Canyon Sender CFR Underdog on test: This big bike wants to inspire for little money
Dimitri Lehner
· 10.11.2025
Yes yes, we know that the new potent generation of enduro bikes will overtake downhillers. Nevertheless, nothing beats the feeling you get when you rocket through the terrain on a double bridge bike. No other bike offers as much comfort, reserves and speed as the "motocrossers" among mountain bikes. Big bikes rule the bike park and rough terrain. That's why we say: If you like shredding in the bike park, there's no getting round a big bike - especially in challenging parks like Schladming, Leogang or Livigno.
Canyon Sender CFR Underdog - the data
- Carbon frame
- 200/200 mm
- 29/27,5"
- 18.5 kg
- 4499 Euro
Send it! Send it big. Canyon Sender!
It wasn't just the name that was a hit, the entire appearance of the Canyon Sender stunned the scene in 2016, because the bike had such an elegantly shaped, clean full carbon frame that we dubbed it "the iPhone of downhill bikes" with design honour.
This spring, the mail-order company from Koblenz finally presented the third generation of its big bike. Finally, because the new edition had already been announced several times and postponed again and again. This was due to the fact that this time the transmitter did not get a Lirumlarum facelift, but a completely new chassis.
Together with the World Cup team led by team boss and two-time world champion Fabien Barel, the Canyon engineers gave the Sender a high-pivot kinematic system - the suspension system that is revered as a saviour in gravity sports. It aims to decouple the rear triangle from drive influences, allowing the rear wheel to move backwards more smoothly when it is hit hard by rocks, roots and edges.
The result: plenty of traction and ride comfort. However, the design is somewhat more complex. In order to get the chain tension under control, the chain has to be redirected via a cogwheel. All of this has an effect on weight - but unlike all other bike categories, the following applies to downhill bikes: light is not automatically good. Some racers even strap lead under their bottom bracket because weight makes for a smoother ride.
Variable geometry
The transmitter is only available as a mullet bike, which does not mean that there are no adjustment options. On the contrary, there are plenty. A flip chip can be used to flatten the steering angle by 0.6 degrees and lower the bottom bracket. The shock can also be repositioned for more progression. There are bearing shells in the head tube that change the reach (+/- 8 mm). Only the chainstays remain the same (439 mm). They are short enough to ensure that the bike is willing to get onto the rear wheel.
Downhill: keep going!
In terms of riding safety, the Canyon is in a league of its own, Propain and YT can't keep up. If you want to leave the racing line without having to call the emergency services, if you want to collect the maximum number of parklabs without pumping arms and tired legs and if you prefer to take the roughest way down anyway, then we clearly recommend the Canyon Sender! The bike spoils the rider with comfort and control. This is exactly what the engineers wanted to achieve with the new suspension and the geometry trimmed for smoothness. We enjoyed the benefits of the high-pivot rear suspension at high speeds and were able to really let it rip where we used to be on competitor bikes. The fact that the park and freeride suitability has been reduced compared to its predecessor is in the nature of things.
Rating spider diagram: Sprint, play instinct, downhill refers to the riding behaviour: The greater the deflection, the better the suitability. Equipment: is made up of different points such as quality/workmanship. Sprint: Influence of total weight and wheel inertia. The BIKE grade is made up of practical impressions of the test riders and laboratory measurements. The grade is independent of price. Grading range: 0.5-5.5, analogue to the school grading system.
Facts - quick & dirty
- High Pivot carbon frame
- Mullet mix only
- 200 mm front suspension travel
- 200 mm rear suspension travel
- KIS steering stabiliser (can be switched off)
- Geometry customisation
- Progression variable
- Weight from 18.5 kg in size M
- Price 4499 Euro
The equipment of our test bike
- Fork / shock: Fox 40 Float Performance / Fox DHX 2 Performance Coil
- Gearing / Bandwidth: Sram GX DH 7-Speed / 227 %
- Brakes: Sram Maven Bronze 200/200 mm
- Wheels: DT Swiss F 1900
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip DH 29 x 2.50 WT / Maxxis Minion DHR II MaxxGrip DH 27.5 x 2.40 WT
- max. system weight: 130 kg
- Warranty: 5 years
- Special features: Variable progression, flip chip for geometry adjustment, KIS steering stabiliser can be switched on/off
From the test lab
Total weight: 18.52 kg without pedals
Weight of wheels: 6073 g
Impeller inertia: 4975 kg x cm²
BIKE measured values: Wheel inertia: The lower the measured value, the easier it is to accelerate. Weight without pedals. Wheel weight per set with tyres, cassette, brake discs.
Rating: Downhill category
Strengths
- High-traction chassis
- High driving safety
- Vario geometry
- Quiet
Weaknesses
- somewhat sluggish in winding passages and tight bends
- Less pop for jumps
- glued-on plastic fenders come loose
Conclusion Dimitri Lehner, BIKE test editor
Full throttle downhill? Maximum riding safety? Plenty of reserves? If these are your priorities, the new Sender is the right choice for you. On no other bike have we been able to hold on as uncompromisingly as with the Sender. The new design has meant that the playfulness has suffered somewhat, but you get a racy downhiller - but that doesn't mean you can't have fun in the park with the Canyon.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
