First Ride: We Test The Brand New 2019 Canyon Neuron CF

For those who were taking notice, you’ll remember that a short while ago we reported that German direct sales giant, Canyon, had quietly released an updated 2019 version of the Neuron AL with a minimum of fuss or fanfare. It was with some interest then that not long after that we received an invitation to join them in the Sintra mountains of Portugal for a new bike launch.

We decided to give our foul weather tester, Daz Hall, a well-deserved break from the Grim North™ to see exactly what this new bike is made of. Over to Daz!

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This year saw Canyon release its new 140mm Spectral trail bike and the 100mm Lux race machine. Whilst these are completely different bikes with different purposes and target markets, they do share the common technologies and aesthetics that are steadily tying together Canyon’s new full suspension lineup, which includes the big travel Torque and Sender downhill bike.

As of right now, two models have yet to receive the update treatment though – the Neuron and the Strive.

Given the somewhat understated update of the Neuron AL, and the fact that pretty much every other bike manufacturer has jumped on the mid-travel 29er bandwagon, it wasn’t exactly a shock to the band of bike journos assembled from all corners of Europe and the US to see another mid-travel carbon 29er before us.

Or maybe the lack of enthusiasm was because we were all knackered from being up at 4am to catch our respective flights?

My grumpy jetlag aside, there’s a fair bit to get excited about with the new Neuron CF. For a start, it has a completely brand new carbon fibre frame that draws plenty of inspiration from the new Lux and Spectral models. And gone is the previous rocker-link suspension design of the current Neuron AL, and in its place is Canyon’s new Triple Phase platform that flips the rear shock mount to sit underneath the top tube.

There’s a whole lot more detail to be found on this mid-travel trail bike, so let’s dive in to take a closer look.

2019 Canyon Neuron CF Features

• Lightweight full suspension trail bike
• Full carbon fibre mainframe & swingarm w/injection moulded shock extension
• 27.5in wheels (XS, S) or 29in wheels (M, L, XL)
• Triple Phase suspension design
• 130mm travel front & rear
• 67.5° head angle
• 74.5° seat angle
• 2x compatible frame design
• Threaded bottom bracket shell
• 148x12mm dropouts w/tool-less Quixle
• Industrial-grade cartridge bearings with double-lip seals
• Available sizes: X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, & X-Large
• Complete bike RRP: £2,449 – £5,099

What’s It For Then?

The Neuron CF is pitched as an all-round adventure machine. Something for big rides, on big mountains, that you can pedal uphill all day without compromising on fun going back down. But it’s also made to cater for the less adventurous too – those who usually get out for a couple of hours at the weekend on local trails, with perhaps a few trips away with mates somewhere more exotic.

As a result of these multiple aims, some compromises have been made in the design. The Neuron features 130mm of suspension front and rear, which puts it bang in line with other 29er trail bikes like the GT Sensor and Trek Fuel EX. The geometry however, is a little more conservative. Canyon has resisted the urge to go too long or slack, and have instead kept the numbers right in the middle with a 67.5° head angle and a middling reach of 433mm on the Medium.

29in AND 27.5in Wheels

Although the majority of the range features 29in wheels, the Small and X-Small sizes have 27.5in wheels. The reason for this is more than just aesthetics. The Neuron’s designers highlighted that a lot of work had gone into making this a bike suitable for those who are, shall we say, ‘less skilled’ in the arts of descent. The result of this was a focus on the ratio between ground trail and handlebar width in order to keep the steering consistently stable across the range.

To achieve this, and to keep the geometry consistent, 27.5in wheels on the smaller bikes were required. It also means the larger sizes have wider bars at 760mm compared with 740mm on the smaller sizes. Regardless of frame size though, all forks are of a 29er variety, and feature a 51mm fork offset for nimble steering.

Given the focus on stability for less aggressive riders, the Canyon team was keen for us to remember this while we were on the trail, and to imagine ourselves in this role. Considering I’d spent all year riding XC bikes with wheels firmly on the ground, I was going to fulfil this role to the letter.

Neuron CF Specs & Pricing

As is usual for Canyon, the Neuron comes in a range of specs and variations to suit a wide range of requirements and pocket depths.

At the top end the 9.0 Unlimited is priced at £5,099 and is spec’ed with a Shimano XTR 1×12 groupset, a Fox 34 Factory fork, and DT Swiss XMC1200 wheels. At the other end of the range the entry level 8.0 model is priced at a very reasonable £2,449 and comes with a SRAM GX Eagle 1×12 groupset, a Fox 34 Rhythm fork, and DT Swiss M1900 wheels.

In this case we were testing the mid-range 9.0SL, which retails at an astonishing £3,349 considering it comes with Reynolds TR309 carbon wheels, Fox Performance Elite suspension and a SRAM XO1 Eagle groupset.

There are also two women’s specific models; the 8.0 (£2,449) and the 9.0 (£2,799). I’m not quite sure why there isn’t a high spec version of the women’s model to match the men’s, I can only assume Canyon think, probably correctly, that female bikers are more sensible in their purchasing decisions.

Canyon Neuron CF First Ride

This was a new gig for me. Normally I get the job of testing cold and wet weather kit, and bikes and bits that get masochist endurance racers excited. So when the email dropped in my inbox asking if I wanted to go to Portugal at the height of the UK autumn monsoon just after the clocks had gone back, I wasn’t exactly going to say no.

