Canyon Spectral:ON 8.0 Review
Canyon hosted us in the Blausasc region of France, home to some crazy techy climbs and rugged descents. Joined by multiple World Champion Fabien Barel, Ines Thoma and the Canyon design team, it was time to put the gravity focussed Spectral:ON 8.0 to the test.
Initial setup on the Spectral:ON
With Canyon’s direct-to-consumer model, it’s fair to say customers will not have the same assistance with setup as a store-bought bike, so Canyon has worked hard to keep setup simple. The Spectral:ON comes with a Quick Start Guide, and is pre-set to the ‘Low’ geometry setting. Our 1.80 m, 80 kg tester chose to ride a size large and followed the Quick Start Guide to the letter, adding 80 psi to the suspension fork and 225 psi to the rear shock. The rebound was adjusted to rider preference and the front and rear tires were set to 1.25 Bar. The Grip damper of the FOX 36 Performance Elite is too linear when fully open, so we ran it with the compression adjust dial half closed for more support. For our test ride the customisable Shimano E8000 motor was set to deliver a medium assistance on the Trail support level and the highest level of support on the Boost setting.
Riding position of the Canyon Spectral:ON
Targeted at the trail rider, the Canyon Spectral:ON needs to be good at everything – for a wide range of rider abilities – and so a confidence inspiring ride position is essential. Drawing from their experience, Canyon have ensured the Spectral:ON is very similar to their conventional Spectral trail bike, no crazy long reaches or extreme geometry, just balance and familiarity. The reach is roomy without being long, and the low standover height gives a secure feeling of sitting centrally inside the bike. The wide cockpit and layout reinforce this feeling of confidence, and all the contact points feel ergonomic and well chosen.
Climbing on the Canyon Spectral:ON
Spinning up the hills, you are instantly taken with the Spectral:ON’s ability to power up and over steps and big rocks, a lot of this ‘rock crawling’ ability is down to the short 165 mm crank arms, but also the supportive and progressive rear suspension that keeps the bike high in its travel. The Spectral:ON carries its 21.55 kg weight well, easy to accelerate up technical climbs and manhandle over obstructions. The narrow Q-factor and smooth power delivery of the E8000 motor feels very natural in technical terrain and on long, drawn-out climbs. On very steep climbs, the short chainstays and relatively slack head angle do mean that more effort and body weight shifts are required to keep the front wheel down and tracking well, especially in the over-excitable Boost mode that ‘loves back wheel’. In fairness to Canyon, the 8.0 model is targeted at gravity focussed riders, and those who focus more on climbing ability could use the ‘high’ geometry mode with the seat positioned further forward on its rails, or choose a less gravity oriented model from the lineup with 150 mm of fork travel. Surprisingly, while the Canyon SD:ON seat looks quirky, it proved superbly comfortable and secure like a Chesterfield couch for your butt.
Choices, choices, specification of the Canyon Spectral:ON 8.0
An E-MTB can only be as good as it’s componentry, and this is something that Canyon know a lot about. A great E-MTB with bad brakes is as much fun as a trip to the dentist, so it’s good to see that all models come with 200 mm rotors front and back and the Spectral:ON 8.0 model is fitted with the powerful SRAM Code R brakes, hauling down speed rapidly. The SRAM EX1 drivetrain offers a good range from its 8 speed drivetrain, however, the huge gear steps do cause some loud and jarring shifts under power. Talking of wear and tear, the terrain was rocky and after a few over-ambitious line choices we were glad of the slide plate under the motor.
Hitting the trails on the Canyon Spectral:ON
Impressed with the agility of the Canyon Spectral:ON up the climbs, we were excited to point the bike down something steep. Like any good trail bike, it only takes a few turns to get an understanding of the Spectral:ON’s intent, fun! The unusual mixed wheel size works really well on the E-MTB, the 2.5” front tire steers with a precision lost on wider tired competition, while the 2.8” DHRII rear tire tracks the ground well, brakes hard, and if you do get too enthusiastic – does not try and fire you backwards through the bushes. The 780 mm bar and 60 mm stem (we would prefer a 50 mm) provide an easy going confidence through fast turns while the kinematics point to a trail bike with ambition, this is no wallowy point-and-shoot bike, it’s more rally car than monster truck.
Through the rocks the Spectral:ON 8.0 is near silent, sturdy rubberised protection stops the chain playing a concert on your chainstays – only the horny Turkey sounding “gobble gobble” of the SRAM brakes ruins the peace a little. Very quickly we were riding at full speed, enjoying the agility and taking direct lines, the balanced chassis handles without any unusual weight shifts or clumsiness in tight turns. Beginner riders will find the Spectral:ON smooth, comfortable and easy to manage, while more advanced riders will enjoy a ride quality that is exploitable, fast and riotous fun.
Conclusion
From a design perspective, anyone expecting Canyon to step into the market with a game-changing E-MTB will be left disappointed. However, that’s not to say the Spectral:ON is not a great bike, because it is. Canyon have stuck to their roots and delivered an extremely versatile E-MTB that champions excellent riding qualities, boasting a specification and aggressive pricing strategy that will put the competition under intense pressure. Let’s hope they can deliver the same focussed performance on the challenging service side as well!
More information on the Canyon website
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