On Test | Take A Closer Look At The 2020 Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0

As 2020 model year mountain bikes continue to come through thick and fast, Canyon has joined the fray with the rollout of several new bikes in preparation for the summer riding season. We’ve already had a look at the 2020 Canyon Spectral range, and here we’re going to be looking at some of the sharper bikes in the German brand’s lineup; the 2020 Lux & Exceed.

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
Canyon is bolstering its Lux range with seven new models for 2020.

Give Us The Lux-Lowdown!

For those who are unfamiliar with the name, the Lux is Canyon’s 100mm travel XC full suspension race bike, which has been designed to carry riders like Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Mathieu van der Poel to World Cup glory.

The latest Lux platform was launched last year, with a wholesale redesign over the previous version. As well as the new suspension design, the latest Lux chassis has been whittled away to drop some serious grams over the old bike. And at just 1662g for the bare frame, it stands as the lightest and most advanced carbon fibre XC race bike that Canyon has ever produced.

2020 canyon lux pauline ferrand prevot
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot racing the Canyon Lux on the technical trails of Mont-Saint-Anne, where she somehow pulled back a 29-second lead by Bec McConnell to take the win. The XC race scene has been properly thrilling this year!
2020 canyon lux cf slx mathieu van der poel
Canyon-sponsored athlete, Mathieu van der Poel, had a short but blinding season on the mountain bike. Here he is riding his Lux race bike to victory at Val di Sole in Italy.

SL vs SLX

While the Lux is a strictly carbon fibre-only affair, Canyon does offer two versions; the cheaper SL and the more expensive SLX. Both frames share exactly the same shape, the same geometry, and the same Flex Pivot suspension design. The SLX is simply made from more exotic carbon fibre, which makes it the lighter of the two.

We should point out that the above frame weight for the Lux CF SLX frame is a bit of a headline-grabber from Canyon. By the time you add in the rear shock, Quixle thru-axle, IPU headset, derailleur hanger and various bits and bobs, the frame weight actually goes up to 2128g. That’s still bloody light, though not as svelte as the recently-released 2020 Trek Supercaliber.

As for the cheaper Lux CF SL frame? Canyon says that weighs just 190g more.

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
The Lux is a svelte carbon fibre full suspension XC race bike.
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
The uber-thin carbon seatstays are designed to flex throughout the suspension travel.

Heads-Down, Bums-Up

Canyon isn’t fooling around with the Lux – the geometry on this scorcher is 100% for the racetrack. Both the head and seat angles are steep at 70° & 74.5° respectively, while the chainstay length is compact at 435mm. This is quite a bit shorter than the previous generation Lux, which had a 450mm long back end. The reach measurements have gone the other way though, with the new Lux growing about 20mm longer in each of the four frame sizes. It’s still not exactly Mondraker-long though.

Of note is that the geometry is slightly different for the cheaper Lux CF SL models, which come with a slightly longer 110mm travel fork, compared to the 100mm fork that is spec’d on the SLX models. This kicks both the head and seat angles back by half a degree.

2020 canyon lux geometry
Geometry for the 2020 Canyon Lux SLX and SL. The SL comes with a longer 110mm travel fork, which kicks the angles back by half a degree.

Double Lockout

Being an XC race bike, the Lux comes equipped with a dual remote lockout that allows the rider to simultaneously lockout both the fork and shock at the same time.

As for the suspension itself, the Lux utilises a single-pivot arrangement with a one-piece carbon swingarm. That swingarm connects to both a very short alloy link at the top of the seat tube, as well as a composite yoke that links the seatstays to the end of the rear shock. You’ll also notice that there’s no pivot around the rear dropout. Instead, the Lux relies on flexion through the slender carbon seatstays as the suspension cycles through its travel.

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
Canyon employs the Flex Point suspension design on the Lux, with a one-piece carbon swingarm.
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
There’s a tiny alloy link that connects the seatstays to the seat tube, and a composite yoke that joins the seatstays to the rear shock.
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
Such clean lines!

As well as being lightweight, the minimalist pivot and linkage configuration allows for more clearance inside the mainframe – enough to fit two 800ml water bottles on every frame size, including the Small. That sees the Lux join the Specialized Epic, Orbea Oiz, and Trek Supercaliber as one of the few full suspension bikes to accommodate two bottles.

1X Only & The World’s Tiniest Chain Guide!

No, that isn’t a manufacturing error – it’s an itty-bitty chainguide! That little piece of alloy weighs just 4.2g and keeps watch over the chain. It bolts directly to the main pivot, and can be rotated to accommodate a chainring from 30-38T.

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0 sram 1x12 eagle stylo carbon chainguide
The 1x chainguide bolts directly into the main pivot.
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0 quixle thru-axle
The Quixle uses a pull-out lever to loosen and remove the rear axle.

Speaking of, the Lux is a 1x-specific frame. That’s kind of unusual for an XC bike from a big German brand, especially given that both the latest Neuron and Spectral trail bikes are 2x compatible. But Canyon reckons that when it comes to XC racing, it’s all about the 1x setup.

The 2020 Canyon Lux Range

There will be seven Lux models available for the 2020 model year, starting at $4,549 for the Lux CF SL 6.0, and going up to a staggering $11,049 for the Lux CF SLX 9.0 Race LTD!

The model we’ve got on test is the Goldilocks Edition™, also known as the Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0, which sits smack-bang in the middle of the range. This bike will be with us for a few months as a longterm test bike, so expect to see a detailed review in the future. In the meantime, feel free to shoot us through any questions you’ve got.

