Canyon Strive CF Race

German brand Canyon is a big player in the European market. They sponsor Pro Tour road teams, podium level Tour de France riders and EWS winning mountain bikers. Despite their stature in Europe, they’ve never been sold in Australia—but that’s all set to change.

‘Another brand?’ I hear you sigh. Well yes, our market already seems crowded with choice but Canyon actually brings something new to the table. Probably the biggest point of difference comes with how they are sold; you deal directly with and purchase straight from the manufacturer. With most other brands the stock goes from the manufacturer to a local importer, then onto a bike shop and finally onto you. This trimmed back distribution chain is part of the reason why we haven’t seen them in Australia; we’re a long way from Germany and they haven’t been set up to send bikes this far afield.

To make the leap Down Under, they’ve setup a service centre to look after Australia and New Zealand. Canyon Australia isn’t a shop or a warehouse; it’s simply a point of contact within the region to handle customer relations, servicing, warranties and any general inquiries. Order a bike from Canyon and it’s sent straight to you from the factory in Germany.

It’s certainly an interesting distribution model and it raises a number of questions. When purchasing via a bike shop you get face-to-face interaction and advice on sizing, spec and the model that best suits your needs. How does this occur with the Canyon sales model? Additionally, I’ve seen plenty of production line bikes and they’re a long way from being ‘ready to ride’. Normally a bike shop handles the final assembly and gives each bike a once-over. How does Canyon manage this and what about the after sales service and tune-ups?

Direct Buying
Well let’s start at the beginning and work through it. The Canyon shopping experience begins online at a time that suits you. Their website will detect your location and provide you with Aussie pricing on the models that are available to us. We won’t have access to the entire range; Canyon subsidises the freight cost and this isn’t viable on some of the lower cost models—like their alloy hardtails for example.

Go to a particular model, click ‘add to cart’ and you’ll see a ‘get the right frame size’ tab that takes you to their Perfect Positioning System (PPS) system. For this you need to enter a range of body measurements; height, inseam, torso length, arm length and so on. Help tabs take you to videos that illustrate the measurement process to ensure that you get it right. It’s not as elaborate and specific as a proper custom bike fit, but it should direct you to the most appropriate size. In theory your local bike shop should do the same thing but it doesn’t always happen. I’ve encountered a number of cases where people have been pushed into buying the wrong size because the salesperson wanted to clear their floor stock—no risk of that happening with the online sales model.

If you know what you need, their geometry charts are quite comprehensive. However it’s important to remember that every bike is different and you shouldn’t base the sizing on your four year old mountain bike. Modern frame geometry has changed and bikes are now designed to work with shorter stems and wider handlebars. Even if you’re sure of what you need, it’s still worth filling in the PPS data. We’ve been told that each sale is checked to ensure that everything is in order; if Canyon notices that your frame size doesn’t tie in with the PPS data, they’ll get in touch to double check that there wasn’t an error.

The prices that you see on the Canyon site include GST but they don’t include the freight component; you’ll need to add $199 to the sticker price for that. Each bike is air freighted from Germany, and assuming your particular selection is in stock at Canyon, the delivery should take about a week. From what we’ve seen so far, Canyon’s pricing is very competitive, even with the additional freight charge factored in.

That German Touch
So what can you expect in terms of set-up and assembly when the oversized cardboard box lands on your doorstep? To gain a better understanding of the end product, we need to take a few steps back and look at the systems that Canyon have in place at their factory.

Like most brands, Canyon relies on a wide range of Asian based suppliers who do the actual manufacturing. From there the frames, suspension components and other parts are shipped to Germany. Here Canyon employs a range of quality control checks. For many brands the QC checks on a carbon part involve a visual inspection and a simple weigh-in to see if it falls within a predetermined range. Canyon has the capacity to do much more. Back in 2012 they invested in a CT scanner to look inside the carbon. It allows them to pick up on manufacturing faults such as folds in the laminate, porosity and irregular wall thicknesses.

Apparently every Canyon branded carbon bar is scanned and third party handlebars are batch scanned before passing onto the production line. Carbon frames are batch scanned too and for the road market, every single carbon fork is CT scanned before assembly. These are industry leading QC checks that go way beyond what most companies do. According to Canyon, the consistency of their suppliers has actually improved since the CT scanner was introduced and some suppliers have implemented their own checks to ensure the product meets the required standard.

Buying a CT scanner and employing the staff to drive it is a massive investment, even for a brand the size of Canyon. While this was initially done to lift the quality of their bikes, the additional checks have since reduced their insurance premiums and lifted their public image; something that’s especially important for an online seller. Their direct from the factory model means that any problems will come straight back at them—there’s no retailer or middle man to isolate them from consumer wrath!

