Canyon's signing of the legendary Fabien Barel in 2013 signalled a hefty commitment towards enduro racing, and I'm not only talking about the three-time World Champion's paycheck. No, the German brand was also ready to develop a purpose-built enduro race bike, and the result of that effort is the 160mm Strive that's tested below. The 27lb 13oz carbon Strive is not just a big-travel trail sled, though, as Canyon have employed a rather clever supplementary air actuator, hidden mostly from sight, that allows the bike to downsize to 130mm at the push of a handlebar-mounted button. This also speeds up the handling as well, with the idea being to allow a racer to have the best of both worlds in order to put time in on the competition. The Shapeshifter system should also make life easier for everyday riders who could benefit from the bike's adaptability, which is exactly what I was looking to figure out during my time on the bike.
Strive CF Race 9.0 Details• Intended use: all-mountain / enduro
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• Rear wheel travel: 160 / 130mm
• Frame material: carbon fiber
• Tapered head tube
• Internal cable routing
• Post mount rear disc mount
• 12 x 142mm thru-axle
• ISCG 05 chain guide tabs
• Weight: 27lb 13oz
• MSRP: €4,299
•
www.canyon.com @Canyon-PureCycling At €4,299, the Strive CF Race 9.0 is the mid-priced carbon model, but aluminum versions that sport more traditional top tube lengths (shorter than the carbon Race range) and the Shapeshifter design start at €2,499. A carbon Strive CF Race frameset (incl. Cane Creek DBinline shock, Shapeshifter, Reverb Stealth seat post, and headset) is also able available for €2,899. You've probably noticed I'm using a whole lot of €s and no $s. That's because Canyon doesn't ship to North America at this point in time, so anyone reading this from the continent with good burgers and fries is going to have to do some scheming if they want a Strive of their own.Frame DetailsThe first thing to know is that Canyon's Strive range is split into two distinct categories, although both look very similar from a distance. The less expensive, four bike Strive AL lineup are all assembled around, you guessed it, aluminum frames. The more important bit of information is that they also feature shorter top tube and reach lengths that are more in line with traditional thinking. For example, a large sized Strive AL has a 626mm top tube, a 442 reach, and a 1187mm wheelbase. The Strive CF Race range are all built around carbon frames and longer 'Pro' geometry, with a large having a 648mm top tube, a 468mm reach, and a 1207mm wheelbase. The difference between the two comes from a longer front end, and Canyon's goal with the longer bike is to provide more stability for someone who might race or likes to let it hang out, while the shorter aluminum models should be a touch more playful.
A burly down tube guard protects the carbon frame from damage.
Canyon has gone with a roomy front end on the longer carbon models of the Strive range. The less expensive aluminum bikes are shorter up front.
I think it's fair to say that only an ISIS terrorist with a thing for goats (
probably more common than we suspect) would think that the Strive isn't a looker. This is a bike with extremely clean lines, something made all the more impressive when you consider that it has an extra cable sprouting out of it for the Shapeshifter system. That's down to the internally routed housing, with all of the lines running inside the frame until the shift and rear brake housing exits from underneath the bottom bracket, and the Shapeshifter cable pops out at the base of the seat tube.
It's carbon fiber nearly everywhere you look, and Canyon says that a frame with the Shapeshifter setup weighs in at 2,400 grams. A full carbon fiber rear end helps, but Canyon has gone with an aluminum rocker arm, likely because the weight savings would be extremely marginal and the added cost would be anything but. There's frame protection found under the down tube and on the chain stay, and a small bonded in place metal section works to keep the chain from making lunch of the chain stay. There's a set of ISCG 05 chain guide tabs should you want to mount up something more serious than the e.thirteen XCX guide that comes stock, and a direct mount front derailleur can be bolted in place if you're looking for more gearing range.
The Strive's Suspension ExplainedStand back ten feet and the Strive's suspension layout looks a lot like a four-bar design that makes a single-pivot bike look cluttered and complicated, which is exactly what it manages to do. There doesn't appear to be anything groundbreaking going on at first glance, which is nice given that some companies would have gone out of their way to have all eyes within a kilometer glued to their clever Shapeshifter system that's tucked up into the rocker link. What's Shapeshifter? It allows the rider to change the bike's geometry and travel between two settings while on the move.
