Not only was the Shapeshifter, a pneumatic piston for geometry and suspension travel adjustment, revolutionary, but the reach values were also extremely long by the standards of the time. From today's perspective, Canyon (alongside Mondraker) was ahead of its time in 2014. But the reach values of other companies have also grown in recent years. Why? The long main frame of the Strive offers the rider a lot of freedom of movement between the handlebars and pedals and, above all, ensures safety on steep, technical trail sections. Despite its pioneering role in terms of reach, the Strive's geometry is starting to show its age. The steering angle of 66.8 degrees is a little too steep and makes the bike nervous in high-speed sections and corners. On the other hand, the rear suspension with almost 170 millimetres of travel works like a hoover and swallows nasty boulders much better than some of its competitors. Nevertheless, the Strive now feels more comfortable on moderate trails in the low mountain ranges than on the alpine slopes around Alpe d'Huez. What's more, the Shapeshifter really comes into its own where you have to work for every metre of elevation gain. Once you have managed to operate the lever (a little coordination exercise!), you can switch from the downhill to the uphill position. The seat and steering angle become 0.7 and 1.1 degrees steeper respectively, the bottom bracket moves eight millimetres higher for more ground clearance and the suspension travel at the rear is reduced to a significantly firmer 149 millimetres. Even if there are lighter bikes in the test field, the Strive sets the pace uphill with its Shapeshifter.
Ludwig Döhl, BIKE editor: The Canyon Strive was ahead of its time in 2014 with its long reach and Shapeshifter. However, the head angle is now a little too steep. Tip: a 170 millimetre fork flattens the head angle and makes the suspension at the front just as potent as at the rear. Otherwise top!
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