Currently riding a Trek Fuel ex 5. I'm looking to get a eMTB, with a budget of circa £4k. Looking at Canyon Strive:ON CFR Underdog, Torque:ON CF 8, or the Amflow PR Carbon (looks like a wait until July?). Based in the UK, live near Dalby forest but go to downhill parks, Revs, Dyfi etc. Wait for the ...
Right, three bikes across a fairly wide spread of intended use. Worth unpicking that before throwing specs at you. The
Canyon Strive:ON CFR Underdog is a race-focused enduro machine.
It starts at £5,499 in the UK, which already puts it over your £4k ceiling. It's built around Canyon's top-spec CFR carbon with 160mm rear travel via Horst link, paired with a 170mm fork, and
runs the Bosch CX motor with 340% pedal assist. A very capable bike, but it's not in budget and it's tuned for racing - stiff, precise, and demanding. For Dyfi and park laps it's great; as a Dalby daily it's a bit much.
The
Canyon Torque:ON CF 8 is a different animal entirely. The 2026 relaunch prices it at £4,199 in the UK, which lands you right on budget.
It runs the EP801 motor (85Nm, 400% assist) paired with a new 800Wh Darfon battery. The caveat:
Canyon had a stop-use recall on the previous Torque:ON battery in November 2024 over cracking housings, and riders were left unable to use their bikes for a period. The new 800Wh battery is Canyon's fix for that, so worth knowing the history. The bike itself is
a hard-hitting, all-carbon platform that'll handle everything short of the gnarliest DH tracks while letting you self-shuttle back up. At Dyfi and Revs it's genuinely at home. Dalby? Slightly over-bike for the cross-country loops but brilliant on the red/black trails there.
