The New Canyon Lux Trail is Not Simply a Lux with a Longer Fork

This is supposed to be easy. To broaden the appeal of dedicated XC race bikes—an often expensive category with limited real-world applications—all you need to do is spec longer-travel suspension components and maybe some bigger tires and rotors. That’s what Cannondale did with the Scalpel SE. It’s what Santa Cruz did with the Blur TR, and what Yeti did with the SB115. But the thing is, you’ll then end up with some less than optimal geometry. The reach gets shorter, the bottom bracket gets higher and, most offensively, the seat tube angle gets slacker. “Trail” versions of XC bikes almost always have disadvantages that run counter to why you would be shopping in the XC section in the first place. Not the Canyon Lux Trail.

That’s because Canyon did it right. Launching today, the Lux Trail is indeed pretty much just a longer-travel Lux, but it has an entirely different front triangle. It’s not fundamentally different, though. It still has the same shock configuration, the same two in-triangle water bottles, and is still paired with the same rear triangle. But the frame is actually designed to work with a 120mm fork and a longer-stroke shock that yields 110mm of rear travel.

So, compared to the 100mm front- and rear-travel Lux, the Lux Trail has the same bottom bracket drop and the same effective seat tube angle, but has a 2.5-degree slacker head tube angle and a full 25mm longer reach. Compare that to the Blur TR, which shortens the reach on the more aggressive model by about 12mm. The Lux Trail’s cockpit length is on par with what you would expect to see on a modern enduro bike. That allows you to run a bar/stem combo that suits the style of riding this bike is meant for without needing to stray from its still very XC-focused demeanor.

The spec also goes a smidge into the trail category. 35mm RockShox Sid forks or Fox 34 Step-Cast forks add a little extra support and stiffness, Schwalbe Wicked Will / Racing Ralph or Maxxis Rekon tires in 2.4 / 2.3 widths are slightly more burly than the Maxxis Ikons on the original Lux. All are paired with 30mm inner-width rims.

But the frame itself has not been similarly beefed up. The claimed 1905-gram (size medium) frame weight is only 30 grams heavier than the original Lux, and only because of the extra front-triangle length. Canyon still tests the Lux Trail to its “Category 3” standards, so don’t go thinking it’s as burly as the Spectral 29.

There are four builds available in the Lux Trail, all with the same carbon frame. The Lux Trail CF 6 at $4,000, the CF 7 at $5,300, the CF 8 at $6,300 and the Emily Batty edition CF 9 at $7,000. The bikes are available this week in most of Europe, but will hit U.S. shores soon.