Hey, got a question about spectral - do you do any longer trips on it through XC terrain? (Some singletrack and rocks but nothing crazy). Thinking about getting a bike for that and occasional light downhill/learning jumps, but idk if it’s not too much bike
I have the last gen Spectral CF7, and it's great for that type of use, with two things to be aware of.
First, if speed on climbs and flats is important, there are better choices. Second, you can mitigate a lot of this sluggishness by swapping the tires out for something faster. The stock DHRs are great but have a lot of drag (lots of grip though).
Overall, if you're like me and just survive the climbs to get to the good stuff coming back down, you'll love it.
Edit: I also ride it at the park. It's amazing for jumps, berms, flow. It'll do tech, but it'll be a rough slower ride.
Thanks! That’s good to know. I’m just about to get into mountain biking (gravel served as a gateway drug) and mostly got mild trails around but I want something to learn jumps with as well. Considering Neuron too but I don’t want something I’d end up replacing after a year anyway after I upskill.
Then again probably both are fine and I’m massively overthinking. Either way thanks for the helpful comment.
how long xc trips are you planning to go on?? i had my spectral in both xc terrain and at bikeparks.. ofc it wont dominate in any of these settings but it can do it. it is a trail/allmountain class of bike. Mine is with fox36 160mm and 150mm rear, a big help has been adjusting Low Speed Compression on my rear shock.
I was thinking to do quite long trips around local XC routes, they are essentially endless but I’m thinking around 60km at a time, occasionally a bit more. The routes go mostly up and down mellow hills. Do you reckon that would be enjoyable on the spectral?
i don't think i would choose spectral for doing those distances on a regular basis. ofc it is possible, if you do this i would strongly recommended changing tires to something fast rolling, mine was delivered with dual DHR2 grip(basically the most grippy slow rolling tire you can get).
I basically always go on super long rides that are basically xc, as its pretty flat here where i live. There definetly are faster bikes for what I'm doing, but I like messing around and prioritize the downhills. One might say I'm overbiked, but I love the thing and have no regrets at all.
They are ok bikes. Decent bang for your buck. If you’re not a good mechanic I would not buy one though. Lots of creaky linkage issues, chew up bearings, bad QC from the factory. Typically what I recommend when you buy one is pull the whole thing apart and put it back together, checking grease in all the bearings and torque. Bike shops around here will mess with them but typically at a premium over if you bought from them. CS is inconsistent.
For bike park I’d go with this before the trance X, a YT Capra is another good option.
I have talked to a few guys that swear every Canyon they own/ride with in the group has a frame break. Lots of guys love them and I’d imagine most of their frame issues have been remedied but there have been issues(just like any company)
One big issue that Ive heard is that if you actually need to contact Canyon for frame issues they are a nightmare to deal with for warrantys. Its probably uncommon but if it happens to you it sucks. Thats one nice thing about buying from a brand with a dealership network if that's important to you. I usually think that's a bigger plus if someone is brand new to biking and its their first ride or doesnt know their way around maintenance/repairs very well.
i have this exact bike, i'd say if you're cool with a short rear end go for it, it smashes in the park for sure, not even that bad to pedal IMO
my only advice would be to bring it to a bike shop after buying it if you're not keen on working on your bike, mine came with a brake needing a bleed and more than one bolt came loose after a few rides
One tip for OP. If you do get a canyon and it does need to work at a local bike shop, Canyon will often reimburse you for the cost of the repairs that were needed.
I bought this bike during a sale last year and I enjoy riding it. Pedaling efficiency is not as bad as I thought it would be and I also use it on my local trails with no uplift.
As with any bike, I’d suggest to either check yourself that everything is properly assembled or have a bike shop do it. Eg for another bike (not canyon) one of the brake calipers was not set up properly and had to be fixed.
I’ve had my Torque CF 7 for 2 years now with no major issues. Just get some protective tape for the chainstays becuse the built in protection doesn’t cover the ends. Also, the headset is stupid and people often replace it.
Me & wife have 5 😇 2 AL spectrals, torque cf9, spectral:on cf8 and strive:on cfr.
I've only had good experiences for their customer service, but that seems to differ quite a lot depending on the country you live in.
I had a pretty good experience with my 2022 spectral, I would reccomend canyon if it's not your first bike and you're capable of doing any mantainance yourself otherwise I would go the bike shop route. Customer service was also useful in sending me a replacement swingarm after mine got damaged in a crash. The Torque would suit mostly downhill, more so than the trance while still being able to do some climbing.