It uses a supplementary air actuator, hidden mostly out of view behind the rocker arm, that actually changes the location of the upper shock mount in order to alter the leverage. The upper mount moves by just 15mm, which doesn't sound like much, but it takes the Strive CF from 160mm to 130mm of travel, as well as raising the bottom bracket by 19mm and steepening the angles by 1.5 degrees. The Shapeshifter system is controlled via a handlebar mounted remote, with a standard shift cable and housing being run internally through the frame and up to the small air actuator, and a small indicator on the rocker link reminds you what mode you're in. Canyon says that Shapeshifter adds a total of 200 grams to the bike, and that their team has been using the system throughout the 2014 EWS season. The design allows nearly any shock to be used due to the Shapeshifter system being entirely separate from it, meaning that you're not locked into using a proprietary damper. Keep in mind that the actuator unit does not function as a shock in any way, even if it looks like a tiny version of one - its only job is to move the suspension between the two travel settings.
Long-travel mode: the upper shock mount is moved back towards the rocker arm pivot for less leverage to provide 160mm of travel. The head angle is at 66 degrees.
Short-travel mode: the upper shock mount is moved out away from the rocker arm pivot by the air actuator for more leverage. Travel is at 130mm and the head angle is 67.5 degrees.
Specifications
|
Release Date
|
2015 |
|
Price
|
$4870 |
|
Travel |
160 |
|
Rear Shock |
RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 |
|
Fork |
RockShox Pike RCT3 Solo Air |
|
Headset |
Cane Creek 40 |
|
Cassette |
SRAM X01 |
|
Crankarms |
SRAM X01 |
|
Chainguide |
e.thirteen XCX |
|
Bottom Bracket |
SRAM |
|
Rear Derailleur |
SRAM X01 |
|
Chain |
SRAM |
|
Shifter Pods |
SRAM X01 |
|
Handlebar |
Renthal Fatbar Carbon |
|
Stem |
Renthal Apex |
|
Grips |
Ergon GE1 |
|
Brakes |
SRAM Guide RSC |
|
Wheelset |
SRAM Rail 50 |
|
Tires |
Maxxis Highroller II EXO / Minion DHR II MaxxPro |
|
Seat |
SDG Circuit |
|
Seatpost |
RockShox Reverb Stealth |
|
| |
Climbing / HandlingWith Canyon putting a big emphasis on enduro racing in the Strive's marketing banter, one could be easily forgiven for assuming that the black and blue machine is all about crushing the downs at the expense of the ups. But, for a bike that is so adept at descending, the Strive is actually a very, very capable climber. The geometry and travel-adjusting Shapeshifter system is a big reason for this (
more on it below), with the bike scrabbling its way up more technical singletrack than any other bike we had in our test fleet during our month-long stay in Sedona. In fact, it was the only bike that I managed to get up and over one exceptionally steep and tricky line that, up until that point, I had never been able to clean through years of trying. Given that pushing a handlebar-mounted button drops the travel down to 130mm and steepens up the head angle by 1.5 degrees, it almost seems unfair to compare its technical climbing abilities to other static 160mm rigs, but you simply can't ignore how the Shapeshifter system manages to hide the bike's size when it comes to picking your way up steep bounder fields or tight singletrack. Just imagine if you could push a button and all of a sudden be appreciably better at math, cooking, or your job. That's what Shapeshifter is like, except more fun because it's mountain biking, not math, cooking, or your job.
The Strive also climbs acceptably well when left at 160mm, but it's more of a par for the course kinda bike when left at full travel - not overly impressive in any way, but an adequate ascender that will get you where you need to go. The same goes for pedalling efficiency in both travel settings, with the bike moving forward without any real sense of urgency. In fact, there were many times when I would have preferred a handlebar-mounted button that would considerably stiffen the Monarch shock's stroke rather than adjust travel and angles, and I found myself flipping the shock's compression lever to the middle setting anytime there was smooth, extended climbing ahead.
| Just imagine if you could push a button and all of a sudden be appreciably better at math, cooking, or your job. That's what Shapeshifter is like, except more fun because it's mountain biking, not math, cooking, or your job. |
Pushing the cheater button, which is exactly what it is, doesn't turn the Strive into a cross-country bike (
remember, the 160mm Pike can't be dropped down), but it certainly does make it easy to get the bike around the sharpest of switchbacks without too much effort. Fanny packs of traction out back doesn't exactly hurt, either. So, is it a class leader when it comes to climbing? It is impressive, no doubt about that. And yes, when the Strive is in short-travel and steep mode it out-climbs other 160mm bikes easily enough to make you think you're a lot better than you really are. A big part of me likes that and believes that's exactly what well designed equipment should do: allow you to perform even better than your best. Then again, I'm not a fan of buttons and different modes and all that fuss. I own a toaster that toasts my toast without letting me choose from twenty different shades of toasting, which kinda sums up my thinking: I like simple, and I want to get used to how a bike handles without swapping between different modes, however effective they may be.
