'respond instantly'. we were overawed by the superior brand and aesthetics and without using scales or timing our runs - how did we know which trainers were really the fastest? In the same sense, how can anyone say that one frame responds instantly, which must mean that others don't respond instantly. The marketing guy from Fox said the new titanium-crown forks are smoother than alumimum-crown forks, again how can he tell this on a moving part - suspension?
The Canyon Final is not great value, it is as well as a great ride. The bicycle reacts to pedal input instantly, & responds to steering input & body shifts as quickly. This bicycle wills you to go faster, to push yourself that bit harder & ride on the limit. Compared with its rivals here it is less refined, but for fast blasts & out of the saddle thrashing it is the ideal machine.
On longer rides the incredible VCLS seatpost takes the sting out of rougher roads â?? the basalt/carbon mix of material offering a high level of flex that delivers bags of comfort in a way we have not encountered from any other carbon post on the market.
Up front it is less refined, with a bit more buzz transmitted through the handlebar. It is not in any way uncomfortable, more noticeable than the super-smooth Scapin or the Time's magic carpet ride. But the Final is such a pure racer's bicycle with such great qualities, we'd be over happy with it at two times the cost.
Seatpost, Canyon's own design, the VCLS seatpost weaves in basalt fibres. Basalt has times the elasticity of carbon & you can feel the flex through the stool of your pants. If your bicycle feels a bit harsh out back, this might be the answer.
What makes the Final special?
Headset, Canyon's smart i-Lock headset method eliminates the necessity for a traditional internal bung & tapered interface, meaning the carbon steerer is free of stresses or potential destroy from a badly fitted headset or over-clamping.
Seat-tube, Another design patented by Canyon, the seat-tube tapers sharply from narrow at the top to thick & offset at the bottom bracket, which is massively oversized for stiffness but hollow to keep weight to a maximum.
Drivetrain, Normally they would not make a fuss about a full Shimano Dura-Ace groupset on an out & out superbike, but to have the full complement on a superbike that only costs £2600 That is something to shout about.
Opinion> There was no real frame of reference. haven ridden three bikes, one a steel road, one an aluminium road, and the other an aluminium track, I can say that there definitely was a difference in stiffness. It's hard - if not impossible - to put it exactly in words, but the aluminium track bike just felt so meaty, instant, direct, and clean. Importantly, however, these things are also quantifiable. We can, as you say, place the Nike sneakers on our hands. But we can also measure them on a weighing machine. Likewise with bike frames, we can see how much tension they can take before they fail. Just because we can't easily measure things like 'directness' and 'smoothness' doesn't mean they don't exist in a way that's meaningful.
Let me put it this way. Imagine a bike made out of cardboard. Now imagine pedalling the cranks. Surely there would be flex, because you would be applying sufficient force to flex the cardboard frame and pedals. No doubt steel would react differently to cardboard. So why would there be any reason for a carbon fibre frame to act the same as steel ones, when they're made of a different material? Likewise with, say, a Giant frame with a huge bottom bracket area. Are you telling me that those extra grams of carbon fibre would make pretty much no difference to the way the frame reacted to various twisting forces?
The crux is this: only those sensitive and experienced enough could discern those subtle - and not so subtle - differences between bikes. I know I could, to some degree. There is indeed a lot of bullshit, but I find it hard to believe that a) there would be no appreciable difference between a superlight superstiff carbon frame and a BSO b) Canyon can sell this bike for so little.