Canyon share the same direct sales model as Radon, YT and Commencal, which means the Strive also comes with a stunningly good spec for the money. On top of that, it’s one of the quietest bikes here. Even on the choppiest Italian trail we rode, the Strive pattered down without a peep. It needs some volume bands in the shock to get the back end ramping up for the really big hits, but once sorted it’s a wonderfully efficient machine that carries speed incredibly well.
The sizing feels spot on too, and it’s always nice to see manufacturers speccing longer dropper posts where possible. Our large Strive had one of the shortest seat tubes here, at 460mm, and used a 150mm drop Reverb. This meant none of our testers had any issues with arse-tosaddle clearance on the steeper trails we rode (unlike on the Commencal, with its 490mm seat tube).
What we did notice when the trail began to drop away rapidly was the head angle. On our test bike it measured in at just under 67 degrees, making it the steepest in the final six. A good solution would be to have a slacker ‘downhill’ setting with a lower BB. As it is, Canyon’s innovative ShapeShifter system (which switches the geometry and suspension between ascending and descending modes) does make a difference when climbing and was seen as a nice touch by some. Not all of our testers appreciated it though, with some saying it was just an added complication, and the bike pedals well enough in the downhill mode that not everyone used it regularly.
Whatever you think of the ShapeShifter, the Strive remains a seriously fast bike with decent proportions for the most part and a cracking spec for the cash.
The Strive’s ability to smooth out the trail and carry speed continue to impress us, but more aggressive angles in the downhill mode would be no bad thing
SPEC
Frame Aluminium, 130-160mm travel
Fork RockShox Lyrik RC Solo Air, 160mm travel
Shock RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 DebonAir
Drivetrain SRAM GX with Race Face AEffect cranks (1x11)
Wheelset DT Swiss E 1650 SPLINE wheels, Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO 3C (f) and Minion SS EXO (r) 27.5x2.3in tyres
Brakes SRAM Guide R, 200/180mm
Bar/stem Race Face AEffect 35, 760mm/Race Face AEffect 35, 50mm
Seatpost/saddle RockShox Reverb Stealth 150mm dropper/SDG Circuit MTN
Weight 14.3kg (L)
Price $3973