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
Wil’s been riding the 2020 Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0 for the past few weeks. Got any questions for him about the bike? Drop them into the comments below!
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0 water bottles
Every frame size will take two water bottles inside the mainframe.
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0 rockshox sid select debonair 110mm
The SL models come with a 110mm travel fork up front.
2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0 rockshox sid select 110 reynolds tr249 carbon maxxis rekon
Our test bike features a 2.25in Maxxis Rekon front tyre for more grip and stability.

Regardless of price, all models feature 1×12 drivetrains with a 34T chainring, though you’ll see that Canyon has moved away from Grip Shift, and is instead spec’ing each bike with standard trigger shifters. Those are bolted to unfashionably narrow 720mm bars, while an 80mm stem features on every frame size. And aside from the cheapest model, all Lux’s are now equipped with a dropper post for 2020.

As well as coming with the longer 110mm travel fork, you’ll see that the Lux CF SL models also get a more generously-treaded Maxxis Rekon front tyre, while the Lux CF SLXs run the super-speedy Maxxis Aspen front and rear. Another interesting spec note is fork offset. Regardless of travel, all models with a Fox fork get a 44mm offset, while RockShox forks have a 51mm offset.

2020 canyon lux cf sl 6.0
The firetruck-red Lux CF SL 6.0 kicks off proceedings for less than five grand.

2020 Canyon Lux CF SL 6.0

2020 canyon lux cf sl 7.0
With a Fox 34 Step-Cast fork and a Shimano XT 12-speed groupset, we expect the 2020 Canyon Lux CF SL 7.0 will be one of the most popular options out of the lot.

2020 Canyon Lux CF SL 7.0

2020 canyon lux cf sl 7.0 wmn
Canyon offers the 7.0 spec level in a women’s specific model that’s built around the same frame.

020 Canyon Lux CF SL 7.0 WMN

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
The Goldilocks model; the CF SL 9.0, which is the bike we’ve got on test.

2020 Canyon Lux CF SL 8.0

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
Canyon drops 190g of weight with the SLX frame, and specs a shorter 100mm travel fork to sharpen up the angles.

2020 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0

2020 canyon lux cf slx 9.0 team
With the Lux CF SLX 9.0 Team model, you’re getting Fox Factory Series suspension, carbon DT Swiss wheels, and Shimano XTR. Delicious.

2020 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0 Team

2020 canyon lux cf slx 9.0 race ltd
The lightest Lux model also happens to be the most expensive. The Lux CF SLX 9.0 Race LTD weighs just 10.1kg, but costs over $11,000!

2020 Canyon Lux CF SLX 9.0 Race LTD

2020 canyon lux cf sl 9.0
Stay tuned for our review of the 2020 Canyon Lux.

And Here’s The 2020 Canyon Exceed Too!

That’s right folks – Canyon is also rolling out 2020 Exceed models, of which there are no fewer than nine to choose from. The range now kicks off at $2,699 for the CF SL 5.0, and tops out at nearly $10K for the CF SLX 9.0 Race LTD.

It’s worth noting that the Exceed frame itself is not new, and remains the same as it has for the past four years. That means that unlike the Lux, the Exceed will still take a front derailleur (we’ll publish an explainer article about those another day), and it’s still running a non-Boost 142x12mm back end.

However, like the Lux, the Exceed comes in both SL and SLX versions. Both are carbon, though the SLX is lighter thanks to the use of higher modulus carbon fibre that brings weight down to just 870g claimed. Given it’s a four-year old frame that’s still lighter than Giant’s recently released 2020 XTC Advanced SL carbon hardtail, that is damn impressive!

2020 canyon exceed cf sl 5.0
The Exceed CF SL 5.0 gets you a carbon hardtail for less than $3K.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 5.0

2020 canyon exceed wmn cf sl 5.0
Using a RockShox Recon fork and a SRAM NX Eagle 1×12 drivetrain, the CF SL 5.0 WMN model adds in female-specific touch points to create a ready-to-race hardtail.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 5.0 WMN

2020 canyon exceed cf sl 6.0
Canyon is going deep with Shimano 12-speed for 2020, like on this Exceed CF SL 6.0 that features Deore XT M8100 groupset.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 6.0

2020 canyon exceed cf sl 7.0
Reynolds TR249 Carbon wheels hop-up the Exceed CF SL 7.0 along with a RockShox SID fork.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0

2020 canyon exceed wmn cf sl 7.0
The 2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0 WMN is available down to an XS size – checkout how compact that frame is!

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 7.0 WMN

2020 canyon exceed cf sl 8.0
The top-spec option with the SL frameset, the Exceed CF SL 8.0 gets SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed shifting, carbon cranks, carbon wheels and a RockShox SID fork.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SL 8.0

2020 canyon exceed cf slx 9.0
See that split seatpost? It’s made from carbon fibre and is designed to work like a leaf-spring to provide more comfort for the rider. Smoove.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9.0

2020 canyon exceed cf slx 9.0 race
The van der Poel edition gets a Shimano XTR drivetrain with a Fox 32 Step-Cast fork and carbon DT Swiss wheels.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9.0 Race

2020 canyon exceed cf slx 9.0 race ltd
The 2020 Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9.0 Race LTD is the priciest model. Of course you get matching blue lowers on the SID Ultimate Carbon forks for the pleasure.

2020 Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9.0 Race LTD

Mo’ Flow Please!

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