With all the parts on German soil, the bike assembly begins. Mounted via the seatpost, each frame travels down a conveyer belt and along the production line. As the parts are fitted, each and every bolt checked and torqued appropriately. At the end of the line each bike is passed onto a mechanic who double checks all of the torque settings and adjusts the gears and brakes. The mechanic then heads out for a lap of their test track to ensure that everything is working as it should. After the test ride, the bike is signed off and packed for transport.

Canyon developed their Bike Guard box to protect the bike whilst requiring minimal disassembly. The front wheel, handlebars, saddle and pedals are removed, and that’s all. The Bike Guard incorporates a cardboard support that cradles the back wheel and protects the rear derailleur. Velcro and foam pads are used to secure the front wheel next to the bike. The whole thing can be used again if you ever need to fly with your bike. A torque wrench and shock pump is included with each bike and once unboxed, assembly should take around 10 minutes. Thanks to the factory QC checks, you shouldn’t need to touch the gear or brake adjustments.

Of course you will lose out in some respects with the Canyon system. Buy from a retail store and you’ll generally get a free tune-up to manage any cable stretch that develops after the first few rides. If that happens with your Canyon you’ll be paying for the gear adjustment (assuming you’re not a DIY person). With a traditional bricks and mortar store, you may be able to hop on the bike and try it for size before committing. Of course many stores won’t stock every size in a high-end model, so this mightn’t be an option anyway. In any case, it’s still a tall ask to commit sight unseen to such a major purchase. If you’re a complete mechanical klutz, it may be worth getting some help with the initial assembly too (although Canyon does offer online video instruction for these steps).

On the upside, Canyon does offer a 30 day return policy that allows you to send a bike back if it’s the wrong size or doesn’t meet your expectations. They also come with a six year guarantee and the Australian based service centre is there for any Canyon-specific maintenance requirements or warranty issues. While the brand’s entrance into Australia is likely to leave some traditional bike stores disgruntled, there’s every chance that a more accepting approach will have the Canyon owner spending their dollars in-store for general servicing and accessories.

So that’s it in a nutshell. Their direct distribution model and their intrinsically German approach to manufacturing certainly brings something new to the local market. For the experienced buyer – someone who’s already had a few different bikes and knows what they want – I can see how the Canyon system would appeal.

Strive to Ride
With that epic prelude out of the way, let’s take a look at the Strive! This isn’t our typical style of review by the way. Normally we strip each test bike down to check the build quality, weigh the frame and then ride it for a month or so before writing anything. In this case we only had a couple of rides on the Strive but I’ve had plenty of experience on competing enduro-style trail bikes, so I know what to expect of this type of machine.

While the frame geometry and overall build quality both play a key role with the Strive, the real talking point is the Shape Shifter system. The upper shock eye is attached to a small swing-link that can move back and forth by around 15mm. This isn’t a working suspension component; it simply changes the location of the upper shock mount and a tiny air charged gas strut ensures the swing link doesn’t flop around randomly.

The Shape Shifter has two modes that are accessed via a handlebar mounted lever; there’s a 160mm travel DH setting and a 130mm XC mode. Push the lever and put your weight back to drop the bike into DH mode or shift your weight forward and unweight the back wheel to pop it into XC mode.

Swapping modes does more than just change the travel; it also alters the frame geometry and tweaks the leverage ratio. This is the real key to the Shape Shifter and the difference is noticeable on the trail. Set the bike up with 30% sag in DH mode and the Horst Link travel is nice and progressive; supper supple and ground hugging to start with before ramping up to comfortably handle the bigger hits. It also provides a suitably relaxed 66-degree head angle. Flick to XC mode and the suspension becomes firmer in the early travel, making it more efficient to pedal. The firmer travel also reduces the sag and shifts the bike into a more upright climbing friendly position; the head angle steepens by 1.5-degrees and the bottom bracket rises by around 20mm.

Canyon isn’t the first brand to introduce on-the-fly adjustable travel and geometry—Cannondale and Bionicon have been doing it for years. The difference is that Canyon had done it without a proprietary shock; our Strive had a Monarch Plus but it can be fitted with any standard 200x57mm rear shock. It also feels absolutely natural in the XC mode, where certain other systems suffer with compromised suspension performance in the shorter travel settings.

As suspension designs improve we’re seeing more and more long travel suspension bikes that can be ridden all day—both uphill and down. The Strive is definitely of this ilk and even in DH mode it remains relatively efficient to pedal. Having the XC setting simply tweaks things a little to make climbing more comfortable. I also found the ride a little more fun and engaging on smoother trails with the XC mode selected; the bike becomes a tad more agile and alive. When things turn nasty, you’ll certainly appreciate the added stability and plusher suspension in DH mode—take your pick and swap it around as you ride.

The Shape Shifter doesn’t carry a much of a weight penalty either. Canyon offers a claimed frame weight of 2,400g including the 200g Shape Shifter unit. Add another 400g for the Monarch Plus shock and it’ll be in the 2,800g range; roughly the same as a Santa Cruz Nomad and around 100g lighter than a Norco Range (assuming Canyon’s claims are correct).

