Alice Barnes' British Champion Canyon Aeroad

Alice Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) scooped up two national titles during the 2019 season, earning her the stripes across both road and time trial disciplines – and her 2020 Aeroad reflects that success.

The only opportunity the Northampton born rider has had to ride this bike in anger was at the 2020 edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, on February 29.

>>> Canyon Aeroad CF SL 8.0 disc reviewed 

Barnes’ Aeroad CF SLX Disc is a size XXS, sporting a Canyon H11 Aerocockpit. She adds length to the fit with an integrated 120mm stem and Canyon’s Ergospeed Gel bar tape.

The Aeroad is Canyon’s aero road bike, with an aggressive geometry and a wind cheating profile designed to save watts. The CF SLX model tops the range, using the lightest and most technologically advanced materials.

Co-title sponsor SRAM has of course decked out the machine with its SRAM Red eTap AXS HRD groupset, and Barnes rides with a 48-35 chainset paired up to a 10-28 rear cassette.

The SRAM Red system comes fitted with a power meter, and the 24-year-old runs 170mm cranks with the set up, at the end of which you’ll find a pair of Speedplay Zero Titanium pedals with a 50mm spindle length designed to provide the perfect stance width.

The seatpost is Canyon’s S13 VCLS CF post, with a 15-35 setback. VCLS stands for ‘vertical compliance, lateral stiffness’, and this post is all about pairing the two requirements in harmony.

Barnes rides aboard the Ergon SR Pro Carbon Women’s saddle – this perch was developed following feedback from the Canyon-SRAM team.

The bike pictured is in training mode, with Zipp’s Firecrest 302 wheelset, fitted out with durable Schwalbe Durano DD tyres – mechanics will swap to 303s and Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres to race - if and when the number pinning season arrives this year.

>>> Could this be the first glimpse of the new Canyon Aeroad?

Rumours of an updated version of the Aeroad have been circulating since the end of 2019. It's believed that the first glimpse was seen in a Zwift ad, in which Mathieu van der Poel pedalled aboard a model with an updated rear triangle, tidied up front end and chunkier seatpost.