2021 Canyon Exceed CF SLX 9 hardtail review: a racing MTB

With 2020 scheduled to be an Olympic year we saw a flurry of new cross country race machines hit the market. The world’s largest consumer-direct bike company, Canyon, was just one brand to unveil a new XC race hardtail.

The overhauled 2021 Exceed is an unashamedly race-focused machine for cutting laps of a cross country course, and it offers a number of tell-tale signs that it was built for a skilled powerhouse like Mathieu van der Poel (MVDP).

Tech editor Dave Rome has been testing the new 2021 Exceed CF SLX for a number of months now and has formed something of a love-hate relationship with it. There is a great deal of interesting and unique elements to talk about with this fast 29er.

https://cyclingtips.com/2021/02/2021-...

Music by Epidemic Sound

Includes paid promotion: Our second Field Test was done in partnership with Ride High Country, the tourism and advocacy group responsible for cycling within Victoria’s North East region. We thank them for their support in being able to produce this series.