Last year I spent several months test riding and massively enjoying getting out and about on the non-electric version of the Canyon Grizl CF gravel bike, which I absolutely loved (and absolutely hated giving back), so I was very excited to get in the saddle of the e-powered Grizl:ON. On paper, this bike offered everything I’d liked about the purely pedal-powered Grizl, but with some extra assistance when I wanted it.
There has been lots of debate about the use of the best electric bikes on- and off-road over recent years, as the popularity of these steeds has grown enormously across every style of cycling, but I think everyone is pretty well convinced now that the rapid evolution of technology that’s delivering ever-lighter and more sophisticated battery powered motors for bikes is a good thing, offering all kinds of riders extra options to go further and explore more.
And the market-leading Bosch Performance Line SX motor on the Grizl:ON punches well above its weight. You can choose the level of assistance you require – or opt not to use the motor at all (it cuts out once you reach a certain speed anyway, as per UK legal requirements), but there’s always a battery-powered push there if you really need it.
I have been riding the CF Daily version of the Grizl:ON, but there is also a more off-road orientated, mountain-bike inspired iteration of this bike, the Grizl:ON Trail, which has a slightly lighter frame, SRAM Transmission mullet shifting, wireless dropper post control and higher volume tyres for extra traction on the rough stuff.
Canyon Grizl:ON CF Daily review
Price and availability
The Grizl:ON is available now in several versions, including the CF Daily (which I have been riding) and the higher-specced CF Trail. The bikes come with everything you need to hit the road, tracks and trails, except for pedals. You can buy the bikes new directly from Canyon in the United Kingdom (priced from £5,149), in the United States (priced from US$4,999), in Canada (priced from C$7,149) and in Australia (priced from AU$9,649) and elsewhere in the world. The Grizl:ON CF Trail is £7,449.
Specifications
(Image credit: Pat KInsella)
- Weight (assembled): 17.70 kg
- Frame: Carbon
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX Motor Road Mount
- Battery: Bosch Compact Tube 400WH
- Groupset: Shimano GRX RX822 12-speed
- Wheels: DT Swiss HG1800 Spline 28
- Fork: Rockshox Rudy (40mm travel)
- Colours: Deep ocean
Design and features
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Both models come with a Fizik Argo Terra X5 saddle, but the Trail has a SRAM Reverb AXS seatpost (for quick dropping), while the Daily has a more basic Canyon post.
Like the standard Canyon Grizl, all versions of this bike boast a brilliant lightweight Carbon Fibre frame (that’s what the CF in the name signifies), which offers superb performance, combined with reliable strength and a little bit of flex for good measure. These are all excellent attributes for a gravel bike, but it does add a bit to the cost, and there is always the risk of catastrophic damage if you really come a cropper – but even the CF Trail is not a bike built for taking on super technical downhill tracks (use your full-suss mountain bike for such high-risk rides).
The bikes are powered by a Bosch Performance Line SX Motor Road Mount with a Bosch Compact Tube 400WH battery. Launched by Bosch in 2023, the impressive mid-drive Performance Line SX motor used on the Grizl:ON is lighter and smaller than any of the German specialists’ previous models, and was conceived and designed specifically for sporty steeds like e-gravel bikes. Motor and battery together weigh 4kg, and deliver 55 NM of torque. You can connect to your bike through a smartphone or Apple Watch with the Bosch ConnectModule and Flow App, which then enables navigational and anti-theft features.
The Grizl:ONs all feature integrated Lupine lights, front and rear, which automatically activate when you turn the bike on, and still work for a couple of hours even if the battery runs out. The CF Daily also comes with a Fender Rack system which is Ortlieb QL3.1-compatible and capable of carrying loads up to 15kg – highly useful for bikepacking adventures or simply carting stuff home from the shops.
The geometry and cockpit design on the Grizl:ON Daily is relaxed, so you can take this bike on proper long adventures and remain nice and comfortable, but it’s also set up to be responsive and nimble when you do roll off road and take on some more twisty and turny trails. The CF Daily has a Rockshox Rudy front fork with 40mm of travel, while the CF Trail has FS RCSX RUDY ULT XPLR, also with 40mm of travel.
The CF Daily has a Shimano GRX RX822 12-speed groupset, with a Shimano Deore XT M810012 10-45 rear cassette and single cog on the front. (The more expensive CF Trail has SRAM components – cassette and derailleur – but it’s also a 12-speed and the rest of the drivetrain is essentially the same.)
There are some differences in the wheels, with the Daily rolling on DT Swiss HG1800 Spline 28s and the Trail featuring slightly lighter DT Swiss HGC1400s, and the Trail also has a wider tyre (Schwalbe G-one Ultrabite 50mm, compared to the Daily’s 45mm Schwalbe Overlands) for better traction on more technical trails.
Motor
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The market-leading Bosch Performance Line SX motor on this bike is lightweight, small, sporty and extremely clever. The motor provides up to 55 Nm of torque and has a peak output of 600 watts, but thanks to the gear ratio and some fancypants software (which performs calculations based on the way you ride) this is delivered dynamically, rather than continuously. While you’re cruising along, you get 40 Nm torque, but if you put the hammer down and give it a nudge, it will rise to 55 Nm torque. Basically – the faster you pedal the more power assist you get.
It’s also very easy to use – you simply power the bike up and then toggle through the colour-coded settings on top-bar mounted control panel to find the level of assist required to get up the hill you’re pedalling, or reach the sort of cruising speed you want to maintain. A single quick click moves the level up, while holding it for a second takes the power down a notch. The colour coding – green (least assist) through blue, purple and red (most assist) – makes it easy to see what setting you’re on, and the display also indicates how much charge you have left.
The Bosch Compact Tube 400WH battery is stored internally within the frame, so to charge it up you have to plug the actual bike in (you can’t remove the battery and take that inside to charge it). In regards to range, toggling through the various modes and using the bike in pretty hilly terrain you can squeeze a good 60km out of each charge (much more if you ease back on the assist), and you can also carry a Bosch PowerMore Range Extender, which fits into a bottle cage and delivers an additional 250 Wh.
Ride performance
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Over the last couple of months I’ve been taking full advantage of the versatility the Grizl:On CF Daily offers. I’m lucky enough to have plenty of elevation right on my doorstep and I have been enjoying using this bike to do long rides out into the Blackdown Hills of East Devon, and well beyond, and have been exploring parts of Exmoor and cruising some coastal lanes too. Thanks to the extra range a good e-bike opens up, I managed to find some trails I’d never encountered before, and I’ve also used the Daily extensively for more prosaic pootles, picking up things from the shops and travelling to friends’ houses. It genuinely is a very good all-rounder.
On longer rides, I have found the bike to be very comfortable, and the set-up works well ergonomically, whether you’re sat upright in the saddle or positioned low with hands on the slightly splayed dropbars, speeding down hills, bum in the air and wind in your ears. The carry capacity is great too, especially with the Fender Rack system included on the Daily, and while I sadly didn’t get the chance to take it on any proper bikepacking escapades, I did use it to cart stuff around on several occasions and I think the Grizl:ONs would perform well on modest multiday trips (or bigger ones, if you had capacity plug in).
(Image credit: Pat KInsella)
Although the CF Trail is obviously better designed for tackling technical tracks, I found the CF Daily could handle low-level trails perfectly well. It’s nimble and responsive, and having a Flip-head saddle and a bit of travel on the front fork make all the difference. I did find that the power assist from the Bosch Performance Line SX motor was prone to biting a bit too eagerly when I was on some trails, which threw me off somewhat (once literally), but it’s really a matter of getting used to riding an e-bike off-road, and anticipating the sudden surprise injection of thrust that can happen when you start pedalling hard after freewheeling over roots and rocks, or when coming out of a berm – once you get your head around this, and you’re expecting it, then it’s fine. It’s really important to make sure the setting is where you want it to be as you enter a section of trail (or even turned off altogether).
The motor and battery obviously adds weight to the rig, to the tune of an extra 4kg. Although this really is relatively light for a motor (the set up on Canyon’s first e-gravel bike, the Canyon Grail:ON, was much weightier) having recently spent quite a bit of time riding the non-powered Canyon Grizl, I was actually quite surprised how heavy this made the e-version feel when I first took delivery of it. The rack on the CF Daily version I was testing also added some bulk. However, this bike is a smooth ride, and the extra weight was less noticeable when I was rolling – obviously when I had some degree of assist from the motor it was a huge asset, but even when I chose to ride with no additional power, the bike handles well and didn’t feel too heavy to pedal.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Overall, I very much enjoyed exploring tracks trails and roads on the Canyon Grizl:ON CF Daily. If I had the choice I would opt for the CF Trail, but only because I spend more time off road than on it.
The drivetrain is great on this bike, with the 12-speed groupset ideal for the rich mix of riding the CF Daily is designed to do. Maintenance is fairly minimal and gear changes are super smooth.
I like the integrated lights on this bike (especially the twin rear lights, which are positioned either side of the back wheel) and love the fact that they come on automatically and remain active for a couple of hours even once the battery has run out of juice – this is a great safety feature. You do need to be aware, though, that if you choose to the turn the power off completely, the lights do go out.
I did have a couple of quibbles, though. While I appreciated the 40mm of travel when tackling trails, I would have preferred to be able to lock the fork out whilst riding roads and hard-packed tracks. (The Canyon Grizl:ON CF 9 – a more expensive version of this bike with higher spec components – has the RockShox Rudy Ultimate fork, which can be locked out.) Also, I struggled to get on with the Flip-head saddle at certain points, and found there was a bit more movement in it than I liked (although, again, this is probably a case of getting accustomed to it more than anything).
Verdict
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
The Grizl:ON feels like a perpetually enthusiastic, endlessly energetic friend—always ready for any adventure. Whether it’s hitting gravel trails on a sunny Saturday, running errands around town, or rushing to work on a Monday morning, the Grizl:ON is game. Powered by Bosch’s newest Performance Line SX motor, it’s quick to charge, has a decent range, and is incredibly easy to operate, offering a variety of power-assisted modes so you can either work up a sweat or enjoy a more relaxed ride.
Beautifully built with high-quality components, including a RockShox Rudy front fork with 40mm of travel, the bike’s relaxed geometry ensures comfort on long rides through country lanes and forest tracks while remaining nimble enough for twisty trails.
Canyon has aimed to please the everyday cyclist with the Grizl:ON CF Daily, and for the most part, they’ve succeeded. It may not be as off-road capable as the Grizl:ON CF Trail or as sleek as the Grizl:ON CF 9, but if versatility is your priority, and you enjoy a mix of commuting, exploring trails, and embarking on occasional epic adventures, this bike is a winner. With its Bosch motor, excellent components, and comfortable geometry, the Grizl:ON CF Daily transforms effortlessly from performer to packhorse, making it a true all-rounder.
Also consider
Another great e-gravel choice of steed from the same stable is the slightly older Canyon Grail:ON, which has a Bosch Performance Line CX motor, SRAM components, a rigid front fork and a more upright riding position. If you’re happy to reply purely on pedal power, the Canyon Grizl CF SL is, without a doubt, one of the best gravel bikes on the market.
