2023 Canyon Exceed CF 5: My 2,829mi ownership experience

On August 23, 2023, I purchased a brand new Canyon Exceed CF 5 for $2,153.93. The kicker? I bought it online without even doing a test ride. That’s the new way of buying bikes I guess.

I’m happy to report that it ended up being a very good purchase. The sizing was perfect, and it looked even better in real life than it did on the Canyon website.

A full overview of what it’s like to own (and ride!) a 2023 canyon Exceed CF 5

This was the bike that I purchased to replace my 2009 Specialized Rockhopper Comp. I didn’t need a mountain bike considering that I never ride off road. However, the roads aren’t very smooth in the area that I live – so I needed something tough that could take the abuse.

Red 2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame and street tires — I wasn’t necessarily looking for another red bike (especially after spending so long on a red 2007 Specialized Allez Comp), but…this was the only color left. I also got the very last “small” frame that they had in stock.

Here’s the full spec sheet of the bike that I purchased:

FRAME	Canyon Exceed CF
SIZE	Small
COLOR	Rapid Red
SUSPENSION FORK	Rock Shox Recon RL Remote
REAR DERAILLEUR	Shimano DEORE M6100
SHIFT LEVER	Shimano DEORE M6100
CASSETTE	Shimano DEORE M6100
CRANK	Shimano DEORE M6120
BOTTOM BRACKET	Shimano Pressfit BB71
CHAIN	Shimano CN-M6100 12s
FRONT DISC BRAKE	Shimano SLX M7100
REAR DISC BRAKE	Shimano SLX M7110
BRAKE ROTOR	Haves D-Series
FRONT WHEEL	DT Swiss LN XC
REAR WHEEL	DT Swiss LN XC
TIRES	Schwalbe Rocket Ron 2.25″
THRU AXLE	Canyon Quixle Thru Axle
STEM	Race Face Ride
HANDLEBAR	Race Face Ride Rise
GRIPS	Canyon push-on Grips
SADDLE	Selle Italia Model X
SEATPOST	Race Face Ride

The day that it arrived

Since the only way to buy a Canyon bike is online, they will ship it directly to your home. Minor assembly is required.

My CF 5 was shipped from Canyon’s warehouse in Los Angeles (just north of where I am in San Diego). It arrived at my door just three days after purchase.

Canyon bikes shipping box — It’s here! It’s here! $20 says that the FedEx guy wasn’t as excited as I was about my new bike.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the unboxing experience was realizing how heavy it was. Altogether, it weighed in at 31 pounds. Not what I was expecting for a bike with a carbon fiber frame and wheels.

The bike was 90% assembled the right out of the box. I’m not saying they didn’t trust me or anything, but..it sure seems like they didn’t trust me to put this thing together. I built an entire bike once for crying out loud!

2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 close up right out of the box with a protective covering — It arrived in perfect condition by the way. No scratches, dings, or dents. Time to recycle that box!

Close up detail shots from the inaugural ride

I was still recovering from a recent hernia surgery, so I wasn’t able to ride it for the first time until September 3 (a little more than a week after it arrived). I couldn’t wait to get out and ride this thing!

Red 2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame — What a unit! The very first ride of any new bike is always a little weird, but I’m happy to report that this CF 5 felt solid and smooth. It didn’t feel all that small with the 29 inch tires though.

2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 rock shox front fork and disc brakes

The only thing that I didn’t like about the inaugural ride was how big and heavy this bike felt. I was struggling to decide between the small and medium frame during the purchase process, but I’m so glad I went with the small. This thing is huge.

Red 2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame top tube — Wanna know how tall the top tube is? I’m 5 foot 10, and I can’t stand over the “X” in Exceed without it totally crunching my junk. Even with the small frame, this is a very tall bike.

2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 on street tires — Since I don’t do any off-road riding, I swapped the stock knobby tires with a set of Maxxis Hookworms. They’re extremely heavy, but fantastic for street riding. I’m not shy about proclaiming them to be the *best* road tires for a mountain bike.

2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 with Garmin RS200 Power Meter Pedals — Road pedals on a mountain bike? Why the hell not?! I swapped the stock plastic ones with a set of Garmin RS200 Power Meter pedals (as one does when doing primarily road riding).

2023-2024: 2800 miles of fun and exploration

By far the most important lesson I learned in the first year of riding this bike is that I don’t think I’ll ever buy a 29 inch mountain bike ever again. It’s just too tall for my liking. Call me old school, but I’m of the opinion that mountain bikes with 26 inch wheels are far more nimble (and a lot more fun).

Riding a red 2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame — I wonder if this bike is mad at me for never taking it off road?

Red 2023 Canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame side view — Actually, it does touch dirt every now and then. Only for pictures though.

Riding a 2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame

2023 canyon Exceed CF 5 small frame with graffiti

I’ve put exactly 2,829.7 miles on this Exceed at the time of this writing (which happens to be just over a year of ownership). It’s not as light as I would like it to be. The “small” frame is too big and tall for my tastes. But I don’t hate it.