If you do the Medium Speedmax you’ll need the short stem and pads dead center - that will satisfy your Pad X and it’ll be beautiful. Now…with the stock flat bar that comes on it you will be slammed with no (zero) spacers. That gives you your Pad Y of 570 but you can go no lower - unless you acquired the drop bar and then you’d need to use three 5mm spacers to arrive at 570. I can say this: as the majority of triathletes age they increase their Pad Y - said another way - as we get older (say 45+) we want our pads higher so that we don’t have crane our necks as much to look safely up the road. If you went with the Medium and the flat bar that I’m pretty certain comes in the box you’ll ride it slammed as you are fit now. if you want to come up in the future - no problem. If you want to go lower in the future you can buy the drop base bar and you’ll have 15mm to play with.
Regarding the seat tube angle - it’s listed at 80.5 degrees but there’s quite a bit of both clamp slide and rail slide to give you plenty of range.
For your (assuming smallish) athlete who has Pad Y of 545 and Pad X of 463…the only option is a Small with the short stem, flat bar slammed. Without the TSP (Team Switch Plate) the shortest the pad goes is 466. I’d set it up that way first and see if the Pad X of 466 will satisfy. If not you can add the TSP then it’ll scrunch up the cockpit all the way to 439 so a few holes forward with the arm pad and you’ll get into the 460s.
What do you see as the big differences between frame sizes when you could ride either a size bigger or a size smaller?
Yellow,
My number one criteria is “room to move”. I wouldn’t want to spec a bike that painted someone into a corner and gave no ability to go 5 to 10mm up/down with pads or shorter/longer with cockpit. If one bike has an athlete maxed out one way or the other then I want to look at the other size - if it works.
My number two criteria is handling. The “Front Center” on a bicycle is the distance from the BB (Bottom Bracket) to the front hub. With the way we ride a triathlon bike (lots of weight on the front wheel) - if the Front Center gets short then the bike can be a bit sensitive (read: twitchy). This is, of course, to scale - a tiny person has less weight on an appropriately small bike so it’s not felt as much but if you’re 6ft plus and can choose between two bikes then going with the larger one can have an advantage in handling.
Your Pad Y/X of 620/509, the Large bike with flat bar, short stem and pads all the way back on the stock mount yields a Pad X of 511 (with TSP you can go shorter). To get to your Pad Y of 620 (on the flat bar) you’ll need three 5mm spacers and you’re there. If you go with the drop bar you’ll need a single 20mm spacer and a single 5mm spacer to get the pads to the same height.
Just noticed there was a typo on my side so my X is really 486 (Y stays the same 635). I don’t think it makes any difference but just in case… sorry about my mistake!
Mdiaz,
That typo doesn’t change much - same size, same base bar, same stem - you’ll just move the pads forward 3 holes (I think, it’s 3) but I know the length is in there for that stem on that bike.
When it comes to the bar and having the 2019 model the spacers in the middle (not affecting the height as far as I know) what would be my advantage having them on my Set-up versus the flat one?..just trying to understand.
I need to understand this too. I’ve only seen one of those new bikes at Kona briefly and wasn’t able to measure it, inspect it, etc. I’ll reach out the engineers in Germany and get more info on the new front-end next week.
David, I need to confirm again that the document given to me is 100% right. And, I don’t own anything on the new bike with the mono spacer. I’ll know more soon.
Just noticed there was a typo on my side so my X is really 486 (Y stays the same 635). I don’t think it makes any difference but just in case… sorry about my mistake!
Mdiaz,
That typo doesn’t change much - same size, same base bar, same stem - you’ll just move the pads forward 3 holes (I think, it’s 3) but I know the length is in there for that stem on that bike.
When it comes to the bar and having the 2019 model the spacers in the middle (not affecting the height as far as I know) what would be my advantage having them on my Set-up versus the flat one?..just trying to understand.
I need to understand this too. I’ve only seen one of those new bikes at Kona briefly and wasn’t able to measure it, inspect it, etc. I’ll reach out the engineers in Germany and get more info on the new front-end next week.
Thanks Ian, I’m guessing the TSP solution will end up being the best call. Athlete’s first tri-bike purchase (has been test riding a few though) and I’m betting on fit adjustments going forward as adaptation occurs.
If you go sans TSP the Pad X is only 3mm too long. The athlete might be okay with that as the Ergon arm pads offer some pretty good real estate. The TSP is there in the kit if needed but using it limits the arm tilt just a bit so something to consider.
I’m interested in what configuration you’d suggest for me. I’m probably going for medium frame, short stem, flat basebar.
Height: 184cm
Inseam: 88.8cm
Pad stack: 653mm
Pad reach: 468mm
I guess I’m quite inflexible, but it was my first fitting in TT position, so I guess my position will improve over time.
Fitting was done using a 172.5 crank. Would it be worthwhile to swap the default Canyon crank (175) to something smaller?
