You might be wondering why we’re reviewing clothing designed for hot-weather riding when summer is well and truly over across much of northern Europe. The answer is simple: there’s always somewhere in the world offering warm riding conditions. Equally, for anyone looking for race-appropriate kit, where staying cool and comfortable is essential whatever the weather, this review will be applicable. For our latest product review, Olly has been putting some of Canyon’s premium CFR clothing through its paces. Having recently spent time in Sri Lanka, he had the ideal opportunity to test the kit in genuinely hot (and exceptionally hot) conditions. Read on to discover how it performed.
Before we’ve even turned a pedal, the temperature is already 32°C in the shade. As we ride out across the plains to the north-west of Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park, the heat continues to build. Less than an hour into the ride, my bike computer is showing a scorching 40°C. For most people, cycling in these temperatures is hardly an everyday occurrence and might seem a little crazy. For someone from the north-east of England, where summer temperatures rarely make it much beyond the mid-20s, it probably sounds downright reckless. Strangely, though, I feel absolutely fine. More than that, I’m thoroughly enjoying myself. With the right clothing, a disciplined approach to hydration, high-quality sunscreen, a steady supply of calories and a well-organised support team, riding in these extreme conditions is entirely manageable — and can actually be surprisingly enjoyable.
You might think that wearing black cycling kit in extreme heat is asking for trouble. However, with the right kit, something almost magical seems to happen: rather than feeling like a ready meal being cooked in its own packaging, the fabric appears to help regulate my temperature surprisingly well. For my recent Sri Lankan adventure, I asked to test out some clothing from Canyon’s own high-performance label, Canyon Factory Racing (CFR). Canyon describes its CFR range as combining “innovation with lightweight design for your fastest rides and races.” My thinking was simple: if this kit is designed for competitive riding, where the body generates plenty of heat, it should be equally well suited to non-competitive rides in a seriously hot environment, such as southern Sri Lanka in late summer.
I was testing out two pieces of CFR kit – a set of CFR Men’s Cargo Bibshorts and a CFR Men’s Cycling Jersey. When they arrived, I had two initial thoughts – a) how beautifully packaged they were, with high-quality wrapping and a garment wash bag included and b) how tiny they looked.
I had quite a panic that I had ordered the wrong size, but I knew that Canyon provided a detailed size/fit guide on their website, so I was confident I had got it right. I’m 1.78m tall, weigh somewhere around 65kg, have a 36” chest, a 30” waist and 33” inseam [sorry for mixing my units – you can blame my British ancestors for giving us such a messed-up system, where we frequently switch between different measurement systems on the fly]. That put me bang in the middle of Canyon’s Small size category. I was slightly dubious, as the CFR kit is designed for racing snakes, so normally I would size up, but I trusted Canyon’s fit advice.
For anyone who isn’t blessed with the physique of a Greek god or goddess, or whose livelihood doesn’t depend on posing for social media, taking a mirror selfie in cycling kit can be a rather depressing experience. Fortunately, once on, the CFR kit fitted perfectly. Both garments were a little ‘interesting’ to initially put on though – the shorts in particular were an impressively snug fit over my hips. For about 30 seconds I was really worried that they were too small, but once I’d wiggled around a bit and pulled them on fully, the fit was perfect. The jersey also felt very snug. When I first did it up, I accidentally left the zipper ‘handle’ facing upwards and the jersey basically popped open, making me feel a lot like a sausage which had just burst through its skin. I suspect this wasn’t really the look that Canyon’s design team were going for, but once I had adjusted the zipper handle into the down (locked) position, everything was hunky dory and the jersey stayed closed.
The cut of the CFR clothing is very definitely race-y – this is not clothing to wear on a social Sunday ride to a local coffee shop unless you’re either chiselled race-build or you have impressive levels of self-confidence. After wearing and then washing the CFR kit, the second time I wore them, the fit felt slightly more relaxed. What is interesting is that when you’re off the bike, the kit looks quite ‘wrinkly’, particularly the shorts. However, as soon as you’re on your bike in the standard riding position, the wrinkles evaporate, and the fit feels absolutely perfect. Canyon state this in their fit guide: “RACE FIT products may feel either uncomfortable or incorrectly sized when worn in a standing position but will feel perfect when riding in the drops.”
I had never really considered the weight of my cycling kit before, but the CFR jersey (116g) and the CFR cargo bib shorts (175g) were 60g and 32g lighter, respectively, than my normal ‘go-to’ hot weather riding gear (Rapha Brevet Lightweight). OK, so 92g lighter is not significant per se, but in percentage terms, the CFR kit is over 30% lighter than my normal kit, which is impressive.
