Canyon Torque:On vs Propain Ekano: E-freerider 2023: Canyon & Propain in a duel
Dimitri Lehner
· 16.10.2023
Crime scene: Bikepark Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. We've already been busy testing. Trail bikes, enduro bikes, big bikes. Now it's the turn of the big "sockets": the e-freeriders. Oh no! We reluctantly drag the heavyweights out of our transporter, reluctantly we roll to the lift. But hey, a job is a job, who says you always have to enjoy your work?
Canyon Torque:On with 900 Wh - bike park on wheels
Canyon has completely redesigned its gravity e-bike Torque:On. You can tell that super racer Fabien Barel had a hand in it. Aluminium became carbon, a small front wheel became a 29er, a mini battery became an XXL battery, and the frame was also tweaked - on both sides. So much so that the reach grew to 491 millimetres (!) for frame size L and the chainstays now measure 446 millimetres.
Canyon pulled off a coup: thanks to carbon fibre and brainpower, the Koblenz-based company saved so much frame weight that they were able to give the Torque a 900 Wh battery (!). 900 Wh - that's a bike park on wheels. Nevertheless, the weight remains acceptable and, at 25 kilos ready to ride, at Propain level.
The Canyon kinematics have changed completely compared to its predecessor, the shock now nestles against the down tube, and the rear linkage is reminiscent of the big bike Tues from mail-order competitor YT. Nevertheless, the first thing you notice is the water container in the top tube. Makes sense? Perhaps. Beautiful? Mmmh ... everyone has to decide for themselves.
Propain Ekano: Ready for fun & action
The Propain Ekano - the second edition - has a similarly good suspension as the Canyon. The engineers from Lake Constance also changed a lot, but far less radically than the engineers from Koblenz. The Ekano shock moved downwards. Instead of lying under the top tube, it is now positioned low in front of the seat tube and squeezes 170 millimetres out of the rear; the head tube contains the Test winner fork Zeb Ultimate with a choice of 180 or 190 millimetres of travel. And above the bottom bracket is Shimano's new EP-801 motor, which is visually identical to the EP8 in the Canyon, thanks to new electronics inside but the EP-801 offers slightly more motor power and more functions and is powered by a much smaller battery in the Propain: 626 Wh.
Mini downhiller? Certainly not!
Back to the lift queue and the reluctant test ride! After all, our reservations about the heavy e-bikes fizzled out within the first 50 metres. We skimmed over the jump and the landing, crashed on the flat - bam - and still had fun! How can that be?
Quite simply: lots of suspension travel + heavy weight + low centre of gravity = riding fun! Both bikes jump, shred, drop and plough through the terrain so that even scary descents lose their terror. Are they mini downhillers? No, please delete the mini, because these two E-freeriders are in no way inferior to World Cup big bikes. The weight stabilises the ride so that the rider often only has to hold on tightly to the handlebars and stay on top of all the turbulence of the topography.
Shooting is possible - check! Playing around too?
The long Canyon Torque:On can't be beaten when it comes to straight-line riding and full throttle, the geometry (wheelbase 1310 mm) and the impeccable suspension (especially the plush rear end!) make it possible. When gravity tugs at the Canyon, it becomes surprisingly manoeuvrable. On the other hand, when the trail curves flatter through the terrain, the character turns around and the Canyon becomes rather bored. Then you need to push hard if you want it to carve through the trail with any degree of dynamism.
The Propain is also fast, seems very potent, as if there is no end to the suspension travel, but loses out a little on fast, rough downhill tracks; the Canyon competitor is faster. On the other hand, the Propain charms the rider with its playful character and plenty of pressure on the front wheel for precise steering. The reason: the moderate gearing with "only" 464 mm reach. Even on twisty singletrack descents like the Supernatural in Serfaus, the Bodensee-Brummer cuts a fine figure and manoeuvres through the turns as nimbly as if it had been on a lightning diet.
Despite having a similarly long rear end to the Canyon, the Propain can still be pulled onto the rear wheel without tearing the biceps tendons - the Canyon increases the risk to the arms. Great: Both E-freeriders are surprisingly quiet - a blessing when biking! At the end of the duel, we speculated, because the exchange of blows was not entirely fair. It would have been better to send the Canyon into the ring in M, as it still has a more generous reach (475 mm) than the Propain in L (464 mm).
Conclusion on the Canyon Torque:On CF9 vs Propain Ekano 2 AL duel
There was no bloody nose for either of the bikes in this duel. Both impressed with an almost limitless downhill performance. The more stretched Canyon could handle even more speed and amazed us with its XXL range thanks to the monster battery. Nevertheless, we liked the Propain better because it was more manoeuvrable, more agile and wider - the ideal gravity all-rounder.
Canyon Torque:ON CF9: Technical Data & Notes
Manufacturer information
- Price: 6899 Euro
- Weight without pedals: 24.6 kg
- Material / Sizes: Carbon / S, M, L (tested size), XL
Measured values
- Reach: 491 mm
- Stack: 658 mm
- BB drop: -17 mm
- Steering angle: 63.4°
- Seat angle: 77.5°
- Bottom bracket height: 340 mm
- Top tube length: 638 mm
- Chainstay length: 446 mm
- Wheelbase: 1310 mm
Equipment
- Motor: Shimano M8000
- Fork / Shock: Fox 38 Float Factory / Fox Float X2 Factory
- Front/rear suspension travel: 180/175 mm
- Cranks / gears: Shimano EC-FM900 / Shimano XT
- Brake system: Shimano XT
- Wheels: Sun Ringle Düroc SD37 Comp system wheelset
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai Exo+ 3C MaxxGrip 2.5 / Maxxis Minion DHR II Exo+ 3C MaxTerra 2.6
Strengths
- Chassis
- Fast
- Range (battery)
Weaknesses
- not very playful
FREERIDE judgement: 9.0
Dimitri Lehner, tester (1.79 m)
It's amazing how plush the new carbon torque is on the trail. The aluminium torque that we praised so much is still available. The better choice for freeriders because it's more playful.
Propain Ekano 2 AL: Technical data & notes
Manufacturer information
- Price: 7469 Euro
- Weight without pedals: 24.5 kg
- Material / Sizes: Aluminium / S, M, L (tested size), XL
Measured values
- Reach: 464 mm
- Stack: 660 mm
- BB drop: -12 mm
- Steering angle: 63.5°
- Seat angle: 77.2°
- Bottom bracket height: 335 mm
- Top tube length: 614 mm
- Chainstay length: 447 mm
- Wheelbase: 1275 mm
Equipment
- Motor: Shimano M8000
- Fork / Shock: Rockshox Zeb Ultimate / Vivid Air Select
- Front/rear suspension travel: 180/170 mm
- Cranks / gears: Shimano EC-EM600 / Sram GX Eagle
- Brake system: Sram Code RSC
- Wheels: Newmen EG30 Evo. wheelset
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai Exo+ 3C MaxxGrip 2.5 / Maxxis Minion DHR II DD 3C MaxxTerra 2.4
Strengths
- More playful geo
- More versatile
Weaknesses
- Less range
FREERIDE judgement: 9.5
Laurin Lehner, tester (1.78 m)
Freeride inside! I liked the Propain with its agile handling. This extends the range of use without noticeable DH losses.
FREERIDE ranking: 10 - Test winner | 9 - Very good. Recommended buy | 8 - Solid performance | 7 - Below average | 1 to 6 - We can only warn against this!
Fits in with this: More about Gravity-E-MTBs
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
