This Versatile Gravel Bike’s Innovative Handlebars Prove Sometimes Weird Just Works

The Grizl CF 7 Escape’s hyper-functional, pentagon-shaped cockpit serves as a great reminder to think outside the box.

Black bicycle handlebar with mounted Garmin GPS device, front light, and attached handlebar bag.

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Published January 1, 2026

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German DTC brand Canyon has never hesitated to experiment with bike geometry and features, even if it means getting a little weird.

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The focus never strays from practical use, even when it comes to the truly funky cockpit on its sneaky fast bikepack-ready gravel bike, the Grizl CF 7 Escape.

canyon grizl escape full mounty load cockpit bag — With storage built right into the bars, the Full Mounty is just waiting to lug a cockpit bag, bike computer and more.

Dubbed the Fully Mounty, this unit really thinks outside the box, employing a pentagonal shape that offers surprising benefits over the long haul.

The most obvious is cargo storage, as it perfectly houses Canyon’s LOAD CP0050 Cockpit Bag, which offers nearly a liter of space plus a handy mount for your Garmin or Wahoo bike computer.

canyon grizl escape full mounty hands on — The sides of the cockpit offer additional hand positions. It’s compatible with aero bars too.

Alternatively, it can accommodate a more traditional bar bag on the underside and still accept a bike computer and headlight.

A secondary benefit that speaks to long-distance riders is the fact that the Full Mounty’s outer edges feature a bit of textured rubber, giving you an extra spot to place your hands, preventing fatigue on epic journeys.

Proving they thought of everything, the Full Mounty is also compatible with Aero Extensions, helping you split the wind like the gravel jackknife you were always meant to be.

canyon grizl escape fully loaded — The pentagonal cockpit is just one place to stash gear on this mount-festooned bikepacking beast.

Canyon didn’t exactly mail in the rest of the bike either.

Other highlights include mullet gearing with mountain bike cassettes for lugging major cargo and undertaking steep climbs, beefy Schwalbe G-One Overlander 45mm tires for tackling all kinds of terrain and tons of mounting points for packing extra gear from tip to tail.