Ines Thoma (34) is Germany's most successful enduro racer. She has regularly finished on the podium in the Enduro World Series EWS and has also won four Megavalanche races. Since the birth of her daughter Romy in 2021, she has competed in both enduro and e-MTB races - she came third overall in the E-EDR in 2023. Ines studied primary school teaching, is a qualified yoga teacher, writes bike travel guides, talks about the bike scene in her podcast "MTB Pasta Party" and has co-commentated several times for Redbull TV. She also works as a guide and coach at bike events and camps.
Who is Ines Thoma?
- Nationality: German
- Age: 34
- Team: none
- Main sponsors: Canyon, Bosch eBike Systems
- Greatest successes: Podium finishes in the EWS and EDR-E, 3rd place in the EDR-E Overall World Cup 2023, four victories in the Megavalanche
Ines Thomas racing career
Ines Thoma's racing career began in 2011, when she switched from cross-country to the then still young enduro discipline and became German champion straight away. The Enduro Mountain Bike Association was founded the following year, and the Enduro World Series (EWS) was launched in 2013. Since then, Ines has been at home in the enduro world and was the most successful German rider for many years. After a baby break in 2021, she took on new challenges as a young mum, not only in her private life but also in sport. In 2022, she returned to the racing circuit without a permanent racing team but with the support of individual sponsors and immediately attracted attention again with some strong results, such as a 2nd place at the Trophy of Nations. She then rode the full E-Enduro season in 2023 and fought her way to 3rd place in the overall standings. Ines loves the sporting challenge and versatility of enduro racing. And the E-Enduro races of today have a lot of the demanding long days that got Ines so excited about the sport when she started the EWS 10 years ago.
The decision in favour of e-racing
On top of that, the move towards e-racing was also a good strategic decision. After all, the Allgäu native has mixed feelings about the future of non-motorised enduro racing. In a recent interview with BIKE magazine, she commented on the prospects: "It's not the easiest of times. It's unclear how the discipline will develop. There are persistent rumours that there will no longer be an Enduro World Cup in 2025, and this is already affecting sponsors. In addition, the industry is currently on shaky ground. I know some top riders who can't find sponsors at the moment." So it remains to be seen whether more and more riders will switch from conventional enduro racing to e-racing and whether the field of riders will become more competitive as a result. One thing is certain: with her experience, Germany's fastest enduro racer has nothing to fear from the competition, and she also has the right vehicle at her disposal: the Canyon Strive:On with the Bosch CX Race specially trimmed for racing.
Ines Thomas Bike: The Canyon Strive:On CFR LTD
- Suspension travel: 170/165 mm
- Weight: 25 kilos race-ready
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line CX Race
- Battery: Bosch Powertube 625 Wh
Ines Canyon Strive:On is organised by the Bosch CX Race unit powered. For the top E-EDR athletes, Bosch has developed an aggressive software setup that gets even more power out of the powerful motor. Experts will notice the higher weight of the bike: While the LTD version of the Strive:On is just over 23 kilos as standard, Ines claims 25 kilos for her bike. However, she measured the weight with pedals and full frame bag - just as she uses the bike in races. In addition, enduro racing usually places more emphasis on performance than on weight. Ines therefore rides large 220mm brake discs and chunky Maxxis Assegai downhill tyres front and rear - which makes sense simply because the races in the E-Enduro World Cup are currently predominantly downhill.
The details
A small special feature is hidden under the saddle: the Aenomaly SwitchGradewhich allows the saddle angle to be adjusted in three positions with a single movement, helps Ines to find the ideal saddle position - both for steep, technical uphill trials (saddle point down) and for long downhills (saddle point up). In addition to the small pump on the bottle cage and the spare tube on the seat tube, Ines has stowed a mini tool, repair kit and C02 cartridges in a small Canyon frame bag under the top tube to be prepared for minor defects. Ines doesn't have a special tune for the suspension. She rides the Rock Shox Zeb Ultimate RC2 and the RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate RC2T as standard.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
