2024 Canyon Grizl:ON in review – A fully equipped e-gravel bike

Purist? Nope! The Canyon Grizl:ON is crammed to the hilt with technical features and detailed solutions, which should appeal to a diverse target group. We took a closer look at the 2024 Canyon Grizl:ON and found out what this e-gravel bike is capable of.

Canyon’s first e-gravel bike, the Grail:ON with its 85 Nm Bosch Performance Line CX motor and 500 Wh battery, was a bike of contrasts. A lightweight, sporty gravel race bike with a heavy full-power motor. Canyon’s new approach promises a more coherent approach. To this end, the German brand combine their gravel adventure bike, the Canyon Grizl, which has been optimised for a wide range of use cases, with the new Bosch SX light motor. Coupled with a wealth of additional features, the Grizl:ON should make for a capable all-rounder. Read on to find out whether the new approach delivers, and what’s behind all the features.

The Canyon Grizl:ON CF 9 in detail

At first glance, the Canyon Grizl:ON looks functional and inconspicuous. The “New Moon Stealth” (aka black) finish is timeless and suits the bike well. The suspension fork, oversized down tube, and wide handlebar result in a bombproof look that seems to yearn for off-road adventures. Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll notice some nice details.
The cockpit doesn’t look cluttered despite the wired lighting system. The computer mount – which can also be used as a smartphone mount via the SP Connect interface – and the headlight mounting point are all integrated into the stem.

Most striking of all are the integrated tail lights in the bottom of the seat stays. Since they’re dual-sided, you’ve got visibility from all directions, despite the low position. Why not just have a single tail light under the saddle? According to Canyon, the tail lights are less likely to get sprayed with dirt, and they look cool – what’s not to like?

The lighting system was developed in cooperation with the German brand Lupine. The headlight is an adapted Lupine Nano with a remote high and low beam function. The taillights are based on Lupine C14 models in aluminium housings. In the event of a defect, the individual taillights can be replaced with minimal effort. The entire lighting system is powered directly from the main battery. As long as the motor system is switched on, the tail lights are on, consuming about 0.5 W per hour. The bright headlight can be switched on and off as desired. According to Canyon, the permanently integrated 400 Wh battery of the Bosch SX system has enough reserves to power the lights for 1–2 hours after it will no longer power the motor.

In the summer of 2023, Bosch launched a lighter, more compact offshoot of the Performance Line CX. With a maximum output of 55 Nm, the Bosch Performance Line SX has 30 Nm less torque than the full-power model, though it’s capable of delivering the same maximum power of 600 W, which is significantly more than other light motors like the TQ-HPR50. The small powerhouse is fed by a permanently integrated 400 Wh battery in the down tube. As such, you must plug the charger directly into the bike for recharging. Fortunately, you can up the total battery capacity by an additional 250 Wh with the Bosch PowerMore Range Extender, which simply slots into the bottle cage.

To exploit the full smart potential of the Bosch SX system, Canyon spec all Grizl:ON models with the Bosch ConnectModule. This allows you to keep tabs on the bike via the Bosch eBike Flow app with the help of GPS tracking. However, you’ll need the premium Flow+ subscription to unlock this feature, which is free for the first 12 months and then costs € 4.99/month or € 39.99/year. Other free functions of the Bosch eBike Flow app include a navigation function, fitness tracking and Strava integration for automatic uploads. With Bosch eBike Lock, you can deactivate the motor, making it more difficult for thieves to steal the bike. The individual support modes and motor characteristics can also be customised via the app.

For those who want to delve deeper into the topic: we took a detailed look at the Bosch Performance Line SX motor, and compared it with 12 other current ebike systems in a comprehensive motor group test, hosted by our sister magazine E-MOUNTAINBIKE.

For comfort on the Canyon Grizl:ON CF 9, you’ve got a RockShox Rudy Ultimate suspension fork offering 40 mm travel up front, which, paired with the 45 mm wide Schwalbe G-One Bite tires, is sufficient for light trail use. Canyon’s leaf-spring inspired carbon seat post takes care of damping at the rear. Thanks to the movable carbon springs, you can also adjust the layback and angle of the saddle. Coupled with a relaxed, upright riding position, it promises to offer plenty of comfort, even on rough terrain.

The new Grizl:ON boasts Canyon’s LOAD FIDLOCK QuickLoader frame bag solution, which debuted on the new Canyon Grail. The bags are tailor made for each frame shape and size, thus offering a perfect fit. What’s more, they attach to the frame magnetically using the FIDLOCK interface, making them extremely clean, quick, and simple to remove or attach.

