Rather a lot is occurring with the next-gen Canyon Sender CFR prototype DH bike that we noticed Tahnee Seagrave and a few her Canyon CLLCTV teammates racing on the Bielsko-Biała World Cup over the weekend. First off, the unreleased carbon downhill bike options an all-new excessive single-pivot suspension design with an loafer pulley that ought to handle chain pressure. There’s a posh set of nested linkages to drive both air or coil shocks. And there are at the least a few factors to regulate geometry or suspension character. Plus, there’s the Canyon/Syntace KIS steering stabilizer system hidden contained in the toptube.
Let’s take a more in-depth look…
Unreleased Canyon Sender CFR prototype carbon DH bike
This new prototype carbon Canyon CFR DH bike is a whole departure from the present Sender CFR’s current four-bar format.
Within the easiest of phrases, it seems like this Sender prototype is an all-new excessive single-pivot suspension design for Canyon. From the rear axle, concentric with a rear pivot, that prime swingarm mounts on to the body on the fundamental pivot simply above the loafer pulley. Nope, that’s not only a seatstay.
There rear finish will get rather more advanced once we have a look at what the left / non-driveside.
Right here we are able to see that the decrease swingarm is linked to a collection of nested hyperlinks that rotate across the backside bracket. I’m not going to lose an excessive amount of sleep over figuring this one out, and look ahead to a full rationalization from Canyon when the brand new bike launches.
However what it seems wish to me, is the next. The decrease swingarm connects to a slender management hyperlink that manages every thing else. Rotation of that slender management hyperlink strikes round a pair of quick hyperlinks that pivot in regards to the backside bracket to maneuver one ultimate hyperlink that drives the shock. The shock hyperlink seems linked to the body in entrance of the BB, to the management hyperlink seen within the window above the BB, then to a 90° extension of the shock simply above that.
The entire advanced mechanism appears to be simply to have the ability to management how rear wheel journey is translated to shock stroke.
However why a high-pivot?
The excessive single-pivot design means a very totally different rear axle path, initially transferring again away from something it hits, then up. The result’s usually mentioned to really feel like extra bottomless journey, that higher rolls over square-edged obstacles, and helps racers keep their momentum via tough sections of the racetrack.
It additionally means the bike’s chainstay size (distance from BB to rear axle) lengthens throughout compression. That’s useful because the entrance middle will get shorter when the telescoping fork compresses, so the lengthening rear finish helps compensate, because the rider shifts their weight again on massive compressions. And on the similar time maintaining the bike’s dealing with constant, or much more steady as you encounter massive hits.
The draw back to the lengthening rear is usually chain progress and subsequent pedal kickback. However the loafer pulley counteracts that. Almost certainly this bike will expertise virtually no pedal kickback. Most likely one of many major causes Canyon went with this design for his or her DH race bike.
The loafer format primarily creates a parallelogram with the rear derailleur to remove chain progress via suspension compression. You do find yourself with much less chain wrapped across the chainring, so chainguides change into extra necessary. That’s why this bike will get an higher information in entrance of the loafer and a decrease chainring information. Importantly, simply behind the BB spindle.
Plus, an additional information strapped on that decrease keep can’t damage for Seagrave. As we see in her begin dash (above, from the non-driveside), when she’s placing down max energy via the pedals within the hardest/smallest cog, the body hasn’t compressed a lot and her derailleur is struggling to maintain the chain tight.
Adjustability & different setup particulars
Past the seemingly advanced configuration of the body format to drive the shock, we are able to additionally see some extra bike adjustability between Seagrave & her CLLCTV teammates’ setup.
It seems (however I’m not 100% certain) that every one three using this Canyon Sender prototype have the bike arrange as a mullet with a 27.5″ rear wheel. However there appears to be ample room between the tire and the swingarm bridges to suit a 29″ rear wheel in there, too. We suspect, someplace in all of those body linkages {that a} flip-chip will make both rear wheel measurement doable.
