Ash & Wil review the 2023 Canyon Lux World Cup

All-new for 2023, the Canyon Lux World Cup replaces the outgoing Lux as the German brand’s flagship XC race bike. While it does look very similar to its predecessor, there’s a bit more going on with the Lux World Cup than just a name change. The suspension has been updated, geometry has been modernised, and there’s a brand new carbon fibre frame that makes this the lightest full suspension bike that Canyon has ever produced. But is it enough to make the Lux World Cup one of the best XC bikes on the market?

Watch our video review of the Canyon Lux World Cup here:

Combined with the stiff carbon frame, one-piece cockpit and fast-rolling tyres, the Lux World Cup takes off like a scorched cat.

An overview of the Canyon Lux World Cup

Designed to be lightweight, deadly efficient and ruthlessly responsive, the Canyon Lux World Cup is a flat-out XC bike that’s built for racing toe-to-toe with the Specialized Epic, Merida Ninety-Six and Giant Anthem.

Compared to the longer travel Lux Trail that’s designed as an all-round XC bike, the Lux World Cup is a thoroughbred race machine. It gets its own unique carbon frame and features 100mm of travel front and rear. There’s an elegant single pivot suspension platform with pencil-thin seatstays that are designed to flex as the shock goes through its travel.

The shock is driven by a composite yoke, with a minuscule rocker link governing the leverage rate. Compared to the old alloy link, the new version is comprised of two compression-moulded carbon link arms that clamp onto a central thru-axle. As well as being lighter, the updated link is claimed to increase torsional rigidity and boost the Lux World Cup’s pedalling performance. Given the previous model was already very efficient, we were curious to see how the new bike would feel in comparison.

New carbon frame

Though the Canyon Lux World Cup appears very similar to its predecessor, revisions to the materials and layup have helped to reduce weight by a claimed 127g. That’s impressive given the new bike has a considerably longer reach and slacker head angle. It’s also said to be stronger and stiffer than the old frame, having passed the same Category 3 in-house test standards as the Neuron trail bike.

Furthermore, the Lux World Cup frame is rated for use with up to a 110mm travel fork, which opens the door to fitting a bigger Fox 34 SC or a RockShox SID.

Out back the chainstays are boxier and have adopted a symmetrical profile to increase rigidity. And thanks to a move to a wider 55mm chainline, there’s now clearance for up to a 2.5in rear tyre.

Fancy furnishings

Like the latest Exceed hardtail, the Canyon Lux World Cup gets an updated headset made by fellow German brand Acros. It features an integrated steering limiter called the Impact Protection Unit (IPU), and it forms the entry point for the cables and rear brake hose. Thankfully there are tight-fitting ports to minimise water ingress, while internal guide tubes aim to minimise noise and simplify maintenance.

Speaking of maintenance, Canyon’s engineers have sought to improve durability by employing innovative CeramicSpeed SLT bearings in the headset and suspension pivots. Additionally, CeramicSpeed supplies the 92mm wide press-fit BB. All of these fancy bearings come with a lifetime guarantee, which is impressive for a mountain bike that’s designed to be ridden in all conditions.

Canyon Lux World Cup geometry & size chart

Geometry has been updated on the Canyon Lux World Cup, with the head angle slackening out to 68.5° and reach measurements increasing by 15mm over the old bike. The seat tube angle steepens slightly to 75°, and the rear centre length has been snipped to 430mm.

In great news for shorter riders, an X-Small has been added to the range. All frame sizes will fit two water bottles inside the front triangle.

Canyon Lux World Cup price & specs

There are four models available in the Canyon Lux World Cup lineup, with prices starting at $4,949 AUD for the Lux World Cup CF 6. As with all Canyon bikes sold into Australia, you’ll need to add on an extra $230 AUD for the necessary shipping fee.

