The Shapeshifter tech is the most innovative thing I've seen since the dropper post. Adjustable geometry on the fly - that's useful in an enduro race. It's what a lockout is to an XC bike. Much more useful than the KIS thing. Nice job Canyon and good review. Thanx for posting this.
Just bought the underdog spec. Don’t know what happened, but, they sent it to me with the Fox float x2 FACTORY, rather than the PERFORMANCE, which is specked for that bike. A mistake in my favor perhaps, or they just couldn’t get anymore of the other shock. Either way, totally stoked on the bike so far!!!
Great bike and review! Is it a good "bike for all" option? Mostly I ride trails with plenty of uphills, descents and bike parks in Norway. Before, I rode Spectral, and it's a great machine, but some time is not enough on a bike park. What do you think about Strive and one bike for both: trails + enduro? Thank you
Why do bikes grow significantly in reach but the stack barely changes? The dropper is at half extended in this video and it’s parallel with the bars. I’ve been running 83mm rise bars and it has transformed my xl bike, a privateer 161 p4. Would love to see you do a video testing various bar heights
It's a good question. For sure the lower stack height gives you a little more to play with in terms of bar heights, but riders like yourself may seek a high rise bar like you're running on your Privateer. The dropper post was a 170mm model and Robert has very long legs, which when combined with that short seat tube leads to the crazy insertion height.
@@TheLoamWolf I’m running Surly Sunrise bars (16 degrees of backsweep) cut from 820 to 780. Ergotec, ProTaper and Deity also make high rise bars with less aggressive backsweep
Just picked up the Strive CFR with Canyon's latest sale. Holy smokes is this bike fast and fun. Made a few personal changes (swapped for my existing i9 carbon wheels with hyrda hubs, OneUp carbon bar, PNW loam grips, 200mm Wolftooth dropper, SDG radar seat, DD rear DHR2, Tenet Nora stem) and the bike immediately felt like home. With my parts on it, it weighed in at a respectable 33.4 lbs (without pedals), which is not bad at all. Amazingly even my Shockwiz gave a 100/100 score on the Fox 38 my first stab at tuning it (205lb rider, 105 psi, HSC/LSC 2 clicks in from full open, HSR/LSR 3/4 clicks from closed, stock 2 tokens). Literally did not need to adjust a single dial from my initial settings. Still working on the X2, but it is not far off. Although I could maybe use a token in the fork if I was going to hit a bit bigger stuff. Never have I hopped on a bike and instantly not needed any adjustment period outside of the XTR brakes since I have been using Code RSC's my last few bikes. Medium was perfect for my 5'10" frame, using the middle cup position and 37mm stem. It is interesting how much more planted the front feels on the Strive than my 2022 Propain Tyee, which is a great bike as well. I am guessing the more aggressive nature of the Strive has me over the front a bit more, which helps with that feeling.
How are you finding the medium on slower tight techy stuff? I'm around your height and not sure what to think about the 480mm reach. My current bike feels great with 455mm so I'm worried that the medium might feel like a bus on tight turns.
Bought this bike. It had countless problems. Non existence quality control from canyon. Took me over a month to sort it out. Including returning and reordering a brand new bike. With insane UPS delays. Both bikes had build quality problems. First bike's dropper cable was messed up and I had to literally remove the bottom bracket and reroute the cable to fix it. But after 1 ride, the shapeshifter broke. local shop can't fix it. I asked FOX and they say I need to remove it for FOX to service it, but again local bike shop can't remove it even! Had to return the bike. Got new bike, but new bike had brake problems. not properly bled and had to bleed BOTH F and R brakes. After the bike is all fixed up, it is amazing. However because all the trouble I went thru, it does not feel amazing. Just took too long now it’s too cold for a comfortable ride. I'm 5'10 and I got the medium. default 480mm reach feels very comfortable.
I have to add smth. My mates bike had a hudge side play in the upper linkage (c torque ). Have heard later it is well known issue. Procedure took almost 6 months to receive the new linkage under guarantee ( Canyon Europe ). It is too long IMHO.
