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Canyon Roadlite suggestion

Old 12-10-20, 04:40 AM
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lupeOO
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Canyon Roadlite suggestion

Hi everyone, first post here!
I am considering the Canyon Roadlite CF 8 which seems a good fit for my intended purpose: a fast, light and fun to drive bike to commute to work with flat bars.
My main concern regards its maximum tire width of 30mm, and as I cannot test-drive this bike I am searching for advice from people more knowledgeable on the topic.

Some background:
I am currently driving an e-bike, not really sporty, the Yamaha PAS VIENTA5 (sorry, I cannot post links yet...).
In order to get an idea of how it would be to commute with a not assisted bike, especially as my 7.5km commute includes 3 steep slopes, I rented a Giant Contend SL1 over the weekend (same here...), which is the closest I could find for rental, unfortunately with drop bars.
It turns out that the slopes are fine, but I found that the bike transmitted a bit more vibrations/shocks than I liked. For instance I could clearly feel the rough texture of the asphalt when the asphalt was not perfectly nice and smooth (I am not talking about cracks, just a coarse texture).

Now, compared to the Giant Contend SL1, the Roadlite CF 8 should offer a smoother ride thanks to (correct me if I am wrong):
1. carbon frame vs aluminium frame
2. the wider tires: 30mm vs 28mm, and maybe the kind of tyre too?
3. VCLS 2.0 leaf spring carbon seatpost vs standard seat pillar

I know that I am fine with the level of vibrations/shocks that I get from VIENTA5, which does not feature any suspension or shock absorbing mechanism at all, but has a much wider tire ~39mm.
Basically, I do not know to what extent a really wide tire is responsible for a smooth ride, compared to points 1 and 3 above, and whether I can achieve improvements in other ways: grips / seatpost / saddle / tire pressure.
As such, I would really appreciate your opinion on how the Roadlite CF 8 could compare in terms of smoothness/comfort with the Giant Contend SL1, which I am using here as a reference.

In terms of alternatives: I am not considering the Pathlite, which offers wider tires, because of the higher weight and less aggressive driving posture.
I am looking for a bike that pushes me a bit to ride faster and exercise, but I want to avoid drop bars at this stage.
I should also mention that I almost never venture outside of asphalted roads, I counted a maximum of 15 minutes over 6 months with my current bike.

Apologies for the quite long first message
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Old 12-10-20, 06:09 AM
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https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bi...roadlites.html
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Old 12-11-20, 04:49 AM
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lupeOO
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Yes, I knew about that one thread, thank you!
I was wondering specifically about the comparison with the road bike I tried, and on the benefits of (say) 35mm width over 30mm in terms of comfort for tires.
I also intend to test drive a Trek FX, which also seems quite interesting. From the pictures of the frames the posture on the Roadlite seems more aggressive though.
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Old 12-11-20, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by lupeOO
I know that I am fine with the level of vibrations/shocks that I get from VIENTA5, which does not feature any suspension or shock absorbing mechanism at all, but has a much wider tire ~39mm. Basically, I do not know to what extent a really wide tire is responsible for a smooth ride, compared to points 1 and 3 above, and whether I can achieve improvements in other ways: grips / seatpost / saddle / tire pressure.
You will certainly feel a difference between a 40mm tire and a 30mm tire. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us can tell you whether you'll like the difference or not. Some riders prefer the ride quality of larger tires (they offer more comfort at the expense of responsiveness). Some riders prefer the ride quality of smaller tires (they offer more responsiveness and the feel of the road at the expense of impact comfort). Assess your bicycle riding goals (enjoyment, speed, commuting, exercise, recreation, etc.) and see if you can try a bike that has narrower tires just to get a general idea of what they'll feel like.
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Old 02-27-21, 07:49 AM
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lupe00, did you ever pull the trigger on a bike?
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Old 03-01-21, 03:31 AM
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lupeOO
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In the end I didn't, I postponed the purchase to next (this now) year models
I tried (a different) bike with 30mm tire though, and I was happy with it.
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Old 03-01-21, 08:48 AM
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Cool, and good luck with your search. Let us know what you decide.
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Old 03-07-21, 04:02 PM
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OK, I'm the guy with the two Roadlites in https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bi...roadlites.html. haven't been on the boards in quite some time though. We still continue to ride and enjoy the Roadltes as the best bikes we have ever owned. If you checked out some of my other threads you know my wife and I also still own out Giant FastRoad CoMaxs. We use those mainily as our travel bikes (hanging off the motorhome). These were converted to tubeless quite a while ago. In fact the idea was to convert the Roadlites to tubeless when the 30 mm tires wore out. Still have the replacement tires sitting on the shelf. We both enjoy the feel and role of the 30 mm ones that were OEM that I have replaced them a few times already... and have purchased some to try on the Giants as well. If you are in the market for an upscale fitness - hybrid bike I don't think you can find a better one than what Canyon has in the Roadlite series. In fact I have been thinking that I might replace our current 9LTD with the new models this fall (electronic shifting upgrade).... I just need to break the need to Mrs. Downeastter......Good luck
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Old 06-10-21, 11:03 AM
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I happen to have assembled a Roadlite 5 WMN in size 2XS (with the 650b wheelset).
The bike seems pretty good and for this model trim the components are rather basic / heavy - which is expected for the price point.

One question that seems to keep popping is with regards to tire size so I'll share my experience here.

