- This trail bike uses a full carbon frame.
- Canyon has fitted its trail bike with bigger wheels.
- There are four build options, for every budget.
German cycling brand, Canyon, has launched a new version of its Spectral mountain bike.
Canyon is best known for its aerodynamic time trial, triathlon and road bikes, in addition to a range of lightweight cross-country mountain bikes.
The Spectral is rather different. With this bike Canyon targets an audience of riders who are very skilled and seek the most challenging descents.
Featuring a carbon fibre frame and 150mm of suspension travel the Spectral manages to be both light and extremely capable over technical terrain. You would struggle to find a South African trail network where this new Spectral would be potentially overwhelmed by obstacles.
Canyon has configured the South African market Spectrals with a 150mm front fork, which is an adaptation to local trail conditions. In geographies with steeper terrain, the Spectral is equipped with a 160mm fork.
Bigger wheels are better
The most significant update applied to this new Spectral is Canyon’s decision to increase the bike’s wheel size from 27.5” to 29-inches.
With its superior obstacle rollover, the 29” diameter has now entrenched itself as the default mountain bike wheel size.
All four the Spectral derivatives feature a 1x12 drivetrain and four-piston brakes, which provide enough gearing to climb the steepest gradients, whilst retaining enough stopping power to safely descend them too.
Between the four available variants, Canyon offers affordable and premium price points, with a correlation in component specification.
The most affordable Spectral is Canyon’s CF7, priced at R54
499, and even at that price you get some decent components, such as Rockshox’s
proven Pike fork. For R71 499 you can upgrade to a CF8, which adds a Fox 36
fork up front and higher volume rear shock.
If you absolutely must have composite everything, then the R71 499 Spectral CF9 upgrades from the CF8’s aluminium wheels to carbon-fibre. With the lower rotating mass of those carbon wheels, you will climb faster and roll out of corners with more urgency when descending.
Canyon’s most impressive Spectral is the LTD version, which uses Shimano’s latest XTR drivetrain and uses the very best Fox suspension bits. The Spectral LTD has a recommended retail of R106 499 and can easily be recognized by its low-friction Kashima coated suspension components, with their dusty gold colour.
*All local Canyon retail prices exclude VAT, shipping and import duty fees.
