This week is a big one for enduro/freeride bikes, as joining Mondraker and the new Anark is a freshly updated Torque from Canyon. Sitting between the Strive enduro bike and the Sender DH rig, the new Torque is built to blend those lines, positioning itself as a do-it-all bike for everything gravity.
The new Torque comes as a result of its 20 years on the market and everything that Canyon has learned about gravity riding throughout its tenure in the biz. But the main headlines behind the bike are versatility, simplicity, and durability. To hit those goals, it’s available in only one frame material – aluminium, and it can run a mixed wheelsize (650b rear, 29″ front) or a pair of 650b hoops. On top of that, the frame has received a boost in suspension travel from 170mm up to 180mm.
Actuating that 180mm of rear bounce is a four-bar linkage, complete with shielded sealed cartridge bearings and oversized pivot hardware. Not only has this been done with the aim of achieving longevity, but the oversized hardware increases stiffness to keep the linkage aligned and provide silky-smooth suspension performance.
On top of that, the Canyon has fettled with the Torque’s suspension kinematic a touch. It benefits from a “moderately progressive” leverage ratio, which is tuned especially for high-volume air shocks (though it can run coil alternatives) to provide plenty of small bump sensitivity and just enough progression to smooth out harsh landings. But it’s not all about descending performance as the brand wanted to make the Torque a doddle to crank up a climb. With that, it gets more anti-squat both for pedalling ease and to add an air of liveliness to the bike. It’s also claimed that pedal kickback has been reduced.
With an updated bike comes revised geometry, and it’s said that the new Torque’s shape is more contemporary. As such, its stack height has been increased, and there are longer reaches across the size range, with a medium frame donning a 470mm measurement. There’s then a 63.5-degree head angle and a 78.5-degree seat tube angle. There’s a touch of geo adjustability available through a flip chip, which steepens the angles by half a degree, and there’s an adjustable chainstay length offering measurements from 430mm to 440mm via modular dropouts.
There are four Torque models available, with the Torque AL 7 and AL 8 running a RockShox ZEB fork and Vivid shock in Base and Select+ levels. The AL 7 runs Shimano’s SLX drivetrain and brakes and SunRingle wheels, while the AL 8 boasts SRAM’s Eagle 70 Transmission drivetrain with Maven Base A1 brakes and DT Swiss F1900 wheels.
The Torque AL and AL DH up the game a little further with the former build rocking Fox’s 38 Factory fork and X2 Factory shock, SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission and Maven Silver B1 brakes. It rolls on a set of DT Swiss EX1700 wheels. The AL DH lives up to its name as it’s equipped with a RockShox Boxxer Select fork (yes, the Torque range is dual-crown-ready) combined with a Vivid Base shock. It’s driven by SRAM’s GX DH seven-speed drivetrain, slowed by SRAM Maven Base A1 brakes and rolls on DT Swiss’s F1900 wheelset.
All bikes then benefit from a Maxxis Assegai and DHR II tyre combo with double down casings.
At the moment, we only have euro prices that start at €2,499 and go up to €3,999. We’ll update with UK pricing as soon as we can.