It’s worth noting that the two cheapest models utilise the CF carbon frame, which is identical save for its use of lower modulus fibres that add 390g in weight. In comparison, the top two models utilise the lighter and more expensive CFR carbon frame.

The bike we’ve been testing is Canyon Lux World Cup CFR Team, which features a similar spec to what Sam Gaze and Mathieu van der Poel have been racing. It’s certainly not a cheap bike, but compared to other top-end XC bikes fitted with Shimano XTR and Fox Factory Series suspension, it’s actually very impressive value.

For a closer look at the specs and prices for the full range, and a bit more of a backstory behind the bike’s development, check out our Canyon Lux World Cup overview.

2023 Canyon Lux World Cup CFR Team

• Frame | CFR Carbon, Single-Pivot Flex Stay Suspension Design, 100mm Travel
• Fork | Fox 32 Step-Cast, Factory Series, FIT4 Damper w/Remote Lockout, 44mm Offset, 100mm Travel
• Shock | Fox Float DPS, Factory Series, Remote Lockout, 210x50mm
• Wheels | DT Swiss XRC 1200, Carbon Rims, 30mm Inner Width
• Tyres | Maxxis Ikon EXO 3C MaxxSpeed 2.35in Front & Rear
• Drivetrain | Shimano XTR 1×12 w/34T XTR Alloy Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
• Brakes | Shimano XTR Race 2-Piston w/180mm Front & 160mm Rear Rotors
• Bar | Canyon CP0008 Carbon, 0mm Rise, 740mm Width
• Stem | Canyon CP0008 Carbon, 70mm Length
• Seatpost | Canyon SP0061 Carbon, 30.9mm Diameter
• Saddle | Ergon SR10 Pro Carbon
• Sizes | X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
• Confirmed Weight | 10.22kg
• RRP | $10,299 AUD (plus shipping)

There’s a decidedly race-tuned feel to both the handling and suspension, with the Lux World Cup coming alive the harder and faster you push.

Canyon Lux World Cup sizing & fit

With both Ash and myself standing at 175cm tall, we requested a Medium size Canyon Lux World Cup to test out.

The longer reach and slacker head angle give it a significantly more contemporary stature compared to the old Lux. Whereas previous Canyon models have often felt short, the new Lux is right on the money.

The steep seat angle helps to bring the long top tube back into line, while positioning you further forward within the cockpit. Along with the minimal upsweep of the one-piece bar and stem, the Lux feels low, stretched-out and aggressive.

The teardrop handlebar profile looks snazzy and it provides a comfortable perch for aero-tucking, but it does limit your ability to fit lights and other accessories. Canyon offers a specific mount for attaching a Garmin or Wahoo GPS, though you’ll have to purchase it separately.

You get a few headset spacers for dialling in the bar height, and they use a keyed design that mates up neatly with the stem and top cap.

Ash didn’t love the Ergon saddle, while I felt like I could spend all day on it. We both like the soft-compound GA20 grips, but as we found with the latest Canyon Neuron, there was some movement at the outside edge that was a little unsettling on the descents.

Suspension setup

Depending on the ride quality you’re after, you can set up the shock on the Canyon Lux World Cup with 25% sag for a firmer and racier ride, or up to 30% sag for more comfort and grip.

Both Ash and I weigh around 65-67kg with riding gear, and we started out with just 100psi in the Float DPS air chamber. After the first few rides we ended up dropping that to 90psi, which put us right at 26-28% sag range.

Those pressures are quite a bit lower than any other XC bike we’ve tested. This is partly due to the huge 50mm shock stroke, which produces a very low 2:1 average leverage rate. There’s also a lot of in-built spring support from the carbon flex stays. Even with no air in the shock, you need a fair bit of force to compress the rear suspension.

To prevent the springy carbon back end from feeling like a pogo stick, we ran the shock’s rebound damping around the halfway mark. The rebound dial itself is a bloody pain to access, as it sits in a recess in the underside of the carbon top tube. You need a small hex key to poke in there to make adjustments, and Canyon includes a neat 3mm hex key that’s attached to the front brake hose for that very reason.

