Grail AL
Origin
Canyon introduced the Grail AL in 2018 as the aluminum companion to the polarising carbon Grail CF with its double-decker hover-bar cockpit. The alloy version skipped the hover bar entirely, using a conventional drop bar to undercut the carbon model on price while keeping the same race-gravel geometry, 42 mm tyre clearance, and 12 mm thru-axle disc-brake platform. Through five model years the Grail AL anchored Canyon's sub-€2,000 gravel offering, with Shimano Tiagra at the bottom and GRX 800 mechanical at the top. By 2023-2024 Canyon restructured its gravel lineup into two clear families—the adventure-oriented Grizl (which absorbed aluminum buyers) and the race-only carbon Grail CF/CFR—and the Grail AL was discontinued. New gravel buyers shopping alloy at Canyon are now steered to the Grizl 5/6/7 instead.
Specifications
- Frame
- Canyon Grade AL, double-butted 6061 aluminium, internal cable/hose routing, 12 mm thru-axles front and rear; frame ~1,480 g
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- Build-dependent: Shimano Tiagra at entry through Shimano 105 R7000 2×11 (50/34 + 11-34) and GRX 2×11 (48/31) at the top; SRAM Rival 1×11 also offered on AL 7.0 SL
- Brakes
- Shimano 105 / GRX hydraulic disc (or SRAM Rival on SL build), flat-mount, 160 mm rotors front and rear
- Wheels
- DT Swiss C 1850 Spline DB disc clincher wheelset, 12 mm thru-axle (tubeless-ready)
The verdict
- Outstanding spec-per-euro: full Shimano 105/GRX or SRAM Rival hydraulic groupsets and DT Swiss C 1850 wheels at a sub-€2,000 price point
- Lively, torsionally stiff alloy frame with compliance that reviewers compared to bikes costing significantly more
- Canyon SP43 VCLS leaf-spring carbon seatpost adds genuine rear comfort without a dropper or suspension
- Stable, confidence-inspiring race-gravel geometry (long ~1,035 mm wheelbase) that doubles well as a fast road bike
- Conventional flared drop bar avoids all the maintenance/fit headaches of the carbon Grail's polarising hover-bar cockpit
- Heavier than carbon rivals (~9.2-9.45 kg) — noticeably less eager on sustained climbs
- Tire clearance capped at 700×40C (42 mm at a stretch), narrow by modern gravel standards
- Poor bikepacking/touring versatility: rack mounts removed from 2019 on, limited bottle bosses, and the carbon fork has no accessory mounts
- Frame stiffness becomes a liability on rough terrain — reviewers noted comfort loss and traction loss on chunky climbs
- Stock 2× chainrings (e.g. 48/31 GRX) or 42T 1× felt over-geared for steep loaded climbing
Who it’s for
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