NSMB- 2016 - Mountain Bike Tread (Full Suspension)

Thanks a lot rnayel!

And yeah, it´s a Canyon carbon Strive. Looks steepish in the pic. But it is sitting at 65.5° HA with a 170mm Lyrik.

What is that?

Now ask where the frame was made and what the BB height is!

Thanks a lot rnayel!

And yeah, it´s a Canyon carbon Strive. Looks steepish in the pic. But it is sitting at 65.5° HA with a 170mm Lyrik.

I'm slightly surprised by the conservative stock 66? HTA. Figured with Shapeshifter they'd have slackened the bike out more as you get 1.5? back. I guess the French Lines don't require as slack a bike ;)

Keep us informed with how the bike works for you.

Now ask where the frame was made and what the BB height is!

Hey Znarf! Punky wants to know where the frame was made and what the BB height is.

More importantly, how did you get your hands on that as what I can gather from the interwebs is that as of, ok, almost a year ago Canyon don't ship to NA?

Shapeshifter, yes?

Hey Znarf! Punky wants to know where the frame was made and what the BB height is.

More importantly, how did you get your hands on that as what I can gather from the interwebs is that as of, ok, almost a year ago Canyon don't ship to NA?

Shapeshifter, yes?

I would surmise he's not in North America…

Hey Znarf! Punky wants to know where the frame was made and what the BB height is.

Unlike yourself, I happen to be capable of reading geometry charts on my own.

I would surmise he's not in North America…

No shit, eh? If I were a Senegalise e-mail fraudster I could get one but Dudley Doright? S.O.L!

https://www.canyon.com/en/shop/information/ ouch

I initially ignored the Strive because of the 66degree HA and because I always sticked to my LBSs brands, ignoring the evil mail order companies. ;)

My 26" Spesh Enduro sat at that 66-66.5 number and the dreaded endo-feeling was often there. The feeling was even more pronounced, because I have really long arms and legs.
While being only 6ft tall, i always had to fold like a praying mantis on most size large frames.

By chance I hopped on a Strive Race at an event out of mere curiosity and really instantly felt at home.
My size large (Race) has a 468mm reach - which is about halfway between Mondrakers Forward Geometry and conventional sizing. I ride a 40mm stem currently and it feels spot on for climbing and descending.
They also offer another variant, which is not called Strive Race, just Strive. Shorter reach and 2x drivetrains, often with a 170mm fork.

Even in stock Race form, with a 160mm Pike it feels very planted and very stable at high speed and in the steeps. You wouldn't expect such composure from a bike that light and efficient.

With the short stem and the long reach, the front wheel is almost in the same spot as on a slacker bike with shorter reach, relative to my hips. It does have a slightly different feel, because the bars are in a different spot with the same length stem. I am incredibly comfortable on it both on long pedally rides and rowdy technical riding. And it's surprisingly nimble in tight corners. The longer 170mm fork adds a lot of security and because of the climb mode I feel no impact on climbing whatsoever.

The YT Capra or a 27.5 Nomad feel super short in I comparison, which is okay when pointed down, although I am not used to it any longer. I'd wager they'll become quite a bit longer in the future iterations.

I could imagine riding a strive with a 64.5 HA, I feel it's getting to the point though that we need steeper and rougher trails for these bikes. I visited some resorts in the Vosges Mountains and rode the EWS tracks in Finale on my Strive with the 160mm fork and honestly never felt the need for it to be slacker. The Lyrik upgrade was more out of curiosity.

The Shapeshifter works really well, too. It basically changes the leverage ratio of the shock. So with a given pressure you'll end up with 10-15% less sag when switching modes. I run almost 35-40% sag in DH mode, which felt also best on my Enduro - climbing suffered quite a bit though with the seat jacked all the way up and me sitting above the rear axle. That's where the shapeshifter excels. When in climb mode I get somewhere around 20% sag with the same pressure. The bottom bracket comes up a tad and you can pedal away without any lower back pain or the shock sagging away like on other slack enduro bikes.
There have been reports of reliability issues on the shapeshifter, mine runs without hiccup so far, I do have a spare 2016 SS in my drawer however, just in case. They sell for 79€, so that seems very reasonable for me.

I really prefer simplistic designs usually and wasn't sure about the Shapeshifter, but I really feel that it adds substantially to the versatility of the Strive, even if it's another thing that can and will go wrong at some point.

I could imagine riding an aluminum Patrol instead, with a 50mm stem. It'd climb worse and the frame would be a full kilogram heavier, but it seems to be a bombproof frame and I really love the simplistic concept. Or a Starling MK3…

@tungsten: You're right, I am located in Germany. Canyon just invested in a new headquarter and logistics building, they are serious about coming to the overseas markets soon. We will see how that goes. Over the last couple of years their bikes have become competitive not only on price/performance, but even when you're not emphasizing on the value side at all. They have serious financial resources for R[HTML_REMOVED]D and move a lot of volume and that shows now with all good and bad side effects to the biking business.

Don't know if I like that, as I used to be a shop guy, the Strive fits/suits me like no bike before though. Mail order or not.

@tungsten: You're right, I am located in Germany. Canyon just invested in a new headquarter and logistics building, they are serious about coming to the overseas markets soon. We will see how that goes. Over the last couple of years their bikes have become competitive not only on price/performance, but even when you're not emphasizing on the value side at all. They have serious financial resources for R[HTML_REMOVED]D and move a lot of volume and that shows now with all good and bad side effects to the biking business.

Don't know if I like that, as I used to be a shop guy, the Strive fits/suits me like no bike before though. Mail order or not.

No doubt, reviews like this one are certain to create demand. Thanks….

Gfs new super rad womens specific bike. Essentially a Stumpjumper but it comes in XS, as this one is. Specialized Rhyme.

27.66 lbs

2014 xprezo ad hoc built with a mix of new and used components

here's a better(?) pic

after half a dozen ride, i'm not sold on this thing. maybe i need to spend more time setting up the suspension and cockpit? jonesing for a 29er…

what's your reservations? i've only got a couple rides in, but am liking it. that said, i can usually get along with pretty much any jinky thing that's capable of rolling. just put on a 30mm stem (came with a 50). curious how the stub will affect things.

Really? The newlywed bliss for me lasted two years on my Adhoc. Almost every time I went out I came back giggling at how much fun it was. The only times I hated life were when I was dead tired or trying to push it up the mountain at Retallack.

What don't you like? If I were to guess it would be the rear shock. A coil shock transforms into a capable mini downhill bike. I would suggest slamming that stem too.

What don't you like?

Wheel size?

Boom has lots of time on the original Banshee Prime 9'er and a Chromag hardtail.

An Adhoc 9'er? That might make Boom all hot and sweaty.

what's your reservations?

What don't you like?

when i say more time setting it up, i'm thinking just more time getting used to it. when i review bikes i don't expect to feel quite at home - i try to listen to what the bike is telling me and take note how it is behaving - but on a bike i build and own i want it to feel RIGHT and this doesn't somehow, despite not having any actual flaws i can articulate. it just doesn't feel like it's my bike, if that makes any sense

Wheel size?

silly as it sounds, that might be it. i can still remember the first time i rode an aggressive 29er hardtail: my soul was singing! i've owned nothing but 29ers since, until now

An Adhoc 9'er? That might make Boom all hot and sweaty.

:drool: