Bike Check: Laurie Arseneault’s BCBR winning Canyon Lux

Laurie Arseneault made her BC Bike Race – and stage race – debut with a bang. The young Canadian rider won all seven stages of the classic Canadian stage race.

Arseneault’s Canyon MTB Team friends, Emily Batty and her husband/team manager Adam Morka also raced in Penticton, quite successfully. All three riders were on very different bikes, though. Batty and Morka, setting a more casual end-of-season pace (but still winning the Mixed Team category) were on cross country and trail bikes with slightly more travel and beefier components for the burly BC Bike Race course. Arseneault, on the other hand, raced a very close set-up to what she would run at a World Cup event.

The base is Canyon’s ultra-light Lux CF SLX frame. Arseneault’s is the Canyon Factory Racing “One World” edition paint from 2021 UCI world championships. The bikes looked black on the live feed at worlds, but there’s actually a sparkle to the paint that absolutely shone in the Okanagan sun. Canyon’s own CP08 integrated bar-stem supports a stem-mounted Wahoo head unit.

Canyon's "One World" 2021 worlds edition Lux SLX frame

Fox Factory 32 Step-Cast with 100mm travel and a tougher front tire for the rocky terrain

Not the greatest of all-time yet, but race plate #23 carried Arseneault to a win streak Jordan would be proud of.

Full lockout for the fork, and Canyon's positive team message on the head tube

Full Shimano XTR 12-speed kit for Arseneault

Canyon's CP08 integrated bar-stem gives precision steering and sprinting

Arseneault with the day's stage profile on her top tube.

A shapely head tube makes for an incredibly light Lux SLX frame

Arseneault and Canyon MTB Racing rum Fox suspension, so a 100-mm travel Factory 32 Step-Cast fork and Float DPS shock, both with a bar-mounted remote lock-out for its 100-mm rear wheel travel were all Arseneault had to float over the sharp rocks in Naramata’s Three Blind Mice network. A Fox Transfer SL Factory dropper post adds more capability for a minimum weight cost.

The team runs full Shimano XTR on their Lux’s. That’s 12-speed drivetrain, with a 10-51 cassette, brakes and controls. All of that makes for more than a few cables, which are expertly managed for a clean set-up that doesn’t rub or get tangled.

For the tougher BCBR course, Arseneault had a Schwalbe Wicked Will 2.40″ paired with a faster Racing Ralph and tire insert out back. Both gumwall, because it looks great, and mounted on DT Swiss’ very light XCR 1200 rims.

Two bottle cages carry enough hydration for long days and the warm Okangan weather. A saddle bag held essential repair supplies, since it can be a long time between aid stations, especially if you’re trying to win the race.