Descending and SuspensionThe fact that the Strive descends well shouldn't be any more of a surprise than a cross-county whippet being a rocket on the climbs, especially when you consider the bike's intentions, but just how good it actually is on the downs was still enough to see me pushing well past where I'd usually start pulling the brake levers. It's just plain easy to ride fast when in long-travel mode, and that will immediately have you re-thinking your lines in order to include some extra spicy options. That comes from the bike's handling that's more neutral than Switzerland - it never feels too lazy or too pointy - which means that the Strive is just as happy carrying too much speed into a chunky rock garden, creeping down the steepest and slowest of lines, or sliding around some flat corners at full trot. It's slack and long, so no surprises there, right? Of course not, but couldn't I say the same of the GT Sanction, Trek's Slash, or any other contemporary mid-travel monster? The Sanction rules the steeps and the Slash is an absolute animal at serious speeds, but both feel like a 450cc dirt bike that's stuck in neutral on flatter ground. The Canyon, however, matches both of those bikes when things get rowdy but avoids sucking out the fun factor on tame ground. The Strive is just less demanding and easier to live with day in and day out.
| Activate the Shapeshifter unit to drop the travel to 130mm, steepen the head angle and raise the bottom bracket, and the Strive slices and dices tight trails like it's a Slap Chop and the singletrack is an over-ripe tomato. |
A lot of the bike's easygoing personality comes from how manageable the Strive feels when you're picking your way through tighter trails. It's still a big, slack bike, so I'm not going to tell you it's easy to slow dance on, but it's also not as difficult to get through stop and go sections as other bikes of similar travel and angles, even when left in its slack and long-travel mode. However, activate the Shapeshifter unit to drop the travel to 130mm, steepen the head angle and raise the bottom bracket, and the Strive slices and dices tight trails like it's a Slap Chop and the singletrack is an over-ripe tomato. In fact, I ended up spending quite a bit of time on the bike with it in the short-travel setting, even on some pretty fast and chunky terrain, and while the suspension balance front to back leaves a bit to be desired when doing so, it's still extremely capable. Save the Shapeshifter system for just climbing and you won't be using the bike to its full potential.
The Strive's suspension's most noticeable trait is that it's not noticeable, but I don't mean that in a ''it could be better'' sort of way, because I'm not sure how much better Canyon could do. The leverage ratio and Monarch shock combination make for an impressively active stroke, and saying that it's coil-like is entirely justifiable. The air spring does make for a good amount of ramp-up once deeper in the travel, though, which wouldn't be as pronounced with a coil shock, but it felt to be spot-on to keep a rider from clanging off the end of its stroke. One jump in particular, a legitimate triple with a worn out takeoff that kept me from ever getting the bike's rear wheel on the good side of the built-up landing, showed just how much Canyon wants to keep riders from bottoming out. Full travel but no smashing to be had.
Shapeshifter PerformanceI already outlined my feelings about multiple-choice toasters and multiple-choice bikes above, but my preference for setting and forgetting doesn't diminish the fact that there's a lot to like about Canyon's extremely effective Shapeshifter system. It works as advertised, and swapping between 'rowdy mode' and 'tame mode', which takes all of a second or two while on the move, has a massive effect on the bike's personality. The remote also sits up against your left grip and looks a lot like the lever that KS uses to control their seat posts, which is a good thing because it's in just the right spot and the lever travel isn't excessive.
The Shapeshifter remote sits up against the left grip and is easy to push when in need.
The small green window lets you know you're in short-travel mode (it's black at full bounce), but an audible indicator would be appreciated.
The actual method of moving between the two modes does require some parking lot practice before you're likely to have it nailed down: push the remote button and give the seat a solid bounce to get it in long-travel mode, or push the button and unweight the rear end to put it in short-travel mode. I found myself being a bit excessive at first with the latter, as you don't even need to get the rear tire up off the ground, but rather just unweight it enough to allow the air-charged piston to push the top of the shock out for more leverage. Neither motion felt natural for the first few rides, but I eventually had it down well enough to perform the job when in some pretty tight trail situations.
