Win Winter on Canyon’s Speedy Dude Fat Bike
The Takeaway—a fat bike that focuses on speed and lightness, not epic adventures.
Just one water bottle mount. No other cargo provisions
26x4.8-inch tire clearance
Full carbon frame and fork for the price of many aluminum fat bikes.
Price: $2,799 (as tested)
Weight: 26.25 lb. (medium)
As far as I can deduce, the Canyon Dude isn't an homage to Jeff Bridges's character in The Big Lebowski. And it's not named after the bike industry's Dude, alter ego of Wick Wickster—an iconic fixture in the PNW cycling scene.
"Dude" just doesn't fit with the rest of the German brand's model names, which are more intense sounding like Ultimate, Strive, Torque, and Exceed. Dude sounds laid back and mellow, which is out of character for a brand that focuses on racing and high-performance bikes.
But after a few rides, it is evident that this dude is more of a DUDE! This light, quick, and race-oriented fat bike is totally in keeping with Canyon's focus on speed.
—Dude Details—
2019 vs. 2020 Dude
The bike reviewed here is a 2019 model. For 2020, Canyon is selling one model in the USA with a different build that my 2019 review bike. The 2020 Dude CF 8.0 model uses the same frameset—albeit in a fetching red and not the dull black of the review bike—with different parts.
The most significant parts change for 2020 is the 4.8-inch Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tires—2019 came with 4.0-inch—which will improve its floatation and traction. Other differences include Shimano MT420 brakes (SRAM Guide in 2019), DT-Swiss BR2300 (80 grams heavier than the 2019's wheelset), an aluminum seatpost on the 2020 model (2019's Dude got a carbon post), and a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain with 11-50 cassette instead of the 2019's GX Eagle with 10-50 cassette.
The differences will make the 2020 bike a bit heavier, but it's also $300 cheaper—$2,499 VS. $2,799 for the 2019 model—and comes with better (wider) tires.
Smaller Wheels
Larger-diameter tires have infiltrated fat bikes, just as they have every other category. Larger-diameter tires, in most cases, roll faster and more smoothly, but fat bikes are all about floatation and the widest tires—anything over 4.5-inches—are for 26-inch wheels.
The 2020 Dude rolls on 4.8-inch tires, which happens to be the maximum stated clearance. Canyon doesn't explicitly say so, but I suspect it might take 27.5 wheels wrapped in skinnier rubber if you felt like investing in another wheel and tire set.
Low Weight and High Value
It's not just the tires that are fat—fat bikes usually weigh a lot too. There's just a lot of big stuff on a fat bike—wider rims, big tires, wider thru-axles and hubs, wider crank spindle. But the 2019 Dude with its carbon frame and rigid carbon fork alighted on my scale at just 26.25 pounds (size medium). And that's with tubes—a tubeless conversion should drop a bit more weight.
The 2020 with its down-spec build will weigh more, but should still be one of the lighter fat bikes in its price range. That's because Canyon's value story is at work here—it is one of the least expensive full-carbon fat bikes you can buy. However, don't forget to add Canyon's shipping charges—$89 when I checked—when comparing prices to other bikes.
—Dude Details (As Tested)—
Frame: carbon fiber composite
Fork: carbon fiber composite, 1.125-1.5 taper
Wheels: DT-Swiss BR2250
Tires: Schwalbe Jumbo Jim, 26x4.0
Favorite Drink: white Russian
Shifter: SRAM GX Eagle
Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle
Cassette: SRAM XG-1175, 10-50
Crank: SRAM GX Eagle, 30 tooth ring
Bar: Canyon H15 riser
Stem: Canyon V12
Seatpost: Canyon S29 carbon
Saddle: Fizik Tundra
Sizes: small, medium, large
Compact Frame
The Dude has an aggressively sloping top tube, which makes for a smaller front triangle. This has its tradeoffs. On the positive, more standover clearance is extremely welcome when you have to put a foot down in deep, soft snow. Negatives include less room for frame packs and room for only one water bottle inside the triangle.
Frame details of note include a removable front derailleur mount, routing provision for a dropper-post remote, and 197/150mm (rear/front) hub spacing. The rear dropouts feature a chip that lets you shorten the stays, but the short position is only compatible with narrower tires. A stop built into the headset protects the top tube from damage caused by the bars colliding with the frame.
Ride Impressions
The Dude came in just as fall was transitioning to winter, so was put to the test on dirt and snow by a crew of experienced fat bike riders.
Of the Dude on dirt, one tester said, "What really stood out was how well the bike performed as a mountain bike. The Dude rails singletrack too," adding that the bike was crisp and responsive.
That responsiveness is despite a slightly slack head angle (68.5 degrees), and long-ish wheelbase. That is, relative to other fat bikes. The low/long/slack trend hasn't come for fat bikes the way it has other categories, so in spite of comparatively tame numbers, the Dude's geometry is progressive for the class.
Still, testers commented that the Dude bike has a sporty edge and felt it best appeals to performance-oriented riders and racers. And with little room for a front triangle pack and just one bottle cage mount—there are no other bottle, rack, cage, or bag mounts on the Dude—it would seem that this is a bike designed for short and fast rides and not epic adventures.
On groomed and hardpack snow, the Dude maintains the feel of a performance-oriented bike. But on softer ground, the 2019 model's 4.0-inch tires don't offer the desirable floatation of wider tires. The 2020 model might be a bit heavier (but also cheaper) than the 2019 Dude, but the 2020's stock 4.8-inch tires are a significant upgrade where it counts most.
Light, quick, and stripped of cargo essentials, the Dude is a race-oriented fat bike for speedy thrills in any soft terrain.
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