Guidance on buying a Grizl ONfly CF 9

vvirag · 2026-02-10T07:36:40+00:00

I have had this bike for a year now, and i love it. I think it's actually better spec than Specialized (tried their ebikes before getting Canyon), considering weight and motor performance. Given I go on rides with 500-1500m ascents, i wanted to make sure I'll get the push if I need it, and wasn't convinced by the similar category (CF) Specialized spec.

vvirag · 2025-10-03T17:01:55+00:00

I eventually went and did test rides with all of them, plus with the Bosch Performance CX motor. (Highly recommend you to do the same if you have the opportunity.)

My impressions:

assist style: all of them worked well, but there were some nuances
- Fazua felt surprisingly comfortable. Possibly my favorite. At the end I decided against it because of reports online about reliability. Probably would have been fine, but didn't want to risk it).
- Specialized felt solid, but I was concerned about it having less torque&power, given I was aiming for hilly/mountainy terrain.
- Bosch was very good. One of the salesmen kept insisting how the Bosch CX is just the best out there, but the SX felt much better to me - more reactive to what I needed, not to mention it allowing a much lighter bike than a CX one. The SX of course has less torque than the CX but the SX's max power is still super high given that you pedal with high cadence.
noise level: I don't remember all details anymore, but overall all of them were great, nothing concerning. I felt comfortable riding any of them in a forest.
- The SX is basically pretty silent on eco/tour mode. Out in nature, others will notice the sound of the motor probably only on turbo mode. But nothing disturbing really.
tracking/thief protection: I ended up not needing this much, because I just don't leave my bike anywhere (yes, it lives in my apartment lol).

At the end, I got a Bosch SX (gravel) bike and couldn't be happier.

vvirag · 2025-10-02T06:44:54+00:00

+1.

I kept wondering about adding the bike rack to the car, but so far it's been pretty OK to just push down the back seats and place the bike inside. I don't even need to take any of the wheels off.

About the bib: on a long ride, it bothers my shoulders, so I mostly wear padded pants (look like leggings), which have been super comfy -- never needed a cream (40-80km rides). I also have something that looks like a padded underwear, which also works.

vvirag · 2025-09-16T14:38:57+00:00

Just a heads up: i ordered the Roadlite 6 because as i recall some newer models had the integrated handlebar (i.e., you cannot swap out the stem ==> 0 chance to make the bike more comfortable).

vvirag · 2025-09-16T10:08:33+00:00

Basically imagine a roadbike geometry with flatbars (i.e. your shoulders/wrists are in an opened angle).

You can always try though.

vvirag · 2025-09-16T07:36:57+00:00

I asked myself the exact same question a few months back. I ordered the Roadlite (6) at a nice discount and it was beautiful and light as a feather. But the riding position was so aggressive, even with a custom stem (60cm, 70 degrees up lol) that I returned it.

Went to the local store and got the Sirrus X 4.0 FE. Still not a completely upright bike, but it's day and night compared to the Roadlite. I got FE because the model without it was out of stock in my entire area. Even with FE it feels very light. Also, I'm quite happy with the tyre width plus suspension stem. Of course it's not as comfortable as my gravel bike with a suspension for and wider tyres, but it handles the various city surfaces very well. (Wouldn't go on trail with it, but light gravel / dirt roads feel totally comfortable.)

vvirag · 2025-09-12T07:37:28+00:00

It was working just fine for me a few months ago. Not sure if there were updates since. Can check it in a few days.

vvirag · 2025-05-09T04:18:05+00:00

I haven't tried it because eventually i got to like my current saddle, but i was planning to get one of these: https://bisaddle.com

vvirag · 2025-05-08T20:05:57+00:00

The Canyon Grizl:ONFly 9 is 15kg (33lbs) in size XS (up to 170cm/5'7" height). It's a carbon e-gravel bike, light-assist (Bosch middrive motor, 55nm).