The great ergos of the remote and the system's effectiveness mean that you'll likely use it more than if it was a pain in the ass to active, but Canyon didn't perfect it on their first production run. There were a handful of times that saw the system either not fully transform or refuse to switch between modes entirely, regardless of how many times I tried or how much I'd fiddle with cable tension. Air pressure in the Shapeshifter actuator was correct, and I never could figure out what the hold up was, although I suspect it was related to the cable not moving freely at some point along its length. Also, while there is a barely audible ''thunk'' as the actuator tops out when you switch to short-travel mode, there's no indicator as to when you've moved to the long-travel setting, which was a bit annoying considering how it sometimes wouldn't perform that task. I'd like to see Canyon build-in a loud and distinct noise that would let you know you've fully engaged either travel setting in order to keep people from having to look down at the indicator window that's about the size of a grain of uncooked rice.
Technical Report• Guide RSC Brakes: These are good, really good. The power is there, no doubt about it, but it's how that power is delivered that makes the new Guide stoppers so great. It comes down to modulation, with some powerful brakes giving up feel and control on low traction surfaces - sorry, that's not a great tradeoff in my books. The Guides avoid this by retaining the lever feel that their predecessors had but without any of the annoying quibbles that held those earlier brakes back from being awesome.
• Renthal Cockpit: The short stem, which is a no brainer on a bike with such a roomy front end, and 780mm wide Fatbar Carbon feel spot-on for how a bike like the Strive is meant to be ridden. It also doesn't hurt that I'm a fan of the handlebar's shape. Don't need so much leverage? Then just cut them down. Canyon gets it, why don't others?
Renthal supplies the 780mm wide handlebar and 50mm stem, and there's no reason to swap them out for anything else.
The new Guide brakes are quickly becoming a staff favourite. Loads of power but, more importantly, class leading control.
• SRAM Rail 50 Wheels: Saying that you didn't really notice a bike's wheelset is almost a backhanded compliment, isn't it? The Rail 50s aren't as flashy as other options out there, but every set has been faultless on the trail, which surely counts for more than bling. No dings, dents, or truing required after loads of big Sedona miles - picture rocks who throw other rocks at you and laugh as you ride by - which is more than I can say about some other wheelsets who have been put through similar tests.
• Ergon GE1 Grips: These would get swapped out for something softer and more traditional if the Strive were in my garage. Maybe I just have sissy hands? Not so, with everyone who rode the big Canyon noting that the GE1's aren't for them.
Pinkbike's Take: | The world of 160mm travel bikes is full of extremely capable choices, and it's a given that the large majority leave a rider not asking for anything when it comes to getting down the mountain. However, it's rare for such a bike to not feel like a rolling compromise in at least a few situations - a good bike can't be good everywhere, right? Of course not, but Canyon's managed to come closer than anyone else out there when talking about big, slack machines that you could win an enduro race on. The real trick, though, is how the German's haven't sacrificed the type of performance you need when it comes time to pretend you're Fabien Barel. Like a beautiful woman that rides hard and swears more than a sailor, the Strive is a bike that you'll want to spend a lot of time with. - Mike Levy |
Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review
About the ReviewerStats: Age: 34 • Height: 5'10” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 165lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Mike Levy spent most of the 90s and early 2000s racing downhill bikes and building ill-considered jumps in the woods of British Columbia before realizing that bikes could also be pedalled for hours on end to get to some pretty cool places. These days he spends most of his time doing exactly that, preferring to ride test bikes way out in the local hills rather than any bike park. Over ten years as a professional mechanic before making the move to Pinkbike means that his enthusiasm for two wheels extends beyond simply riding on them, and his appreciation for all things technical is an attribute that meshes nicely with his role of Technical Editor at Pinkbike.
(Actually my conversion was off).
But travel adjust and frame geometry adjust (which is why shapeshifter is) has been around or a while. Perhaps not for the same reason or use but equally, perhaps so. Rockshox's U-Turn travel adjust affects travel and geometry, and many frames have had pivot adjusts that affect geometry.
a short summary : news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/03/how-big-average-penis?rss=1
Anybody still miffed at the online only thing, get over it or stick to your overpriced snobbery and miss out. It just works... 99.9% of the time anyway.
Thanks Canyon for shaking up the industry and making great bikes with proper specs affordable.
So, the €4,299 for A BIKE is not overpriced snobbery?
