For the new top-end XYRON 927, Conway rely on the 2020 Bosch motor, a carbon frame and an all-new design. This is the best looking CONWAY yet, but how will it ride?
Click here for an overview of the best eMTB 2020 group test.
€ 7,999 | manufacturer website
In the past, CONWAY’s eMTBs were often criticised for their rudimentary finish and look. However, the CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon is one of the most beautiful and slender bikes in the test field: the lines of the € 7,999 full-carbon flagship model are clean and elegant and the Bosch Performance CX motor and 625 Wh battery are very neatly integrated into the bike.
Components, weight and technical details of the CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon
The in-house designed 820 mm wide carbon handlebar and stem combination is very nice to look at too and it keeps the weight of the XYRON 927 to a minimum. The suspension, consisting of a matching RockShox Pike Ultimate fork and Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, delivers 140 mm front and rear travel. Although the CONWAY Xyron 927 is aimed more at easy-going trail riders than enduro racers, CONWAY specs a pair of SRAM Code RSC brakes with a huge 220 mm rotor up front – thumbs up! Only the best was good enough for the remaining componentry with shifting taken care of by a wireless SRAM X01 AXS groupset. The only thing we couldn’t get on-board with was the short 125 mm RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post.
The Bosch motor is beautifully integrated into the XYRON. Unfortunately, CONWAY made less of an effort with the speed sensor and continue to rely on a spoke magnet.
The motor and chain guide fit perfectly on the frame of the XYRON 927.
Even trail riders benefit from downhill brakes. Thanks to the 220 mm rotor up front, the CONWAY has loads of braking power.
CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon
€ 7,999
Specifications
Motor Bosch Performance Line CX 75Nm
Battery Bosch PowerTube 625Wh
Display Bosch Purion
Fork RockShox PIKE Ultimate 140 mm
Rear Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate 140 mm
Seatpost RockShox Reverb AXS 125 mm
Brakes SRAM CODE RSC 220/200 mm
Drivetrain SRAM X01 Eagle 1x12
Stem CONWAY HB Set n/a mm
Handlebar CONWAY HB Set 820 mm
Wheelset DT Swiss HXC 1200 SPLINE 27.5"
Technical Data
Size S M L XL
Weight 21.49 kg
Perm. total weight 130 kg
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 108 kg
Trailer approval no
Kickstand mount no
Specific Features
integrated carbon cockpit
CONWAY have elegantly combined the handlebar and stem into a single carbon component. However, at its standard width of 820 mm, it’s very stiff and uncomfortable.
The lightweight DT Swiss carbon wheelset combined with the APEX casing of the Schwalbe tires is fine for smooth trails. However, if you take the XYRON down rocky trails, you’ll have to be careful with your line choice.
The 125 mm RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post (size M) is simply too short.
Geometry and size of the CONWAY
The geometry of the CONWAY XYRON is anything but radical. Most noticeable here is the low front end. With our test bike in size M, the stack height amounts to just 595 mm.
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 400 mm | 430 mm | 460 mm | 490 mm |
| Top Tube | 577 mm | 601 mm | 624 mm | 647 mm |
| Head angle | 66.0° | 66.0° | 66.0° | 66.0° |
| Seat angle | 75.0° | 75.0° | 75.0° | 75.0° |
| Chhainstays | 450 mm | 450 mm | 450 mm | 450 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,183 mm | 1,207 mm | 1,231 mm | 1,255 mm |
| Reach | 425 mm | 449 mm | 469 mm | 489 mm |
| Stack | 595 mm | 595 mm | 604 mm | 613 mm |
The CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon on the trail
Although the CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon is rather compact, the pedalling position is stretched even for tall riders. This is not due to a long front triangle, but because of the low front end in combination with the super-wide 820 mm handlebar pulling the rider forward. While this stretched position isn’t the most comfortable on long rides over flat terrain, it pays off on steep climbs. With so much weight on the front wheel, it never wants to lift and you can stay on track no matter how winding and tight the climb gets. All the while, the 2.6″ wide Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires and the rear suspension generate enough traction to transfer the Bosch’s 75 Nm to the ground. Incidentally, we don’t recommend running the tire pressures too low to avoid damaging the delicate carbon rims of the DT-Swiss HXC 1200 wheelset.
