I like this bike. A lot.
HOW MANY BIKES ARE IN THE STRIVE:ON LINE-UP?
There are 3 models, each available with a choice of 625 Wh or 750 Wh batteries.
• Strive:ON CFR Underdog
• Strive:ON CFR
• Strive:ON CFR LTD
WHAT MOTOR SYSTEM DOES THE STRIVE:ON USE?
The Strive:ON CFR and CFR Underdog come with the Bosch CX Performance motor, and the CFR LTD is kitted with the CX Performance Race. The Bosch CX Performance line was chosen because of its proven e-MTB race pedigree. The additional pedal assist, extra torque, and overdrive features were must-haves for pro riders.
HOW MUCH SUSPENSION TRAVEL DOES THE STRIVE:ON HAVE?
The Strive:ON has 170 mm front suspension travel and 160 mm rear suspension travel.
WHAT WAS CANYON AIMING TO ACHIEVE WITH THE STRIVE:ON IN TERMS OF RIDE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE?
The goal was to take the EWS race-winning pedigree of the Strive and inject it into an e-MTB. Designed specifically to race in the EWS-E series, the Strive:ON brings the agility and all-out speed needed for the highest levels of competition. The high-powered Bosch motor is the industry standard for racing technical e-Enduro stages, while the stable geo and durable frame mean racers can ride on the limit.
HOW DID CANYON’S ENGINEERS ACHIEVE THAT GOAL?
Canyon's R&D team went back to the drawing board to create the best possible EWS-E race bike. The added weight and ideal placement of the Bosch motor lowered the bike’s the center of gravity and allowed designers and engineers to choose a geometry just between the non-electric Spectral and Strive for the perfect blend of speed and agility.
HOW DOES THE STRIVE:ON COMPARE TO THE NON-ELECTRIC STRIVE?
Overall, the Strive:ON rides similarly to the non-electric Strive as both are focused on all-out Enduro performance. The extra weight of the Strive:ON improves stability but slightly reduces agility in comparison to the non-electric. However, the mullet wheel size offsets any sluggishness and keeps the Strive:ON quick from the gun and fast through tight sections.
HOW DID CANYON DECIDE ON THIS BIKE'S GEOMETRY?
With the goal of designing an agile e-MTB that is stable at high speed, Canyon's team settled on a combination of the Strive and Spectral geometries. Compared to the non-electric Strive, the Strive:ON has longer chainstays and a steeper seat tube to maximize climbing performance.
DID THE MOTOR IMPACT THE FRAME’S GEO IN ANY WAY? DID CANYON NEED TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE MOTOR TO ACHIEVE THE GEO THEY WANTED?
While the Bosch CX Performance is larger than the Shimano EP8 featured on other Canyon e-MTBs, thanks to the longer chainstays planned for this bike, it ultimately didn’t affect the frame’s geometry. The Bosch battery system is also compact enough that both battery types are available with every frame size.
HOW DID CANYON DECIDE ON BATTERY PLACEMENT? WHAT MEASURES DID THEY TAKE TO ENSURE THE BIKE IS BALANCED ON JUMPS AND IN GNARLY TERRAIN?
The main goal was to position the battery and motor as centrally as possible for balanced fore and aft weight distribution and improve handling.
WHAT WHEEL SIZE DOES THE STRIVE:ON HAVE?
Mullet wheel size: 29’’ up front and 27.5’’ in the back.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH FRAME STIFFNESS? WHAT WAS CANYON TRYING TO ACHIEVE?
As a result of the extra wide down-tube required to house batteries, it was important to make sure the Strive:ON wasn’t too stiff. Our engineers optimized the carbon layup to add some compliance to the rear triangle in order to improve traction and reduce rider fatigue over long days of racing. The overall stiffness is comparable to that of the non-electric Spectral and Strive, but slightly more compliant than the Torque:ON.
WHAT BATTERY OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE? ARE THEY AVAILABLE ON ALL MODELS AND SIZES IN THE LINE-UP? HOW MUCH MORE DOES THE LARGER BATTERY COST?
