Market: To this day, enduro bikes are a compromise between downhill and cross-country bikes. They have to work very efficiently both uphill and downhill and cover an enormous range of applications. A compromise that is quite difficult to resolve. The Canyon engineers in Koblenz addressed this some time ago and now have the new Canyon Strive CF presents.
The Canyon Factory Enduro Team riders rode the prototype of the new Strive CF already disguised as Erlkönig in many races. The linkage of the damper was always hidden, so that nobody could reveal the well-kept secret of the new frame. Now the cat is out of the bag and Canyon presented their new Shapeshifter principle for the first time, offering the rider two geometries that can be quickly changed using a remote lever, depending on the intended use.
The Shapeshifter changes the position of the damper, which changes the suspension travel, the geometry and the kinematics. Both the steering and seat angles are 1,5 degrees flatter in DH mode and the bottom bracket is lowered by a full 19 millimeters. This gives the bike a strong downhill character and makes it much smoother to run. In addition, the rider has 160 millimeters of travel available, in XC mode only 130 millimeters. Canyon implements these changes in geometry using a gas spring that can be operated with a remote lever on the handlebars – much like a hydraulic seat post.
The entire system brings 200 grams more weight with it, but should offer the driver fundamental advantages, so that this should not be perceived as a major disruptive factor. This is also impressive alongside the new cream shifter principle Strive CF with many clever details. The cables are completely routed in the frame, it has a tapered head tube to have enough stiffness at the front, and a 12 millimeter thru-axle at the rear. With the chainsuck-plate you want to protect the right chainstay from damage caused by chain clamps. Similar protection is also used on the down tube.
The frame including the new system weighs 2400 grams and is expected to be available from the end of August this year. It is offered in five versions.
These differ mainly in the equipment, but behind the abbreviations SL and Race much more is hidden. The Raceversions offer the race-oriented driver an optimized geometry with a longer top tube and thus much smoother running. With a short stem, the grip length remains the same, but the rider is offered a calmer setup and more freedom of movement.
Further information on the individual models and the system can be found at www.canyon.com