sw20

Hi All,
I have finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a new bike and have now narrowed it down to 2!

This
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/en...ce-cf-7-0.html
and this
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/en...ce-al-8-0.html

question is... how much difference would I notice between a carbon and aluminium frame and how much would I notice between a 105 and Ultegra groupset?

Cyclist0108

The carbon vs. aluminium frame will likely be more noticeable than Ultegra vs. 105. If it were disc brakes, I would go for Ultegra (bigger pads, more ergo shifters), but for rim brakes, I am not clear that there is any noticeable advantage.

At my size (which would be Canyon "small"), Al (not Alu) frames tend to be rather harsh and unpleasant.

macca33

I'd take the carbon frame over the Ultegra groupset - difference b/w 105 and Ultegra is minimal nowadays.

cheers

rms13

That's true but I'd also say difference between carbon and aluminum is minimal nowadays. I would say it would come down to weight but the carbon/105 is 8 kg and alum/ultegra is 8.1kg so barely any difference. Price is pretty similar. I would go with the carbon because the aluminum frame has some fat welds which I don't find aesthetically pleasing

Racing Dan

From what I have seen the alloy canyons look very pedestrian. Im sure they ride fine, but man, get a file and clean up the welds.

Iride01 

I'd only go for the Ultegra if I could pony up the extra cash for di2. Otherwise I'm very happy with the 105 5800 I have on two bikes.

Never had the manual Ultegra, so maybe a side by side comparison might notice some smoothness in the Ultegra without di2. But whether it's worth it is really subjective as the 105 shifts plenty fast and very reliably for me.

Now di2 changes the picture quite a bit. You can select the next highest or lowest ratio gear without even having to know what gear your are currently in. Or so I've been told......

And that is something that will make Ultegra worth the extra cost once I'm ready to spend that much.

DrIsotope

CF with 105 for sure. They both come with Mavic Aksiums, which are basically throwaway wheels-- something like 1,900g for the set. You could take a full pound off of that bike for a couple hundred bucks.

rms13

Exactly. I have heard there aluminum frames are pretty good but those welds. I have a newer Fuji Roubaix and they manage to smooth out the welds so that it almost looks like carbon

Seattle Forrest

I'd personally go for carbon in this case, I think. I'm my experience the ride has been a little better. Also in my experience, carbon tripods make sharper photographs than metal ones, for the same reason. The last aluminum bike I had was a harsh ride, and this was many years ago so may have improved ... but I won't buy another aluminum bike.

The difference between 105 and Ultegra isn't very large these days. I agree with the comment that Die would change the story here.

jimincalif

rms13

I have a current generation Fuji Roubaix which is like a poor man's CAAD. It looks like a carbon bike with flat black paint job, smooth welds and fat, tapered hydroformed tubes. With full carbon fork and 700x28 rubber I can't really tell the difference in road feel between that and the Giant TCR Advanced I used to own or my china Workswell Cervelo clone. Aluminum has come a long way. I was actually reading a review on a new DB Hananjo aluminum that comes with a full aluminum fork which the reviewer said is lighter then the carbon fork and no noticeable difference in comfort...but that does have like 700x45 tires I think

sdmc530

Carbon and 105. 105 vs. Altegra is minimal difference anymore. Both work awesome. You can always someday upgrade the group and that is probably easier than upgrading a frame to carbon.

I am sure the carbon and alum are both really nice rides but still rather have a better frame with good group than a good but not carbon frame for a marginally better groupset……..from what I read I bet you will like either one though.

seau grateau

The Al frame appears to have a longer head tube across all sizes, which might be something to factor into your decision as well.

MinnMan

Yeah, this. If the bikes have different geometries, that is going to matter more than the gruppo or the frame material. Give them both nice long test rides and see which is better suited to your riding style.

Also, the 5800 105 group set is really sweet. You won't spend much time wishing you had a better derailleur - trust us on that one.

daoswald

I've been riding 105 for ten years. I've been riding aluminum for longer, but my road frame is aluminum. I'm satisfied with both. If I were shopping for a new bike, I'd probably end up with a carbon fiber bike outfitted with 105 components, mostly because I'm of the impression ride quality can be a little more forgiving. This could be particularly advantageous on longer rides. That said, in-season I put enough miles on my aluminum frame Synapse that I know it is a pretty nice feel even on rides over 50 miles. The longest I've done on it was about 100, and the fact the frame is aluminum had little to do with how I feel after that long of a ride.

You're not forever married to all the components of your groupset. I've replaced my RD with a newer 105 RD. My cassette has been replaced a couple times, and I've got an Ultegra 10-sp cassette on order right now. I'd say the components you're least likely to swap out in the future will be your shifters and your crankset. ...at least that's the case for me. The rest of the stuff is not very expensive to swap, and you can mix and match between Ultegra and 105 pretty easily in most cases. One is less likely to swap a frame, though. 105 is good enough quality that I'd purchase the better frame and the 105 group set.

sw20

Thanks for the replies, I was edging towards the carbon but wasn't sure how much difference there was between the 105 and Ultegra groupsets.

Can you recommend some good wheelsets that won't break the bank?

Unfortunately test rides are out of the question as Canyon are direct mail order only but willing to take the risk based on reviews and spec for the price.

WhyFi

+1 for CF and 105. In addition to the reasons mentioned above, CF is easier and economically feasible to repair in the event of non-catastrophic damage.

Cyclist0108

They have a showroom now in San Diego, if you fancy a 12 hour flight. Surely they must have one somewhere on the other side of the planet.

sw20

nope, they have a service centre about 10 miles away but no showroom! just missed out on a canyon test day event!

BiggFred

maartendc

Carbon every time.

105 and Ultegra: nobody can tell the difference in a blindfolded test. The only difference is weight, and the carbon frame is likely lighter than the alloy frame anyway.

luevelvet

bruce19

I have ridden a very nice Bianchi CF and I have a nice Masi AL. If it were my choice I would go with the AL and a better group. I did not like the hollow thunk of the CF frame. As it is, my go to bike is a GURU Sidero (steel) w/ SRAM Red. The most important factor is how it feels to you. Since I'm a recreational rider, getting up a mile long climb 30 seconds quicker or slower is not a big concern for me.

Nachoman

Recently went through similar analysis with a family member and ended up deciding on carbon plus tiagra instead of aluminum and 105.

superdex

buy the best frame you can afford. components can be upgraded (if you desire)