True to the motto "less is more", Canyon has completely redesigned its All Mountain Spectral. Even if only a subtle visual change can be recognised, the new all-rounder has been renovated from the ground up. One of the biggest changes is certainly the reduction in suspension travel by ten millimetres at the front and rear. With 150 millimetres of travel on the fork and 140 millimetres on the rear triangle, the new Spectral is thus moving away from the previous model. a little further from the Enduro Strive and positions itself centrally in the All Mountain category, where the focus is more on propulsion.
Canyon Spectral in the fourth generation
The Canyon Spectral is now in its fourth generation and has been in use since 2014. from the wheel size to the suspension travel. However, Canyon's claim to the model is still the same. The Spectral should be a fun bike that cuts an excellent figure everywhere from the low mountain ranges to the trails in Finale Ligure.
In order to build on the all-rounder claim, the Canyon development team also experimented with different rear suspension concepts. From single-pivot to VPP rear triangles, everything had to prove itself in the preliminary ride tests. Ultimately, however, the latest Spectral generation is also based on a four-bar linkage. Function, weight and ultimately also the maintenance effort spoke in favour of sticking with the existing rear triangle.
Stiff at the front, soft at the back
The stiffness of the frame and thus the traction was also scrutinised in the course of the new edition and fed with data from a scientific study conducted at Canyon. Similar to the approach of our new test rig in the BIKE test lab, which can measure the front and rear frame stiffness separately, different requirements for the front and rear were realised in the development of the frame platform.
To achieve a high degree of steering precision, the front frame triangle had to be designed to be particularly rigid. However, one of the main problems was the stiffness compared to the predecessor and also integrate a contemporary storage compartment in the down tube. Due to the large opening below the water bottle, the frame is generally weakened, which must be compensated for by frame wall thickness, tube cross-section and fibre layup.
On the other hand, a certain amount of lateral flex is desirable in the rear triangle in order to be able to withstand loads acting at a 90 degree angle to the suspension without losing grip. However, the rear end should not be too soft either, as otherwise heavy and dynamic riders would have to reckon with too much flex, loss of precision or uncontrolled rebound of the frame. To put Canyon's development goal to the test, we simply put the new and old Spectral carbon frame on our stiffness test bench. At 7.5 N/mm at the front and 16.1 N/mm at the rear, the new Spectral is 15 per cent stiffer on the main frame, while the rear triangle allows for ten per cent more flex. Mission accomplished!
The kinematics have been refined on the Gen 4 of the Canyon Spectral
Contrary to some trends, Canyon has decided to slightly reduce the anti-squat on the new Spectral, which tends to result in more bob but also more open suspension and more traction when pedalling. Especially in the downhill gears, i.e. on the small sprockets, the anti-squat value has been significantly reduced. The same applies to the Antirise value, which describes the influence of the rear brake on the rear suspension. Here too, the new Spectral has a lower value compared to its predecessor, which means that the rear suspension rebounds more under braking, but tends to bob less and can therefore work more actively when braking. The downside is the poorer geometry retention, as the bike leans forwards more when braking on steep gradients.
Minimal geometry adjustments
In terms of geometry, the new Spectral is more of a fine-tuning than a radical change. The previous version already had a very modern approach. The seat angle has been increased only minimally to 76.5 degrees, the steering angle has been retained at 64 degrees and the reach has been increased moderately by around 12 millimetres. A Spectral in size M now has a 468 mm reach (measured in the flat flip-chip setting) and, according to Canyon's recommendation, is aimed at riders between 1.75 and 1.83 metres, which is pretty good. Due to the shorter seat tube, longer dropper posts can now be fitted and the standover height is also lower, which offers more clearance to the top tube. In size XS for riders from 1.55 metres, the Spectral comes in the Mullet setup and covers riders up to 2.03 metres tall in size XL.
Strong details
The new Spectral has two flip chips on board. The one on the rear shock mount adjusts the geometry and can change the steering angle by 0.5 degrees and the bottom bracket height by eight millimetres. The second in the Horst link of the rear triangle equalises the wheel size and chainstay length. With an optional 27.5 inch rear wheel, the chainstay measures a short 429 millimetres, with a 29er rear wheel, the length increases to 437 millimetres. In addition to the aforementioned storage compartment in the down tube, the Spectral has three additional threads under the top tube. A quickly accessible mini tool, for example, can be safely stowed there. For a long service life, the main bearings of the rear triangle have also been fitted with two interlocking rubber sealing lips to keep the worst of the mud out. The heel clearance has also been increased thanks to a slightly slimmer rear triangle.
K.I.S. on board
Another rather exclusive feature is hidden in the top tube and can only be recognised by the slider. The bike comes as standard with the K.I.S. (Keep it Stable) steering assistant invented by Syntacewhich has a greater or lesser influence on the steering behaviour depending on the spring preload setting. In order to allow K.I.S. newcomers a smooth start, Canyon has reduced the preload slightly compared to the limited first model. In the soft setting, the supportive straightening of the handlebars is only minimally noticeable. At maximum preload, however, the system stabilises the bike noticeably, especially in loose gravel and fast sections.
If you still can't get to grips with the steering assistant after a period of familiarisation, you have the option of removing the system completely and closing the top tube with a cover. This gives Spectral customers all the options at their fingertips.
Price ranges and model variants of the Canyon Spectral
The four new carbon models are priced between 3399 and 6999 euros.
- 3399 Euro: Spectral CF7
- 3999 Euro: Spectral CF8
- 4999 Euro: Spectral CF9
- 6999 Euro: Spectral CF LTD
Our Canyon Spectral CF9 in size M weighed 14.8 kilos without pedals.
