Canyon shakes up its e-mountain bike range
Using the latest mid-drive motors and batteries from Bosch and Shimano, Canyon designers have updated the ‘ON’ versions of the Grand Canyon and Torque, also introducing an all-new enduro platform, the Strive:ON. The Grand Canyon:ON and Strive:ON both use 600W versions of Bosch’s Performance Line CX, CX Performance or CX Performance Race mid-drive motors.
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An e-bike Grand Tourer with ABS
The Grand Canyon:ON is a hardtail that can dual-purpose as an off-road exploration bike and commuter. This hardtail is designed around a 120mm suspension fork, which adds to its cross-country geometry. The 68-degree head angle is steep enough for comfortable climbing and commuting, but should also give riders reasonable confidence on descending trails.
With 475mm of reach for a size large, Canyon’s Grand Canyon:ON promises to be a stable high-speed platform when descending those wide, loose fire roads. Especially when laden. The frame features mountain points for bike bags and pannier racks, making the Grand Canyon:ON a great battery-assisted commuter or all-terrain tourer.
There are four Grand Canyon:ON derivatives, with the two premium builds integrating 750Wh batteries. Canyon offers two more affordable Grand Canyon:ON options, with 625Wh battery capacity. An interesting detail on the Grand Canyon: ON 9 is its Magura CTE brakes, which feature ABS technology. The Magura ABS could prove ideal for keeping control during a commute on wet road surfaces if an emergency brake intervention is required.
Here's our first ride review of the Canyon Grand Canyon:ON 9
Strive without the Shapeshifter
There's now a Strive:ON for Canyon enduro riders who desire some pedal assistance. Canyon’s enduro platform was an early innovator of progressive and adjustable geometry, for EWS racing but for e-enduro, that has changed.
The analogue Strive range championed Canyon’s Shapeshifter technology, featuring remote actuated rear-suspension travel variation. But with Bosch mid-drive motors to help with the climbs, Canyon foregoes its Shapeshifter tech for the enduro e-bike, which also features a very different rear-suspension linkage.
The Strive:ON’s suspension platform is built around a 170mm fork and 160mm shock, which sets the bike at a slack 63.5-degree head angle. Despite rolling a 27.5-inch rear wheel, Strive:ON has 10mm longer chainstays than Canyon’s Strive 29er. Protecting the Srive:ON’s bottom bracket area are bolt-on ‘sleds’, which perform similarly to skid plates on an off-road motorcycle.
An interesting detail to the Strive:ON range is Canyon’s CFR limited edition version. This version features a limited edition colourway, influenced by Canyon’s legendary team rider Fabien Barel (influential in developing the Shapeshifter tech), and a lighter, more potent mid-drive motor. The Bosch Performance Line CX Race motor mounted to the Strive:ON CFR LTD is 150g lighter and adds 60% more pedal assistance in race mode.
We've got a first ride review on the Canyon Strive:ON CFR too.
The self-shuttle option is now all-carbon
If you are a freeride mountain biker, you’ll know that finding shuttle mates isn’t always possible. But with Canyon’s Torque:ON, independent shuttling has been a thing since 2021. The Canyon product team has redesigned the new Torque:ON with a reshaped rear-suspension linkage, lower shock position, and full carbon frame, reducing overall bike weight by 1.5kg.
Canyon’s product people have added more battery capacity, too, to account for ascending those steep climbs, which navigate to black and double-black trail drop-in points. The first-generation Torque:ON featured a 504Wh battery pack. Unlike the other new ‘ON’ models, Canyon’s second-generation Torque:ON is engineered with Shimano power assistance, instead of Bosch. That means Shimano’s EP8 mid-drive motor and a choice of 720 or 900Wh battery packs.
With a 180mm fork, 175mm of rear-suspension travel and mullet wheel configuration, the Torque:ON aims to combine the best of big-hit ability and mixed wheel size agility. True to its purpose as an extreme descending e-bike, the Torque:ON offers air and coil options for the rear shock.
Canyon realises that even freeride mountain bikers need hydration and don’t want it hanging off their back in the form of a hydration pack. The new Torque:ON can mount a custom 650ml hydration bottle, which sits above the repositioned, low-mounted shock.
And here's our Canyon Torque:ON CF 9 first ride review.