Canyon Strive:ON - An aggressive, enduro EMTB with outstanding performance

The 2024 Canyon Strive:ON is an e-Enduro bike which raises the bar with its 170mm front travel and 160mm rear wheel travel. It's the first Canyon electric mountain bike to use the Bosch CX motor and this model uses the newer integrated System Controller. It also features up to date enduro geometry and an excellent out of the box spec. Its also extremely competitively priced, starting at £5499 and topping out at £9200 for the CFR LTD model, which is specced with the Bosch CX-R Race Motor.

All models use the same carbon frame and Bosch integration.

Design and Frame​

Designed to excel in eMTB racing (EDR-e), the Strive:ON showcases a full carbon fibre frame, aggressive geometry and, Canyon claim, maximum durability. Canyon say the bike should last an entire season of hard charge-racing. Expect sealed bearings, thread inserts, and double sealed pivot bearings to withstand the rigors of long, tough, enduro tracks. The bike's aesthetics may not be groundbreaking, however, its performance oriented design with an outstanding electical integration, combined with a well designed skid plate and single bolt battery removal, make it both functional and practical.

Performance and Specifications​

Priced at £6,900 for the mid-spec model, the Strive:ON includes a 750Wh battery, Fox Performance Elite suspension, a Shimano XT drivetrain, XT brakes and a high end DT Swiss HX1700 wheelset. In my experience, the Bosch CX motor system was a perfect match for this e-Enduro bike, delivering sensitive and responsive power. The extended boost feature added extra power when I needed it, particularly during technical sections and short climbs. Bosch's CX motor seems to be a step ahead in motor power and punch compared to the competition.


I found the 78-degree effective seat angle contributed to the bike's climbing capabilities, keeping my weight balanced and ensuring good traction. A good balance of weight over the rear wheel for tyre bite whilst still allowing enough weight over the front of the bike to stop the front end lift on the steepest of climbs. Overall, I was impressed by the combination of power, suspension performance and geometry that made climbing steep terrain a breeze.

Handling and Control​

One of the standout aspects of the Strive:ON is its suspension which allows superb handling and control. The bike's geometry ensures a centred and balanced rider position, providing excellent stability and responsiveness on various terrain. The slack 63.5 degree head angle further contributes to the bike's stability, making it suitable for both hard and fast trails ranging from blue graded trails to full-on rocky DH descents.

The 2024 Canyon Strive:ON allowed me to tackle steep technical sections, both uphill and downhill, with ease. The excellent Fox Performance Elite suspension, mixed wheel setup and dialled bike geometry played a significant role its liveliness on the trails. The bike provides outstanding trail feedback and good, strong support on continuous rough hits on steep enduro tracks.

The Fox Performance Elite suspension is identical in performance to the top-of-the-line model with Kashima coating. It offers excellent bottom-out resistance and an effective suspension design, allowing for aggressive cornering and speed generation. In my experience, the Strive:ON suspension setup was dialled and required little tweaking after the initial set up. To see this level of suspension of a mid spec bike in Canyon's lineup is impressive.

Additional Features​

The Strive:ON includes as standard, the Bosch Smart System with GPS tracking and a digital bike lock. The bike comes with a year's subscription to the service, allowing riders to track their bike's location in real-time if it is stolen. After the year there's an optional £39 subscription fee that will last 12 months. It's a good system that worked well in testing.

Additionally, the Strive:ON has a cleverly designed skid plate and battery removal system, making it easy to access and swap out the battery with just a single Allen key. This user-friendly feature is particularly useful for riders who may need to swap batteries during long rides or races.

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Final Thoughts​

The Strive:On is a seriously good electric mountain bike. It's bang on geometry, excellent riding performance and superb Bosch electronics package make this a hot contender for the standout bike of the year, and we are not even half way through 2023 yet! The competition is fierce in the eMTB segment this year with frequent new bike launches, but Canyon have released an absolute banger with the 2023 Strive:ON.


It excels at demanding terrain, both up and down. The bike comes with high-spec components whilst extremely competitively priced at £6,900. Although this is a significant investment, it represents outstanding value for money.