Canyon Strive:ON CFR review | eMTB Bike of the Year winner

Canyon’s Strive:ON CFR gravity-focused eMTB is powered by Bosch’s impressive Performance Line CX motor and high-capacity 750Wh battery.

The carbon-framed Strive:ON runs mixed-sized wheels (29in front, 27.5in rear) and boasts 160mm of rear-wheel travel, doled out by a Horst-link suspension design.

This £6,699 model sits in the middle of a three-bike range, and the size medium (tested) weighs 24.19kg without pedals.

In true value-for-money Canyon fashion, it’s decked out in brand-name parts, including Fox’s Performance Elite 38 fork and Float X2 Performance shock, DT Swiss’s HX 1700 wheels and Shimano’s XT drivetrain and brakes.

Under the guidance of pro ebike enduro world cup racer Fabien Barel, Canyon has super-sized its geometry. In the four-bike range (S-XL), reach figures start at 450mm and rise to 525mm, sitting closer to other brands' medium to XXL sizes.

Seemingly devoid of compromises, the Strive:ON’s powerful ebike motor and large battery are matched – unusually – with a low weight.

This blends all-day range, unwavering climbing prowess and agile handling for tight and technical trails.

Fully open the taps and the relaxed geometry and supple yet supportive suspension boosts stability and confidence. The Canyon can be trusted to help you pull through the gnarliest terrain on the mountain, enabling you to get away with more than you might expect.

Better yet, this is all available for a relatively bargainous price.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR frame, suspension and motor

The sleek, softly angular CFR carbon fibre frame has internally routed cables via ports in the headset, space for a water bottle beneath the rear shock and an accessory mounting point above it.

Chunky underside protection features, along with meaty chain-slap-muting rubber. It runs SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger and has Boost 148mm axle spacing.

Canyon claims the rear triangle has “engineered compliance”, enabling the seat and chainstays to numb harsher bumps or chatter, while the front end is stiffer to increase confidence and accuracy at high speed.

All the pivot points use replaceable thread inserts and double-sealed bearings filled with Canyon’s special grease to boost their lifespan and improve repairability.

Using the brand’s tried and tested Triple Phase Suspension – delivered via a 160mm-travel Horst-link design – on paper, it’s predictably progressive, ramping up the deeper into its stroke it gets.

Small-bump compliance and mid-stroke support are also key elements, the brand says.

Bosch’s 750Wh or 625Wh Powertube batteries – you can specify which capacity you want at the point of purchase – fit within the fully enclosed down tube.

Access to the battery is via the tool-free removal of the underslung protection, speeding up changes, which is great for racers and enables off-bike charging.

Bosch’s 85Nm torque 600W Performance Line CX motor is fitted, and has an integrated top tube display and wireless remote.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR geometry

The race-inspired geometry stretches reach figures beyond their norms; the small’s is 450mm, while the XL boasts a 525mm length.

It’s likely Strive:ON owners are going to need to size down; those usually riding a large will probably want a medium. However, this means smaller riders (sub-165cm) might not fit on the smallest model.

The 63.5-degree head angle is slack and the 78-degree seat tube angle steep, while the 445mm chainstays are relatively stout compared to the rest of the bike’s geometry.

Stacks are high, however, starting at 628mm and lifting to 660mm.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR specifications

Fox’s Performance Elite 38 170mm-travel fork headlines the spec list, closely followed by the Performance Float X2 shock.

A Shimano XT derailleur and shifter are paired with an SLX cassette, Deore chain, FSA chainring and e*thirteen cranks.

Shimano’s four-piston XT M8120 brakes clamp 220mm front and 200mm rear rotors.

The DT Swiss HX 1700 wheels are wrapped in 3C Maxxis DoubeDown-casing rubber (Assegai front, Minion DHR II rear).

Elsewhere, Canyon’s own-brand bar (780mm wide, 30m rise, 31.8mm diameter), stem (40mm long), grips and dropper (170mm travel, medium) are fitted.

Without pedals, the medium Canyon Strive:ON CFR with a 750Wh battery weighs a respectable 24.19kg.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR ride impressions

I tested Canyon’s Strive:ON CFR in Scotland’s Tweed Valley, home to the UK’s famous Golfie and Innerleithen enduro trails.

From steep and gnarly to fast and rough, the trails are challenging and technical. Ride conditions ranged from dry and dusty through to deep-winter wet.

Setup

Familiar Fox dampers and predictable kinematics, along with balanced geometry, made getting the Canyon’s suspension set up easy.

Although I initially had the bike way too hard – which upset its balance – after one or two runs, I dropped the pressures. I then kept these for the entire test period.

For my 75kg kitted-up weight, I settled on 96psi for the Fox 38 fork’s air spring and left the two volume-reducer spacers installed. I fully opened all the external damper adjustments.

Out back, I finished with 230psi in the spring and had no volume-reducer spacers installed. Like the fork, I fully opened all the external damper adjustments.

I inflated the tyres to my preferred pressures. Up front, that was between 24 and 26psi and at the rear it was between 27 and 29psi – depending on conditions. Thanks to the sensibly chosen tyre casings (EXO+ front, DoubleDown rear), I didn’t suffer a single puncture during the test period.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR climbing performance

Thanks to a steep seat tube angle and relatively short top tube (610mm), the Strive:ON has a brilliantly upright seated position.