@@endurodoctor as soon as any problem arose, should’ve just ordered a new one. Tho I’m never buying canyon again. Next time just gonna go with Santa Cruz. The extra money buys me peace and more time to ride.
Never quite felt great on my medium 2019 CF8 that I just sold. I always buzzed my butt on drops, steep rolls and some jumps. Also I’m fairly certain something funky was up on the chain line because the chain made noise in the largest 3 gears. The new Strive looks great if you size down but the 2022 Orbea Rallon is super tempting as it weighs a few pounds less and can be ran as a mullet.
To some of us with shorter legs, having a Mullet is huge. Interestingly having a shapeshifter would benefit a Mullet even more since climbing is harder, but having had a similar proprietary shock in the past (Dyad from my old Cannondale), I was ready to move on to an easily serviceable bike!
@@TheLoamWolf I knew it! Almost added Chatel in my comment. I got to ride the Pass Porte in 2019. Loved it. Now, I watch videos of people riding there almost daily while on my indoor trainer. Can’t wait to go back someday. Thanks for a another informative video & for sharing many awesome places and bikes with us. You’re a great addition to the Loam Wolf channel. Cheers from Oregon!👍😉
So would you recommend for someone like me, sitting at 6ft 7 inches, would be suitable on an XL? Or do you think the Santa Cruz Megatower XXL would fit better? I’m currently riding a S5 Enduro
If your S5 fits well, write down the stack reach and wheelbase. Then determine your Strive or Megatower based on the most similar measurements, not based off the sticker size :) You’re probably correct though, as the strive tends to be exactly a size off.
Yeah, I’ve do excel sheets and geometry geek bikes. Yeah, they megatower is definitely bigger with a 670 stack and a 520 reach. While the strive has a longer reach, it also had a lower stack and I believe smaller wheelbase
@@KoenGriess hey mate, let me know if you go ahead and get the Strive XL. I'm 6'8 and also looking at it. I ride a 2019 Meta AM 29 XL and a 2019 Firebird, which both have a much shorter reach. I'm very curious to know how different it'd feel to be on this absolute beast. Considering how tall we are, we might not be bothered too much about the reduced agility, but really enjoy the extra stability.
@@aymericzito Yeah, well I have heard that stack height is really important. Since I’m mostly legs, I’d say it’s more important than reach. But if you are mostly torso, then reach is what you want. I’m actually considering getting a Santa Cruz Megatower V2. Their XXL is actually a XXL. (sorry YT bikes) And conveniently enough, they are on sale right now. The build kit with the GX AXS is down to $6,700! And let me remind you, that’s lifetime warranty on the frame, bearing and carbon wheels! And I think the GX AXS kit with the reserved wheels comes in around $7,850. Idk if your from Australia, New Zealand based on your “mate” in your comment, but that’s pretty cheap 😂 But yeah, I’ll be sure to let you know what I decide to do.
How does the CFR compare to the Scott Ransom 900 Tuned? You guys were big fans of the Ransom when it was released. It's a few years old now, but it's the only other enduro bike (that I know about) with manually switchable travel
Unfortunately we haven't had the same team members ride both bikes. It's clear the geometry of the Strive CFR is more aggressive in the descending mode, but the Ransom is one hell of a bike still!
Great review. You should start your own channel 😅 but do I understand correctly, that the strive will take a double crown fork? So in theory one could swap fork between bike park and trail…? Strange the strive e bike doesn’t have the shape shifter. I mean then you’d be laughing, e bike in trail mode up, downhill mode for the down. It’s all there, no? Ok weight of the ebike etc but shimano have high power options in lightweight batteries now. Come on Canyon pull the trigger in that puppy. Wipe the floor with em on the way out😮😅
Hi, can I ask what is your height? You said that the M size is the right for you. I'm 182cm tall, so I' m between M and L and it's hard to choose which one is the right for me. Thanks
Robert is 189cm, and comfortable on the M. But, the L would be comfortable too for a more stable feeling on faster trails. At 182cm the M is likely what we would suggest, but how you are proportioned, what you value in the feel of the bike and your most ridden terrain will all come into play to make your choice.