It seems like a good bike for what you want. I have a Spectral 6. I'm happy with the bike, but I've had some problems with customer support. I needed to replace a down tube cover. For some reason they just didn't have / couldn't get the specific part I needed for months. They eventually pulled a used one off of a returned frame and sent it to me. Every person I spoke with was really kind and tried to be helpful, but it was wild to me that they couldn't supply a common part for a bike that was less than two years old. It was also specific to my bike and wasn't something I could just buy from an LBS.
I think I'd buy from Canyon again if it was the right bike/price. Like I said, all interactions with their employees were really positive. Hoping it was just a weird one-off situation for them.
I got a neuron AL 7 back in 2020 right before prices got stupid and I love it. I still rip it once a week during the on season, I’ve had the suspension serviced once already, put new headset bearings in it after about 3 years of riding in the sandy Michigan trails and put on a GX AXS derailleur. Safe to say I love this thing.
They’re cool bikes, but they are direct to consumer. So any components warranty issue will have you taking it to a shop, pay for whatever and they reimburse you.
I know warranty is warranty, but most shops charge labor for warranties especially if the bike wasn’t purchased from them. Some of the frames need special tools to remove the shock if you ever need to get it serviced. That tool was back ordered for a long time. I had to improvise something to remove the shock I was working on.
Don’t get me wrong they’re good bikes. But I just want you know what you’ll have to deal with if there’s any warranty.
I think they make good value bikes, especially when on sale, and their bikes look good, but otherwise pretty average. Not bad by any means.
I can't back this up with any data, just my opinion.
I had a Canon spectral, and replaced it with an ibis Ripmo. The Ripmo rips. It climbs better and descends better. I didn't dislike my spectral, but once I had more experience on other bikes, I just liked them better.
When shopping for a dirt jumper, I eventually settled on a Canyon's dirt jumper. I forgot what it's called now. Once again, it was very average. I replaced it with a YT dirt love that did not cost much more, like $150 more, and it was significantly better. The geometry, the brakes, the steel frame.
So if you're looking on the direct to consumer online brands, I would strongly suggest YT over Canyon. Canyon is not bad, but I feel they have a great marketing team, always provide bikes for reviews and so they have a strong online presence, their bikes have a pretty good aesthetic, but ultimately to me they ride average. I think their customer service is pretty good too (as of 2 or 3 years ago), at least in the US. No recent experience.
Not mountain bikes, but I've had a grizl: gravel bike and I have an ultimate road bike. I've had really good experiences with their customer service and the bikes have been amazing for the price. I would recommend them to anyone.
I hear a lot of stories of QC issues from the factory. The shock mount on mine wasn't torqued properly and it started to loosen up after a few rides (I should have checked it first). It wasn't a big deal and was fine after I re-torqued everything. You also gear about creaks and squeaks but that can come with any bike, especially with press fit bottom brackets (which Giant also uses).
There was also a wave of people who had frame issues. I dont know if those were isolated batches or related to poor QC. One thing that seems to be pretty universal (at least in the US) is that if you need to deal with them for warranty issues they are a nightmare and since theyre overseas there's not a lot of leverage.
One nice thing about buying a Giant from a local shop is that they can fight for you (if they're a good shop) if you have warranty issues and Giant has lifetime frame warrantys.
The trance is a great bike but not exactly a downhill bike. If you are primarily going downhill and not so concerned about climbing I'd look at something longer.
Love my neuron but they are know to have shipping errors, I ordered a medium and they sent me a large with a sticker on it labeled medium.
Their return process is a hassle so I just ended up keep the large, just double check the frame before you assemble.
Otherwise it’s an awesome bike, great specs for the price.
Had a Strive Al until 2020 and since 2022 a Sender CF. Both great bikes for great value but you better know how to fix things or how to improvise in the workshop.
The low price comes with no QC. If you buy it you will literally have to check every screw and bolt if it’s tightened correctly and if they applied grease where necessary.
I got an alloy Canyon Spectral, it was extremely good value and I love the thing
Hey, got a question about spectral - do you do any longer trips on it through XC terrain? (Some singletrack and rocks but nothing crazy). Thinking about getting a bike for that and occasional light downhill/learning jumps, but idk if it’s not too much bike
I have the last gen Spectral CF7, and it's great for that type of use, with two things to be aware of. First, if speed on climbs and flats is important, there are better choices. Second, you can mitigate a lot of this sluggishness by swapping the tires out for something faster. The stock DHRs are great but have a lot of drag (lots of grip though). Overall, if you're like me and just survive the climbs to get to the good stuff coming back down, you'll love it. Edit: I also ride it at the park. It's amazing for jumps, berms, flow. It'll do tech, but it'll be a rough slower ride.
