Canyon’s attention to the rider’s happiness is immediately noticeable within the first few metres of the first ride. The sum of the Ultimate’s parts work in perfect harmony to hum a melody of forward momentum. In many ways, the Ultimate is in the ‘super’ class of bikes, and it’s nice when things live up to expectations.
After the first few pedal strokes on my first ride, I encountered an obnoxious section of road with a rough surface of bumpy bitumen that tested these lofty first impressions. It’s a section of road I often ride, very reluctantly, although this time was different. Armed with a ‘superbike’, I was now transported across the bumps by the Ultimate’s magic carpet ride.
A large part of this effect was aided by the 25mm tyres, which provided buttery smoothness without the ‘squigyness’ that the larger volumes can be known for. I don’t usually like addressing parts like tyres in reviews as they are ‘perishables’ on bikes, which means at some point they will be changed. But once this set was done, I would definitely go out and just buy another set of 25mm tyres for the Ultimate.
The large tyres work due to the frame’s overall stiffness. The stem and handle bars are an integrated one piece unit, the wheels are DT Swiss carbon and there are through-axles front and rear, all to provide the stiffest platform possible. The frame that these features adorn is also incredibly stiff with very little compliance, which is in line with the racing pedigree of the Ultimate.
The two contrasts offered by the plushness of the tyres and stiffness of everything else works in parallel to provide the best ride possible. It was a fact amplified when I used too much air in the tyres. The ride was suddenly harsh and uncomfortable, though dropping pressure immediately returned the synchronicity I had enjoyed.
Much of the test took place in the Victorian Alps, covering routes that tackled climbs and treacherous descents, which offered a great insight into the Ultimate’s abilities. The ascents were taken care of with with pleasant efficiency. The hum of the wheels was met by the gentle clicks of the Dura Ace gears, always effortlessly engaged of course, to keep you comfortable. The Fizik Antares R5 saddle also added to the comfort, though the Dura Ace hoods did break up the party a tad.
The hoods house the hydraulics of the disc brakes so they are ‘oversized’ compared to normal options, which meant I never really got comfortable – even with my largish hands. The same goes with the handle bars, although in contrast they were slightly on the ‘too small’ side of things, being quite narrow. I eventually got used to them as the test progressed but it was noticeable.
At the top of the climbs, it was time for happy snaps, which the Ultimate played up to with ease. It really is a nice-looking bike with Canyon’s sharp angling of the Ultimate’s frame shown off beautifully thanks to the sleek internal cabling. Although not an aero bike, the Ultimate still offers that ‘fast-while-standing-still’ kind of look.