"hell yes, of course it is."
So it is a snobbery.
Why to discount then ? A well snobbery should not have any discounts.
What can be seen as snobby is buying a brand for the (as mentioned) headtube badge. When actually, the yt capra had pretty much top reviews throughout so it's fair to say it's on a par with santa cruz's and specialised etc. But for the price of a carbon frame from these companies. I know what I'd choose, and I did and I don't regret it.
That's not to say anyone with a SC or spesh or trek Etc. Is a snob, as waki said, the media a responsible or a lot of the big spending, and it's safer to buy in a store where you have support, you trust the banks for transferring money and you can test what you're buying. And they are just different bikes. How boring would it be if everyone owned canyons and yt's? And specialized made te first mtb, trek pioneered and steve peat says it all for the success of SC. They've all been at it for a long time and their bikes have been adjusted and tweaked for years and years where as the capra was in it's first generation in 2014. Hard to trust it is it not?
I think there are many people who buy the latest bike every year to show off in the car park but that's pretty much where the snobbery finishes.
Yes you can get cheaper carbon bikes for example lapierre. As we all know lapierre are notorious for cracking and There's also a lot of similar stories appearing for YT Capra.
I'm not saying that canyons carbon frames are the same but it does add the element of doubt, is it too good to be true?.
I've always loved the look and canyons and the value for money is undeniable, but I am a big believer of buying from somewhere I can return to if things go wrong and will happily pay a higher price for that security.
If there are canyon service centres opening in the U.K. it would be a very serious contender for my next bike.
I have snapped a fork and cracked an aluminium frame too, so I'm fully aware of the problem and it's a massive pain in the arse.
But If you look at Fox vs. Rockshox (I'm only using them as an example, I don't want to spark a massive debate) fox are more expensive and tend to be less reliable than RS. So it's not always a case of 'you get what you pay for'. I think there is a lt to be said for direct sales bikes and components - superstar for example make bombproof kit for rediculous prices. After all, if canyon and yt supplied to distributors, they would cost as much as sc and trek I'm sure.
I'm just recognising it as an issue that companies face when developing frames. Perhaps the overdevelopment of sc's original frames was to prevent cracking? Which is just a different way of going about it.
And if yt made a super heavy frame they would sell very few in this day and age with lightweight frames available from SC.
Consumers can only buy SC bikes through dealers either brick and mortar or online retailer... Am I missing something?
SC, Trek, Spec, are not necessarily overpriced, but priced as a function of a being in the wholesale business. I can say that SC's prices on "pro/industry form" (i.e. direct sales) is the same as YT. Trek is lower and EP on Spec is quite a bit lower than YT.
I guess the question is, can we really support the wholesale/retail market with the current prices? If we can't, what then happens to the LBS as retail sales do make up some of their margin. Most people on PB handle their own stuff well, but I think we are the minority and I will say there are sometimes where it is great when an LBS can fix m f*ck ups quickly...
All I am saying is that non-direct companies pricing is more a function of the business model than anything else.
But mike, riding bikes IS your job! And how jealous we all are
The YT Capra CF Pro Race can be had for $5495 direct from the manufacturer.
Direct sales model. It's the wave of the future.
I love the guys who cling desperately to old romantic notions of the LBS. Economics is all about pricing and value-add. That's where companies with revenue models like Amazon and others I have mentioned before have dominated the competition.
There's is this emotional belief that mountain bikes are somehow special and exempt from the laws of economics. At the end of the day, mountain bikes are vehicles made from labor and material.
I can sell you a bike that's just as good if not better that what's available at your LBS for significantly less via my direct sales model. Would you be interested?
What happens when I break things on a bike?
Imagine a scenario where there were no such things as automotive shops, and you bought cars online, and they were delivered. Sure they would work great for a loongg time, but for the majority of the population who do not have time to work on their own cars, as soon as they develop problems they are screwed.
You can have a bike shop that has good techs and a mediocre sales team, and it will probably come out at the end of the year. If they have shitty techs, they will slowly die out.
My argument is, if there is nowhere close to get your bike fixed, it is a way bigger hassle to get my bike boxed up, and flown back to chainreactioncycle while they fix it
santa cruz, YT, specialized, ibis ecc.. say that "PRO" is short..
canyon and mondraker state "PRO" as super long..
look at those TT..
your opinion???
Ever looked at the geometry of a Mondraker? In size XL the reach is 520mm if I remember correctly.