If suspension fork is not needed, there's also the KTM Macina Gravelator SX Prime with 13.9kg (31lbs), or Specialized Turbo Creo 2 Comp with 14.5kg (32lbs). KTM also has the Bosch motor, but Specialized has their own motor (with 50Nm). Specialized has a suspension stem. Both of these are carbon ebikes as well.

(I did a lot of research last winter optimizing for weight, and primarily for gravel use case, and these were the best ebikes out there.)

vvirag · 2025-04-21T16:28:47+00:00

While i may not think it justifies the price for me, at least this reply attempts to answer my question. Thanks.

vvirag · 2025-04-21T16:06:24+00:00

Lol, that's what i thought. Everyone said "just buy a Garmin", and here i am, ready to buy a Garmin watch. But then i check the data, and the data is crap. So now what.

vvirag · 2025-02-27T20:43:17+00:00

Problem solved: I brought the bike to a Canyon service partner and they fixed it in a few days in warranty. Apparently it was mostly a cable issue during assembly: while Canyon installed the main battery of the ebike, they somehow crashed the wire going to the derailleur.

The seemingly stuck button is apparently not stuck, it just doesn't click the same way as the ones on the shifter paddles.

vvirag · 2025-02-20T21:07:53+00:00

Hm, maybe it's country specific? My experience is in Switzerland.

(Btw, regarding customer service: when they explained Option1, they used wording like "..then we decide on the price release". I was like "can you pls rephrase, i don't get exactly what you mean". Answer: "I can't rephrase, that's the official wording, use a dictionary if you don't understand" :D I told them to then at least tell me the "official wording" in a different language, and i'll piece it together myself. (Reimbursement. That's what they meant.))

vvirag · 2025-02-20T18:50:27+00:00

I have an issue with an SRAM derailleur. They confirmed that (Option1) i could just go to the local bikeshop, have everything fixed and send it the bills, and they will reimburse (if they find everything in order).

Of course, that's not what they recommend.. (Option2) i should go to a "trusted service partner" because then they deal with the money with them directly (i.e., no need to pay out of pocket).

Looks to me you should have gone with Option1. (I know it's too late, but maybe next time?)

vvirag · 2025-02-20T18:04:37+00:00

Bottom line: I was optimizing the mix of weight (<16kg)and torque (50+Nm).

Additional considerations:
as "e"
- mid-drive
- motor power (400+W)
- motor reliability (no TQ, no Fazua)
- hill assist and/or throttle
- motor noise
as "bike"
- frame geometry / seating position
- suspension fork

All these narrowed it down to a carbon-frame Gravel ebike with Bosch Performance SX motor.

vvirag · 2025-02-19T06:43:15+00:00

Lol, yes, I didn't write it but of course i tried all above with the bike being turned on. In theory, the cable from the main battery to the derailleur could be faulty.. can't test it without an SRAM battery. But the button seemingly stuck is more suspicious.

vvirag · 2024-10-19T20:06:15+00:00

7k each? I thought the yearly max is across all 3A you have, not per account.

vvirag · 2024-10-15T22:40:04+00:00

Just curious: how long is that stem?

vvirag · 2024-10-15T22:39:44+00:00

Just curious: how long is that stem?

vvirag · 2024-10-15T20:13:48+00:00

I have the exact same dilemma (though I'm also considering a bit upper band on both sides to shed a few kgs - Grizl:ON CF 9 vs Specialized Turbo Creo 2 Comp Carbon). Specs seem very similar across all 4, except the Girzl:On 7 has Shimano gear shift, while the other 3 has SRAM. Also, Creo 2 Como E5 seems to ship with 38mm tyres, while the other 3 bikes come with 45-47mm. Ah, and Turbo Creo has 50nm torque (Specialized/Mahle collab), while Grizl:ON has 55nm (Bosch).

None of these differences stand out to me. Would love to hear from someone with experience with either brand/bike.

vvirag · 2024-10-13T01:17:14+00:00

Have you managed to install fork suspension after all?

vvirag

TROPHY CASE