The body undoubtedly has adjustability to ship totally different spring charges, with an adjustable higher shock mount. Tahnee Seagrave is using with an up-turned black higher mount to match her Fox Float X2 Manufacturing facility air shock. The 2 guys each have silver mounts turned down and paired to prototype RockShox BlackBox Vivid Coil (?) shocks with computerized Flight Attendant digital controls.
The prototype Sender CFR additionally encompasses a attain regulate headset – probably angle regulate, as effectively. We all know Seagrave’s racing a -8mm attain place, as a result of right here mechanics wrote it instantly on the aspect of her headtube. Identical to they used pink paint to mark that bolts all through the bike are tight (and haven’t moved.)
What in regards to the KIS steering stabilizer?
As we are able to see clearly in these images (two above) illustrating why to go for the high-pivot, Tahnee Seagrave just isn’t really utilizing a KIS system. However her bike clearly has the clean filler plate that Canyon supplies to consumers who determine to take away the factory-installed steering stabilizer.
I’ve personally ridden the Syntace & Canyon codeveloped KIS steering stabilizer system on a number of totally different bikes & ebikes over the past two years. And it’s tremendous attention-grabbing. However it’s not for everybody. When you adapt, it will probably actually change the way you trip. It particularly provides additional confidence in free turns and when dropping into tough tracks at excessive pace. However you need to relearn the way to deal with the bike at slower speeds, too.
It seems like Seagrave doesn’t see the profit for her using, at the least not for now.
Canyon CLLCTV guys racing the brand new Sender prototype with KIS
However, each Troy Brosnan & Luca Shaw are racing with the self-centering KIS spring system on their variations of the brand new prototype Canyon Sender CFR downhill bike. Canyon had beforehand instructed me that the CLLCTV staff had been testing out KIS. And now we are able to see that they’re racing it on the World Cups, too.
The 2 guys are each racing with X01 DH groupsets vs. Seagrave’s Saint setup. Apparently, Troy Brosnan is utilizing the most recent Maven Final brakes that SRAM describes as their ‘strongest ever‘. However Luca Shaw apparently prefers his long-trusted Code brakes nonetheless.
And they’re each utilizing the unreleased gravity tune of RockShox’s automated Flight Attendant suspension management system. Like on World Champ Vali Höll’s Tues, they each use the Quarq AXS transmitter on the driveside to ship pedaling knowledge. And with out a DUB powermeter of their respective backside brackets. And each have a left AXS shifter to override the automated modes, if wanted.
We might see the 2 bolts on the swingarm bridge to mount a fender. And right here, Luca Shaw’s bike has the mini fender put in to guard the advanced linkage format from mud spray.
One other curious suspension tweak, like Höll, Luca Shaw has the Flight Attendant management module on his RockShox BlackBoxxer fork turned out 90° sideways. However Troy Brosnan has his management module angled barely ahead (see the whole bike on the workstand, above). Maybe, that’s so he can both see the flashing mild extra clearly to make sure he’s in his most popular mode? And even to cover the distracting flashing out of view below the bar?
Race-ready, however what about consumer-ready?
That is yet one more prototype gravity that appears fairly effectively completed in carbon. So, it ought to come rapidly to the market, proper? Possibly not so quick.
Brosnan’s M-sized race bike has “Layup C” hand-written on the aspect of the headtube with a date from simply final month, suggesting that even when the molds are finished, Canyon are nonetheless dialing within the ultimate materials development. Each Shaw & Seagrave’s bikes even have loads of handwritten notes on them, too. My guess is that this Canyon Sender prototype will proceed to be examined for the total 2024 DH race season. Earlier than it makes it into any client’s palms.
And lastly, Canyon nonetheless lists the present Sender CFR as ‘New’ on their web site, with new builds in inventory, and no carbon bikes at present on sale. I believe it’s secure to say this can be a MY25 DH bike. So, we’ll attempt to wait patiently till then.