When it comes to bib shorts, there are two aspects which are make-or-break for me: how comfy is the chamois pad and how good are the leg grippers? Canyon describe their pad as being “Developed with millimetre precision for maximum comfort in the road position” and go on to say that “the CFR Cargo Bibshorts feature an all-new chamois pad that's made for distance, with perforation to keep skin dry and control temperature.” Despite not being manufactured by a well-known name (or at least, not credited in Canyon’s web copy if they are), the pad fitted me perfectly and was extremely comfortable, with no bunching, chafing or weirdness despite the fact that I was testing them in some pretty extreme temperatures.
Canyon describe the leg grippers on the CFR cargo bib shorts as having “A laser-cut finish and integrated silicone gripper reduces construction lines to a minimum, saving weight, boosting aerodynamics and keeping your bibs in place.” Again, I found the fit of the grippers to be absolutely perfect. I have climber’s legs rather than sprinter’s legs and with some brands of shorts, the grippers aren’t snug enough and consequently the shorts gradually ride up my thigh. Even though my legs were pretty sweaty, the shorts stayed perfectly in place and there was no discomfort or irritation from the silicone. The leg length is quite long and the gripper on the back of each leg sat just above the crease in the back of my knee. I have relatively long legs for my height and the cut of the CFR shorts was perfect.
The bib shorts are well endowed with pockets – one large pocket on each thigh, two at the back in the middle and a small, zipped pocket at kidney height on the right-hand side. I frequently used the thigh pockets, but didn’t use any of the other ones. The two central rear pockets would be blocked by your jersey and I suspect they might be quite a pain to access. The straps are wide and comfortable and come with a mesh back panel, which Canyon says “offers total support and temperature regulation.”
The CFR jersey fitted like a second skin. Like the matching shorts, it’s a proper race fit and won’t disguise any lumps and bumps, so choose your size carefully. Canyon say that the CFR jersey is “Purpose-built for high-speed riding and racing.” They also state that “This jersey features seamless stitching, laser-cut sleeves and aerodynamic fabrics for the perfect balance between comfort and performance.” They describe the material of the jersey as “An advanced micro-textured fabric creates a jersey that’s both temperature-regulating and aerodynamic.” They go on to say that “ This not only keeps you cool, but helps you cut through the air with maximum efficiency.”
In use, the jersey does the perfect trick of seemingly disappearing into the background. I can’t tell whether it was any more aerodynamic than any other cycling jerseys that I own, but it was extremely comfortable, wicked sweat away perfectly, which helped keep me cool and all the little details (seam placement, rear gripper design, arm length) were well considered and added up to a perfect fit. If I’m being picky, the rear jersey pockets sit quite high up and are extremely snug, so they require a little more dexterity than normal to use, but that is the price you pay for having a race fit jersey.
As well as the CFR shorts/jersey, Canyon also sent me one of their Signature Pro Shortsleeve Base Layers. Base layers have seemingly fallen out of fashion in the pro ranks and consequently Canyon do not include the base layer in their CFR range. I’m a big fan of base layers and wear different types year-round. I concur with Canyon’s description that a good base layer helps “regulate body temperature, keeping you comfortable and is the ideal foundation to work in a system with your other kit.” Unfortunately, unlike the CFR jersey and shorts, the Signature Pro Shortsleeve Base Layer didn’t work for me in the scorching temperatures of Sri Lanka.
The fit of the size Small/Medium was much too big for me and it fitted more like a T-shirt than the baselayers I normally use. The fit was so oversized that I couldn’t wear it under Canyon’s CFR jersey without the fashion police arriving instantly to arrest me for crimes against Lycra.. I didn’t want to write it off without testing it properly, so I wore it under a slightly looser Rapha jersey. Here the baggy fit was less of an issue and it looked much better. However, the material was surprisingly thick and I felt noticeably hotter when wearing it, rather than feeling cooler, which is normally the effect of a baselayer.
The better news was that I wore Canyon’s baselayer in the much cooler conditions in north-east England when I got home and it functioned significantly better. The shock of riding back in the UK after nearly two weeks of Sri Lanka sunshine was pretty severe and the Canyon baselayer actually added a small extra layer of warmth which was most welcome! I will definitely continue to use it in the UK in the future, but I don’t think the shape or the material makes it an ideal partner to wear with Canyon’s CFR range of clothing, or for use in super-hot conditions.
If you are looking for race-fit clothing to wear on your gravel bike for either riding in super-hot conditions or in competition, then Canyon’s CFR clothing should be absolutely at the top of your list. While their clothing might not have the cachet of some of the bigger or more en vogue clothing brands out there, the material choices, fit and features mean I can happily give Canyon’s CFR clothing the Gravel Union stamp of approval.
You can find out more about Canyon’s CFR range of clothing on their website.