Canyon Dude Assessment – Greatest Fats Bikes
The Takeaway—a fats bike that focuses on velocity and lightness, not epic adventures.
- Only one water bottle mount. No different cargo provisions
- 26×4.8-inch tire clearance
- Full carbon body and fork for the value of many aluminum fats bikes.
Value: $2,799 (as examined)
Weight: 26.25 lb. (medium)
So far as I can deduce, the Canyon Dude is not an homage to Jeff Bridges’s character in The Large Lebowski. And it isn’t named after the bike business’s Dude, alter ego of Wick Wickster—an iconic fixture within the PNW biking scene.
“Dude” simply would not match with the remainder of the German model’s mannequin names, that are extra intense sounding like Ultimate, Strive, Torque, and Exceed. Dude sounds laid again and mellow, which is out of character for a model that focuses on racing and high-performance bikes.
However after a couple of rides, it’s evident that this dude is extra of a DUDE! This gentle, fast, and race-oriented fats bike is completely in line with Canyon’s give attention to velocity.
—Dude Particulars—
Smash Guard
A stopper constructed into the the headset prevents the bars from crashing into the highest tube.
Two-By-Bye
The Dude has a detachable entrance derailleur mount.
Out Again
The Dude’s front-brake hose routing is exclusive, however it works.
Again ‘n Forth
Chips within the dropouts alter the chainstay and wheelbase size.
Smash Guard
A stopper constructed into the the headset prevents the bars from crashing into the highest tube.
Two-By-Bye
The Dude has a detachable entrance derailleur mount.
Out Again
The Dude’s front-brake hose routing is exclusive, however it works.
Again ‘n Forth
Chips within the dropouts alter the chainstay and wheelbase size.
2019 vs. 2020 Dude
The bike reviewed here’s a 2019 mannequin. For 2020, Canyon is promoting one mannequin within the USA with a special construct that my 2019 assessment bike. The 2020 Dude CF 8.0 mannequin makes use of the identical frameset—albeit in a fetching purple and never the uninteresting black of the assessment bike—with totally different components.
Essentially the most vital components change for 2020 is the 4.8-inch Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tires—2019 got here with 4.0-inch—which is able to enhance its floatation and traction. Different variations embody Shimano MT420 brakes (SRAM Information in 2019), DT-Swiss BR2300 (80 grams heavier than the 2019’s wheelset), an aluminum seatpost on the 2020 mannequin (2019’s Dude obtained a carbon submit), and a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain with 11-50 cassette as an alternative of the 2019’s GX Eagle with 10-50 cassette.
The variations will make the 2020 bike a bit heavier, however it’s additionally $300 cheaper—$2,499 VS. $2,799 for the 2019 mannequin—and comes with higher (wider) tires.
Smaller Wheels
Bigger-diameter tires have infiltrated fats bikes, simply as they’ve each different class. Bigger-diameter tires, usually, roll quicker and extra easily, however fats bikes are all about floatation and the widest tires—something over 4.5-inches—are for 26-inch wheels.
The 2020 Dude rolls on 4.8-inch tires, which occurs to be the utmost said clearance. Canyon would not explicitly say so, however I think it’d take 27.5 wheels wrapped in skinnier rubber for those who felt like investing in one other wheel and tire set.
Low Weight and Excessive Worth
It is not simply the tires which might be fats—fats bikes often weigh so much too. There’s simply a variety of massive stuff on a fats bike—wider rims, massive tires, wider thru-axles and hubs, wider crank spindle. However the 2019 Dude with its carbon body and inflexible carbon fork alighted on my scale at simply 26.25 kilos (measurement medium). And that is with tubes—a tubeless conversion ought to drop a bit extra weight.
The 2020 with its down-spec construct will weigh extra, however ought to nonetheless be one of many lighter fats bikes in its value vary. That is as a result of Canyon’s worth story is at work right here—it is among the least costly full-carbon fats bikes you should buy. Nonetheless, do not forget so as to add Canyon’s transport costs—$89 once I checked—when evaluating costs to different bikes.
—Dude Particulars (As Examined)—
Body: carbon fiber composite
Fork: carbon fiber composite, 1.125-1.5 taper
Wheels: DT-Swiss BR2250
Tires: Schwalbe Jumbo Jim, 26×4.0
Favourite Drink: white Russian
Shifter: SRAM GX Eagle
Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle
Cassette: SRAM XG-1175, 10-50
Crank: SRAM GX Eagle, 30 tooth ring
Bar: Canyon H15 riser
Stem: Canyon V12
Seatpost: Canyon S29 carbon
Saddle: Fizik Tundra
Sizes: small, medium, massive
Compact Body
The Dude has an aggressively sloping high tube, which makes for a smaller entrance triangle. This has its tradeoffs. On the optimistic, extra standover clearance is extraordinarily welcome when you need to put a foot down in deep, delicate snow. Negatives embody much less room for body packs and room for just one water bottle contained in the triangle.
Body particulars of word embody a detachable entrance derailleur mount, routing provision for a dropper-post distant, and 197/150mm (rear/entrance) hub spacing. The rear dropouts function a chip that permits you to shorten the stays, however the quick place is simply suitable with narrower tires. A cease constructed into the headset protects the highest tube from injury brought on by the bars colliding with the body.
Trip Impressions
The Dude got here in simply as fall was transitioning to winter, so was put to the take a look at on filth and snow by a crew of skilled fats bike riders.
Of the Dude on filth, one tester stated, “What actually stood out was how nicely the bike carried out as a mountain bike. The Dude rails singletrack too,” including that the bike was crisp and responsive.
That responsiveness is regardless of a barely slack head angle (68.5 levels), and long-ish wheelbase. That’s, relative to different fats bikes. The low/lengthy/slack development hasn’t come for fats bikes the way in which it has different classes, so despite comparatively tame numbers, the Dude’s geometry is progressive for the category.
Nonetheless, testers commented that the Dude bike has a sporty edge and felt it finest appeals to performance-oriented riders and racers. And with little room for a entrance triangle pack and only one bottle cage mount—there aren’t any different bottle, rack, cage, or bag mounts on the Dude—it might appear that this can be a bike designed for brief and quick rides and never epic adventures.
On groomed and hardpack snow, the Dude maintains the texture of a performance-oriented bike. However on softer floor, the 2019 mannequin’s 4.0-inch tires do not provide the fascinating floatation of wider tires. The 2020 mannequin could be a bit heavier (but additionally cheaper) than the 2019 Dude, however the 2020’s inventory 4.8-inch tires are a big improve the place it counts most.
Mild, fast, and stripped of cargo necessities, the Dude is a race-oriented fats bike for fast thrills in any delicate terrain.
Canyon
