Canyon’s new Torque is a do-it-all shredder

Canyon has completely updated its Torque all-mountain/freeride/park bike, giving it both carbon and alloy frames, as well as 29in, 27.5in and mullet wheel options, across six models.

The new family of Torques have been built to be as versatile as possible, with Canyon offering both frame material and three wheel-size options to make sure there’s a Torque to match the needs of virtually every rider looking for a longer-travel machine.

While the 2021 Canyon Spectral is aimed firmly at trail riders, and the Strive remains in the range for enduro-focused racers, it’s hoped that the 170 or 175mm (29in / 27.5in and mullet) travel bikes will suit everything from groomed park laps to gnarly natural lines. Even, if you fit a dual crown suspension fork (as approved by Canyon), massive desert hucks – assuming you’ve got as much nerve as Tommy G at this year’s Red Bull Rampage.

Whack a dual crown fork on the Torque and you can emulate Tommy G at Rampage – perhaps! - Ale Di Lullo / Canyon

That’s because Canyon gives the Torque frame a ‘Category 5’ rating on strength and durability – the same as its Sender DH bike.

Canyon Torque frames

As we saw when we reviewed the Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV, Canyon puts equal emphasis on its alloy and carbon frames, with both materials getting their own engineers to fully design their respective frames.

The carbon frames’ construction allows, Canyon says, for a little more fine-tuning of the feel of the bike, with strength versus weight versus stiffness differing across various parts of the frames.

Canyon Torque mullet cornering Boris Beyer — The mullet bikes are built to be stable yet super-agile. - Boris Beyer / Canyon

The carbon frames weigh around 200g less than the previous version of the bike, at around 2.6kg, but Canyon was still able to beef up various areas of the frame. These include the seatstay bridge, chainstays and around bearings and axles. At the same time, the alloy rear end of the previous version was swapped to carbon, and the front triangle also lost some weight.

When it comes to the alloy frames, strength to weight is the focus, rather than stiffness, as aluminium apparently has more fixed properties and carries wider tolerances for manufacturing. Frames come in at just over 3kg.

There has also been a saving of 200g on the alloy frame. Canyon says it optimised tube cross-sections, used straighter tube profiles, and worked on tube junctions and forged parts. Despite improving strength-to-weight ratios, it also managed to reduce wall thicknesses, thus saving weight.

As we’ve seen with many recent Canyons, there are a lot of neat touches when it comes to frame design.

Canyon Torque linkage bolts — Linkage bolts are all accessed via the non-drive side of the frame. - Boris Beyer / Canyon

For example, linkage bearings are all accessed from the non-drive side for easier maintenance, and use just 5 and 6mm Allen keys to strip down. Pivot threads are mounted on replaceable inserts on the carbon bikes, so that if you damage them they can be replaced.

Alloy bikes receive stronger steel-threaded inserts. Parts are also shared between the Torque and Spectral in places, which should make getting spares easier.

While ISCG05 mounts aren’t included on the carbon frame, Canyon will supply a plate to attach to the frame, should you wish to use a bash guard (a chainguide is integrated into the frame). The alloy bike comes with the mounts forged into the BB shell.

The Torque will take a side-loading bottle cage, with space for a 600ml bottle. There are also rivets under the top tube for attaching tool straps and caddies. Frames feature numerous rubber protection strips too.

Canyon Torque suspension

Canyon Torque linkage Heather Young — The 4-bar linkage delivers Canyon's Triple Phase Suspension characteristics. - Heather Young / Canyon

Canyon has long used 4-bar suspension linkages on its bikes, with its version sporting characteristics the brand has dubbed ‘Triple Phase’.

This has all the hallmarks of a sorted suspension system – soft in the early stroke to ensure plenty of traction and comfort, and a supportive middle of the stroke for good pedalling characteristics and an ability to better pump through corners and rollers. Finally, progression late in the stroke to resist harsh bottom-outs on big hits.

Canyon uses this philosophy on all its bikes, but tweaks it for intended usage.

On the Torque, the manufacturer says it has taken lessons from the Strive, and upped the anti-squat (the force that helps resist pedalling-related suspension bob) by 30 per cent at the sag point.

