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TECH NEWS
canyon x rapha ultimate 2020.PNGRapha partner with Canyon for limited edition Ultimate CF Disc
Celebrating Rapha and Canyon’s continuing partnership, the brands have collaborated to release a special-edition disc brake Ultimate that is available exclusively to members of the Rapha Cycling Club.
> Video first ride review: Canyon Aeroad CFR Di2
The Ultimate is Canyon’s all-round race bike, that combines a lightweight design with aero qualities and comfort in mind.
> Review: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc 9.0 Movistar
Although the Ultimate CF SL 8 Disc RCC is limited edition, with only 250 units being produced, ironically it's more available than Canyon’s standard spec top-end Ultimate, which is currently only available in 2XL in the true grey colourway at the time of writing.
This new Rapha ‘black rainbow’ colourway is coated in RCC’s famous club colours—grey, pink and black—and has been created in collaboration with Rapha designer Patrick Mafham.
The specially painted Ultimate will set Rapha fans back £5,149. This is £1,650 more than the similarly specced SRAM Force eTap AXS Ultimate model (£3,499) in the standard true grey or light blue colourways, although you do get a wheel upgrade for the extra cash.
The lightweight Rapha model (7.46kg) comes with DT Swiss’s carbon aero tubeless wheels which have 50mm deep rims. These ARC 1400 Dicut db wheels (with a claimed weight of 716g), promise minimal drag and reduced steering torque for “predictable handling in windy conditions”. The standard model comes with heavier DT Swiss P 1800 Spline dbs (claimed weight of 763g) with aluminium rims.
> Buyer's guide: DT Swiss wheels
Both wheelsets are wrapped in Continental’s all-round Grand Prix 5000 25mm tyres, which feature an improved Vectran Breaker layer for puncture protection. Reviewer Jamie Williams praised these tyres for their grip, durability and cool retro looks.
Other features include a Sram Force AXS Powermeter and a short nosed Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow S manganese saddle.
Canyon and Rapha have worked together closely for a number of years as sponsors of the Canyon–Sram pro team, and have collaborated plenty of times in the past for special edition projects including a similar Ultimate CF SLX with Rapha livery back in 2017.
Get more info on this latest collab at www.canyon.com
Anna has been hooked on bikes ever since her youthful beginnings at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit. As an avid road and track racer, she reached the heady heights of a ProCyclingStats profile before leaving for university. Having now completed an MA in Multimedia Journalism, she’s hoping to add some (more successful) results. Although her greatest wish is for the broader acceptance of wearing funky cycling socks over the top of leg warmers.
Latest Comments
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What we need is a hanger that can be bent back.
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14 comments
Seems there's nothing that the Rapha sheep won't pay more for!
Money for nothing.
Size L please!? Beautiful bike...
Hahahahhahahahahhaha what mugs!!!!
£1600 over the standard model and all you get extra is a £1700 wheelset, £600+ powermeter and a rare paint job.
I guess it makes a lot of sense if you've already fallen victim to these moneysuckers. For me...nah...for that amount of coin you can do far better.
The ultimate Chad bike.
Medium please.
Pretty crappy frame level for the money. Especially with Raphas "premium" level kit. I'm sure the older RCC/Canyon bike was an SLX frame. I can't see the usual scalpers making anything from these.
I've never really understood why bike manufacturers dont copy the automotive trade and allow you to pick the colour as an option on any of their range, so you get the spec you want & in the colour you like. It always feels so limited when you look at a bike and think well I like that spec,but it's only available in grey, or shades of pink if its a women specific frame.
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikes/custom-colour-bikes/
£300 though, and takes 5 months.
Yep, same here. I'd like the Ultimate SLX in a white frame but with Campagnolo EPS and there's no option for that.
Ridley and Orbea have that option, I know as I got a Ridley in a fancy metallic colour I've never seen anyone else riding (yet).
Production compared to cars is much smaller for bikes, so making many colors would make bicycles even more expensive. For high end bikes though, a custom paintjob would be a small additional cost compared to the joy that may bring to the owner. I am not very sure about the custom paintjob durability compared to the factory one.
What I cannot understand is why such huge logos exist, imagine go buying a Fiesta and there is a proportionate "Ford" with 50cm font at the side doors or multi color themes. Such multiple colors ans huge logos subconsciously makes drivers believe that everybody riding a bike is having a fun riding, while many of us use bicycle as our go-to-work tool.
But what about colours that are available in the range? eg Orro Terra C has a very nice dark green colour on the GRX 1x model, but if you want 105 2x you just get white.
They are making the frames, they are supplying components, it's not about more colours, just let all paint colours come with all groupset levels, and let the buyer decide.
Does anyone remember a short lived Viz character called Kappa Slappa?
Get one of these and you're dangerously close to being a Rapha Slappa.