Look at it! CONWAY’s new XYRON platform makes for a beautiful looking bike.
CONWAY’s world is upside down: here, descending is only a means to an end and it’s all about the climbs. With its very low front end, you permanently feel like you might go over the bars as soon as you hit a moderate descent. The cockpit, wheels and frame can be described in two words: extremely stiff. As a result, almost all vibrations and shocks are passed on to the rider and especially their wrists. Apart from that, the rigid front wheel of the CONWAY XYRON 927 constantly gets knocked off line from impacts. This results in unpredictable handling on rough trails and requires a very experienced and equally strong rider to keep under control. Except for really compact berms, the stiffness of the XYRON 927 has it fighting to maintain traction through loose corners and off-camber sections.
The 820 mm wide, one-piece stem and handlebar combo on the XYRON 927 is silly: it’s too wide and way too stiff. You could shorten it, but that would make it even stiffer!
Tuning tip: narrower handlebar with more rise | longer dropper
Riding Characteristics
7Agility
- sluggish
- playful
Stability
- nervous
- stable
Handling
- demanding
- balanced
Riding fun
- boring
- lively
Motor feeling
- digital
- natural
Motor power
- weak
- strong
Value for money
- poor
- top
Conclusion
The CONWAY XYRON 927 is the cross-country race bike equivalent of the eMTB world. It’s too uncomfortable even for leisurely rides on smooth roads. We can’t help but feel that the form of the CONWAY XYRON 927 has come before function: it’s great to look at but feels limited mainly to climbing on the trails.
Tops
- stunning design
- excellent motor and battery integration
- brilliant climber
Flops
- uncomfortable pedalling position
- too stiff, zero reserves and over-the-bar feelings on the descents
- short dropper
You can find out more about the CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon at conway-bikes.de.
The test field
You can find everything you need to know about our test for the best eMTB of 2020 right here!
All bikes in test: BULLS SONIC EVO AM 6 | Cannondale Moterra 1 | Canyon Spectral:ON 9.0 | COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM 2020 | CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon | CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC | FANTIC XF1 180 Race | FOCUS JAM² 9.9 DRIFTER | Giant Reign E+ 0 Pro | Haibike XDURO Nduro 10.0 | Liteville 301 CE MK1 | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K | Moustache Samedi 27 Trail | Norco Range VLT C1 | NOX Hybrid Enduro 7.1 | Orbea WILD FS M-LTD | Pivot Shuttle 29 | Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90 Rally Edition | ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax | Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert | Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo | Trek Rail 9.9 | Whyte E-180 RS V1 | YT DECOY CF Pro Race
Relaxed and comfortable riding on surfaced roads, both uphill and downhill.↩
Easy climbs up trails with few obstacles, wide turns and a moderate incline.↩
Active and playful descents on easy trails with few obstacles, wide turns and a moderate slope.↩
Single-track climbs on challenging terrain. Loose ground, steps, roots, tight corners and occasionally extreme inclines.↩
Singletrack descents on challenging terrain. Loose ground, steps, roots, tight corners and small jumps as well as some very steep descents.↩
High speed descents on sometimes very rough trails with large jumps and obstacles that you can’t roll over.↩
The rating used for riding characteristics refers to the bikes in the group test and the current state of development of eMTBs. The best bikes managed to blend supposedly opposite riding characteristics, feeling both lively and stable at the same time. The handling describes the balance of the bike on downhill sections. The information regarding motor-power refers to the ride-feeling in the overall context of the bike and not exclusively to the motor – that’s why the same motor can present different values.↩
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Words: Felix Stix, Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig Photos: Finlay Anderson, Robin Schmitt, Felix Stix, Markus Frühmann
