Tidying up in Koblenz
Canyon has streamlined its range of mountain bikes. Gone are the separate categories of Trail, All Mountain and Enduro; the old flagship model Strive is retired. Now that Spectral And how it does so: Koblenz is launching six versions, three made of carbon and three of aluminium. Among them is the top-of-the-range model for the YouTube generation – Fabio Wibmer’s Signature Edition.
Get on it, start firing
The Spectral 6 AL’s motto is: Plug & Play. No endless fiddling with settings, no frills. Just hop on, ride off, and feel at ease. Admittedly, the scales only stop at 15.3 kilos. For an all-mountain bike, that sounds a bit on the heavy side. Yet, amongst the current test line-up (Radon Jab, Canyon Spectral, YT Jeffsy), that’s surprisingly enough to claim the lightweight crown. Anyone who remembers earlier Spectral models weighing under 13 kilos will be rubbing their eyes in disbelief. But times are changing: 29-inch wheels and chunky 2.4-inch tyres do need to be lifted – but they reward you with full bike park access.
Clone Warriors in Oberholz
Canyon is engaged in a virtual mirror image battle with its arch-rival YT: identical gear system, the same wheels, the same suspension, and even the rear suspension linkage is identical down to the last detail. “Just buy the one in your favourite colour,” quipped one tester. At Canyon, that means: olive green or a lilac shade called Haze. The low top tube offers plenty of freedom of movement, but makes the bike feel long. Buying tip: It’s better to go for a size smaller. Otherwise, a ride on the L-frame with a 500-millimetre reach will quickly turn into an involuntary stretch on the rack.
The Curve Dancer
On the trail, the Koblenz-built bike really comes into its own. Short at the rear, eager to turn. The Spectral carves through tight berms, drifts charmingly and invites you to have fun from the very first second. A slight damper on the excitement: the front tyre slips due to the harder MaxxTerra-The rubber compound wore out a bit too soon. A minor design flaw with a noticeable impact.
Confident on the slopes
Despite that minor rubber mishap, the suspension feels solid and absorbs surprisingly hard impacts on the downhill. And uphill? The Spectral climbs like a mountain goat. Even with the shock fully open, nothing wobbles. A true all-rounder, in fact: straightforward, resilient and bloody fast.
Facilities
Front fork / Shock absorber: Fox 36 Float Performance Elite / Fox Float X Performance
Circuit / Bandwidth: Shimano SLX / 510 %
Brakes: Shimano SLX /203/203 mm
Wheels: DT Swiss M1900
Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra Exo Protection TR 29 x 2.4
Seat post / Travel: Canyon SP0081 / 200 mm
Maximum system weight: 120 kg
Warranty: 6 years
From the test laboratory
Total weight: 15.37 kg without pedals
Weight of wheels: 5492 g
Impeller inertia: 4,414 kg per cm²
What went well/what didn’t?
+ lively handling
+ good all-round performance
+ value for money
- Front tyre with poor grip
Conclusion by Laurin Lehner, BIKE test editor
Great suspension, comfortable geometry, well-balanced spec, a killer price – the Spectral is a truly impressive all-mountain bike. With this bike, you can certainly head down the downhill track at the bike park. However, I found the bike most enjoyable on technical natural trails, where the Spectral can really let its playful side run wild.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
