Canyon CF SL frame sizing

Hendrix2430

Hi, I’m looking to buy a canyon Ulimate CF SL frame and I’m unsure which size to get. My main measurements are 31.25 inch inseam (78.5-79cm) and i am 5’7-5’7.5 (171cm).

I ride a 52cm CAAD12 with a 100mm stem and it is perfect as is. In this bike, the reach is 381mm, top tube is 534mm and stack is 536mm. The head tube is 125mm.

I also have two 5mm spacers below the stem. As it is normal for supersix / Caad12 i don’t have lots of Seatpost showing, about 5 inches the seat to bar drop isn’t huge. Tip of saddle to Center of bars is 52.5cm.

I gone through the canyon PPS online and have asked a canyon customer service already... quite confusing. I assumed I should order the S (equivalent to 53) but the customer service person tells me I should order a XS, otherwise I wouldn’t get much play with the saddle height.

The online form tells me I should order a S if I I put 172 for height but XS if I put 171cm...

I tend to think a S would be better as I don’t want to feel cramped on the XS.

The XS frame main measurements are :

526mm top tube
528mm stack
121mm heat tube
370mm reach

The S frame main measurements are :

536mm top tube
546mm stack
137mm heat tube
374mm Reach

My current CAAD geometry is :

534mm top tube
536mm stack
125 head tube
381 reach

Unsure what to get really...

sloppyschleckonds

S looks like it will be spot on

Hendrix2430

Thanks I feel like that too... with that said I wouldn’t’ feel comfortable on a 54 CAAD... while I may make a 50 work. That’s what is making me hesitate. I would rather not run a shorter stem than 100mm... hopefully the canyon S is not a bigger frame than my caad12. Same would be good, a tiny bit smaller would be fantastic.

grenw

Can't comment on the Ultimate but you're more or less the same size as me and I ride a size Small Endurace SLX. Seatpost bang in the middle of the adjustment range.

Their measurements had me on the limit for XS/S but I know that my wife's XS is too small for me.

Hendrix2430

Thanks, may I ask what stem you use?

grenw

It's an integrated aero handlebar setup. It's what came with the bike

getting_on_a_bit

I'm 5'8" and ride a standard kit 52 Caad 10( a 54 is too stretched)
Have hired Canyon Endurace and Ultimate SLX for a few days,both in size S,and didn't notice any issues with sizing.Have to say as an aside that I prefer the Caad...SLX was too stiff,Endurace very similar to be fair

diamonddog

I have a CF SL in XS with a 90cm stem, 5’5”/165cm tall with 30’’/76cm inside leg.
There is plenty of adjustment left in saddle height and fore/aft for someone taller

Hendrix2430

Thanks for all your responses. Anyone had ridden or owns both the caad12 and cf sl, and can tell me which frame is the longest / biggest between the two? For example 52 vs S ? I’m getting quite confused even though more and more feedback is coming!

wiwaxy

I'm 5''10 with a 31" inseam. My CF SL is a medium although the Canyon online system advised small. In the end, I just went for the size that was most similar to my Cannondale top tube length and Medium was/is perfect.

Hendrix2430

Remeasuring saddle height (71cm from center of B.B. to top of saddle), and recommended saddle height form canyon, I’m now leaning towards the XS- the 526mm top tube, 528 stack and 121 head tube are pretty close to my 52 caad : 534 top tube, 536 stack, 125 head tube... running it with a 110mm stem would work well I think. The S in comparison has a 546 stack, 536 top tube and 137 head tube so I might feel more at home with the XS and 110mm stem so I might go with that!

grenw

I'd say the small is closest.

Stack is higher so you may find it a more upright but the reach is much closer in the S - 2mm longer in the S vs 8mm shorter in the XS. Stem could sort out either though I suppose.

Hendrix2430

Thanks for the advice! Yes the reach is closer on the S - with that said I wouldn't want to have more reach on my current bike with the 100mm stem. I could do with 10mm less reach, but 10mm more might be too much...

By the way this got me thinking - should I be looking at the top tube or the reach as a indicator of the frame's length? I assumed reach, as it takes into account head / seat angles.

cyclenutnz

Reach and stack are the best way to compare frames, but need to be normalised.
So in this instance where we're looking at 20mm more stack on the Canyon - that modifies reach by 6mm (roughly).

Every 10mm of stack reduces reach by ~3mm. So the S Canyon and 52 SS are very similar when normalised.

Or just do the stem/spacer calculations to figure out how to match Bar XY (reach and stack to centre of bar)

Which I've done for you


Appears that Canyon have amended a couple of the geo values since I grabbed their data, we'll survive being 1mm out on reach for the moment.

The XS would be a bad idea. You'll note that the Canyon S has a shorter front centre and longer chainstays than the SS, which puts more of your weight on the front wheel. The XS will be worse. S will be closest in size and handling to what you're used to.

Hendrix2430

Thanks a lot for this comparison!

I'm not necessarily trying to 100% replicate the handling of the CAAD12, nor have the same exact fit. Infact I wouldn't mind a more "compact" frame - whilst still not drifting too far off the measurements of the CAAD12. As it stands with the CAAD12, which fits me with its current configuration - I would say a slightly bigger bike than my 52 might not be comfortable, a slightly smaller would probably be...

Looking at your calculations (thanks again!), the stack on the 52 CAAD12 is higher at 536mm and not 526mm, and the reach is 381mm, not 384mm. So it would appear the stack on the 52 CAAD12 only has a 10mm stack difference (2 x 5mm spacers, and 3mm reach) with the Canyon S and, 7mm reach.

Similarly, the stack on the XS Canyon is 8mm less than the 52 CAAD12 at 528mm, and the reach is 370mm (11mm less).
I currently have one 5mm spacer under the stem on my CAAD12, so let's say I put two 5mm spacers on the XS Canyon.

The stack would be close now at 541mm on the CAAD12, and 538mm on the XS Canyon.

In turn, the difference in reach would now be 14mm different because of the 5mm extra spacer on the XS Canyon. Wouldn't putting a 110mm stem (vs 100mm on the CAAD12) basically bring the two bikes very close now, with only 3mm stack difference, and 4mm reach difference? This would be more than acceptable to me.

Cheers