If you fix the position of the shape-shifter with a zip-tie. So it will be hold in the lower position. But it's only a temporary solution on the trail with broken SS in place
Hallarious; It cost canyon probably less than $500 to have this bike made in a sweatshop by children in China and then they mark it up 12x. then you get paid reviewers saying what a value it is lol. the only bigger rip off than mountain bikes these days is mountain bike tires when you pay 100 dollars for something that prob cost them .50 cents to make.
Can we just take a moment to note the insane value Canyon offers?
Price to performance ratio on the Strive CFR is pretty awesome, especially on the Underdog spec (not currently offered in NA)
@@TheLoamWolf lpullhü
The Shapeshifter tech is the most innovative thing I've seen since the dropper post. Adjustable geometry on the fly - that's useful in an enduro race. It's what a lockout is to an XC bike. Much more useful than the KIS thing. Nice job Canyon and good review. Thanx for posting this.
You're welcome! We love the Shapeshifter tech too.
Just bought the underdog spec. Don’t know what happened, but, they sent it to me with the Fox float x2 FACTORY, rather than the PERFORMANCE, which is specked for that bike. A mistake in my favor perhaps, or they just couldn’t get anymore of the other shock. Either way, totally stoked on the bike so far!!!
Right on, glad to hear it! Enjoy, it's a ripper!
Probably ran out of stock of the performance shock and had overstock of factory.
The shapeshifter was the main reason I bought this bike and I realy like it.
I bought it for the same reason. My other choice was the Transition Spire, which is also a really good bike, but that shapeshifter sold me.
Great review. I have the underdog and absolutely love the bike.
Thank you! Stoked to hear it, we’re very impressed and the Underdog spec is likely the smart choice for many.
Great bike and review!
Is it a good "bike for all" option?
Mostly I ride trails with plenty of uphills, descents and bike parks in Norway. Before, I rode Spectral, and it's a great machine, but some time is not enough on a bike park.
What do you think about Strive and one bike for both: trails + enduro?
Thank you
Why do bikes grow significantly in reach but the stack barely changes? The dropper is at half extended in this video and it’s parallel with the bars. I’ve been running 83mm rise bars and it has transformed my xl bike, a privateer 161 p4. Would love to see you do a video testing various bar heights
It's a good question. For sure the lower stack height gives you a little more to play with in terms of bar heights, but riders like yourself may seek a high rise bar like you're running on your Privateer.
The dropper post was a 170mm model and Robert has very long legs, which when combined with that short seat tube leads to the crazy insertion height.
Appreciate the response. Still would love to see you do a high rise bar (70mm +) video. You might be surprised by the results!
Which brand would you recommend?
@@TheLoamWolf I’m running Surly Sunrise bars (16 degrees of backsweep) cut from 820 to 780. Ergotec, ProTaper and Deity also make high rise bars with less aggressive backsweep
Higher stack could compromise climbing making it harder to keep weight over the front tire.
Just picked up the Strive CFR with Canyon's latest sale. Holy smokes is this bike fast and fun. Made a few personal changes (swapped for my existing i9 carbon wheels with hyrda hubs, OneUp carbon bar, PNW loam grips, 200mm Wolftooth dropper, SDG radar seat, DD rear DHR2, Tenet Nora stem) and the bike immediately felt like home. With my parts on it, it weighed in at a respectable 33.4 lbs (without pedals), which is not bad at all. Amazingly even my Shockwiz gave a 100/100 score on the Fox 38 my first stab at tuning it (205lb rider, 105 psi, HSC/LSC 2 clicks in from full open, HSR/LSR 3/4 clicks from closed, stock 2 tokens). Literally did not need to adjust a single dial from my initial settings. Still working on the X2, but it is not far off. Although I could maybe use a token in the fork if I was going to hit a bit bigger stuff. Never have I hopped on a bike and instantly not needed any adjustment period outside of the XTR brakes since I have been using Code RSC's my last few bikes. Medium was perfect for my 5'10" frame, using the middle cup position and 37mm stem. It is interesting how much more planted the front feels on the Strive than my 2022 Propain Tyee, which is a great bike as well. I am guessing the more aggressive nature of the Strive has me over the front a bit more, which helps with that feeling.
