Canyon Torque:ON CF 8 Review

As a component giant, Shimano is mostly known for its dominant position in bicycle gears. But with the EP8, the Japanese are clearly showing that they can look beyond their own plate too. No matter how steep or technical the climb is: the Shimano motor makes it conquerable! At the same time, the drive provides a well-rounded feeling while riding with a harmonious power delivery. Thanks to the good range, longer tours with the Torque:ON CF 8 are no problem.

Carbon frames are rather the exception in the price range of about 6000€. With the carbon fibre chassis, Canyon thus sets clear accents compared to the aluminium competitors. The top notch Fox chassis absorbs big hits like Chuck Norris and provides a lot of traction and control. Setup-Nerds can squeeze out the maximum performance from the chassis thanks to the many setting options. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. Bad brakes reduce the riding pleasure. Fortunately, this is not the case with the Torque:ON CF 8. With their four pistons and large brake rotors the Shimano brake brakes good. Taking a holistic approach also includes looking at the gearing and components. The components are of good qualtiy and offer no reason for criticism here. High Reach values are in full trend. So, the Torque:ON CF 8 has an on-trend geometry. However, the bike requires a courageous body effort to hit the lines in the singletrail. For less experienced riders, this is often unfamiliar.