For all models and sizes, both 625 and 750 Wh batteries are available. The upcharge for a 750 Wh battery is 200 €.
WHAT IS THE RANGE OF THE BOSCH MOTORS AND BATTERIES?
The estimated range for Bosch-powered e-bikes can be found on the Bosch Range Calculator.
DO I NEED TO CARE FOR MY BATTERY IN A SPECIAL WAY? HOW SHOULD I STORE IT?
The Bosch batteries are lithium-ion, so all the rules that you know from your smartphone apply. Store the batteries at room temperature and at 60% state of charge to help increase battery longevity.
WHY DID CANYON MOVE AWAY FROM A FULL 29ER SETUP ON A RACE BIKE?
The added motor and battery weight of Canyon e-MTBs naturally increases stability. This makes mullet wheel sizing (29” front, 27.5” rear) the optimal setup for the mix of speed and agility required for EWS-E performance and heavy-duty trail fun.
WHY NOT OFFER WHEELSIZE OPTIONS OR CONVERSION OPTIONS BETWEEN A 29” AND 27.5” REAR WHEEL?
After tons of testing and feedback, we’re confident that mullet is the best option for the Strive:ON.
WHAT DOES CATEGORY 4E APPROVED MEAN IN TERMS OF HOW THIS E-MTB CAN BE RIDDEN?
Anything short of downhill world cup courses, big bike park hits, and freeride cliffs are within Strive:ON’s capabilities. It’s dialed in for brutally tough enduro stages.
HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO THE NON-ELECTRIC STRIVE IN TERMS OF RIDE? WHY DID WE REMOVE THE SHAPESHIFTER?
The ride quality is surprisingly like the non-electric Strive. We removed the Shapeshifter to focus on cleanly integrating the motor and battery system. The horizontal shock placement leaves room for the Bosch motor, the all-important water bottle mount and even a small frame bag.
IS THIS GOING TO BE A HARD-HITTING TRAIL E-MTB, OR AN EWS-E RACE FOCUSED MACHINE? OR BOTH?
The project was driven by our ambitions in EWS-E, but the bike itself certainly performs away from the race tape as a great option for heavy-duty trail riding on a day-to-day basis.
HOW MUCH DOES THE NEW FRAME WEIGH?
In size M, the Strive:ON frame weighs 2.45 kg while the Torque:ON CF frame weighs 3.4 kg. The Bosch system adds a few extra grams vs the Shimano EP8, so in the end, the complete bikes are more or less the same weight.
IS THE BIKE AIR SHOCK AND COIL SHOCK COMPATIBLE?
The Triple Phase kinematic has been designed to work with both air and coil sprung shocks.
WHAT KINEMATIC DID WE DECIDE ON? DOES IT MATCH THE STRIVE OR IS IT CLOSER TO THE TORQUE:ON AND SPECTRAL:ON?
The kinematic is similar to the non-electric Strive in DH mode. There is less anti-squat in the stroke thanks to the smoother power delivery from the motor reducing pedal kickback. To retain sensitivity, the leverage curve is not overly progressive, and the end of the stroke ramp is close to standard Strive. Overall, the ride quality is smoother than standard Strive because of the increased sprung mass of the bike and reduced pedal kickback.
WHAT IS THE SHOCK SIZE AND HARDWARE SIZE ON THE STRIVE:ON?
230x65, 25x8, 40x8 mm
WHAT IS THE MAX CHAINRING SIZE ON THE STRIVE:ON?
36 max with a 55 mm chain line. Bike is spec’d with a 36.
IS THERE A CHAINGUIDE AND CHAINRING PROTECTION? EWS-E RACES ARE VERY DEMANDING ON GROUND CLEARANCE, WHAT MEASURES DID WE TAKE TO PROTECT THE MOTOR AND CHAINRING?
We learned the chainring is in harm’s way a lot on technical EWS-E stages and can take a lot of abuse. So, we designed a reinforced skid plate under the chainring that attaches directly to the Bosch motor. We took inspiration from Enduro MX skid plates and created two rails which reduce contact area of and helps the skid plate slide.
WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM LENGTH FORK I CAN FIT TO THE STRIVE:ON? IS IT DUAL CROWN COMPATIBLE?
180 is the max recommended fork, and dual crown is not possible due to the reduced steering angle caused by the wide downtube.
THE STRIVE:ON LOOKS TO FIT A STANDARD 600 ML BOTTLE AND CAGE. IS THAT RIGHT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER STORAGE FEATURES?
A 600ml bottle fits with a side loader, and there is a two-bolt storage mount under the top tube like on Strive and Spectral 125.
WHAT WERE THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF THE NEW DESIGN?
Whenever we work with motors and batteries, making sure everything fits, including water bottle mounts and frame storage, with every size bike in the range is always a big challenge.
ARE THERE ANY ‘EASY WRENCHING’ AND DURABILITY FEATURES ON THE STRIVE:ON? THREAD INSERTS, BEARING SEALING ETC.
The Strive:ON uses sealed bearings and thread inserts throughout.
IS THERE AN ALUMINIUM VERSION OF THIS NEW BIKE PLANNED?
No AL version is planned as the Strive:ON is firmly focussed on racing. Aluminium just weighs too much.
THIS IS A CFR LEVEL BIKE? WILL YOU MAKE A CF VERSION?
Because of the performance focus, the Strive:ON is a CFR bike only. There are currently no plans for a CF level, although we will have a more affordable Underdog option with a more value focussed race- ready specification.
WHAT IS THE MAX TYRE REAR SIZE FOR THE STRIVE:ON?
2.5 inches or 66 mm.
WHAT HANDLBAR REMOTE WILL THE BIKE SHIP WITH?
The bike comes with the Bosch Mini remote BRC3300 that interacts with the system controller via Bluetooth.
HOW EASY IS BATTERY REMOVAL WITH THE MOTOR PROTECTOR? IS THE BATTERY CRADLE A BOSCH PART, OR MADE BY CANYON? WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO REMOVE THE BATTERY? CAN I CHARGE THE BATTERY OFF THE BIKE?
The battery cradle is designed by Canyon for a 300g weight saving compared to the Bosch Rail mount, but uses the standard Bosch Power tube latch mechanism. You can find the removal process in the QSG guide. As a basic overview, remove the bolt securing the motor cover, and slide it from the frame. Then release the latch holding the Powertube battery into the cradle. Slide the battery out of the frame. The battery can be charged on or off the bike. The battery socket and frame socket are the same. 625Wh equipped bikes ship with a lightweight plastic spacer to secure them in the cradle. This spacer is also available as a spare part from canyon.com.
WHAT CHARGER WILL SHIP WITH THE BIKE?
One 4A charger.
HOW MUCH DOES EACH BATTERY WEIGH?
625 Wh – 3650 g 750 Wh – 4330 g.
IS THERE AN OPTION TO UPGRADE THE CHARGER? WHAT BENEFIT WILL THIS GIVE ME?
Not through Canyon, but Bosch sells a 6A-charger. More amps mean faster charging.
CAN YOU SHARE A SHOCK SETUP GUIDE FOR THE NEW BIKE?
It’s coming soon.
WHAT TYRE CASING SPEC COMES ON THE STRIVE:ON?
EXO+ front and DD rear.
WHY CHOSE THIS CASING AND NOT A HEAVIER OR LIGHTER OPTION?
EXO+ up front and DD in the rear make for the best compromise between puncture resistance and weight.
WHAT CRANKLENGTH IS SPEC’D ON THE BIKE? WHY DID WE CHOOSE THIS OPTION?
165 mm for a little more pedal clearance. Short cranks also tend to promote higher cadences, which help the motor to perform at its best.
WHAT BOSCH BATTERY SIZES IS THIS BIKE COMPATIBLE WITH?
625 Wh & 750 Wh Powertube batteries.
Note: The underdog comes with SRAM DB8 brakes.
ADDED: EXPLODED DIAGRAM AND TORQUE VALUES:
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that is a terrible design