What did it cost on sale
@@phenax1144 It was $4199 at the time
@@superawesomefuntimego was it the underdog? It’s still on sale for that much. Also, does the shock and fork have lockout?
@@KadenMonsonMTB No lockout on the Fox Factory suspension on the CFR, I definitely don't miss it when the Shapeshifter is in trail mode.
How are you finding the medium on slower tight techy stuff? I'm around your height and not sure what to think about the 480mm reach. My current bike feels great with 455mm so I'm worried that the medium might feel like a bus on tight turns.
What tires originally came on it and what did you swap too?
Bought this bike. It had countless problems. Non existence quality control from canyon. Took me over a month to sort it out. Including returning and reordering a brand new bike. With insane UPS delays. Both bikes had build quality problems. First bike's dropper cable was messed up and I had to literally remove the bottom bracket and reroute the cable to fix it. But after 1 ride, the shapeshifter broke. local shop can't fix it. I asked FOX and they say I need to remove it for FOX to service it, but again local bike shop can't remove it even! Had to return the bike. Got new bike, but new bike had brake problems. not properly bled and had to bleed BOTH F and R brakes. After the bike is all fixed up, it is amazing. However because all the trouble I went thru, it does not feel amazing. Just took too long now it’s too cold for a comfortable ride. I'm 5'10 and I got the medium. default 480mm reach feels very comfortable.
I have to add smth. My mates bike had a hudge side play in the upper linkage (c torque ). Have heard later it is well known issue. Procedure took almost 6 months to receive the new linkage under guarantee ( Canyon Europe ). It is too long IMHO.
@@endurodoctor as soon as any problem arose, should’ve just ordered a new one. Tho I’m never buying canyon again. Next time just gonna go with Santa Cruz. The extra money buys me peace and more time to ride.
Never quite felt great on my medium 2019 CF8 that I just sold. I always buzzed my butt on drops, steep rolls and some jumps. Also I’m fairly certain something funky was up on the chain line because the chain made noise in the largest 3 gears. The new Strive looks great if you size down but the 2022 Orbea Rallon is super tempting as it weighs a few pounds less and can be ran as a mullet.
you can also consider a size down Spectral mullet, they are pretty sweet, unless you need the shapeshifter
To some of us with shorter legs, having a Mullet is huge. Interestingly having a shapeshifter would benefit a Mullet even more since climbing is harder, but having had a similar proprietary shock in the past (Dyad from my old Cannondale), I was ready to move on to an easily serviceable bike!
Why is the shock the wrong way up on the strive..? Btw
Where are you riding? I immediately thought I recognized Morzine or Les Gets. I’m always curious.😉
This was Chatel bike park. Love that place!
@@TheLoamWolf I knew it! Almost added Chatel in my comment. I got to ride the Pass Porte in 2019. Loved it. Now, I watch videos of people riding there almost daily while on my indoor trainer. Can’t wait to go back someday. Thanks for a another informative video & for sharing many awesome places and bikes with us. You’re a great addition to the Loam Wolf channel. Cheers from Oregon!👍😉
wow this bike its beatiful
So would you recommend for someone like me, sitting at
6ft 7 inches, would be suitable on an XL? Or do you think the Santa Cruz Megatower XXL would fit better? I’m currently riding a S5 Enduro
If your S5 fits well, write down the stack reach and wheelbase. Then determine your Strive or Megatower based on the most similar measurements, not based off the sticker size :)
You’re probably correct though, as the strive tends to be exactly a size off.
Yeah, I’ve do excel sheets and geometry geek bikes. Yeah, they megatower is definitely bigger with a 670 stack and a 520 reach. While the strive has a longer reach, it also had a lower stack and I believe smaller wheelbase
@@KoenGriess hey mate, let me know if you go ahead and get the Strive XL. I'm 6'8 and also looking at it. I ride a 2019 Meta AM 29 XL and a 2019 Firebird, which both have a much shorter reach. I'm very curious to know how different it'd feel to be on this absolute beast. Considering how tall we are, we might not be bothered too much about the reduced agility, but really enjoy the extra stability.
