Comparing the Enduro and the DH bikes

11/02/25 21:05 Filed in: Gear

I had a DH bike. It was old-school with 26" wheels. It liked steep and rugged terrain but was terrible on anything remotely flat or smooth. Then I got my first Trek Slash. It was a revelation and I found it roughly as capable as the DH bike - the 29" wheels and 160mm of travel on the Slash more than compensating for the extra travel on the DH bike with its much smaller wheels.
I sold that DH bike and had none for a few years.
The new Canyon Sender CFR came out in 2021. I bought one straight away. It was like a playful trail bike with loads of travel. Its limits were well in excess of what the Slash could do. It was also a full size bigger in terms of reach. Which made it better for me just on that point. I sold the first Slash and bought a second one which has a similar reach to the Sender. Both bikes compete on similar grounds; 29" wheels and the Slash now sporting 170mm of travel to the Sender's 200mm.
I have favoured the Sender at Thredbo most of the times I have been up there since I had both bikes.
Just before Christmas I spent a week up there and took the Slash. After riding the Slash on most of the trails and feeling how it impacted my hands in particular, I can safely conclude that the Sender is just plusher than the Slash. My hands were sore after several days back-to-back of riding the Slash. That just doesn't happen with the Sender.
There aren't that many other differences between them. I would expect that Sender to handle really rough terrain better than the Slash, and high speeds better. But I've not raced either bike and I'm old enough now to know slowing down a tad is essential for longevity. I feel fine taking the Slash anywhere I take the Sender, but it just does so with more feedback into my hands.
Oh, except for the obvious exception of climbing. The Sender is neither geared nor possessing of a geometry that lends itself to successfully climbing any sort of hill. The Slash does so fine.

A corollary to this is that my friend accidentally booked a DH bike at Thredbo when we rode together. In the past he has booked one of their Enduro bikes. Both Norco brand. Similar sorts of bikes really. But he found the DH bike considerably more plush than the Enduro bike.

Michael Hanslip Coaching

If you want to go faster, you have to pedal harder

Comparing the Enduro and the DH bikes