Canyon's Exceed cross-country hardtail gets an updated geometry and new frame features
A decade after Canyon introduced its dedicated race hardtail, the Exceed, it’s finally gained a deep redesign.
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Since 2015, the gravel bike market has gained ascendancy, and riders are rethinking how they approach ultra-distance off-road races and adventure rides. But some riders are discovering that ultra short-travel gravel bikes aren’t quite what they want on demanding adventure bike rides. At the same time, cross-country frames have also become notably slacker and longer, especially hardtails, responding to more technically demanding courses.
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Canyon has responded to all these prevailing market dynamics by redesigning its dedicated hardtail, adding storage options for adventure riders, and geometry to bring it up to date with the latest XCO race needs.
Longer and slacker
Designers were tasked with integrating slightly more progressive geometry for the Exceed, which meant lowering standover but retaining adequate storage space in the front triangle. It’s still configured for a 100mm fork, but the geometry is now slacker and longer.
2025 canyon exceed hero 3.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Canyon’s design update for the Exceed frame has slackened its head angle from 69- to 67-degrees and extended reach by 10mm per size, while the wheelbase is 30mm longer, too. Those reach and wheelbase increases should enhance tracking stability, especially on loose, high-speed off-road fire roads. The slacker head angle will be appreciated by XC riders who enjoy carving steeper singletrack trails.
2025 canyon exceed storage.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The more progressive frame geometry has not compromised the new Exceed’s loadability. The front triangle accommodates two full-sized hydration bottles and Canyon’s midloader top tube bag. Canyon’s LOAD internal frame storage systems migrates to the Exceed from the brand’s Lux Trail. This creates a sealed storage solution in the downtube for tools, CO2 cartridges, inflators, tubes and snacks.
Bigger dropper options and threaded BBs
Seatposts are a particular feature on hardtails, accounting for a lot of ride comfort if engineered to purpose. Canyon’s offers is pioneering VCLS 2.0 split-tube seatpost on the new Exceed, delivering 20mm of rearward flex, for excellent vibration damping on corrugated unsealed roads.
For those riders who want to use the new Exceed as a dual-purpose off-road adventure touring bike and smooth singletrack weapon, the VCLS 2.0 seatpost is a great solution for fatigue mitigation, without the weight or complexity of a dropper.
Technically skilled and daring riders can run many dropper options with the new Exceed, thanks to the seatpost diameter increasing to 31.6mm and provision for internal routing. Riders who want to leverage all the benefits of Canyon’s updated frame geometry on the Exceed, have a much wider selection of potential dropper posts than before.
2025 canyon exceed hero 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Big tyres at low pressures deliver better rolling efficiency, comfort, and traction when riding a multiday endurance route, or railing berms on your local forest singletrack. To that end, the Exceed has enough tyre clearance to run 2.4in wide casings without issue. Riders who want to tally huge training mileages year-round with the Exceed, will also be thrilled that it's configured with a BSA threaded bottom bracket, which should prove more durable and creak-resistant through summer dust and deep winter mud.
All the Exceed build options
The new Exceed range starts at CF 5 grade, featuring a RockShox Recon Silver RL fork, 25mm ID DT Swiss LN XC wheels rolling Schwalbe Rocket Ron 2.25’ Performance tyres in the Addix compound. Drivetrain and brakes are Shimano Deore. The CF 5 weighs 12.3kg and prices at €1,999.
Increase your budget to €2,499, and you will get the CF 6, which drops weight to 11.3kg. Build specifications are a RockShox SID SL fork, wider 30mm ID DT Swiss X1900, shod with larger Schwalbe Racing Ray 2.35in tyres in the Super Race casing and Addix Speed compound. Drivetrain and brake specification on the CF 6 are Shimano SLX.
Canyon’s Exceed CF 7 gets weight below 11kg, with a 10.8kg build. Fork specification is Fox’s 32 SC Performance, with drivetrain and brake components being Shimano XT. The Exceed CF 7 features Reynolds TR309c XC wheels rolling Maxxis Ikon 2.35in tyres, in the EXO TR casing and MaxxSpeed compound. Pricing for the Exceed CF 7 is €2,999.
Riders who want SRAM transmission and brakes can choose the Exceed CF 8, priced at €3999 with a build weight of 11kg. Its fork specification is RockShox SID SL Select+, with the SRAM groupset constituting Level Silver Stealth brakes and a GX Eagle drivetrain. Rolling the CF 8 along are DT Swiss XRC LOG wheels, with Maxxis Ikon 2.35s in the EXO TR casing and MaxxSpeed compound.
The new Exceed range peaks with the CF 9 build, weighing only 10.1kg and priced at €4,999. Its upgrades over the CF 8 are an XO-spec Eagle transmission, SID SL Ultimate fork and DT Swiss XRC1501 wheels. Tyres on the CF 9 are also chosen for exceptional rolling speed, with a Schwalbe Racing Ray 2.35in up front and Racing Ralph 2.35 at the rear, both in the Super Race casing and Addix Speed compound.
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