Since the new Lux World Cup is a considerably more capable bike than its predecessor, we needed a little more pressure in the Fox 32 SC fork than recommended. We both ran that at 80psi and set the low-speed compression damping halfway through its range to reduce brake dive and keep the fork riding higher in its travel.

Canyon Lux World Cup weight

Out of the box our Canyon Lux World Cup CFR Team test bike came in at 10.22kg without pedals.

It’s an impressive figure for a full suspension XC race bike, particularly as there are no uber-exotic parts. Of course the rigid carbon seatpost helps to reduce weight over a dropper post. The CFR frame is also incredibly lightweight, coming in at a claimed 1,894g including the shock and hardware.

For my fellow weight weenie friends, here are the confirmed weights of some of the components we pulled off our test bike;

• Fox 32 Step-Cast Fork – 1,408g
• DT Swiss XRC 1200 Wheelset – 1,516g
• Maxxis Ikon EXO Tyres – 825/841g
• Tubolito Tubes – 82g
• Race Face Next SL Cranks – 468g (no BB)
• Canyon Carbon Cockpit – 328g
• Canyon Carbon Seatpost – 185g
• Ergon SR10 Pro Carbon Saddle – 202g

Unfortunately Canyon still isn’t including valves and sealant though, so you’ll have to purchase those separately in order to go tubeless.

As was the case with the Exceed CFR hardtail we tested previously, the Lux comes fitted with bright orange Tubolito inner tubes from the factory. Unfortunately Canyon still isn’t including valves and sealant though, so you’ll have to purchase those separately in order to go tubeless.

I fitted some Peaty’s MK2 valves and Biofibre sealant, and added a CushCore XC insert into the rear wheel to protect carbon rims from the brutal rocks that populate our local trails. We set pressures at 18-20psi on the front, and 20-22psi on the rear.

What does the Canyon Lux World Cup do well?

Having spent a load of time on the previous Lux and the current Lux Trail, I’m happy to report that the new Lux World Cup maintains the same DNA when it comes to its pert pedalling performance.

It’s worth noting that initial sensitivity from the Float DPS shock is actually quite good. The carbon swingarm is preloaded slightly during install, and this sees the flex-stays ‘relax’ around the sag point. This helps ease the shock into its stroke to provide grip and compliance.

The support builds quickly from here however, with the firm platform keeping the suspension sitting high in its travel. And as soon as you turn up the heat on the pedals, you can feel the rear end immediately standing to attention.

Canyon states that there’s been a slight increase in the anti-squat value over the previous Lux, which results in even less movement while pedalling. Indeed the harder you push, the more the shock extends to resist bobbing. Combined with the stiff carbon frame, one-piece cockpit and fast-rolling tyres, the Lux World Cup takes off like a scorched cat. It’s an incredibly efficient bike to ride, delivering loads of drive to the rear tyre even with suspension in the open setting.

It’s particularly enthusiastic on the climbs, with the steep seat angle placing your hips in an optimal position for delivering power to the cranks. This also pushes more of your weight onto the front wheel, helping to keep the whole bike planted even as the gradient kicks up.

There’s no perceptible wallow from the well-behaved rear suspension, which does well to offer usable traction without suffering from excessive bouncing.

The lockout is slick, but not necessary

We did occasionally make use of the remote lockout on the Canyon Lux World Cup, but it was only ever to stabilise the fork when sprinting out-of-the-saddle. Otherwise it’s not really necessary for the shock.

The push-to-unlock remote is a pleasure to use thanks to its effortless action, with only the lightest of touches required to flick it into the locked-out position. Because of this, I setup the remote further inboard in order to prevent unintentionally bumping the lever and accidentally locking out the suspension mid-descent.