For me the only negatives are that the Shape Shifter adds further clutter to the handlebars with more levers and cables. It also adds complexity with more stuff to go wrong. With anything new there’s going to be a learning curve and on occasions I forgot to switch to DH mode when it would have been preferable. In 2015 Canyon did experience reliability issues with the Shape Shifter actuator. Our Strive was a 2015 model and the gas can failed, leaving us stuck in DH mode for part of the review.

We’re aware of two other media demo bikes that also met the same fate—they were also 2015 models. For 2016 Canyon is using a more robust seal within the Shape Shifter unit and they say the issue is fully resolved.

If you were to have a problem with the Shape Shifter (or any other part of the bike), the Melbourne based Canyon service centre will be there to assist. If you weren’t comfortable with swapping out a gas can yourself, you could either pay a local store to do the work or use your Bike Guard box to send the entire bike down to Melbourne.

Fab Geometry
Moving on from the whiz-bang suspension, the geometry and fit of this bike definitely rates a mention. It clearly shows the ‘Barel influence’ (see P56) as the front end is extremely long. Not as rangy as a Mondraker but a good deal longer than you’ll find on most brands. I’m 177cm and often ride a large to get a longer reach and combine this with a short stem. With the Strive I was able to ride a medium and the reach was still 10mm longer than my own large framed bike. The stock 40mm stem delivered great handling with a really direct steering feel and plenty of cockpit room—a perfect setup in my books. The rear end is super short with 423mm chainstays and plenty of tyre clearance for 2.35 rubber—who needs boost?

A steep 73.5-degree seat angle helps to keep the front end weighted for steep seated climbs and this figure increases to 75-degrees in XC mode. Engage the dropper post and the steep climb-oriented seat angle becomes irrelevant on the descents.
Roll it all together and you get a bike that’s super stable and confident on challenging descents, yet amazingly playful when you want to get airborne or throw the bike around. Our XX1 and Pike equipped test bike was close to 13kg with pedals but on the trail it felt much lighter; a very fun and versatile machine.

The direct sales model delivers sharp pricing but this is not a cheap bike by any means and the finish was first rate. Details such as the integrated chainstay protector and bolt-on down tube guard were more than just an afterthought and very neatly executed. The internal routing is easy enough to manage thanks to a decent size cut-out that’s hidden under the down tube protector. It also has a number of cable inlet ports that provide plenty of flexibility in the cable routing options. You’ll also find ISCG 05 tabs and the bike can accommodate a front derailleur if you want. There’s little to criticise in the finer details of this bike.

So what is the bottom line on the cost? At the time of writing the Australian pricing hadn’t been finalised but it’s expected that the top-end CF 9.0 Team model will sell for $7,499. It comes with an XX1 drivetrain, Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheels, a Pike fork and Guide Ultimate brakes. Add on the $199 freight fee and it’s still cost competitive with the sharpest pricing you’ll find on the local market for that sort of spec. They’ll also offer the Strive in a SRAM X01/Pike equipped model for $5,999 and a the base spec will sell for around $5,499 with a Shimano XT 2X11/Fox 36 setup. Given the apparent quality of the Canyon product (and assuming they’ve got their Shape Shifter bugs sorted), this brand stands to make a sizable dent in the Australian market.

Thumbs Up
Excellent suspension and geometry
Well-chosen spec
Competitive pricing

Thumbs Down
Direct sales model won’t suit everyone
One more remote adds clutter to the bars
Shape Shifter reliability (hopefully fixed for 2016)

Specifications as tested
Frame:  Strive CF Carbon main frame, seat & chainstay
Shock:  RockShox Monarch Plus Debonair RC3, 130/160mm Travel
Fork:  RockShox Pike RCT3 160mm travel
Headset:  Cane Creek 40
Handlebars:  Renthal Fatbar Carbon, 780mm
Stem:  Renthal Trail 40mm
Shifter:  SRAM X01
Front Derailleur:  N/A
Rear Derailleur:  SRAM X01
Cassette:  SRAM X01, 10/42 11-speed
Chain:  SRAM XX1
Cranks:  SRAM X01 with eThirteen guide
Bottom Bracket:  SRAM Threaded GXP
Pedals:  N/A
Brakes:  SRAM Guide RSC
Wheels:  SRAM Rail 50
Tyres:  Maxxis High Roller II TR 2.3
Saddle:  SDG
Seatpost:  RockShox Reverb Stealth
Weight:  13g including SPD pedals (claimed - 2,800g with shock)
Available Sizes:  S, M (tested) & L
Price:  $5,999 (2016 Strive CF 8.0 Race excluding freight)
Distributor:  Canyon Bicycles www.canyon.com/en-au