Field Test: 2022 Canyon Lux Trail - A Revised Racer

This bike has 110mm of rear travel, which is delivered via a single pivot design with flex stays, a layout that's quite common in the cross-country world. Even with the trail moniker bolted onto the model name, I would say the Lux Trail is still very much an XC bike, much like the Santa Cruz Blur TR we also have in this field test. The Canyon has the steepest head angle, as well as the slackest seat tube angle, of all the bikes on test. There are also other dimensions that might catch your eye, including the long effective top tube length - it measures 627mm for a size medium, and a whipping 650mm for a size large.

For that reason went with a size medium for this round of testing. I was able to try the large earlier this year, and found that that bike simply felt too big for me during seating pedaling. To their credit, Canyon's sizing chart does seem to do a good job of recommending the appropriate size in this case - it puts me between a medium and a large (I'm 183cm tall).


North American Canyon customers will be able to purchase the Lux Trail with longer dropper posts, but in Europe this bike will come with the super-light, XC race-oriented, Transfer SL. This post has, at most, 100mm of travel. That does seem to go against the Lux Trail's downcountry intentions, and it's something to keep in mind if you're looking at this bike outside of North America.

Another indication of the Lux TR’s racing heritage would be the dual lockout - it was the only bike in the Field Test to come with one. Suspension duties are handled by a RockShox SID fork and Deluxe shock pairing. In terms of performance, the SID is a fantastic fork and almost rescues an XC bike's descending capabilities. However, much like on the Trek Top Fuel, our fork developed bushing play.

Canyon does gets some details bang on. Firstly, I think their execution of a rotation limiting headset is a better execution than Trek’s Knock Block. Although it sits externally to the headtube and could be argued it doesn’t look as well integrated, it’s simpler and functionally better.

There is also the best-on-test chain device. The svelte number sits within the pivot hardware and works very well. It’s fabulously light, clean looking and really means there is no reason not to run one. The bike can fit two water bottles inside the front triangle, and has a universal derailleur hanger along with internally guided routing. It also features Canyon's two-in-one axle that manages to combine a lever of ample size that slots into the axle itself to leave a clean and tidy look.




Climbing

When compared to the similarly-sporty Santa Cruz Blur TR the Lux Trail doesn't offer the same level of grip on seated climbs. In terms of shock performance, and the feeling it delivered, it was pretty middle of the road, which is no bad thing. It managed to be a very reasonable halfway house between XC-responsiveness and providing a platform that will respond well to large accelerations or shifts in where your weight is sitting.

We always conduct our efficiency tests in the seated position with forks and shocks open. In this setting, the Lux Trail was the 4th fastest bike in this test (out of 6), as well as on the timed single track climb. Using the lockout might have added some efficiency, but that comes at the cost of comfort, and it's not a setting that's particularly useable on actual trails. I understand the appeal of the lockout for cross-country bikes, but I don't think it's necessary on this particular model.

The bike definitely carries its weight where its numbers would suggest. It's not the lightest bike in this category (the Blur TR is nearly two pounds lighter), but it does have a very classic XC feel. Out of the saddle the 460mm reach felt okay - it puts your weight very much on the front axle, which is a benefit when climbing.

Thanks to that shorter top tube of the medium, manipulating your weight and exercising it over the front axle was easier. It wasn't totally different from the Santa Cruz in this regard, however, the Lux Trail is nearly 15mm lower in the frame stack, which does accentuate this sensation. It felt lively and easy to boss around, both while standing and seated, if not particularly precise.



I think redesigning the front triangle could have yielded such promise, but this revision seems a bit lukewarm. If this bike was a degree slacker in the head tube, and a degree or two steeper in the seat tube I think it would have begun to make sense. The effective top tube would have been brought into check, and the bike would potentially be less skittish on the descents too.

Our bike came with a 125mm drop seatpost. This is ample for the medium that it is, but as we’ve already gone into, it’s not true to size anymore. In America, the good news is that the other models come with a 150mm post, which is more appropriate for a bike like this. However, as was mentioned earlier, the Fox equipped bikes that are sold in Europe come with posts with only 100mm of drop. In addition, the small two-pot brakes and the 160mm rotor in the rear that’s enacted upon by a flat-mount road-style caliper mounting are also more appropriate for an XC bike rather than one with Trail in the name - it's a shame there isn't a version with a slightly beefed up spec.

Where you ride your bike is of course really important, and in recognition of this we deliberately rode trails that were downcountry-appropriate. Even still, the Lux Trail struggled to shine on any part of them, be it climbing or descending. If the Santa Cruz left it red faced by being all that it could have been, bikes like the Rocky Mountain Element or the Trek Top Fuel made it look like it was meant for a different category entirely. Realistically, it's better to look at the Lux Trail as modern cross-country bike rather than trying to pull it into the downcountry pool.

There's no denying that Canyon's prices do present a good value, and for riders who simply want to put in the miles on mellower terrain the Lux Trail might be the ticket. However, if you do want to push hard, there are simply better candidates.

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Reviews and Tech Field Test Downcountry Bikes Canyon Canyon Lux