Overachiever! The Canyon Grizl:ON has all the features you could wish for.

If you need more space than is available inside the front triangle, you can significantly increase the onboard storage capacity thanks to the additional mudguard/luggage rack combination. While the mudguards reduce the tire clearance from 50 to 45 mm, they’re ideal for commuting and daily use! Detracting from its everyday practicality, on the other hand, is the lack of a stand mounting point. It’s not something anyone will miss on a sporty gravel bike, but it’s a must for a workhorse, allowing you to park safely even when fully loaded.

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL
Top tube	546 mm	568 mm	578 mm	597 mm	617 mm
Seat tube	462 mm	492 mm	522 mm	552 mm	582 mm
Head tube	117 mm	136 mm	156 mm	176 mm	198 mm
Head angle	69.5°	69.5°	69.5°	69.5°	69.5°
Seat angle	74°	74°	74°	74°	74°
Chainstay	439 mm	439 mm	439 mm	439 mm	439 mm
BB Drop	XXX mm	XXXX mm	25/25 mm	25/25 mm	25/25 mm
Wheelbase	1,056 mm	1,080 mm	1,092 mm	1,112 mm	1,134 mm
Reach	381 mm	398 mm	403 mm	416 mm	431 mm
Stack	574 mm	592 mm	621mm	630 mm	650 mm

The geometry of the Canyon Grizl:ON has changed significantly compared to the analogue model. At 69.5°, the head angle is three degrees slacker than on its analogue counterpart, the reach shrinks from 478 to 416 mm in size L, and the stack grows by 25 mm. This results in a much more relaxed geometry that places the focus on comfort, not on performance, while offering more composure and more control, especially when going off-road.

The Canyon Grizl:ON is available in four different variants. They all come specced with lights, a suspension fork, Bosch SX motor system including the ConnectModule, and a carbon frame.

The much more off-road focused CF TRAIL version comes fitted with 50 mm Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite tires, and a RockShox Reverb AXS XPLR dropper post with 75 mm of travel.
It features a mullet drivetrain consisting of SRAM Force AXS and XO Eagle Transmission components, with a large mountain bike cassette, which offers a wide gear range for those really steep climbs.

The Canyon Grizl:ON on test

Turn on the motor, and off you go! There’s no need for the Canyon Grizl:ON to warm up. And you needn’t familiarise yourself with the handling either, as it’s intuitive and predictable.
The wide handlebar, slack head angle, short stem, and suspension fork are reminiscent of a mountain bike, ensuring precise steering, offering loads of control, and instilling you with confidence, whether on a leisurely cruise or on fast descents.

Due to the upright riding position, the Grizl:ON prefers a more leisurely pace on flat roads, though it gets along just fine without the support of the motor. As soon as you hit hilly terrain, the tide turns. The Bosch Performance Line SX packs a punch for a light motor, and will relentlessly push you uphill until reaching the 25 km/h limit. That’s a good thing, because steep inclines and climbs on loose surfaces prove to be difficult without support. The Grizl:ON offers plenty of control and precision on the descents thanks to the mountain bike-inspired geometry, which makes it a blast to ride on moderate trails and rough gravel. The damping provided by the suspension fork and leaf-spring seat post is a good team effort, offering a good level of compliance on rough terrain.

For long tours with lots of altitude gain, you should have a range extender on board, and avoid using Boost mode. At maximum output, the powerful motor can drain the 400 Wh battery rather quickly. In the more economical support modes, however, the riding experience is much more natural and closer to analogue riding, as the power output is coupled to rider input.

Who is the Canyon Grizl:ON for?

Like its analogue counterpart, the Canyon Grizl, the Grizl:ON is a balanced all-rounder. It delivers great versatility, making it an ideal bike for everyday commuting and running errands. But the Grizl:ON is far more than just a commuting hack: it’s equally capable of weekend recreation, for bike path tours, and supported adventures into the almost unknown – as long as you’ve got a place to recharge 😉 .

Our conclusion on the 2024 Canyon Grizl:ON

Practical, solid, functional. With the Grizl:ON, Canyon present a coherent overall concept that delivers in most respects. Its wealth of features offer real added value, making everyday life and weekend trips just a little bit easier. Thanks to its progressive geometry, the Grizl:ON also turns out to be a fun off-road gravel bike for moderate trail riding. It fulfils its promise of versatility, making the Grizl:ON a true all-rounder. The only thing missing is a mounting point for a stand.

For more information, visit canyon.com

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Words: Jan Richter Photos: Antonia Feder