Finally, here is the new version of the German company's Enduro Racing. We went to Malaga for the official presentation to the specialized press and so we had the opportunity to try it in preview. Many have been waiting for it as the Strive has been on the market for quite some time now, and Canyon doesn't disappoint. These are the salient features: 29 ”wheels with travel of 150mm at the rear (which can be lowered to 135mm) and 160mm at the front (170mm in the CFR models). ShapeShifter revised.

In recent years, the Strive has proven its qualities. It is a vehicle of great substance, so much so that even in our February 2018 comparison it was among the fastest Enduro on the market. But perhaps also for this excellent vehicle it was time to renew itself and, thanks to the Canyon Factory Enduro, and the support of Fabien Barel, the new Strive, with revised shapeshifter, 29 "wheels and full carbon frame, returns to the market as one of the bike to beat: a truly aggressive enduro, designed to do the best downhill time but also to be more easily manageable even by amateurs and for use that is not necessarily racing.

FEATURES
Canyon's Shapeshifter system has often been questioned during testing, or rather, great on paper but difficult to operate in key moments. Now it is renewed and can be operated via remote control, so a big step forward! The Strive has 150mm of travel in DH mode and 135mm in XC mode, with saddle and steering angle that open / close by 1.5 °. At the front we always find the Fox 36 (except in the CF 6.0 model where a RockShox Lyric RC is mounted) with 160mm travel in the CF models and 170mm in the top-of-the-range CFR models. The offset is small (44mm Fox / 42mm RockShox). The result is an increase in trail that brings greater stability but which, combined with a steering of 66 °, still make it not too slow in the strait. A mix of geometries in which Canyon strongly believes. The frame is Full Carbon with a declared weight of 2700gr in the CF model and 2400gr in the CFR model - size M). The cables are internal.
ASSEMBLIES AND GEOMETRIES
The strive is available in 4 sizes, from S to XL, with six models. Starting price from € 2.999 (Strive CF 5.0) up to the top of the range from € 6999 (Strive CFR 9.0 Ltd). The sizes roughly reflect market standards with 470mm of reach in L size and 455mm of seat tube.
SHAPESHIFTER 2.0
Creating an excellent bike on the pedal and excellent on the descent is the goal of all bike manufacturers with an all-mountain / enduro spirit. This requires a mix of compromises in geometry, mountings and a well thought-out damping pattern. Canyon, like Cannondale, has tried to do all this but with the addition of a dynamic rear excursion, that is to say the possibility of modifying, in this case via a convenient remote control, the travel at the rear from 150mm to 135mm. In the special remote control of the ShapeShifter we also find the control of the dropper post integrated. But the Shapeshifter is not only this: in addition to the rear stroke, the geometries also change, a unique feature in the world! In DH mode we find the steering angle and saddle angle more open than 1.5 °: the open steering angle is very useful to give stability to the bike in the descent phases while the more closed saddle angle to have a more pushing position on the pedals and less phenomena of "wheelie" in steep and technical climbs. These two are the values that most affect driving but indirectly also change the ground clearance values (higher in the XC version) and the wheelbase (longer in the DH version).
These changes take place thanks to a second mini shock absorber (also developed by Canyon together with Fox) which modifies the leverage by pushing forward or backward one of the fulcrums of the damping scheme, thus changing its dynamics: different compression curve as well as the values of anti-squat and anti-rise. Regarding the compression curve, in XC mode we find a higher sag point in the curve, which means that more force is needed to get to the Sag point. Also in this mode, the Anti-squat also changes with higher values: therefore a bike that tends to sit less and in essence more reactive and more nervous. Canyon technicians also guarantee greater system reliability than last.

and the telescopic
FIELD TEST
Bike designed to obtain maximum performance in the enduro racing field but, compared to last year, the fun side has not been neglected, in favor of riders who like to take their wheels off the ground and see obstacles on the path only as ramps and landings doubles that do not exist on paper. With Shapeshifter 2.0 it is now easier and more intuitive to switch from XC to DH mode, just use the two levers gathered in the special telescopic handlebar handle to change even in the most difficult moments, such as in the race, for example, the geometry of the bikes. The new Strive abandons the 27,5 wheels for the 29 ones, with a 30 channel combined with the DHR 2.5 both front and rear, which give even more stability and the speed with which you can tackle the straight and technical sections is truly impressive. The bike makes you understand that you can touch the brakes less and less and leave everything to her, but this involves a high and constant level of concentration and a physical preparation at the height to be able to continue to push to the maximum, descent after descent. After a few hours of use I struggled to keep a medium-high pace and it was the moment when I dedicated myself to the fun, jumping and landing on rocks and roots with extreme ease, discovering how agile it was despite the racing spirit. The extremely dry and sandy terrain of the Malaga trails put the new Strive to the test when cornering. If that's not enough, add the high steepness in some places. It is therefore difficult in these conditions to give an objective opinion because the grip in braking was almost nil and the speed out of the corners was certainly not the maximum. Stay "connected" that in the future we will do a more detailed test.

excursion and geometry with a click on the remote
