The Takeaway: This hybrid bike serves up an ideal blend of speed, stability, maneuverability, and comfort. Best of all: You can buy this bike online and have it shipped to your house.
- Lightweight aluminum frame with a carbon fork
- Shimano 105 11–speed drivetrain
- Comfortable, upright riding position
Price: $999
Weight: 21.3 lb. (XL)
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Don’t let the flat handlebar fool you into thinking this is just another hybrid: The Roadlite 7.0 is a light, zippy road bike that happens to have a flat bar instead of a traditional drop bar. The svelte aluminum frame has the steep angles, long reach, and aggressive fit you expect from a high performance road bike—there’s even a carbon fork. Compact 50/34 chainrings and an 11-34 11-speed cassette also fit the bill, never mind that it’s almost unheard of to find a $1,000 bike with Shimano’s 105 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes.
Pros
11-speed drivetrain- Lightweight aluminum frame
- Hydraulic disc brakes
Cons
- Some riders may prefer a less aggressive fit
The flat handlebar adds a level of comfort and versatility that’s tough to find on a traditional road bike. The upright riding position takes pressure off your hands, puts less strain on the back and shoulders, and makes it easier to balance a heavy backpack or shoulder bag. The Roadlite 7.0 gives you comfort without sacrificing speed, stability, and maneuverability, prized qualities for commuting and battling rush hour traffic, to say nothing of the simple joy of zipping along quiet country roads or cinder bike paths.
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The Roadlite 7.0 offers the comfort of a hybrid and the speed of a road bike.
The Roadlite Family
Riders have several versions of the Roadlite to choose from, as well as a few women-specific options. Those bikes have the same components as their unisex counterparts, but they come in a different range of sizes with more options for short riders and lower standover heights, as well as shorter reach and taller stack heights. They also come with women-specific saddles.
5 Things We Love About The Canyon Roadlite 7.0
5 Things We Love About The Canyon Roadlite 7.0
Quick Release Hubs
No tools required to remove the wheels when stuffing the bike into your trunk.
Compact Crankset
50/34 chain rings and 11-34 cassette provide a great range of gearing.
All-Weather Commuter
Rear rack and front and rear fender mounts make this a viable all-weather commuter.
11-Speed Drivetrain
11-speed is an uncommon find on a bike at this price.
Internal Routing
Internally routed brake lines and shift cables keep the bike looking clean and sharp.
The unisex Roadlite 7.0 and the Roadlite WMN 7.0 are the cheapest members of the Roadlite family. The Roadlite CF 7.0 and Roadlite WMN CF 7.0 ($1,599) use the same components as the Roadlite 7.0, but the aluminum frame is swapped for carbon. For those who want serious hybrid bling, there’s the Roadlite CF 9.0 LTD ($2,999). With its SRAM Force 1x drivetrain, integrated carbon handlebar, leaf spring seatpost, and deep section Reynolds carbon wheels, it’s a dead ringer for a race bike with a flat handlebar.
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Ergonomically shaped grips give your wrist some extra support.
Steep Angles, Long Reach, High Stack
The Roadlite 7.0 blends the aggressive head and seat angles more commonly found on road bikes with a longer reach and higher stack that you might expect from a mountain bike. Canyon also borrowed from the gravel sector for this bike. Slightly elongated chainstays give the bike extra tire clearance for wider tires than most road bikes allow, and a 73mm bottom bracket drop adds stability relative to the 68 or 69mm of bottom bracket drop you’d expect to find on a road racing bike.
Canyon Roadlite 7.0 Details
Canyon Roadlite 7.0 Details
Style: Hybrid
Material: Aluminum
Wheel Size: 700c
Drivetrain: Shimano 105 11-speed
Cranks: Shimano 105
Chainring: 50/34
Cassette: 11-34
Brakes: Shimano MT201 hydraulic disc
Wheels: Aluminum Alexrims ATD560
Tires: 30mm Schwalbe G-One Speed
Saddle: Iridium One Fitness
Seatpost: Iridium Aluminum
Handlebar: Aluminum Iridium Flatbar
Stem: Canyon V15
Road-Bike Fast, Hybrid Comfortable
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I swung my leg over my Roadlite 7.0 for the first time. If I’m riding a bike with a flat bar, it usually has fat tires and suspension. When I ride to work it’s often on a road or gravel bike. I prefer fast bikes with quick handling. I like riding fast. The Roadlite 7.0 sits outside the bell curve of bikes I prefer, yet I was cautiously optimistic because it has all the elements that I like in a bike.
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The 11-34 cassette has a great range of gears without large jumps from one gear to the next.
It’s not a featherweight but, at just over 21 pounds for my size XL test bike, it’s light enough that you won’t be overcome by gravity when climbing. The Shimano 105 11-speed drivetrain offers crisp, reliable shifts, and the 50/34 chainrings have plenty of gears on both the go-fast and just-gotta-make-it-over-this-hill ends of the spectrum. I love Schwalbe’s G-One Speed tires on the road, and the 30mm width is perfect for efficient riding on pavement without sacrificing traction on gravel roads.
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30mm Schwalbe G-One Speed tires are good on both paved and gravel surfaces.
The Roadlite 7.0 served up a nice blend of quick response to input from the pedals. Quick yet stable steering was pleasant while cruising through winding country roads and carving around tight bends. I also found an appreciation for the flat handlebar and the upright riding position. Riding in a low, aggressive position with a loaded backpack can be annoying as you work to keep the bag perched atop your back. The upright position I enjoyed on the Roadlite 7.0 helped me manage my overloaded backpack much better on commutes to work. I also found it much easier to keep a watchful eye on traffic around me. Although I won’t be trading in my road bike for a hybrid anytime soon, it’s easy to see the appeal in this bike. It provides most of the performance of a traditional road bike, but affords more comfort and versatility.
Our 2021 Gear of the Year pick for its reflective fabric and plentiful pockets
Converts from a backpack to a tote
Lots of high-tech features, no unnecessary space
Ergonomically designed with lots of space inside
Lightweight and durable at an excellent price
Bobby Lea
Test Editor, Bicycling
Bobby is part of the Bicycling Test Team and brings with him over a decade of professional racing experience, including 3 Olympic Team berths. Prior to joining Bicycling, he raced professionally on the road and track for over ten years and dabbled in cyclo-cross and cross-country mountain bike racing as a junior. His resume includes a bronze medal at the 2015 Track Cycling World Championships, three trips to the Olympic Games, Pan American titles, and dozens of National titles. In his spare time between testing bikes and continuing to race at a regional level, he can be found enjoying the quieter side of life and cheap beer on the farm he shares with his wife and their 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 14 chickens.