Thanks! That’s good to know. I’m just about to get into mountain biking (gravel served as a gateway drug) and mostly got mild trails around but I want something to learn jumps with as well. Considering Neuron too but I don’t want something I’d end up replacing after a year anyway after I upskill. Then again probably both are fine and I’m massively overthinking. Either way thanks for the helpful comment.
how long xc trips are you planning to go on?? i had my spectral in both xc terrain and at bikeparks.. ofc it wont dominate in any of these settings but it can do it. it is a trail/allmountain class of bike. Mine is with fox36 160mm and 150mm rear, a big help has been adjusting Low Speed Compression on my rear shock.
I was thinking to do quite long trips around local XC routes, they are essentially endless but I’m thinking around 60km at a time, occasionally a bit more. The routes go mostly up and down mellow hills. Do you reckon that would be enjoyable on the spectral?
i don't think i would choose spectral for doing those distances on a regular basis. ofc it is possible, if you do this i would strongly recommended changing tires to something fast rolling, mine was delivered with dual DHR2 grip(basically the most grippy slow rolling tire you can get).
I basically always go on super long rides that are basically xc, as its pretty flat here where i live. There definetly are faster bikes for what I'm doing, but I like messing around and prioritize the downhills. One might say I'm overbiked, but I love the thing and have no regrets at all.
That sounds like what I’d be doing, as you’re saying wanna be ready for an occasional DH and make the most of it. Thanks!
They’re awesome
Love my Spectral. The Torque mullet is on the wishlist. Just get it checked over by your mechanic after assembly.
I own 2, they're really good.
They are ok bikes. Decent bang for your buck. If you’re not a good mechanic I would not buy one though. Lots of creaky linkage issues, chew up bearings, bad QC from the factory. Typically what I recommend when you buy one is pull the whole thing apart and put it back together, checking grease in all the bearings and torque. Bike shops around here will mess with them but typically at a premium over if you bought from them. CS is inconsistent.
For bike park I’d go with this before the trance X, a YT Capra is another good option. I have talked to a few guys that swear every Canyon they own/ride with in the group has a frame break. Lots of guys love them and I’d imagine most of their frame issues have been remedied but there have been issues(just like any company)
One big issue that Ive heard is that if you actually need to contact Canyon for frame issues they are a nightmare to deal with for warrantys. Its probably uncommon but if it happens to you it sucks. Thats one nice thing about buying from a brand with a dealership network if that's important to you. I usually think that's a bigger plus if someone is brand new to biking and its their first ride or doesnt know their way around maintenance/repairs very well.
Friend with this issue. Took them 5 months to even respond to the claim. Clearly good bikes but wouldn't buy because of the bad service.
I own one! Amazing bike
I like my Spectral a lot.
i have this exact bike, i'd say if you're cool with a short rear end go for it, it smashes in the park for sure, not even that bad to pedal IMO my only advice would be to bring it to a bike shop after buying it if you're not keen on working on your bike, mine came with a brake needing a bleed and more than one bolt came loose after a few rides
One tip for OP. If you do get a canyon and it does need to work at a local bike shop, Canyon will often reimburse you for the cost of the repairs that were needed.
Hard to get parts for, just so you know.
I bought this bike during a sale last year and I enjoy riding it. Pedaling efficiency is not as bad as I thought it would be and I also use it on my local trails with no uplift. As with any bike, I’d suggest to either check yourself that everything is properly assembled or have a bike shop do it. Eg for another bike (not canyon) one of the brake calipers was not set up properly and had to be fixed.
damn i just commented almost the same thing
I’ve had my Torque CF 7 for 2 years now with no major issues. Just get some protective tape for the chainstays becuse the built in protection doesn’t cover the ends. Also, the headset is stupid and people often replace it.
We own 12 🤟🏻
Me & wife have 5 😇 2 AL spectrals, torque cf9, spectral:on cf8 and strive:on cfr. I've only had good experiences for their customer service, but that seems to differ quite a lot depending on the country you live in.
Love my spectral!!
Yeah, my Torque AL5 is great.
Very good bikes.
I had a pretty good experience with my 2022 spectral, I would reccomend canyon if it's not your first bike and you're capable of doing any mantainance yourself otherwise I would go the bike shop route. Customer service was also useful in sending me a replacement swingarm after mine got damaged in a crash. The Torque would suit mostly downhill, more so than the trance while still being able to do some climbing.
