Canyon Strive shape shifter.

All is revealed:

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/canyon-strive-cf-2015-first-look.html

It’s clever but is it really worth it?

Whilst i’m sure it could be useful if you’re riding at the cutting edge of an international Enduro event, in my experience for most people, the major factor in pedaling up hills is how fit the rider is……..

It is worth it if you do lots of long uphill/downhill sections. So, wales, peaks, Scotland, Alps etc Not so worth it if your normal terrain consists of only climbing for a few minutes for a 30 second downhill blast, a bit along the flat another 3 min climb and repeat.

It’s clever but is it really worth it?

When you consider the price that Canyon is selling them for then I would say “yes” it is worth it.

But when that proprietary part goes wrong and you’ve got a 3 week turnaround from Germany, it might not feel so worth it.
I like the geometry options though.
How do the Canyon’s feel to ride – they are FSR, but does that mean they are soft and ground-hugging like specialized, or not?

But when that proprietary part goes wrong and you’ve got a 3 week turnaround from Germany, it might not feel so worth it.

Not many frame failures are fixed withing 3 weeks from any manufacturer. I guess the question to ask is will this part make failure any more likely than any other full sus?

How do the Canyon’s feel to ride

When I test rode some, I found them rather on the short side, the article suggests they are now going for longer geometry.

Interesting idea, but even in XC mode you have a 160mm fork with a 67 degree head angle, which doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal set of numbers for climbing. I guess you could combine it with a travel adjust fork to make the front lower and steeper (with the shape shifter stuff stopping the BB from getting too low). But how much fiddling do you really want to do on a ride?

Someone somewhere is probably designing a bike with a hydraulically extendable front triangle that can be extended on the descents…..

But how much fiddling do you really want to do on a ride?

Are you new here?

Bionicon have already done the adjustable front and rear, so have cannondale

As someone who regularly forgets to switch the suspension on for me this is total overkill, I’d much prefer something that just works without the faff. But then I also ride ss in the Peak so I’m clearly not their market

I like it, and the bike as a whole looks awesome.

Now whether all the additional ‘bits’, although out of the way, can stand up to continuous UK coating in muck is a different matter…

I thought that Debonair thing was an April 1st joke?

Does look like a nice bike though.

Another lever on the bar?
Bikes are going to start looking like church organs soon.. 😀
I’m out.
Bike is lush though, I’d have a normal one..

kona already tried something similar, though without extra lever, it wasnt popular, though ive never ridden one

kona’s was different though as the magic link was theoretically active whenever you were riding the bike, meaning the geometry/kinematics were constantly changing – felt flipping weird. Canyon have gone down the route of it either being in XC or DH mode, with it only changing between them when you tell it to.

only changing between them when you (remember to) tell it to.

yeah, but if you forget you’re still riding a 160ft/130rr FS. the magic link bikes just felt bonkers – mid way through a compression the magic link would shift and the whole bike seemed to collapse backwards with no warning…

Kind of ironic.

The whole idea of The Dropper, travel adjust forks and now this geometry adjust frame is to “keep the flow going” when people reach the downs.

There’s now so many levers to flick and check that I guarantee* everyone stops at the top. (*Your average rider.)

It’s become easier and more faff free to just ride a normal seatpost with normal suspension. That’s keeping the flow going.

1 lever that operates a dropper and the shock………..that’s the dream.

1 lever that operates a dropper and the shock………..that’s the dream.

look out for shimano/fox in the next few years…. they’re getting there.

I change the settings of the Dyad shock and Lefty a heck of a lot on my Trigger. This looks a similar system without the need for a high pressure tension shock. Nice looking bike too.
Must be said that I’m pretty new to MTB so changing suspension to suit terrain seems no stranger than shifting gear.

If only they did an alloy version as I could afford that…

The one at £3199 seems like the best value of them.
Hard to see what you get extra on the £3699 version that’s worth paying for.
September release.

Having read some reviews of the Spectral, I’m not sure it’s my kind of bike though. So far I seem to prefer progressive/poppy bikes.

Nice video animation here

Good to see the new ‘Race’ geo – i’d like a bit longer in the top tube on mine.

Not sure it’s on Canyon’s value for money ethos though, the equivalent spec to my AL is £1300 more – and you’re getting carbon fibre frame and a way of altering geometry. Would be interesting to see if they produce an alu version.

They do make tasty bikes, would much prefer any strive to a SC Nomad. Do canyon sell frame only?

Not sure i’d take one over my Nomad, in fact there is no chance in the world I would!

I’d take one over a Orange, Lapierre or a Mondraker though.

If I can stretch to it when I buy my next bike I could be very tempted as this sounds great as a 1 bike to do all.

Owning a Mojo HD160, don’t see the point. Climbs like a bastard and descends like one too.

holy thread resurrection …

anyone ridden one of these Strives yet? I’m tempted by the 2-bikes-in-1 versatility (an XC/trail bike I would use a lot, a 160mm trucker I would use rarely, but is damn nice to have).

so opinions on please:

* in XC mode, using the bike for single track etc that doesn’t really demand the DH geometry. (most of my riding is Surrey Hills)
* Race or regular geo – an extra 30mm ETT seems an awful lot …

Thx

– M

2 years ago i swapped my Zesty into 160mm “spicy” mode, by changing the forks and rear shock/shock carrier. I thought “I know, i’ll keep all the std 140mm parts, that way, when i’m doing XC stuff i can stick them on”

Well, 2 years later, having been ridden all over the UK and France/Spain, er, no, i’ve not swapped back to 140mm once……..

but would you if it was at the flick of a switch?