Canyon’s 2019 Lux
The Canyon Lux is a proven cross-country race bike designed to excel at the most elite levels of cross-country and marathon racing. From the Cape Epic to the World Cup circuit, the Lux is a competitive full-suspension race bike designed to do one thing—cross the finish line atop the podium. We rode the all-new Lux on the beautiful trails just outside of Girona, Spain. The all-new machine received a few major updates that make it a more competitive race bike than ever before. Here are the steps Canyon took to help keep their factory racers at the top of their game.
Type: XC race/marathon
Lightweight: Lux CF SLX, size M—1662 grams; Lux CF SL, size M—1852 grams
Familiar: Canyon designed the all-new Lux with an identical fit and geometry to their Exceed XC hardtail.
Frame:
• Canyon gave the new Lux 100mm of travel and a horizontally mounted shock. This design allowed Canyon to lower the leverage ratio of their four-bar linkage system. Canyon then added a 210×55 metric-sized shock, allowing for lower pressures and lighter suspension tunes.
• The Lux is a true marathon race bike with the ability to carry two large 27-fluid-ounce water bottles when using a side-loading bottle cages. This was just another benefit of the new flat shock design.
• The rear triangle consists of a Flex Pivot design. Canyon increased the efficiency of the Flex Pivot by using a flat-mount brake, which only attaches to the chainstays, leaving the seatstays free to flex.
• A low-density chainstay protector was added to help silence chain slap.
• Canyon’s Quickie axles give riders a simple tool-free solution for removing the back wheel. The Quickie axle features a foldaway handle that helps give the Lux its clean lines.
• Impact Protection Unit is another well-known Canyon technology that can be found on the all-new Lux.
• Canyon designed a minimalist chainguide and stated that the new bike is 1x-specific. Not allowing the use of a front derailleur gave Canyon plenty of room to beef up the lower pivot bearings for added stiffness and a smoother action. All models come with a 34-tooth front chainring.
• Remote lockouts can be found on both the fork and shock across all models.
• Lux models with SRAM drivetrains feature a Grip shifter.
• New Shimano XTR 12-speed is available on high-end models.
Fork: Two fork-travel options are available to better suit true XC racers and adventure riders. The Lux CF SLX features a 100mm-travel fork, while the Lux CF SL features 110mm of travel. This additional travel slackens the head tube angle by an extra half degree.
Shock: A custom-made shock was designed for the Lux to make the rebound lever easier to access and to give the remote lockout cable a cleaner look.
Head tube angle: CF SLX—70 degrees; CF SL—69.5 degrees
Reach: The new Lux has a 20mm longer reach than its predecessor and features an 80mm stem across all frame sizes.
Chainstays: Greatly reduced chainstay length—from 450mm down to 430mm—gives the new Lux a more snappy feel. www.canyon.com
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