Beyond the sag point, the anti-squat drops away quickly, so that when you bottom out the suspension, pedal kickback (the amount the chain pulls backward on the chainring as the suspension compresses) is reduced.

canyon torque styling — How good are your whips? - David Nogales / Canyon

Canyon Torque wheelsizes and geometry

Canyon Torque geo chip Heather Young — Carbon bikes get a geometry flip chip. - Heather Young / Canyon

Following all the usual trends, the new Torque is longer, lower and slacker than the previous generation, with a steeper seat angle too. This helps the bike’s stability at speed, while a short offset fork and compact chainstays are there, Canyon claims, to help keep the bike playful and improve traction in tight turns.

The carbon Torques receive a geometry-adjusting flip chip, altering the angles by 0.5 degrees. Alloy bikes have a fixed geometry, which is the same as the carbon’s ‘Hi’ setting.

Canyon says the 29in Torque gives better rollover, improved traction and more confidence thanks to a larger tyre contact patch, longer overall bike and increased centrifugal stability.

The 27.5in bike is a touch more agile, though, as well as being more precise and playful.

Those who want the stable rollover and grip at the front end, along with a manoeuvrable rear end are directed by Canyon to the mullet option.

29in and 27.5in bikes will be available in S, M, L and XL sizes, while the mullet bikes will be M, L and XL only.

FRAME SlZE	S	M	L	XL

Seat tube length (mm)	395	430	445	46Θ
Τop tube length (mm)	577	604	631	658
Head tube length 27.5 (mm)	120	130	140	-
Head tube length 29er (mm)	Ι00	105	115	125
Head tube angle	63.5/64	63.5/64	63.5/64	63.5/64
Seat tube angle effective	77.5/78	77.5/78	77.5/78	77.5/78
Effective seat tube angle @ max	76,89	76,91	76,95	77,17
Effective seat tube angle @ min	78,34	78,07	77,97	78,15
Effective seat tube angle @ stack	78,44	78,79	79,04	79,23
Reference seat height	720	760	800	840
Chainstay length 27.51 mullet (mm)	435	435	435	435
Chainstay length 29er (mm)	440	440	440	440
ΒΒ offset 27.5 (mm)	14	14	14	14
ΒΒ offset 29er (mm)	30	30	30	30
Wheelbase (mm)	1225	1252	1282	1311
Stack 27.5 (mm)	618	627	636	-
Stack 29er (mm)	624	629	638	647
Reach (mm)	440	465	490	515
Spacers (mm)	20	20	20	20
Stem (mm)	40	40	40	40
Handlebar width (mm)	760	780	780	780
Crank arm length (mm)	165	170	170	170
Seatpost diameter (mm)	30,9	30,9	30,9	30,9
Dropper length (mm)	150	150	170	200

Canyon Torque models

Canyon will offer six models of the Torque. All bar the entry-level bikes receive wheels from DT Swiss, which Canyon claims have been designed with the Torque’s intentions in mind, and comply with its ‘Category 5’ testing protocol.

They all also get Canyon’s own G5 components – again built for strength – World Cup DH and Rampage included. This includes the brand's new dropper post, which has 25mm of travel adjustment, in 5mm increments, alterable at home.

Canyon Torque G5 Heather Young — Canyon's G5 components are built for World Cup DH. - Heather Young / Canyon

All the bikes come with the same tyre combo – Maxxis’ Assegai (2.5in, 3C MaxxGrip, EXO+) on the front and a DHR II (2.4in, 3C MaxxTerra, DoubleDown) on the rear, except the Fabio Wibmer model, which gets Continental Baron and Kaiser 2.4in rubber.

The Torque 5 (alloy), 6 (alloy), CF 7 and CF 9 will come in 29in and 27.5in options, with specs shared across the wheel sizes.

The CF 8 and CF Fabio Wibmer versions have the mixed-wheel mullet options, and these come with a coil shock, as opposed to air on the other models. Canyon will ship these coil-shocked bikes with three springs, based on average rider weights for the frame’s size.