First Ride: Canyon's New Torque:On
The commenters may have had you worried, but fret not - e-freeride ain't dead. While that niche may be news to many, Canyon is aiming directly at that corner of the market with their update to their Torque:On. This mega travel DH-ready electric bike is positioned to be a replacement to the shuttle truck, meant purely to get as many laps as possible on gnarly terrain.
Designed to mimic many of the attributes of the Sender, the Torque:On has a frame rated to the highest standards of abuse, and an eye-catching look that really emphasizes the moto influence at play here. It may seem similar to the Strive:On that also released today, but on trail they're quite distinct.
Levo SL Details
• Mixed wheels
• 175mm travel, 180mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Shimano EP8 Motor, 85 Nm torque, 500 W power
• 720 or 900 Wh battery
• Weight: 54.2 lb / 24.6 kg (size L, CF 9 w/ 900Wh)
• MSRP: $5,499 - 8,499 USD
• canyon.com
• Mixed wheels• 175mm travel, 180mm fork• Carbon frame• Shimano EP8 Motor, 85 Nm torque, 500 W power• 720 or 900 Wh battery• Weight: 54.2 lb / 24.6 kg (size L, CF 9 w/ 900Wh)• MSRP: $5,499 - 8,499 USD
CF 8
CF 9
CF LTD
Frame Details
Buckle up, buttercup. Braaap.
Clean lines. Thanks in part to this irksome trend.
Geometry
Ride Impressions
Great traction, even with the wheels off the ground.
Canyon updated a lot for the new edition of the Torque:On, starting with the wheelsize. Where the former version was 27.5" front and rear, the new bike gets a mixed wheel setup, meant to keep the bike agile while improving grip and rollover out front.Like the brand new Strive:On, the Torque:On is available in a trio of spec levels, hitting three solid price points.Themodel comes with the smaller 720Wh (upgradeable aftermarket), Fox Performance suspension, Shimano SLX drivetrain and brakes, and a Sun Ringle Duroc wheelset. $5499.I spent some time on themodel, which comes with the big 900Wh, Fox Factory suspension, Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes, and the same Duroc wheels. $6499.Top-spec comes in the form of theKen Roczen pro model. This frame has a special Roczen red paint job (yes, even though he rides for Yamaha now), and comes with Rockshox Ultimate suspension, SRAM Code RSC brakes, an XO1 AXS drivetrain, and DT Swiss HFR1500 wheels. $8499.There are quite a few things to touch on here, but it's hard to start with anything except this water bottle. Yes, the Torque:On has a proprietary water bottle. No, it's not that bad. In order to achieve the suspension design they wanted while keeping the center of gravity low, the team at Canyon decided that the toptube-mounted canteen was the best option for the intended use of the bike. While not really necessary, there is a strap to keep everything in place, and the bottle can still be easily removed with one hand. Closing the strap, however, is a two-hand maneuver.Shifting, brakes, and motor control all funnel through the headset, which keeps the look clean, but might make for some challenging shop work down the line. Other integrations include an accessory mount near the seattube junction, meant to hold tools or a tube, as well as a fender mounted to the seat stays. From one very wet day on trail, I can't say the fender does much to protect bike or rider, but it does add to the mini-moto look of the bike.The EP8 motor has been rotated about 30° to give the bottom bracket area of the bike better clearance, which should prove useful considering how low-slung the BB is on this hog.The Torque uses Shimano's standard bar-mounted display unit, with a wired remote on the left side of the bar. Ease of battery removal was a big focus for Canyon, so a simple hatch has been designed into the underside of the bike, held in place by just two bolts. The mounting system feel plenty robust and secure, but should make hot-swapping for a fresh battery that much easier when you want more laps.If you're comparing the Torque:On to the new Strive:On , you'll probably notice quite a few similarities on the geo charts. Despite their differences in travel and intended purpose, the two share a lot of the same numbers, with a notable exception in the BB drop. The Torque's is significantly lower, and coupled with the extra drop from deeper sag, should provide a very ground-hugging feel. Otherwise, there's no confusing the intention behind the Torque:On; this is a bike meant to descend, with little regard for anything less than extreme.With four size options, and a reach range from 450 to 525mm, the fit of the Torque:On is definitely biased towards bigger riders. Canyon's reach numbers are generally pretty aggressive in how long they are per size, but riders looking to size down for more agility might hit the low-end of the range pretty quickly.An immediate takeaway from my first few rides with the Torque:On is that this bike requires serious terrain in order to shine. If you're keen on huge shuttle days, bike park laps, or simply repeating the same track over and over again, then this might just fit the bill. It's funny but in many ways the electric nature of the bike feels secondary to the DH focus. That's partly to do with the fairly binary-feeling EP8 motor, which excels in getting you up fire roads faster than a car might, but lacks the nuance of some other motor systems when it comes to tech climbing. That's okay here, because the Torque only really wants to go down the hill anyway.We rode the Torque:On in an area that featured some fairly tight and fun singletrack, but without too many opportunities to completely open up and let the bike sing. In moments when you could let it go, the Torque was eager to pick up speed and pop off anything in sight. That was a surprising attribute for such a big bike, as pop and playfulness tend to go down the drain when a bike weighs 50-something pounds and sports 175mm of travel. I found the Torque jumped well, and didn't absorb lips too much as to make you yank for gaps.Between the geometry, the travel, and the generally stiff feel of the chassis, I do think bike park and similarly featured terrain is where the Torque:On is going to be most at home. With downhill bike-like capacity for chunder and speed, you're just going to want to make sure you have the trails to match. It feels like a bit of a handful when trails get tricky and tech, but it's not suffering through those moments, just not shining like the Strive:On might.The Torque:On feels like a lot of bike, but perfectly suited to the right users in the right places. I'd be keen to see how it does in a place like Whistler, where rowdy trails can be accessed via service roads, as well as in places where you'd typically truck shuttle, as a bike like this certainly simplifies that equation. Certain spec items need attention if you're going to be riding this bike anywhere near its limit though, chief among them being tires. The stock EXO+ rubber is undergunned, and the choice to run a 2.6" in the rear is a strange move. I do like the Shimano brake / Hayes rotor combo, and have run that on my personal bike in the past to great effect. And say what you will about that water wedge, I kinda like it.We're hoping to get some long-term testing in with the Torque:On this summer, so stay tuned for more thoughts.
Source: Pinkbike.com