For this particular trim, the wheelset (Alex Rims TD19) is pretty heavy and apparently on the smaller size - I have tried a number of different tires and it is very easy to put tires on and off, so much so that it worries me a little that the tires will pop out if ridden hard. Also, for some reason it is really difficult to get the tire bead seated properly in the rim - that was consistent across the different tires I tried (I had to over-inflate the tire for the beads to "pop" in place).

This bead seating issue could
be specific to my wheelset, but it happens to both front and rear wheels. Maybe replacing the rim tape would help but I haven't tried it.
I haven't tried to go tubeless either... based on how loose the tire beads are in these rims, I guess it will be quite tricky to get a good seal.

Tires and clearance:
  • Schwalbe G-One Speed (650b x 30):
    • Tire - rim interface: Really easy to get the tires in and out, you barely need a tire lever. Difficult to get the beads properly seated in the rim (over inflate to 90PSI)
    • Frame clearance: This is the original tire... lots of room, no problems
  • Schwalbe G-One Allround (650b x 38)
    • Tire - rim interface: This tire is really tight on other rims but it fits just fine on this rim. Difficult to get the beads properly seated in the rim (over inflate to 85PSI)
    • Frame clearance: About 4mm clearance on each side - it should be fine for pavement if the wheel is true and the tire is properly seated (on this setup, the tire width is about 40mm if you include the little knobs)
  • Pacenti Pari-Moto by Panaracer Tire (650b x 42):
    • Tire - rim interface: Tire is too loose - popped out of the rim and exploded the inner tube as I tried to inflate it.
    • Frame clearance: Not able to test it properly...
  • WTB Resolute TCS (650b x 42)
    • Tire - rim interface: Tire fits fine on rim. Also difficult to get the beads properly seated in the rim (over inflated to 85PSI)
    • Frame clearance: Technically, it works... tire spins without touching the frame but it is really tight. Definitely not a go for mud, and if the wheel goes out of true, it will rub against the frame
Based on my experience, this frame would do well up to 38mm on paved roads or dry fire roads - so a bit wider than the 32mm max described in Canyon's documentation. I settled with the G-One Allround knowing that the person riding this bicycle is not going off-road and/or mud.

There is a lot of space in the fork but unfortunately Canyon has a brake hose guide right at the 650b max width point, limiting tires to 40~42mm... (if you take that out and re-route the brake hose, it seems to have enough room for 45mm tires)

I hope this helps!
Safe rides...
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Old 08-03-21, 05:12 PM
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Considering a new hybrid bike and the Roadlite seems to tick all the boxes. It seems the hybrid market is evolving, component choices trending toward the lower end, 1x drivetrains creeping in... But the current Roadlite 6 seems to be exactly what I'm looking for: Aluminum frame/carbon fork, 105 groupset. $1100.

Will be using this bike primarily to take along as we tour the country with our travel trailer. Already have a nice carbon/Ultegra roadbike ("endurance" Spec Roubaix) and a mid/low end hardtail MTN bike. Riding will be mostly pavement, but some dirt/gravel capability is desired. We usually take the mountain bikes but they are heavy and sometimes a nice fast ride is appreciated. Not wanting to haul four bikes around, so thinking the hybrid idea would be the ideal solution. The other thought is with the hybrid, no need to get all kitted up, would use flat pedals,could just jump on and ride. Also, not wanting something terribly expensive that will travel on the back of the trailer in the dust and rain and possible exposure to theft...

So anyway ...Some discussion about the geometry of the Roadlite. I don't really how to interpret stack/reach numbers, but the Roadlite could be described as agressive. But what does that mean? Not easy to test drive one of these... How would it compare to the Roubaix? No idea about a flat bar bike...

Thanks for the thoughts.
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Old 08-07-21, 04:50 AM
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Originally Posted by teejaywhy
Considering a new hybrid bike and the Roadlite seems to tick all the boxes. It seems the hybrid market is evolving, component choices trending toward the lower end, 1x drivetrains creeping in... But the current Roadlite 6 seems to be exactly what I'm looking for: Aluminum frame/carbon fork, 105 groupset. $1100.

Will be using this bike primarily to take along as we tour the country with our travel trailer. Already have a nice carbon/Ultegra roadbike ("endurance" Spec Roubaix) and a mid/low end hardtail MTN bike. Riding will be mostly pavement, but some dirt/gravel capability is desired. We usually take the mountain bikes but they are heavy and sometimes a nice fast ride is appreciated. Not wanting to haul four bikes around, so thinking the hybrid idea would be the ideal solution. The other thought is with the hybrid, no need to get all kitted up, would use flat pedals,could just jump on and ride. Also, not wanting something terribly expensive that will travel on the back of the trailer in the dust and rain and possible exposure to theft...

So anyway ...Some discussion about the geometry of the Roadlite. I don't really how to interpret stack/reach numbers, but the Roadlite could be described as agressive. But what does that mean? Not easy to test drive one of these... How would it compare to the Roubaix? No idea about a flat bar bike...

Thanks for the thoughts.
I haven't ridden a Roubaix myself, but I have a Roadlite and the geometry of that is similar to Canyon Endurace - type of bike. On 99spokes.com you can compare bikes of most manufacturers. According to 99 spokes, the Roadlite 6 is a bit more aggressive than the Roubaix Comp framewise. But considering the Roubaix is drop bar, the geometry may be similar.

Last edited by Brambo; 08-07-21 at 05:15 AM.
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