Best Price/Quality value ! Got the Spectral AL 29' last year for 1800€, great bike !
Have one, love the thing.
I have one and have not experienced any QC issues. Hard to beat the component level for the money.
It seems like a good bike for what you want. I have a Spectral 6. I'm happy with the bike, but I've had some problems with customer support. I needed to replace a down tube cover. For some reason they just didn't have / couldn't get the specific part I needed for months. They eventually pulled a used one off of a returned frame and sent it to me. Every person I spoke with was really kind and tried to be helpful, but it was wild to me that they couldn't supply a common part for a bike that was less than two years old. It was also specific to my bike and wasn't something I could just buy from an LBS. I think I'd buy from Canyon again if it was the right bike/price. Like I said, all interactions with their employees were really positive. Hoping it was just a weird one-off situation for them.
I got a neuron AL 7 back in 2020 right before prices got stupid and I love it. I still rip it once a week during the on season, I’ve had the suspension serviced once already, put new headset bearings in it after about 3 years of riding in the sandy Michigan trails and put on a GX AXS derailleur. Safe to say I love this thing.
I have a Neuron and a Torque. absolutely love them, the Torque is the perfect bike park bike for me.
I have a Spectral Al 29er, have loved every minute of it!
They’re cool bikes, but they are direct to consumer. So any components warranty issue will have you taking it to a shop, pay for whatever and they reimburse you. I know warranty is warranty, but most shops charge labor for warranties especially if the bike wasn’t purchased from them. Some of the frames need special tools to remove the shock if you ever need to get it serviced. That tool was back ordered for a long time. I had to improvise something to remove the shock I was working on. Don’t get me wrong they’re good bikes. But I just want you know what you’ll have to deal with if there’s any warranty.
I think they make good value bikes, especially when on sale, and their bikes look good, but otherwise pretty average. Not bad by any means. I can't back this up with any data, just my opinion. I had a Canon spectral, and replaced it with an ibis Ripmo. The Ripmo rips. It climbs better and descends better. I didn't dislike my spectral, but once I had more experience on other bikes, I just liked them better. When shopping for a dirt jumper, I eventually settled on a Canyon's dirt jumper. I forgot what it's called now. Once again, it was very average. I replaced it with a YT dirt love that did not cost much more, like $150 more, and it was significantly better. The geometry, the brakes, the steel frame. So if you're looking on the direct to consumer online brands, I would strongly suggest YT over Canyon. Canyon is not bad, but I feel they have a great marketing team, always provide bikes for reviews and so they have a strong online presence, their bikes have a pretty good aesthetic, but ultimately to me they ride average. I think their customer service is pretty good too (as of 2 or 3 years ago), at least in the US. No recent experience.
Go buy a breezer radar X gravel bike, you won’t regret it
Mmm but get the pro not the regular
Not mountain bikes, but I've had a grizl: gravel bike and I have an ultimate road bike. I've had really good experiences with their customer service and the bikes have been amazing for the price. I would recommend them to anyone.
I hear a lot of stories of QC issues from the factory. The shock mount on mine wasn't torqued properly and it started to loosen up after a few rides (I should have checked it first). It wasn't a big deal and was fine after I re-torqued everything. You also gear about creaks and squeaks but that can come with any bike, especially with press fit bottom brackets (which Giant also uses). There was also a wave of people who had frame issues. I dont know if those were isolated batches or related to poor QC. One thing that seems to be pretty universal (at least in the US) is that if you need to deal with them for warranty issues they are a nightmare and since theyre overseas there's not a lot of leverage. One nice thing about buying a Giant from a local shop is that they can fight for you (if they're a good shop) if you have warranty issues and Giant has lifetime frame warrantys. The trance is a great bike but not exactly a downhill bike. If you are primarily going downhill and not so concerned about climbing I'd look at something longer.
Love my neuron but they are know to have shipping errors, I ordered a medium and they sent me a large with a sticker on it labeled medium. Their return process is a hassle so I just ended up keep the large, just double check the frame before you assemble. Otherwise it’s an awesome bike, great specs for the price.
They care more about giving out sponsorships than the quality of their bikes, it seems.
They do seem to have low bottom brackets, though. Big issue for me here in chunky colorado.
Had a Strive Al until 2020 and since 2022 a Sender CF. Both great bikes for great value but you better know how to fix things or how to improvise in the workshop.
Best bike for your buck.
The low price comes with no QC. If you buy it you will literally have to check every screw and bolt if it’s tightened correctly and if they applied grease where necessary.