While some XC bikes like the Spark and Oiz offer three suspension modes for their remote systems, we grew to appreciate the simplicity of the two modes on the Lux. The suspension is either locked or open, and that keeps things simple so you can stay focussed on your competitors and the trail ahead.

There’s certainly no confusing which mode you’re in either, with the locked setting providing a super rigid platform that is ideal for hammering along sections of smooth fireroad. Here you can grab the middle section of the flared handlebar, don your best aero tuck, and let the watts fly.

Handling is better all-round

No doubt the most significant improvement to the new Canyon Lux World Cup comes from its updated geometry. The longer wheelbase gives it a bigger footprint on the trail with more consistent weight distribution between the wheels. Traction is easier to predict as a result, and it feels less affected by micro-adjustments in your body position.

The increased front centre does require a bit more weight on the front to keep the tyre gripping, but since the riding position is already forward-biased, we found this happens naturally.

Overall it’s a much better balanced bike compared to the old Lux, with the slacker head angle having calmed down the steering by quite a bit. It’s still an incredibly precise bike through twisty singletrack, with the stiff chassis providing hardtail-like response through the turns. Push the inside grip down and there’s very little hesitation when initiating a change of direction.

It’s certainly not a bike for bimbling along, as you really need to give it the beans to get the most out of it. There’s a decidedly race-tuned feel to both the handling and suspension, with the Lux World Cup coming alive the harder and faster you push.

This is particularly the case for the rear suspension, which performs better at race pace. There’s great response through the mid-stroke, and it absorbs high-speed impacts surprisingly well. The supportive rear end offers good pop over jumps, with bottom-out events being a rare occurrence.

What does it struggle with?

Despite the updated geometry, the Canyon Lux World Cup is still not the most planted XC bike on rougher and steeper descents. A slacker head angle would no doubt help here, though it’s really the firm suspension tune that results in its less forgiving ride quality when the trail gets chunky.

This is most noticeable at slower speeds, where a greater degree of feedback is transmitted from the trail to the rider’s contact points. As you get tired deeper into a race or a long-distance training ride, you’ll start to notice the bumps a lot more compared to when you were feeling fresh earlier on.

It’s possible to get a little more compliance with the shock sag set closer to 30%, though you’ll need to fit a larger volume spacer to avoid bottoming out on bigger hits. Even still, you won’t approach the same levels of comfort and plushness of bikes like the Scott Spark and Merida Ninety-Six. Compared to those, the sharper and firmer Lux World Cup requires more precision to pilot down technical descents.

The flip-side is that unlike those bikes, it’s far less reliant on the remote lockout. This allows you to leave the suspension open most of the time with less need for toggling remote levers, and that provides you with a little more mental bandwidth for processing the trail ahead. In that sense, the Lux World Cup is closer in character to the Specialized Epic and Trek Supercaliber.

What could be improved?

While the Fox 32 SC is a supple and effective performer on the front of the Canyon Lux World Cup, the slender 32mm chassis contributes to the overall nervousness on the descents. Given how stiff the rest of the bike is, the 32 SC feels twangy in comparison.

With that in mind, I’d be very interested in testing out the Lux World Cup with the bigger Fox 34 SC. The frame is rated for use with up to 110mm of travel, so there are options to slacken out the front end for those who are chasing more stability on the descents.

Speaking of descending, I’d also love to try the Lux World Cup with a dropper post. It does seem odd that none of the models come fitted with a dropper, especially given that Canyon had been spec’ing the previous Lux with the very lightweight and short travel DT Swiss D232 dropper (which the two brands collaborated on).

That being said, I didn’t pine for a dropper as much as I thought I would. This largely boils down to the improved geometry, with the longer wheelbase offering significantly greater stability over its predecessor. Whereas the twitchy XC bikes of old desperately needed all the help they could get on the descents, the new Lux World Cup is calmer and more planted in the first place. For that reason, I expect we’ll see some of the pro racers going back to a rigid post for certain courses.

