As a slopestyle bike, the Canyon Stitched 720 is a rare sight. In the bike park, most visitors jump over the jumps on their enduro and freeride fullys. In the skate park, on dirt lines and on the pump track, dirt bikes with rigid rear ends dominate. It seems that the heyday of slopestyle specialists is over.
For the full-suspension Stitched to still have a right to exist among this tough competition, it has to offer clear added value. We have chased the slopestyle full-suspension bike from the Koblenz-based supplier through berms, over jumps and off drops. We wanted to find out whether Tomas Lemoine's workhorse is also interesting for mere mortals. Where does the Canyon Stitched 720 excel?
Technical data for the Canyon Stiched 720 (2023)
- Price / distribution channel: 1999 Euro / Consignor
- Wheel size: 26"
- Frame sizes: M (one size fits all)
- Material: Aluminium
- Handlebar width: 780 mm
- Stem length: 40 mm
- Suspension travel: 100 mm / 100 mm
- Weight of complete bike: 13.02 kg
- Translation: 30:11
Equipment
- Fork: Rockshox Pike DJ
- Crank: Truvativ Descendant
- Wheels: Canyon Stitched / DT Swiss 533D
- Tyres: Maxxis DTH, 26 x 2.3"
- Brake system / disc size: Sram Level TL / 160 mm
Geometry
- Reach: 425 mm
- Stack: 558 mm
- Steering angle: 69.4°
- Chainstay length: 402 mm
- Seat tube: 340 mm
- Head tube: 118 mm
- Bottom bracket height: 326 mm
- Wheelbase: 1082 mm
Test report Canyon Stiched 720
In the stand: all signs point to slopestyle!
The silhouette of the Canyon Stitched 720 is strikingly similar to a dirt bike with an unsprung rear end - and for good reason: slopestylers need compact frame shapes to have as much freedom of movement as possible on the bike for tricks. The geometry data is also on a par with the candidates from our dirt bike comparison test here: >> Put to the test: 7 dirt bikes & a touring hardtail on the pump track <<
The fact that the Stitched 720 does not require a chain tensioner despite the rear suspension is due to the positioning of the pivot point at the height of the bottom bracket. This means that there is no tension on the chain during suspension compression and it is sufficient to correct the chain wear from time to time. To do this, the chain can be tensioned in the horizontal dropouts using a spacer bolt.
It's also nice that Canyon has opted for a genuine single-speed hub with a threaded axle. In contrast to widespread special solutions with single-speed converters, this creates confidence in the durability of the design.
Speaking of construction: As the shock runs right through the split seat tube, the adjustment range of the seatpost is limited. The seatpost cannot be fully lowered ex works. If you want to maximise the space above the bike, you have to use a saw.
The saddle is neither too thin nor too thick and has a decent clamping surface for professional tricks such as suicide nohanders or barspins. As delivered, Canyon supplements the hydraulic rear brake with a mechanical front brake. Most slopestylers will remove these immediately. However, depending on your riding experience and route, this detail is a "nice to have".
On the pump track: Dirtbike Plus
The first practical impression of the Canyon Stitched 720 on the pump track: amazingly good! You immediately notice that the manufacturer has managed to retain the geometry of a dirt bike despite the rear suspension. The slopestyle full-suspension bike is well-balanced, goes swiftly through tight corners and doesn't lack composure even at high speeds.
And something else is immediately noticeable: Although the damped rear end is clearly noticeable, the kinematics are highly progressive. This means that hardly any energy is lost in the suspension when pushing over bumps. The performance of the Rockshox Pike DJ also fits in well with the progressive behaviour of the rear suspension. On the pump track, it provides a good amount of support at all times without lacking feedback from the ground.
The high weight of the Canyon Stitched 720 is more noticeable than the suspension in terms of energy loss. At over 13 kilos, it is on a par with the 29-inch Cube Reaction hardtail that we also tested on a pump track - although the all-round hardtail comes with gears and is 600 euros cheaper.
All in all, pump track bikers run out of breath faster on the Stitched 720 than on a dirt bike. The wide Maxxis DTH tyres offer pleasant cushioning and roll extremely fast. However, they reach their limits early on, especially in damp conditions on a dirt pump track.
Over jumps: Slopestyle is here to stay
The Canyon Stitched 720 also proves on the Dirtline how much fun potential there is in slopestyle fullys. On the one hand, the suspension rear end has more reserves than a hardtail when landing jumps and drops, and on the other hand, it also provides a great sense of control on the jump.