Your Speedmax is a Medium for sure and a short stem for sure and you’ll probably use the TSP to get the pads where you want them… but if you go with a flat bar you have to max out the arm pad pedestal at 80mm (a single 60mm + a single 20mm spacer) - and that’s to get to 650 which is 3mm shy of your Pad Y of 653. If you go with the rise base bar then you can use two 20mm spacers + three 5mm spacers to get to 650 or go with a single 60mm spacer to get to 655.
Any flexibility issues you might have far less to do with your position than your morphology - you are long in leg and short in torso (me too - I’m 6’1" with a 34in inseam and you’re 6’ with a 35in inseam). That’s why your Pad X is short but your Pad Y (and seat height) is high. Not to worry - lots of fast guys with our build.
Now, to crank length…yes, yes and yes again. If you go to something like a 170mm or even 165s you’ll likely get some more freedom in your hip angle at the top of the pedal stroke and, dare I say, maybe even go a bit lower in your arm pad elevation. This is a bit of speculation based on typical circumstances - I’d need to see you in this position to be sure.
Am ready to buy my first tri bike and settled on the Speedmax CF. Using Canyons fit questionnaire I should buy medium but given I can’t try it for size was looking for a second opinion. Can you explain how to determine pad x and y? Thanks
Never had an official fit but just roughly measured my current fit on my p3c. A speedmax is my dream bike but never been sure if I could make it work with my height.
Am ready to buy my first tri bike and settled on the Speedmax CF. Using Canyons fit questionnaire I should buy medium but given I can’t try it for size was looking for a second opinion. Can you explain how to determine pad x and y? Thanks
Pumphreywj, This is an excellent question. Here’s my answer…
When an athlete has a desire to buy a Canyon Speedmax here are the prioritized ways that can and should happen:
BEST APPROACH…Go to a bike fitter who is educated, experienced, and owns a dynamic fit bike (a bike that can be adjusted up/down while the customer is riding). The fitter you select must have all three of those criteria checked off - all three. The process might cost as little as $199 or as much as $399 and it’s absolutely worth it and here’s why: you will leave with the Pad Y/Pad X, the size of the Canyon Speedmax that’s right for you AND the front end configuration for the right size AND all the fit coordinates that will be needed once the bike is purchased (seat height, set back, cockpit distance, handlebar elevation, etc. etc). I can help by recommending fitters in your area. SECOND BEST APPROACH…(this doesn’t apply to you) pull out your existing tri bike, the one you’re abandoning. If you very much like the position measure the Pad Y and Pad X of that bike. It’s easy to get pretty darn close at home with just the most basic of devices (tape measure)OTHER GOOD APPROACHES…Give me your saddle height (assuming it’s known and right) and your overall height and let me put it into an equation that’s pretty darn good at proscribing Pad Y & Pad X - OR - Go through Canyon’s PPS and let it prescribe your bike size.
it sounds to me like you’ve gone through the PPS and it’s told you that a medium is right for you - so you’re set.
Now…I’m a bike fitter, and when you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail, so you won’t be shocked to hear me say you should get fit. And if you agree then I beg of you, get fit first. I’m sure you’ll still be a medium but then you’ll know if it’s a long stem or short stem, a base bar that drops is flat or rises, the amount of spacers you need under those aerobars - and a slew of other goodies that will make you very happy on the bike: seat height, set back, saddle tilt, arm pad width, aerobar extension, slight twist of those aerobars so wrists are happy, a bit of tilt of the aerobars so they are perfect, and much more.
Timely thread as I am looking at a CF as we speak. I believe that a small is what I am looking for but confirmation would be great.
Dave_o,
You are right the money with a small. It should have a short stem and pads nearly dead center to get your Pad X of 470. The best result for your Pad Y of 610 is a flat bar with a single 60mm spacer + a single 5mm spacer. You could get it done with the rise bar as well with two 20mm spacers + a single 5mm spacer - The bike comes with the flat bar and, one could argue the aesthetic of that superior.
Hi Ian…I’m curious…
Stack 638
Reach 408 (bb to pad). 429 tip to pad.
anthonypat,
The Stack you listed of 638 is a legit number, one that I believe is a Pad Y, and with which I can work. The numbers you listed as Reach (408 and 429) are too short for me to assume they are a Pad X. Are you giving me actual “reach” or Pad X? If you have an existing bike that fits well I can help walk you through measuring that Pad X to be sure. Get back to me on this, I’m eager to solve.
And, this seems like a good time to preach on the subject of terms for a sec…
Your probably already know this and you used these terms to expedite your post but I’m on a forever mission of education so I’ll correct the others who will read this and other posts - the terms “stack” and “reach” refer to a very specific place; the top of the head tube on the frame of a mortal bike. That’s a great number to work with when prescribing a mortal bike. The Canyon Speedmax is a super bike so we must use Pad Y and Pad X - or, in times of great desperation we could perhaps default to “Pad Stack” and “Pad Reach” but that is, as the brilliant writer/director of the movie Dope, Rick Famuyiwa helped remind us, a slippery slope.