It’s 5:26 pm and all I want to do is ride my mountain bike on trails. But I also need to pick up my CSA farm share, mail a letter, and buy a few groceries. So instead of heading out on my mountain bike, I fire up the Precede:ON CF8, Canyon’s new carbon ebike, and ride a 7-mile-long loop down a steep, potholed asphalt parkway, on a busy city street, and home along a freshly paved scenic road. By the time I get home, I’ve got that ear-to-ear, ebike grin on my face. And that’s why I love these powerful toys: They turn mundane tasks into joy rides.
Already familiar with Canyon’s electric and analog mountain bikes, which deliver high quality at a fair price because of the company’s direct-to-consumer model, I was curious to ride the first urban ebike Canyon has offered in the US. (Since introducing the Precede:ON here a few months ago, the company has also added the Pathlite:ON SUV, an ebike that’s been popular in Europe.)
The Precede:ON arrived on a FedEx freight truck in a massive box about half the size of my Prius. After reading the directions, I was able to wrench it together in about 15 minutes. This mainly required attaching the front wheel, handlebars, and headset to the bike and adjusting the seat height. Then I stepped back to admire the ride. The Precede:ON is a sleek gun-metal gray and has handlebars that are integrated into the frame, which hides the cables and gives the whole cockpit a futuristic Blade Runner feel. With built-in rear and front Supernova lights, a tinkling Knog bell, and a rack over the back fender, it’s got everything a city commuter needs. Plus, the Bosch Kiox ride computer magnetically attaches to the handlebars and can be easily removed while running inside on a quick errand, which adds an extra layer of theft protection.
The bike’s e-componentry is high-end, with a 250-watt Bosch Performance Line Speed motor that provides pedal assistance at any speed up to 28 mph (I maxed out at 30). Any software updates to the motor can be installed wirelessly using a companion mobiles app. The Bosch also offers a feature called Smart Walk Assist that kicks the motor in as soon as you start to push the bike from a walking position, causing the bike to effortlessly glide along next to you. A long-range Bosch Powertube 500-watt-hour battery is integrated into the downtube and can easily be charged on or off the bike. The brakes and shifting are Shimano Deore M6100 series and, to allow for rugged terrain, the Shimano Deore XT M8100 groupset is the same 12-speed setup Canyon uses on its mountain bikes. Aluminum fenders covering the front and rear wheels ensure protection from slop, and the rack on the back fender has a locking system that will secure Ortlieb bags.
All of this comes in a 46.4-pound package, which is not ultralight, but not ultraheavy either. The Precede:ON I tested is a step-over model, but it also comes in a step-through version and a less expensive version that forgoes the carbon frame for an aluminum one ($2,599). That also comes in both step-over and step-through configurations.