@@aymericzito Yeah, well I have heard that stack height is really important. Since I’m mostly legs, I’d say it’s more important than reach. But if you are mostly torso, then reach is what you want. I’m actually considering getting a Santa Cruz Megatower V2. Their XXL is actually a XXL. (sorry YT bikes)
And conveniently enough, they are on sale right now. The build kit with the GX AXS is down to $6,700! And let me remind you, that’s lifetime warranty on the frame, bearing and carbon wheels!
And I think the GX AXS kit with the reserved wheels comes in around $7,850. Idk if your from Australia, New Zealand based on your “mate” in your comment, but that’s pretty cheap 😂
But yeah, I’ll be sure to let you know what I decide to do.
How does the CFR compare to the Scott Ransom 900 Tuned? You guys were big fans of the Ransom when it was released. It's a few years old now, but it's the only other enduro bike (that I know about) with manually switchable travel
Unfortunately we haven't had the same team members ride both bikes. It's clear the geometry of the Strive CFR is more aggressive in the descending mode, but the Ransom is one hell of a bike still!
Great review. You should start your own channel 😅 but do I understand correctly, that the strive will take a double crown fork? So in theory one could swap fork between bike park and trail…? Strange the strive e bike doesn’t have the shape shifter. I mean then you’d be laughing, e bike in trail mode up, downhill mode for the down. It’s all there, no? Ok weight of the ebike etc but shimano have high power options in lightweight batteries now. Come on Canyon pull the trigger in that puppy. Wipe the floor with em on the way out😮😅
I'm 5'8 . Do you think I'll be ok with medium?
Small
Hi, can I ask what is your height? You said that the M size is the right for you. I'm 182cm tall, so I' m between M and L and it's hard to choose which one is the right for me. Thanks
Robert is 189cm, and comfortable on the M. But, the L would be comfortable too for a more stable feeling on faster trails. At 182cm the M is likely what we would suggest, but how you are proportioned, what you value in the feel of the bike and your most ridden terrain will all come into play to make your choice.
Nice review! How tall are you and what size this bike is?
Thank you! Robert Is 189cm on a size medium.
@@TheLoamWolf What do you think about frame size for 180cm ?
@@TheLoamWolf189 cm with a M ??? That’s crazy I’m 186cm on XL
I wonder whats your opinion on the strive compared to a similar component equipped Specialized Enduro?
Pros and cons to each. The Enduro is a sweet machine for sure. This new Strive packs a mean punch though!
@@TheLoamWolf tough love: thats a bit of a generic answer isnt it !
Had an enduro for a while with factory suspension. It’s a downhill bike with a single crown lol
@@slcwhere1534 lol Good to know.
If you have the shapeshifter shaft serviced, you can still use the bike as normal, right?
Not likely, the shapeshifter holds the upper shock mount in place.
@@TheLoamWolf damn... it's gonna be hard getting that serviced here in the PH.
Any standard Fox suspension service center should have you covered
@@TheLoamWolf Thank you!
If you fix the position of the shape-shifter with a zip-tie. So it will be hold in the lower position. But it's only a temporary solution on the trail with broken SS in place
Just another thing to go wrong and service. No thanks.
What's with the hand gestures?
Yeah, I would prefer these guys stand at the position of attention when giving a review. That would be sooo much more engaging!
Press fit BB? No thank you.
Are they really THAT bad?
No has Threaded BB
@@TheLoamWolf thats what im saying, I have had 3 bikes with a pressfit bb and had zero issues.
Lol
Hallarious;
It cost canyon probably less than $500 to have this bike made in a sweatshop by children in China and then they mark it up 12x. then you get paid reviewers saying what a value it is lol.
the only bigger rip off than mountain bikes these days is mountain bike tires when you pay 100 dollars for something that prob cost them .50 cents to make.
th-cam.com/video/z-vByA2HbLk/w-d-xo.html Here is a video of the factory.
Lol you’re an angry little weirdo aren’t you?