After two years of intensive development comprising 442 supercomputer runs, 312 wind tunnel analyses, and 155 hours of track testing with some of the best track cyclists, Canyon has today announced the all-new Speedmax CFR Track, a bike which will be ridden by the likes of Chloe Dygert and her Team USA teammates along with Team Denmark at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow at the 2023 UCI World Championships.
The Canyon Speedmax CFR Track is what Canyon says is the result of an unparalleled collaboration between world-class engineers and the fastest professional riders, and is the fastest bike the German direct-to-consumer brand has ever made.
Cyclingnews reporter Paul Brett joined Ben Hillsdon, Global Communications Manager at Canyon in Ashton Lane, a renowned backstreet in the West End of Glasgow ahead of the World Championshops, to find out more about the new bike.
Joining Hillsdon was some of the Canyon development team, members of Team USA, including Chloe Dygert, and members of Team Denmark who would be racing the bike in the Glasgow worlds.
In a presentation to members of the press, Canyon pitched the bike as a masterpiece of engineering and aerodynamics, with every tube profile and every junction of the Speedmax CFR Track having been finely tuned to slice through the air with unparalleled efficiency. It also claimed the bike will give its riders an ultimate advantage in pursuit of speed and those coveted rainbow jerseys up for grabs in Glasgow.
As Hillsdon presented the bike, he explained that the development had been very much pro-driven, despite traditional wisdom dictating that the design process starts with the engineering team. The process started with one of the best, multiple World Champion Chloe Dygert, whose input shaped the initial design. Dygert tested numerous prototypes which were then tested by the Danish national track cycling team, whose long months of feedback directly fed back into the bike’s evolution.
Speaking to Cyclingnews, Dygert shared firstly how she was feeling ahead of the upcoming championships, as well as her thoughts on the bike.
"I'm feeling good and it's been a long road back for me, but I'm ready to ride. I have committed to racing track here at the World Champs and TT and also the road race, so yeah super busy and excited to be here. This bike, I'm excited to get out there on it. Canyon has given it a special tartan paint job, and it's an incredible bike. I'm proud to ride it and to have been involved in the process."
The Speedmax CFR Track is able to compete in any track cycling discipline eliminating the need for complete bike swaps between pursuit and mass-start races. In its standard configuration, the bike is optimised for pursuit events, with a cockpit that puts the rider in what Canyon describes as a super-aero, fully dialled riding position for accurate handling and efficiency. It also comes with Canyon's own brand new disc wheelset, designed in collaboration with Swiss Side that it claims delivers not only aerodynamic performance but increased stiffness levels designed to cope with the high forces generated on the velodrome.
For racing in mass-start events, riders can swap in the Bunch Handlebar Kit, which offers optimum control with a standard handlebar, and a spoked front wheel.
As Dygert headed for an early night, the conversation continued with Lukas Schuchnigg, Development Lead on the Speedmax CFR Track.
"Velodrome racing is a pursuit of perfection, every second counts, every watt counts, and our collaboration with professional track cyclists was crucial to achieving the Speedmax CFR Track. We asked, what kind of bike do you need to win races? Their expertise and feedback have shaped the Speedmax CFR Track into the exceptional machine you see today.
"The Canyon Speedmax has won five Triathlon World Championship titles, so this was a good starting point, but the Speedmax CFR Track is far from a mere rebadged triathlon bike, we went back to the drawing board and collaborated extensively with our aerodynamics partners, Swiss Side, to ensure this bike was sculpted for supreme aero efficiency at the exceptionally high speeds and unique conditions of the velodrome.”
The Canyon Speedmax CFR Track will also comes equipped with high-end components. A premium SRM Origin Track power meter features spider-integrated sensors for accurate wattage readings. The Kappstein Pro Line Elite chainring is claimed to be incredibly stiff for maximum power transfer, and the mentioned brand-new Canyon wheelset is paired with Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tyres. Completing the package is Canyon’s own fully adjustable carbon Pro Extension cockpit system.
The Speedmax CFR Track is available now to order direct from Canyon priced at an eye-watering £18,999 / €20,000 with USA pricing to be confirmed.
With racing at the UCI World Championships starting today (Thursday), you can expect to see the Speedmax CFR Track in action right away.