1 x A1012197 (Thats the adaptor to covert it to ISCG-05)
3 x A1012196 (The screws for it)
Ask Canyon for that and you can use your ISCG05 chain guide.
Classic cyst-isis bashing.
Plato had something to say about foreign enemies.
As for me, I would much rather pay more to buy locally and keep more people locally employed who can help me locally when I need work done on my bike.
Are you familiar in with Best Buy? The retail electronics model is on it's last dying breath (Radio Shack just filed for Chapter 11). The only reason Best Buy is still alive is because they have lobbyists who basically bribed politicians to vote to mandate sales taxes on purchases made on internet giants like Amazon. Why would I pay 8+% sales tax for a big ticket item when I could buy the same item on Amazon, pay $0 tax and get free 2-day shipping. Plus why should I get in my car, sit in traffic and the crowds to get to a store only to find that it doesn't have what I want in stock. Amazon has exactly what I want and I know instantly if it's available.
I've been riding MTB since my first Pro-Flex 856. I've purchased all of my bikes from LBSs who charge me tax and % mark-up. The amount of the mark-up all depends on how well that particular business manages it's costs. Why should I pay extra for a business that isn't managed well? Plus of the 6 or so bikes I've owned, I don't ever recall saying "damn, if I had only demoed this bike beforehand!" Plus how much can you get out of a short demo usually taking place on unfamiliar terrain?
Also, what's to keep direct sales manufacturers from providing demo bikes? Why do you need an LBS fort that? Hire a couple of guys with a factory trailer to drive around from trail-head to trail-head so people can demo their wares.
If you're OK with paying such mark-ups, then just consider it a "just to feel good" surcharge.
I pay more to deal directly with people I know and trust. So I pay more and in my opinion I get more. That seems logical to me.
As for demo'ing bikes: I demo'ed multiple bikes at local trails for complete rides before I decided on my current bike.
Also, speaking of "selling out".. should notable stores like Dunbar or Fanatik or Universal Cycles be told not to augment their revenue by selling bikes and parts via the Internet to "non-locals?" If you were the owner of one of these shops would you not do the same?
How about big component manufacturers like SRAM or Shimano, etc. Should they be allowed to sell their products directly to customers via the web or does everything need to be marked up by a distributor and then a retailer before I can buy it?
I buy items off the internet that I cannot find at my local bike shop( for example my KS LEV dropper post.)
I find value in bike shops in ways that don't equal dollar signs:
Bike shop group rides can take a new rider turn him into a lifetime lover of the sport because of all the fun he had on his first group ride.
A bike shop can let you experience the differences between products. Vs. only reading about it online.
Some of the best riders and friends I know are people that work in bike shops. Their advice has never steered me wrong.
The value of that is piece of mind, which in my experience cannot be measured in currency.
I recently have found three other cities that have good biking communities. You can actually ride with other people while having fun. Beer induced at times, and good beer at that. Good riding, good food, good beer, happy people, and most either work in a local shop or have in the past. It's good to have the ability to ride with others that know what's up and can be helpful.
The Canyon I bought then had one of those Manitou forks that had a misfit crown. I tried to get a new fork from Canyon. After hundreds of calls to the hotline and uncounted numbers of emails to the manager they finally let me send it back for inspection - guess what, they sent it back without fixing it. I sold the bike and bought a new one, Canyon of course . It broke after some years of freeriding. I tried to get a new frame on warranty (5years!), but they said no, my fault. Same again, emails, phone calls, lawyer - finally I got a new frame (new old stock, slightly scratched).
I cant see a difference. What do I need a lokal bike shop for, if they dont help me?
Many of those "big" internet stores emerged from local bike shops. Canyon too. And in some years, all those local bike shops around the corner will do the repairs and the big ones will sell the bikes.
A: If shops don't exist, clubs & informal group rides will fill that gap. It's a need that won't go away, & won't be left unfilled.
B: FAR too many shops expect to get that loyalty, be a source of community, & monopolize their customer's bike dollars without working for it. I don't think that shops will die out, but I do think there's far too many shops in most places, who expect to make money because of artificial agreements that limit product availability(restrictions on how close another shop carrying the same brand can be, for example,) & resent the fact you aren't beholden to them for your parts. I resent them when they tell me a certain product is the best, because it's the brand they can get ahold of, instead a clearly superior alternative. Those agreements encourage shop staff to lie for your business at times, that's not the sign of a healthy retail sector. It's what you'd expect from shyster car dealers, in fact.