As close to sit up and beg as you can get, it’s great for spinning up fireroads – steep or mellow – to access the downhills, which is the bike’s bread and butter.

Large portions of your weight are focused through your bones rather than your hands, making long, winding ascents particularly comfortable.

There are advantages when you’re scaling technical terrain, too.

The ride position feels smaller than it is and makes feeding grip into the back wheel while keeping the front wheel planted for steering control easy – even when the gradient is bordering on excessively steep.

Small movements shift your body’s weight from front to rear, between bar and bottom bracket, but the 445mm chainstays and 1,274mm wheelbase keep those movements from having too much effect on the wheels; there’s balance aplenty.

Tugging up and back on the bars with intent will lift the front wheel, placing it on, over and around rocks, or between lines.

There’s no guesswork with the direction the Strive:ON is going to take. Its ascending prowess is nothing short of exemplary, but also buckets of fun.

Blend in smooth, supple and active suspension that seeks out grip – and ups comfort – in chunky terrain and there’s little that stands in its way.

Shimano’s XT M8100 derailleur, while good, isn’t as crisp or precise as SRAM’s GX AXS Transmission.

While not a deal breaker, the drivetrain is the bike’s weakest link, and I’d be looking to upgrade it once the OEM kit wears out.

Motor performance and battery life

Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor is still king of the hill. Both powerful and surprisingly frugal, it’s also easy to control, mimicking rider inputs.

The harder you pedal, the more assistance it gives; it doesn’t run out of puff and has a wide cadence band so you can spin or grind – both will help you ascend.

Turbo and eMTB modes have plenty of overrun. Getting up rock or root steps isn’t guesswork because you know the bike will continue to supply drive once you stop pedalling, unlike others.

Pickup isn’t a digital on/off affair, and assistance tapers in when you start pedalling.

App connectivity is good and Bosch frequently adds features.

Battery life from the 750Wh Powertube is brilliant. On a single charge, using exclusively Turbo, I often hit 1,300m of ascent. Drop down to the eMTB setting and that figure increases to over 1,600m. In Tour+, I scraped over 2,000m regularly.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR descending performance

Balance and control are the overarching themes when heading downhill.

This unlocks masses of confidence-inspiring composure, regardless of the terrain you’re tackling.

Steep on-the-anchors sections are dispatched with absolute competency. The bike barely winces when you hunker down and hammer on the anchors.

Rocky, rough and destabilising terrain is skitted over gracefully, and fast, high-load berms and compressions don’t overly squat the suspension or rider into the floor.

Arguably feeling best when held on the limit, the Strive:ON is a true speed addict’s dream. Yes, you can still cruise about – thanks to that abundantly comfortable suspension and forgiving geometry – but that doesn’t seem to be the point of this bike.

A tall stack and supportive fork give the front end plenty of height to push against, not only to create grip when the trails are flatter, but also control when gradients steepen. It’s impressive just how hard you can push into the front of the bike without destabilising it.

The fork is well-matched with a progressive rear-suspension kinematic and a relatively low weight.

Once the trails tighten from flowy ribbon to angular tech, it still feels great.

Picking up and placing the front and rear wheels, with gentle but deliberate movements, is both rewarding and fun, and it seemingly helps you unlock previously inaccessible skills.

Steering control is stiff and direct; hammer into a berm and the bike leans over, hooking onto its line dependably and repeatedly.

Again, the supportive suspension resists over-compressing, maintaining its dynamic geometry in the grip-inducing sweet spot.

While the suspension works overtime to mute the trail, I experienced some hand soreness. I narrowed this down to Canyon’s hard-feeling grips and would recommend a relatively inexpensive upgrade to a set of the best MTB grips if this is an issue for you.

How does the Canyon Strive:ON CFR compare to the Propain Ekano 2 CF Ultimate?

With technology as similar as chalk and cheese, the Ekano 2’s integrated, wireless, auto-shifting drivetrain and motor exude quality over the cable-operated unconnected Bosch and Shimano system fitted to the Canyon.

SRAM’s Transmission is leagues ahead of Shimano’s offering in terms of feel and shift quality, but the holistic Powertrain system commands a premium €10,000 price tag.

And given Canyon’s bigger battery (750Wh versus Powertrain’s 630Wh) and increased range, which incur only a marginal weight penalty (420g), the more affordable asking price (£6,699) makes overlooking Shimano’s mechanical shifting pretty easy.

On the trail, both are mega performers, both up and down, but have different characters. Despite its lower weight, the Propain is a more compliant drop-your-heels, plough bike, while the Canyon feels as if it has more pep in its step. Neither is necessarily better than the other, but they suit different styles of rider.

Boiling it down, if you’re a tech-head, the Propain is going to appeal more than the Canyon. If cash is a concern but you still want exceptional performance, it’s virtually impossible to argue against the Strive:ON.

Canyon Strive:ON CFR bottom line

The Strive:ON is confident, capable and fun to ride, both uphill and down, especially if you’re tackling the hardest, fastest, gnarliest terrain around. It does exactly what it sets out to do; it’s an electric enduro race bike through-and-through.

The motor, frame, suspension, and almost the entire spec list, are faultless and impeccable value for the £6,500 asking price. It’s not infallible though; a drivetrain and grips upgrade – when funds permit – would be at the top of my list.

Offering a no-compromises package, the Strive:ON's light weight is combined with a powerful motor and long-range battery; a mixture usually only way more expensive bikes boast.