Canyon’s Strive enduro bike has an uncompromising chassis that keeps it on the Enduro World Series podium
However, until now, it needed the extra versatility to cater to the 29-inch wheel, long-travel crowd who preferred trail riding or big mountain lines to racing, as it was the only bike that offered big wheels and big travel Canyon .
After releasing the new 2022 Spectral and 2022 Torque models to fill the gap between off-road and freeride, Canyon decided to take the Strive back to its roots and make it a thoroughbred race bike.
The geometry of the bike was overhauled.There’s more suspension travel, a stiffer frame and improved kinematics.Canyon retains the Strive’s Shapeshifter geometry adjustment system, but changes the bike to make it more off-road oriented than just a hill-climb switch.
With input from the Canyon CLLCTV Enduro Racing Team and Canyon Gravity Division, the brand said its engineers set out to create a bike that would save time on every track, from the competitive KOM to the EWS stages.
Purely from a speed standpoint, Canyon sticks with 29-inch wheels for the Strive CFR, thanks to their ability to maintain power and help improve grip.
The brand sees the overall advantage of the 29-inch wheels over the hybrid mullet bike design for enduro racing because the terrain is varied and the steeper trails are less consistent than downhill mountain bikes.This bike is not mullet compatible.
Four frame sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large are made from carbon fiber and are only available in Canyon’s CFR flagship stackup.
Since it’s an uncompromising race car, Canyon says the higher-spec carbon fiber allows engineers to meet their new stiffness goals while keeping weight to a minimum.
By changing the cross-section of nearly every tube on the frame, and subtly adjusting the pivot position and carbon layup, the front triangle is now 25 percent stiffer and 300 grams lighter.
Canyon claims the new frame is still only 100 grams heavier than the lightweight Spectral 29.Front triangle stiffness was increased to keep the bike more stable and composure at speed, while the rear triangle maintained similar stiffness to maintain track and grip.
There isn’t any internal frame storage, but there are bosses under the top tube for attaching spare parts.Frames above medium can also fit a 750ml water bottle within the front triangle.
Internal cable routing uses foam lining to minimize noise.Beyond that, chainstay protection is heavy and should keep the chainstays free from chain slap.
Tire clearance with a maximum width of 2.5 inches (66 mm).It also uses a threaded 73mm bottom bracket shell and Boost hub spacing.
The new Strive has 10mm more travel to 160mm.This extra travel allowed Canyon to adjust the suspension’s activation to be more responsive to grip, increasing composure and reducing fatigue.
The mid-stroke and end-stroke follow a similar suspension curve to the previous model’s three-phase design.Suspension characteristics are one of the key attributes Canyon hopes to carry over from previous bikes.
However, there are some changes, especially the bike’s anti-squat.Canyon has improved squat resistance on sags to help Strive become a skilled climber thanks to the extra suspension and increased sensitivity.
Still, it manages to lessen the possibility of pedal rebound by making the anti-squat drop quickly, giving the Strive a more chainless feel when you’re traveling.
Canyon says the frame is coil- and air-shock compatible, and is designed around a 170mm-travel fork.
The head tube and seat tube angles of the latest Strive have been revamped compared to the outgoing model.
The head tube angle is now 63 or 64.5 degrees, while the seat tube angle is 76.5 or 78 degrees, depending on the Shapeshifter’s settings (read on for more information on the Shapeshifter system).
However, the bike’s key angles aren’t the only things that have been extensively reworked.There has also been a dramatic increase in reach.Small now starts at 455mm, medium to 480mm, large to 505mm and extra large to 530mm.
Canyon also managed to lower the standover height and shorten the seat tube.These range from 400mm to 420mm, 440mm and 460mm from S to XL.
The two items that stayed consistent were the ground-hugging 36mm bottom bracket and snappy 435mm chainstays used across all sizes.
Some might argue that short chainstays don’t go well with long distances.However, Canyon CLLCTV instructor Fabien Barel says the bike is designed for pro riders and racers and should be able to actively weight the front wheel and sculpt the bike during cornering to take advantage of front-center stability and rear-center flexibility.
Strive’s Shapeshifter – a tool that race teams specifically asked to improve the bike’s versatility – acts as an instant flip chip and provides Strive with two geometry settings.The compact air piston developed by Fox changes the bike’s geometry and suspension kinematics by increasing squat resistance and reducing leverage.
Now that the Strive is a dedicated enduro bike, Canyon has been able to expand the adjustment range of the Shapeshifter.
The two settings are called “Chop Mode” — designed for descending or rough riding — and “Pedal Mode,” designed for less extreme riding or ascents.
In the Chopped setting, Canyon cuts 2.2 degrees from the head tube angle to a slack 63 degrees.It also steepens the effective seat tube significantly by 4.3 degrees to 76.5 degrees.
Changing the Shapeshifter to pedal mode makes the Strive a sportier bike.It increases the head tube and effective seat tube angles by 1.5 degrees to 64.5 degrees and 78 degrees, respectively.It also raises the bottom bracket by 15mm and reduces travel to 140mm, while increasing progress.
With a 10mm adjustment, you can extend or shorten the reach and front center by plus or minus 5mm.This should allow riders of different sizes to find a more suitable setup on a bike of the same size.Additionally, it allows riders to change their settings based on the course profile to maximize performance.
Canyon says the new size construction with adjustable headphone cups means these sizes can cover a wider range of riders.You can easily choose between sizes, especially between medium and large frames.
The new Strive CFR line has two models—Strive CFR Underdog and the more expensive Strive CFR—with a third bike to follow (we’re looking forward to a SRAM-based product).
Each comes with Fox suspension, Shimano gearing and brakes, DT Swiss wheels and Maxxis tires, and Canyon G5 trim kits.Both bikes are available in carbon/silver and gray/orange colorways.
Prices start at £4,849 for the CFR Underdog and £6,099 for the CFR.We’ll update international pricing when we get it.Also, check availability online on Canyon’s website.
Luke Marshall is a technical writer for BikeRadar and MBUK Magazine.He has been working on both titles since 2018 and has over 20 years of mountain biking experience.Luke is a gravity-focused rider with a history of downhill racing, having previously competed in the UCI Downhill World Cup.Educated at a degree level in engineering and loves going full throttle, Luke is fully qualified to put every bike and product through its paces, bringing you informative and independent reviews.You’ll most likely find him on a trail, enduro or downhill bike, riding cross country ski trails in South Wales and South West England.He appears regularly on BikeRadar’s podcast and YouTube channel.
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