Canyon Endurace CF 7 eTap

£2,849 Superb quality long-distance machine

- Simon Withers

Weight 8.49kg (S)

Frameset Carbon Endurace CF Disc

Gears SRAM Rival eTap AXS (48/35, 10-36)

Brakes SRAM Rival

Wheels DT Swiss Endurance LN

Finishing kit Canyon stem and bar, Canyon VCLS carbon stem, Fizik Argo Tempo R5 saddle, Schwalbe One 30mm tyres

THE ENDURACE IS Canyon's longstanding contestant in the competitive world of distance bikes, where it's up against the likes of Giant's Defy and Specialized's Roubaix. And Canyon has made changes for 2022. The new frameset has a BB86 bottom bracket inherited from Canyon's more exotic Endurace CF SL and CF SLX, along with a new 1¹4in carbon fork. It's available in eight sizes, for riders from 150cm to 197cm-plus, which should make it easy to get the ideal size too.

The undoubted star of the show is SRAM's Rival eTap AXS 12-speed wireless electronic groupset, which is a thing of wonder. It works differently from most systems - you use the left paddle to change to a lower gear, the right paddle for a higher gear and both paddles simultaneously to shift from one chainring to the other, regardless of which ring it's in.

It may sound as if it'll take getting used to - but in practice it really doesn't. I've ridden virtually all of my last 5,000 miles using Shimano's STI, but after a few rides eTap's action quickly becomes natural. A couple of times I'd remind myself 'L for lower', but mainly it was intuitive. Shifting is quick, accurate and the noise the front mech servo makes is one of my favourite sounds in cycling, reminding me of the doors on Star Trek.