Canyon Endurace WMN CF 9.0 Di2

Wow! That was genuinely the first thought that came into my head when I set off on Canyon's Endurace WMN CF 9.0 Di2. I might even have uttered it aloud. Its 7.24kg might not be superlight in this day and age, but it's still pretty feathery, and the bike is so responsive I thought for a moment it was going to leave me behind.

This isn't the brand new disc brake version of the women's Endurace – there's a review of that one coming soon. This is the unisex model made 'women-specific' by the speccing of certain parts – a woman's saddle, shorter cranks, narrow handlebar... It also has rim brakes not discs.

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Apart from the lack of disc brakes – made more noticeable by testing the disc brake version at the same time in a very similar spec (but mechanical Ultegra not Di2) – this is a lovely, lovely bike to ride. It looks beautiful, accelerates like a dream, and I really don't want to give it back.

As the name suggests, the Endurace is designed for riding good distances at pace, in comfort, and that's what the WMN CF 9.0 delivers.

I've been in training for the Deloitte Ride Across Britain forever, it feels like, so have been getting in plenty of miles most weekends, as well as riding to work. The Endurace zips along; it's light and stiff, and requires little effort to get up to speed and stay there, spinning along on a pair of light DT Swiss wheels.

Up front it is a little twitchier than you might expect of an endurance bike, a combination of the geometry and the light wheels. It's easy to move around if you need to avoid potholes or other obstacles on the road (though not, sadly, a low-flying young thrush, ), but did take me by surprise when I took one hand off the handlebar to shake my fist at a far-too-close-passing driver and nearly came a cropper.

Uphill it makes you feel like you're a climbing supremo – why haven't those team bosses spotted my amazing abilities? The overall weight, or lack of, is one of the main reasons, the front end feeling particularly so, but the stiffness in the frame also comes into play, meaning none of your energy going into the pedals is wasted.

Also helping here is that it has my ideal gear range of a 50/34 compact chainring up front and a wide 11-32 cassette at the back. It's hilly round these parts, okay?

That lightness up front doesn't make it too hairy on the downhills; it's not as solid feeling as the heavy steel bike I normally ride – obviously – but the 25mm Continental tyres help it feel planted, wet or dry. The wheels aren't deep section but can get buffeted about in strong winds, and I did feel a bit nervous descending on one particularly windy day, though I suspect I'd have felt the same on any bike.

Geometry

Initially, I was surprised to find I needed an XS size frame. I'm 5ft 6 1/2in and normally ride a small or medium, a 52 or 53cm, but Canyon's men's and women's models share the same sizing scale. A women's M and a men's M are for men and women of the same height. Not that this model has a women-specific frame; as I said, it's referred to as the 'unisex' frame, with women's parts.

In numbers, it has a stack of 541mm and reach of 366mm (stack and reach are the vertical and horizontal measurements from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) and a head tube angle of 70.9 degrees.

What that equates to is a slightly stretched out riding position, as expected given that the Endurace sits at the racier end of the endurance bike spectrum. It's still very comfortable, and if you spend most of your time riding on the hoods you're not too upright and inefficient.

Frame and fork

There are all sorts of shapes going on with the tubing: a big and chunky, slightly squared-off down tube; a top tube that starts wide at the front and tapers towards the rear; narrow diameter seatstays for comfort and chunkier chainstays for stiffness... It all adds up to a frame that's responsive and efficient without being uncomfortably stiff.

My daily (ahem) commute home takes in a mile or so of rough farm track (well, old railway track) that I probably shouldn't be riding a carbon bike along, and, okay, it's not a super-smooth experience but it's not that rattly a ride either.

The full-carbon fork – reassuringly x-rayed for defects, as all Canyon's forks are – has a tapered steerer, 1 1/2in at the bottom, 1 1/4in at the top, and the fork blades also taper to the dropouts.

Finishing kit

The DT Swiss wheels and 25mm Continental Grand Prix II tyres suit the bike well; the PR1400 Dicut wheels have a claimed weight of 1,435g, and though not deep section they're light enough and still deep enough to catch strong crosswinds. They look good too.

Dave Arthur tested the wheels last year, and while I'd agree with him that they're 'stiff and responsive, with no give or flex when putting the power down' I wasn't as convinced by the braking prowess of the Oxic coating.

I have used Shimano Ultegra rim brakes before and have got on with them well, but for some reason – maybe the brake blocks, maybe the Oxic coating on the wheels – these seemed to require quite a bit of notice. Quite a bit more in the rain. If only it came with disc brakes...

Gear changes with Shimano's Ultegra Di2 were a revelation. Seriously. I'm an electronic shifting novice, and previously couldn't imagine what all the fuss was about. I can now. Any naysayers, don't knock it til you've tried it. Be warned, though: you don't half miss it when you go back to mechanical.

All it takes to change gear is a light press of the knobbly or smooth bit of lever, but it's the trim function that I'm really taken with. 'Bzzzt' as it moves ever so slightly to counter any chain rub, whatever gear you've selected.

I appreciated the 165mm cranks too; I really notice the difference when using 170 or 175s, and actually have 160s on my own bike.

The aluminium H17 bar and H13 stem are Canyon's own. The diameter and drop of the bar are both dependent on the width, in this case 38cm, and it's wrapped in very comfortable Ergospeed Gel tape. A bit of road buzz does get through, though, and I found my hands turning a bit tingly after three or four hours.

Although the VCLS 2.0 'leaf spring' seatpost adds rear end comfort, I didn't get on with the Selle Italia saddle – a bit of a shame as this is one of the women-specific specifications. It's a little hard for my liking; maybe I need to toughen up. I also can't understand the need for deeply etched lettering right on the edge where it's likely to cause discomfort. Make it smooth please.

Value

An Ultegra Di2-equipped carbon frameset with £800 wheels for £2,649, which rides as well as this, strikes me as very good value. How does it compare with the competition? With many of the big names adopting disc brakes, or choosing mechanical Ultegra rather than Di2, it's not entirely clear, but there is certainly a lot of choice out there for women who want to cover decent distances at speed.

Trek's rim-brake Silque with mechanical Shimano Ultegra costs £2,100, while Specialized's disc brake Ruby Comp, again with mechanical Ultegra, is £2,650. Giant's Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1, with disc brakes and mechanical Ultegra, is £2,899.

> Buyer's Guide: 12 of the best road bikes from £2,000-£2999

Canyon's own disc brake equivalent of the CF 9.0, the CF SL Disc 8.0, with mechanical Ultegra, is £2,199, while the SRAM Red eTap model is £4,199.

Conclusion

We took delivery of the WMN CF 9.0 Di2 just as I was invited to Canyon's launch of its brand new, completely remodelled women-specific range, which includes the new disc brake Endurace.

Hearing about – and seeing and riding – the new model did make me wonder about the 'old' unisex version, and I have to confess the shine was rather taken off even the idea of riding it and testing it. Happily, I was proved completely wrong. It's an absolutely beautiful bike to ride, and if disc brakes aren't a concern for you, I urge you to give this bike serious consideration. If you don't like this Blue Lagoon colourscheme, it's also available in Silk-Pearl (white).

Verdict

Light, fast, responsive – a hugely enjoyable ride whether you're out for a quick blast or on an all-day epic