The Nightmares of Component Integration Are an Unfair Burden on Bike Buyers

Recently, I rode and reviewed Canyon’s latest Endurace road bike. Like most mid to high-end drop-bar bikes Bicycling takes in for review these days—from brands big and small—this bike had integrated, or internal, routing from the shift/brake lever to the brake calipers and derailleurs. Admittedly, integrated bikes look sleek and clean, and there are aerodynamic benefits—albeit small—to hidden routing, too. But they also introduce a new level of complication and expense, which almost always falls on the user. Every Endurace CFR and CF SLX comes from the factory with Canyon’s CP0018 integrated cockpit. This cockpit debuted with Canyon’s Aeroad redesign that dropped in 2020 and is also used on the latest generation of Ultimate. This three-piece system has removable hooks, with the side benefit of adjustable bar width. It also offers 15mm of stem height adjustment with no fork-steerer cutting necessary. Adjustment is cool! Options are great! The one thing that is not adjustable is stem length. Every Endurace comes with a specified stem length which varies with frame size. This is not unique: Every bike outside of full custom has a stock stem length. Where things get messy for the Endurace, and every production bike with an integrated front end, is if a rider needs a different stem length. And it’s double tricky for bikes with fixed-width bars: Essentially every bike but Canyons with the CP0018 cockpit. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [The Nightmares of Component Integration Are an Unfair Burden on Bike Buyers]( [The Nightmares of Component Integration Are an Unfair Burden on Bike Buyers]( [The Nightmares of Component Integration Are an Unfair Burden on Bike Buyers]( Recently, I rode and reviewed Canyon’s latest Endurace road bike. Like most mid to high-end drop-bar bikes Bicycling takes in for review these days—from brands big and small—this bike had integrated, or internal, routing from the shift/brake lever to the brake calipers and derailleurs. Admittedly, integrated bikes look sleek and clean, and there are aerodynamic benefits—albeit small—to hidden routing, too. But they also introduce a new level of complication and expense, which almost always falls on the user. Every Endurace CFR and CF SLX comes from the factory with Canyon’s CP0018 integrated cockpit. This cockpit debuted with Canyon’s Aeroad redesign that dropped in 2020 and is also used on the latest generation of Ultimate. This three-piece system has removable hooks, with the side benefit of adjustable bar width. It also offers 15mm of stem height adjustment with no fork-steerer cutting necessary. Adjustment is cool! Options are great! The one thing that is not adjustable is stem length. Every Endurace comes with a specified stem length which varies with frame size. This is not unique: Every bike outside of full custom has a stock stem length. Where things get messy for the Endurace, and every production bike with an integrated front end, is if a rider needs a different stem length. And it’s double tricky for bikes with fixed-width bars: Essentially every bike but Canyons with the CP0018 cockpit. Recently, I rode and reviewed Canyon’s latest Endurace road bike. Like most mid to high-end drop-bar bikes Bicycling takes in for review these days—from brands big and small—this bike had integrated, or internal, routing from the shift/brake lever to the brake calipers and derailleurs. Admittedly, integrated bikes look sleek and clean, and there are aerodynamic benefits—albeit small—to hidden routing, too. But they also introduce a new level of complication and expense, which almost always falls on the user. Every Endurace CFR and CF SLX comes from the factory with Canyon’s CP0018 integrated cockpit. This cockpit debuted with Canyon’s Aeroad redesign that dropped in 2020 and is also used on the latest generation of Ultimate. This three-piece system has removable hooks, with the side benefit of adjustable bar width. It also offers 15mm of stem height adjustment with no fork-steerer cutting necessary. Adjustment is cool! Options are great! The one thing that is not adjustable is stem length. Every Endurace comes with a specified stem length which varies with frame size. This is not unique: Every bike outside of full custom has a stock stem length. Where things get messy for the Endurace, and every production bike with an integrated front end, is if a rider needs a different stem length. And it’s double tricky for bikes with fixed-width bars: Essentially every bike but Canyons with the CP0018 cockpit. 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