Most places need far fewer shops, with perhaps increased mechanic staff to compensate for less total shops, rather than the common "little shop with a 2 bike stand every 5 miles" current paradigm, that's artificially propped up by availability restrictions.
You do have sissy hands, best single lock ring grip delivered to market thus far!
Tried to bring air pressure back up again and after the oil leak the shapeshifter is just not engaging anymore so stuck in DH mode.
Bike is amazing but the shapeshifter just has some quality issues. I have written twice to info@canyon.com and no response yet. Hope to get help soon.
...Problem is I am in Mexico and guarantee will present shipping challenges...
This looks like an amazing bike. I wish I could justify the price over a nukeproof mega. (Moving from a nomad).
SCOTT had the pretty much the same thing with their Equalizer/Nude shocks/Twinlock: on the Genius LT you had 185/110mm in the back and 140mm/180mm in the front with the help of Fox Talas. This was in 2012 and here is the pinkbike review link:
www.pinkbike.com/news/Scott-Genius-LT-10-Tested-2012.html
And also the Cannondale models feature the same system: Who remembers the wild Claymore, or the actual Trigger or Jerome's Jekyll ?
But, let's be honest, Canyon is the new kid in town who learnt from the others' mistakes and chose their own path: normal shock with special fitting !
A simpler (?) solution vs proprietary shock ?
Only the riders will live to tell the story...
"We have no rims for any SRAM wheels available for aftermarket sale.
If a warranty issue arises or a rebuild is requested, the wheel/s are returned to the SRAM tech department and a quote is sought from SRAM.
The wheels are then sent to SRAM for rebuild in either case.
These wheel builds do not take place in the UK.
With regard to the 26mm tape, the product code you need to order from your local bike shop is RT8126001 (Tubeless Kit Includes 26mm Tape, 2 Valves & 1 Valve Core Wrench (Fits 21mm inner width rims, Roam Wheels) (Special Order)).
We currently have stock and the retail is £25:00".
There you have it, if you damage your rim you need to send your wheel back to them and they will send it back to Sram (US or Germany I don’t know) for a rebuild. I’m guessing a lot of time and I would imagine a lot of money!
you can't have it all over there... ;-P
Downhill setup:
Shapeshifter:
160mm front 160mm rear; BB height: low;head angle: slack
Dual position fork:
160mm front 160mm rear; BB height: mid;head angle slack
Uphill setup:
Shapeshifter:
160mm front 130mm rear; BB height high;head angle steep
Dual position fork:
130(or less)mm front 160mm rear; BB height: low;head angle steep
Do you need a high BB for climbes? I don't think so. Do you need a geometry change to stiffen rear end for climbs? Not essentially, the shock compression can be changed on the shock and it works well enough.
Aslo I essentially don't wat another thing on my bike i will need to service or worry about (and another 200g). Telescopic seatposts convinced me. They are a huge diference. But this thing? Is it needed? How will you service this thing in 5 or 10 years?
I wonder how it would hold up during jumps, berms, and big drops under my 205lbs/93kg.
I'm out.
"L Race" goes up to 1m94 >> almost 6'4
I took 5 seconds off my best time on a 3:35 track when I put on a 35mm simply because it allowed me to lean the bike harder. I'm taking stopwatch seconds here, not strava seconds.
Why is relativity so itchy for some people?
After riding a bike with a longer reach and shorter stem the vast majority will prefer it. Why? Because it improves the bikes handling.
Personal preference and what is most efficient are two different things.
relation steerer axle so for instance 35mm stem with 740 renthals will give same reach as 50mm stem with Answer pro taper DH at 740 while easton haven bars which have loads of backsweep will put your grips in the same place with 60mm stem... Ehh iz better people... Many Personal preferences are stupid yes, the bauty is most of them are harmless to you
The fifth set of pictures down the article explaining the different modes has gotten the numbers wrong.
Short travel (XC) mode = 66 Degrees head angle and 130mm travel
Long travel (DH) mode = 67.5 degrees head angle and 160mm travel
Also the writer has gotten a few of the references wrong relating to these specifications. In the Climbing/Handling section for example.
Don't mean to be 'that guy' but just thought i'd point it out.
I've got the AL 7.0 arriving today, thanks for a good write up despite the errors, I knew what you meant :p
*head in hands*
In other news. My Strive just arrived : D