Canyon Lux World Cup vs Lux Trail

At this point it’s worth acknowledging that if you really wanted a dropper post and a bigger fork, you’d probably be better off getting the Lux Trail to begin with.

The Lux Trail shares a very similar frame shape to the Lux World Cup, but it offers more travel with a 120mm fork and 110mm at the rear. It also gets a unique front end that features a slacker 67.5° head angle and a longer 460mm reach, and that’s paired to a shorter stem and wider bars.

On the trail, the extra travel makes it smoother to ride over technical terrain, while the slacker geometry and more practical build kit makes it a more versatile XC bike overall.

Yes the Canyon Lux Trail CF 9 we reviewed is a kilo heavier, but 11.22kg is still bloody light. A change to a faster-rolling front tyre would drop some grams, and is really all that’s needed to get it race-ready.

But while the Lux Trail is still quite firm and efficient, it doesn’t climb with the same authority as the Lux World Cup with its steeper seat angle and a more aggressive riding position. Certainly, for those who are serious about XC racing, the Lux World Cup is the serious and more focused choice.

Component highs & lows

Thanks to being sold direct-to-consumer, the Canyon Lux World Cup CFR Team delivers a very desirable package that is almost unrivalled at this price point.

Despite coming off the latest SRAM Eagle transmission, we still love the crisp and reliable Shimano XTR shifting. The only downside is the extra thumb effort that’s required to engage the punchy shifter levers compared to the effortless action of the AXS controllers.

The XTR brakes have also impressed with their smooth action and carbon lever blades. Heavier riders may want to upsize to a 180mm rotor on the rear, but we found power to be sufficient with the stock setup. It also looks very tidy with the flat mount brake calliper, which allows the seatstay flex to occur closer to the rear axle.

The DT Swiss XRC 1200 wheelset is a notable contributor to the Lux World Cup’s responsive handling and acceleration thanks to its sturdy build and stiff carbon rims. There are lighter options out there, with both the Roval Control SL and Bontrager Kovee RSL wheelsets coming in under 1,300g. The DT’s have been super solid in our experience however, and we’ve now tested five different sets over the past couple of years with zero problems to speak of. See our DT Swiss XRC 1200 review for more info.

While I prefer the Maxxis Reckon Race for my local trail conditions, the Ikons are great all-round XC tyres. They plump up to exactly 2.4in wide on the DT Swiss rims, and we found them to offer excellent grip and damping that helps to soften the otherwise sharp ride quality of the Lux World Cup.

It’s worth noting that there’s oodles of mud clearance through the back of the frame, which I can vouch for after getting caught in a hectic lightning storm mid-ride. Despite riding through a torrential downpour, and being washed on a regular basis, the Lux World Cup is yet to emit any clicks or creaks. The CeramicSpeed bearings in the headset and BB are still spinning smooth, though it is nice to have the lifetime warranty to back them up.

Overall the Lux World Cup has been a pretty tight and quiet bike. The low-profile chainstay protector doesn’t offer a heap of damping against the chain, but otherwise nothing came loose or broke. We like the minimalist chainguide, and the IPU 2.0 steering limiter does its job without ever being noticeable on the trail. Details like the tool-free thru-axles and dual bottle compatibility will no doubt appeal to privateer XC and marathon racers too.

Canyon Lux World Cup vs Trek Supercaliber

If you’re curious to know how the Canyon Lux World Cup compares to some of the competition, be sure to check out our comparative review of the top 8 XC bikes on the market.

Out of those, we reckon it’s the Trek Supercaliber that matches up closest in terms of ride quality. Handily, Ash owns and races a Supercaliber, making it a useful point of comparison with the Lux World Cup.

Of course the Supercaliber features less travel, with its unique IsoStrut suspension design delivering just 60mm at the rear. It produces an elegant hardtail-like frame design that accommodates two bottles in the front triangle.