Neither too long nor too short, the full-suspension bike feels good in the air. If a dirt bike is too direct and too delicate over jumps, you can benefit from the higher fault tolerance of the Canyon Stitched 720. When it comes to handling over jumps, the slopestyle full-suspension bike hits the sweet spot of control and damping.
The Koblenz-based company opted for a rather hard single-speed gear ratio of 30 to eleven teeth, which makes it easier to get going for big jumps, but can be a bit too much for dirt jump beginners. Watch out when doing tricks: The long 780 millimetre handlebars hit the saddle, which cannot be fully lowered ex works, after a 90 degree turn. Our recommendation: shorten the seat post and handlebars! The thick grips in the style of the legendary Odi Longneck feel good in the hand on the Canyon Stitched 720.
Street and skate park: amazingly good
When it comes to skate parks and street tricks, direct, playful bikes are usually the ones that score the most points - BMX bikes with their 20-inch wheels, for example. So it's surprising that the Canyon Stitched 720 doesn't look out of place as a fully in the skate park. On the contrary! Thanks to the compact chainstays and the pleasantly high front end, the Canyon is a real manual machine. Bunnyhops are child's play and the additional reserves in the rear predestine the bike for fast runs and hard hits. Lip tricks, fakies and spins in the flat take a little time to get used to and, above all, a little more power due to the weight, but then the Stitched 720 also works surprisingly well. The weak front brake can hardly be used for tricks.
Conclusion on the Canyon Stiched 720 slopestyle fully in the test
The Canyon Stitched 720 proves that the slopestyle fully concept still has a right to exist. Everything runs a little smoother and more flowy with the progressive full-suspension bike than with a classic dirt bike. From pump track to dirt jumps to skate park, the Canyon combines playfulness with reserves. In capable hands, the Stitched 720 has the potential to be an absolute high-flyer. Only the slightly excessive weight of the standard equipment spoils the otherwise very good picture. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor
Threatened with extinction: slopestyle fullys
It's amazing how few slopestyle full-sussers have managed to stay on the market over the years. At times, many manufacturers had a small 26-inch fully for dirt jumps and trick fireworks in their programme. In the meantime, the range has shrunk significantly. Specialized withdrew its P.Slope Fully from the European market for 2021. The Transition Triple has also disappeared from the scene. Although freeride legend Kyle Strait can still be seen on a Commencal Absolut SX from time to time, the slopestyle bike is no longer on sale. The Hyper Slopestyle Fully developed by Cam Zink was not even launched on the German market. The Polygon Trid ZZ is still on the market but is also not available in Germany.
With 140 millimetres of travel, the Corsair König was prepared for particularly tough slopestyle courses. A solid frame and the pivot point in the bottom bracket, which made a chain tensioner unnecessary for the single-speed setup, brought the König many fans. Corsair no longer builds bikes. Morpheus has also disappeared from the slopestyle bike market. Trick machine Anthony Messere once caused a sensation on the Morpheus Vimana Slope Fully. Morpheus frames are still highly sought-after on the second-hand market due to their movable axle plates at the dropout and chic anodised colours, but are hard to come by in Germany. The Intense Slopestyle SS and the Mongoose Nugget have also long since disappeared from sale.
When Merida still had its own division for freeride bikes under the name "United Merida Freeriders" (UMF), the industry giant also had a slopestyle bike, the UMF Freddy Slope. At the time of major freeride films such as New World Disorder, slopestyler Paul Basagoitia was still flying through the air on the Kona Bass. Kona has now discontinued the production of slopestyle fullys. The GT Distortion, which was once ridden by Amir Kabbani, is no longer available for sale. The same applies to the Nukeproof Rook. The wave of full-suspension trick bikes has also died down in Germany. Onooka Industries has disappeared from the market, YT has cancelled the Play, Nicolai no longer builds the Ufo DS and Bergamont has long since said goodbye to the Kiez Slope. Both the Rose Jester and the Bulls Wild Ace were only available for a short time and the Solid Flair is also a thing of the past.
Outlook: Which slopestyle fullys are still available?
So what other slopestyle fullys are there besides the Canyon Stitched 720? There really aren't many. Trek only offers its Slopestyler Ticket S as a frameset. However, at € 1999, you have to fork out just as much as Canyon for the complete bike. The Dartmoor Shine is considerably cheaper. It seems that people in Poland still believe in slopestyle fullys, because their fellow countrymen from NS Bikes also have a corresponding frameset on offer with the Soda Slope. A model called Siren is available under the Radio Bike Co. label, whose frame is strikingly similar to the old shape of the Dartmoor Shine. It seems that you can also buy a frameset of the iconic Blackmarket Killswitch in America.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
