Canyon Aeroad - Read if you planning on purchasing one

['Dale]

So what are you supposed to do when you encounter a pothole at +50km/h.

Grit teeth?

Sagan hit a drain cover at 80 km/h a few seasons ago while in the super tuck on a long descent. His rear wheel popped up. It was well captured on camera. It was crazy!

 

He was in full control as his boom-boom was not entirely perched on the top tube but he was merely crouched with his weight on the pedals, rendering excellent stability (low weight placement) of the bike.

 

(My brain hurts. It's too late to think that hard)

Edited August 27, 2018 by 'Dale

[Christie]

Can I suggest a dropper post?

[button]

imho I don't think you would have received 2 new frames from Pinarello, Biachi, Specialised..?

 

It is unfortunate you have been through 3 of them, but I can see the manufacturers perspective here. Their reponse was very polite - I've read it twice and I can't see how it is rude - and they offereed you a crash replacement for frame number 4. I would recommend them as a supplier at this point.

 

And if you need a repair done - carbonbikerepair in Northriding are a great bunch of guys.

I don’t think I would have needed that many frames from Specialized. But besides that I agree that they were really good at replacing the first 2 frames. I even said how amazed I was at their incredible service. As I clearly stated this is not a dig at Canyon service. This is an issue with their frame and the way it is manufactured.

 

Rudeness is subjective and to me if i’m told I broke my bike because i’m not a pro and I don’t know how to ride it, I consider that rude.

[SwissVan]

Agreed, especially on an aero frame. This is already a 7kg plus bike.

All that aero shaped stuff adds weight, which has to be saved somewhere else and probably why the top tube is not designed to “bottom out” on at speed down sandton drive.

[Velouria]

And no jumps????

Good luck with that

Luckily, here in the Republic of the Western Cape, our roads are quite decent (except after a big storm - then it's carnage. We go to sleep, and then the magical elves come and repair the roads before we wake up!). Our drivers on the other hand... no amount of top tube strength is going to keep you safe from the jalopy driving in the yellow line with a smashed windscreen, 4 bald tires, and half a rugby team on board!

 

(Clarence Drive is probably the crowning achievement for the entire civil engineering field. That road is like polished glass it's so smooth. It's only the baboon poo that might cause the odd bump or two, but I'm willing to bet my Canyon can handle one of those...)

[SwissVan]

Forgive me but I think you are missing the point of my post.

 

I admitted to doing this because I was being honest and because the 3rd time it happened was the only time I knew how it happened.

 

I dont want them to honour the warranty (whatever it is). I dont want another frame. I wish I knew how it happened the first time and I would have avoided a huge amount of admin. 

 

Possibly all manufacturers have the same 'common logic' in their warranty. Just know then, that the Aeroad top tube is one of the weakest.

 

I am a competitive racer as are most people that would buy an Aeroad. If I get to the top of a climb and can not optimize my position like the rest of my competitors I will see the back end of a group on a descent in no time. 

 

I'm not sure who sets the international bike manufactures 'intended purpose' rule but surely with competition bicycles, like the Aeroad, sitting on the top tube should be considered? 

 

The point of this post was to get a public opinion on the matter and to inform future Aeroad owners of my issue.

So which bike are you going to replace the canyon with and will you try the same thing on it?

Maybe the new one can take it, or maybe it cracks more catastrophically....

 

Just maybe the canyon was strong enough to not be a catastrophic event

[MDJ]

I'd like to THANK the OP for posting the issue and all the details so that everyone else is aware of the 'weakness' on this Canyon model. That is one of the great things about forums like this. We can learn from the experience/facts of others without paying the school fees ourselves (thanks for the pics and details!) and form our own opinions. In MY opinion an aero top tube tuck is common enough on a race bike that I wouldn't consider it abuse. I've never been on a descent in Cape Town long enough to actually sit - normally your weight is on the pedals and you need to corner .

 

I think it’s great that Canyon replaced the first two frames. However in being so quick to replace they might have missed an investigation into why it happened in the first place, they could have saved the OP and themselves some time and money on the first replacement if they noted the crack pattern and followed it with warning regarding top tube 'sitting'. The warranty process and the rebuilds involve a lot of time/waiting/logistics and money. It would have been nice for them to thank him for the feedback (unless they already knew?) and seriously consider a warning to other owners or a disclaimer/sticker on the top tube and an escalation to their engineering team.

 

Thanks for the 'free' info - hope it saves someone else!

Edited August 27, 2018 by Manuel De Jesus

[button]

So which bike are you going to replace the canyon with and will you try the same thing on it?

Maybe the new one can take it, or maybe it cracks more catastrophically....

 

Just maybe the canyon was strong enough to not be a catastrophic event

I’m not sure. I rode a Propel before this with no issues so maybe a new Giant? I have a friend who rides a Specialized and weighs the same as me and he has not had issues... maybe a Specialized? As this ‘normal bike use’ is news to me I’d be reluctant to sit on any top tube

[Spock]

Even though I never aero tuck, there is no way I want a frame with this weakness. This is a clear design flaw from Canyon

[SwissVan]

I’m not sure. I rode a Propel before this with no issues so maybe a new Giant? I have a friend who rides a Specialized and weighs the same as me and he has not had issues... maybe a Specialized? As this ‘normal bike use’ is news to me I’d be reluctant to sit on any top tube

 

Well.... i have a Spaz Roubaix and Argon E116 and I would never ever contemplate trying to do a Vroomie #TDF2016special....BUT if for some reason i lost my survival instinct and had to do it, it would be on the Spaz Roubaix.... 

 

Hopefully a few more people will be a little less quick to sit on their top tubes

 

  

[karma]

Even though I never aero tuck, there is no way I want a frame with this weakness. This is a clear design flaw from Canyon

Please share your engineering background with us.

How many successful frames have you designed and produced to market as reference?

[Eldron]

It is amazing how things become acceptable just because other people do them.

 

Most of us have lifted 86kg in a gym. Would you happily balance those 86kg on your carbon top tube then send your bicycle down a potholed road?

 

I wouldn't.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Eldron

[Mongoose!]

Just replace it with a Aliexpress frame.

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/1-1-design-CY-full-carbon-road-frame-bicycle-frame-thru-AXle-disc-bike-10-colors/3002012_32856586177.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.109.3b321390FhTxIG&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10065_10068_10059_10696_100031_10084_10083_5725015_10103_10618_5724315_10307_5724215_5724115,searchweb201603_56,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=f190a1be-111d-4a56-b4eb-7b0862c241cf-16&algo_pvid=f190a1be-111d-4a56-b4eb-7b0862c241cf&priceBeautifyAB=0

 

Unbranded will be the better option...

[DuncanCT]

Send some photos to this guy, see if he'll comment.

 

https://www.instagram.com/luescher_teknik/

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY9JUMYI54lLOHpb_zbIedQ/featured

[Christie]

Alternative low drag position:

Edited August 28, 2018 by Christie

[dsw]

Well.... i have a Spaz Roubaix and Argon E116 and I would never ever contemplate trying to do a Vroomie #TDF2016special....BUT if for some reason i lost my survival instinct and had to do it, it would be on the Spaz Roubaix.... 

 

Hopefully a few more people will be a little less quick to sit on their top tubes

 

  

 

 

I have tried out a few top tube tuck positions on my Spez Roubaix and can report that the top tube is still fine (just checked it).

 

I am however not convinced I was any faster comparing to my normal "sitting on tip of saddle with hands in drops " descending position.

 

After reading this thread I will however not sit on the top tube it again although I admit that it made me feel "pro" at the time.