There are six frame sizes, so there’s a Canyon Stoic to fit everyone. And to ensure the best possible fit, Canyon splits the size range evenly between 27.5in and 29in wheels: XXS, XS and S roll on 27.5in wheels while the M, L and XL get 29in wheels.

Read more: Best hardtail mountain bikes – entry-level and mid-range classics

Canyon Stoic 4 review

Geometry-wise, the head and seat angles are retained across the size range but the chainstays on the 27.5in bikes are 10mm shorter. Regardless of wheel size, the Stoic 4 rolls on 2.35in Schwalbe tyres with the reinforced Super Trail casing for increased puncture resistance. So if you’re a weight weenie or mostly ride smooth trails, you could easily make the Stoic 4 lighter by simply swapping the tyres.

With its flat green finish and smooth welds, the Stoic frame sure looks sleek, the gear and dropper post cables running through the down tube, the brake hose under the top tube. Standover clearance on the Stoic is impressive and rather than going super-slack, the Stoic has a 64.6° head angle. Canyon increases the front centre by offering a longer reach; we measured it at 474mm, which is over 20mm longer than the Ribble HT 275 or Ragley Blue Pig. The bike doesn’t feel massive though, as the offset seat tube provides a steeper effective seat angle than its peers, and puts you in a more forward seated position which is great for climbing.

In-house G5 cockpit with 40mm stem puts you fully in control

Suspension

Canyon has designed the geometry of the Stoic around a 140mm-travel suspension fork. On the Stoic 4 it’s a RockShox Pike Select, with a Charger damper. It has beefy 35mm upper tubes and a 15mm bolt-thru axle to increase stiffness and enhance control, and you have compression and rebound adjustment at your fingertips to fine-tune the feel. The damping felt more reactive than on the RockShox Yari-equipped Ragley, but it still had enough support to stop the bike pitching forward when riding steeper trails.

Wishbone chainstays offer clearance for up to 2.6in tyres

Components

Being a big direct-sales brand offers Canyon economies of scale that few can compete with, so the build kit on the Stoic is standout. Canyon’s Iridium 170mm dropper post is first rate, and the familiar G5 cockpit, with the top-loading stem, offers a commanding riding position. We were less impressed with the SRAM Guide four-piston disc brakes, however. Stopping power isn’t lacking with 200/180mm rotors, but the brake levers had too much throw. So if you like to run the levers close to the bar, they will hit the grips before the brakes are fully applied. There’s no faulting Canyon’s choice of tyres though: the soft-compound 2.35in Magic Mary/Hans Dampf combo, a superb option for mixed conditions.

SRAM Guide four-piston brakes are powerful but bite point could be sharper

Performance

To be Stoic can be interpreted in many ways. For some it’s being professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain, for others it is freedom from passion and being unmoved by joy or grief. So is the new Stoic hardtail from Canyon a bike lacking in joy or indifferent to pleasure? Hardly. It is, however, a major departure for the direct-sales band from Koblenz. Traditionally Canyon focused its hardtail efforts squarely on XC, so to finally have a hardcore trail hardtail shows that the UK still has some influence in Europe.

Even with the heavier 29in wheels, the Stoic 4 is remarkably fast out of the blocks. And once rolling, the larger diameter retains momentum and improves stability. They also help smooth out ripples in the trail, although not as effectively as bigger tyres, so there’s more feedback through the alloy frame than the Ribble.

The weight distribution on the Canyon is perfectly balanced, making it easy and safe to drift through muddy turns. Yes, the BB height could be 5mm lower and the head angle a touch slacker, but neither are enough to detract from the Stoic’s stellar ride.