Geometry isn’t too far different between the two bikes. The Supercaliber has a slightly steeper head angle (69° vs 68.5°) and a slacker seat angle (74° vs 75°), but otherwise the reach is very similar and the rear centre length is the same. The biggest difference is the BB drop, with the Supercaliber sitting 15mm closer to the ground.

Given the Supercaliber is now four years old however, we suspect Trek will be cooking up a replacement that will likely feature some geometry updates. We’d expect rear tyre clearance will be increased too, as it’s quite limited on the current frame.

On the trail, the Supercaliber and Lux World Cup exhibit a similar race-focussed personality. Handling is sharp and business-like, and they’re both incredibly efficient. Acceleration is rapid whether you’re pedalling in or out of the saddle, negating the need to constantly toggle the remote lockout.

The suspension is firmer on the Supercaliber, though it’s actually pretty effective despite there being just 60mm back there. The big advantage of its IsoStrut platform is the added lateral stiffness it brings to the party, which gives the chassis a hardtail-like snap through the corners. It’s taut from front-to-back, and it communicates the trail surface with more detail and precision.

It’s on rougher terrain where the Lux World Cup builds a slight advantage, with its increased travel providing you with more support and grip. Surprisingly, it’s not lightyears ahead in terms of outright stability, which we attribute to the higher BB. It does deliver more traction on the climbs though, and we found we could stay seated for longer compared to the Supercaliber.

While these two bikes aren’t dissimilar performers on the trail, it’s a different story when it comes to value. A Supercaliber 9.8 XT is the closest in price to the Lux World Cup CFR Team we have on test, but it’s still $770 AUD more expensive despite coming with a cheaper XT groupset, Bontrager wheels and non-Factory Series Fox suspension. Of course you do get the benefit of buying the Supercaliber through a local bike shop, and it comes with a better lifetime warranty and a crash replacement deal on the carbon wheels.

Which Canyon Lux World Cup would we pick?

While we’ve been impressed with our Canyon Lux World Cup CFR Team test bike, it’s the Lux World Cup CF 7 that gets our pick out of the range.

Selling for $6,399 AUD (plus shipping), it’s a significantly more accessible bike than the CFR Team. It does use the cheaper CF carbon frame, which is said to weigh 390g more than the CFR version. Otherwise it’s identical in terms of the geometry and suspension design, and it comes with the same bells and whistles including the lifetime warrantied CeramicSpeed bearings.

Even at this price you’re still getting a bomber Shimano XT groupset, Fox Performance Elite suspension and a Reynolds XC carbon wheelset. The claimed weight is 11.6kg, which is impressively light.

Flow’s Verdict

With its refined frame and updated geometry, the 2023 Canyon Lux World Cup represents a moderate evolution of the German brand’s full suspension XC platform rather than being a radical departure from the status quo.

The lengthened wheelbase has certainly enhanced its balance and poise compared to the old bike, and that’s especially apparent when you’re riding at speed. It ties in nicely with the race-tuned suspension, which is firm but effective at providing grip and impact mitigation when you’re pushing hard.

While it is more capable than the old Lux, it can still get pinged around on rougher and steeper terrain. It’s less forgiving in these situations, where it requires a skilled pilot to get the most out of it. We’d be curious to see what a bigger fork and dropper post would bring to the party, though if you’re thinking along similar lines, perhaps you’ll want to look at the Lux Trail instead.

However, those racer-heads who value climbing proficiency and responsive handling will no doubt be impressed by the Lux World Cup. It’s a purebred racer that is light, efficient and agile. It offers a low and aggressive riding position, and it rarely requires its remote lockout when riding on singletrack. That sees it effectively straddling the middle ground between sharper race machines like the Epic and Supercaliber, and plusher all-rounders like the Spark and Anthem. Depending on your preference, that either makes the Lux World Cup the ultimate compromise, or the perfect XC race bike.