Having already generated a tidal wave of internet buzz with the release of the new Spectral 29 last week, it would appear that Canyon isn’t quite ready to sign off for 2020. Slipping in just before the Xmas rush, the German direct-to-consumer giant is debuting a brand new mountain bike called the Stoic. Built around an alloy frame with new-school geometry, the Stoic is pitched as a rowdy UK-style hardtail that aims to bring maximum fun at a minimal price.
The Canyon Stoic – What’s The Dealio?
The Stoic is an all-new model for Canyon. It’s a hardtail, so it sits alongside the Exceed and Grand Canyon, but the Stoic is quite a bit more aggro than those two. Canyon calls it “a Spectral 29 without the rear squishy bits“, and looking at the geometry and build kit, that sounds like a pretty good way to describe it. This ain’t your Dad’s old XC hardtail.
Big Forks & Plump Rubber
While it is a hardtail, this is most certainly no XC bike. Canyon has equipped the Stoic with a 140mm travel RockShox fork, and it’s rolling on aggressive 2.35in wide Schwalbe tyres, with a Magic Mary up front and a Hans Dampf out back. There’s plenty of mud clearance with the stock tyres, and there’s room for bigger rubber too – you can fit up to a 29×2.6in or a 27.5×2.8in tyre in the back end if you fancy adding a bit more squish.
That Looks Pretty Raked!
It most certainly is – the Stoic gets a 65° head angle and a long front centre to maximise descending stability. The Medium frame features a very healthy reach (455mm on the Medium and 480mm on the Large), which actually gets longer when you sit on the bike and the fork sags into its travel. Canyon has paired the long front centre to a stubby 40mm long stem for all frame sizes, and up to a 780mm wide handlebar.
Without any linkages or pivots to complicate things, the rigid back end can be made quite short – 428mm on the bigger sizes, and 418mm on the smaller sizes. This aims to trade up some high-speed stability to boost the Stoic’s playful demeanour.
No Frills Alloy Frame
Keeping the cost low and durability high, the Stoic’s frame is built with 6061-T6 heat treated alloy tubes that are mechanically formed and then welded together. It’s all been kept nice and simple too – there’s a threaded bottom bracket, a tapered head tube, and external routing for the rear brake hose. You get Boost 148x12mm dropouts at the back, but there’s no fancy Quixle, just a plain bolt-up axle.
While the derailleur and dropper post cables do route inside the frame, there are no whizz-bang cable tunnels or high-tech port systems. However, Canyon has built a big opening underneath the downtube to provide easier access to the internal cables during maintenance.
Size Specific Wheels
The Stoic is available in a huge range of frame sizes, from XX-Small through to X-Large. According to Canyon, that covers riders as short as 149cm (4’10”), all the way up to 200cm (6’6″) tall.
The smaller frame sizes (XXS-S) are built specifically around 27.5in wheels, while the larger sizes (M-XL) are built around 29in wheels. Canyon has done this to keep the stack height consistent throughout the range, and it also allows the smaller frames to get that shorter chainstay length too.
Two Models, Sub-$3K Price Tags
Canyon will be launching two Stoic models in Australia for 2021. Pricing starts at $1,899 AUD for the Stoic 3, and tops out at $2,649 AUD for the Stoic 4. Both bikes are spec’d with the same alloy frame, the same wheelset, tyres, dropper post and cockpit. The main difference between the two bikes is in the fork and groupset, with the Stoic 4 getting a higher quality RockShox Pike, a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain and Guide T brakes.
Either way, if you’re a rider on a more modest budget, or you’re someone who’s new to the sport, or you’re just after big bike geometry in a simpler all-weather-friendly package with fewer moving parts to worry about and maintain, then the Stoic is a new option to add to your list of potentials.
So how does it ride? We’ve just received the Stoic 4 to put to the test on our home trails – stay tuned for the full Flow review, coming soon!
2021 Canyon Stoic 3
- Frame | 6061-T6 Alloy
- Fork | RockShox Recon RL, Solo Air Spring, 140mm Travel
- Wheels | Shimano MT400 Hubs & Alex DP30 Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Schwalbe Magic Mary Super Trail ADDIX Soft 2.35in Front & Hans Dampf Super Trail ADDIX Soft 2.35in Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM SX Eagle 1×12 w/SX Eagle 30T Crankset & 11-50T Cassette
- Brakes | SRAM Level T, 2-Piston
- Bar | Canyon Iridium, Width: 740mm (XXS-XS), 760mm (S), 780mm (M-XL)
- Stem | Canyon Iridium, 40mm Length
- Seatpost | Canyon Iridium Dropper, Travel: 125mm (XXS), 150mm (XS-S), 170mm (M-XL)
- Available Sizes | XX-Small, X-Small, Small, Medium, Large & X-Large
- RRP | $1,899 AUD
2021 Canyon Stoic 4
- Frame | 6061-T6 Alloy
- Fork | RockShox Pike Select RC, DebonAir Spring, 140mm Travel
- Wheels | Shimano MT400 Hubs & Alex DP30 Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Width
- Tyres | Schwalbe Magic Mary Super Trail ADDIX Soft 2.35in Front & Hans Dampf Super Trail ADDIX Soft 2.35in Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM NX Eagle 1×12 w/Descendent 30T Crankset & 11-50T Cassette
- Brakes | SRAM Guide T, 4-Piston
- Bar | Canyon Iridium, Width: 740mm (XXS-XS), 760mm (S), 780mm (M-XL)
- Stem | Canyon Iridium, 40mm Length
- Seatpost | Canyon Iridium Dropper, Travel: 125mm (XXS), 150mm (XS-S), 170mm (M-XL)
- Available Sizes | XX-Small, X-Small, Small, Medium, Large & X-Large
- RRP | $2,649 AUD
Mo’ Flow Please!
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