The fact that this was a bike which was bigger and more capable than pretty much anything I’d ridden all year, and that I’d be riding it on dusty ‘all-mountain’ trails was even better. Until of course I looked at the weather forecast and realised it had been raining non-stop in Lisbon for nearly two weeks.

Oh well, at least I knew how to ride in the mud.

I’d never heard of the Sintra mountains before, and the trails there are a bit of a local secret. Being so close to Lisbon, they’re also extremely accessible. The all-mountain description was pretty accurate. A mix of steep, rooted, and rocky natural trails enhanced with man-made jumps and drops made for an ideal testing ground.

Obviously it’s difficult to come to any real informed view about the bike’s capabilities on such a brief excursion outside the comfort zone, but even then it’s pretty clear that the effort Canyon have put into to making this bike ‘beginner-friendly’ has paid off.

It provides a level of confidence and stability which sucks you into pushing the boundaries, and it didn’t take very long before I was riding off the jumps and drops instead of riding round them. And when confidence outstripped ability, the Neuron amply compensated, even when incompetently going nose first off a 4ft drop.

Triple Phase Suspension

The new ‘Triple Phase’ suspension kinematics do well to soak up the trail without deadening it. Small bumps and resultant trail buzz disappear, and bigger hits are absorbed as the compression ramps up in the final third phase of the travel. Maybe not enough though, as on the faster and rockier trails some bottoming out of the shock was in evidence.

Unlike the previous model that required a much smaller amount of sag, Canyon recommends the Neuron CF to be setup with 27-30% sag on the rear shock. I was sitting close to that, so I’d be keen to spend more time with the bike to play around with pressure settings and air volume in order to reduce bottoming.

Despite all this help in compensating for my lack of skill, the Neuron CF never felt boring. The middling reach and not-too-slack head angle, along with the low weight, provides precise and sporty handling, and an ability to throw this bike around if you don’t just want to sit on it. It’s not as aggressive as some bikes, but then it’s not supposed to be.

Uphill the Neuron does what’s expected. I’m currently testing its sportier sibling the Lux CF SL, which is quite a bit lighter and more sprightly under pedalling inputs. But although the Neuron CF isn’t going to break any records in comparison to the Lux, with the shock lockout engaged it climbs a lot lighter than the weight would suggest, and with the addition of some lighter and faster tyres it could do a passable impression of a cross country machine.

Unfortunately we only really got the chance to ride upwards this on fire roads, so climbing ability on steeper more technical terrain is somewhat of an unknown. But from the spec and the experience gleaned on what we did ride, there was nothing to suggest that it can’t perform on this score.

How it will hold up to UK conditions, especially in the wetter months (Ed: you mean all of them!), is something yet to be ascertained. Though very tidy in appearance, the linkage design provides ample opportunity for mud and grime to accumulate, especially around the busy seatstay area.

However, the Germans assure us that plenty of testing has gone on to ensure that all of the key moving parts are sealed up tight. Pivot bearings are of the industrial cartridge variety, with double-lip seals and “a specially formulated grease that repels water and dirt more effectively than standard lubricants“, which sounds exotic.

Additionally, the Neuron CF’s main pivot receives fully enclosed X-ring seals, as well as external, screw-on dust seal caps that give a very clean look, if nothing else. To cope with the additional forces exerted on it from pedalling, the asymmetric main pivot actually gets two bearings on the drive-side.

One component on the Neuron that deviates from the norm is the bottom bracket shell, which is of the threaded variety rather than the press-fit standard that’s found on the Lux and Spectral frames. Canyon cites the ease of maintenance as being the reason it went with threaded cups for the Neuron, and while that leaves questions as to why the Spectral remains press-fit, we’re still pleased.

Also pleasing is the use of the brilliant internal-but-not-really cable routing, where the full-length gear cable and brake hose are routed through a bolt-on channel along the underside of the downtube. This allows for easy access to the cables, while still protecting them (and the carbon downtube) from the elements.

The Early Verdict

The Neuron CF, like the many others in this crowded market, seeks to solve the trade-off between all-out downhill capability and the ability to climb. It also attempts to balance the trade-off between the less experienced and more experienced rider, to be all things to all people. Whilst that sounds pretty unspectacular, any concerns that it doesn’t provide either the capability or excitement required by experienced riders is unfounded on this evidence. In fact, Canyon may well have got this just right.

With Canyon’s ability to outperform its competitors on price and spec, combined with the all-round capabilities of the Neuron CF, I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot of these on UK trails in the near future.

We’ll be keen to get one in for longer term testing, so stay tuned for a more thorough and in-depth review. In the meantime, head to Canyon.com for more info.

2019 Canyon Neuron CF 9.0 SL

• Frame // Carbon Fibre, 130mm Travel
• Fork // Fox 34 Float, Performance Elite, 51mm Offset, 130mm Travel
• Shock // Fox Float DPS, Performance Elite, EVOL Air Can, 210x50mm (195x45mm on XS, S sizes)
• Hubs // Reynolds TR3 Mountain Hub, 110x15mm Front & 148x12mm Rear
• Rims // Reynolds TR309 Carbon, 28h Front & Rear, 30mm Internal Rim Width
• Tyres // Maxxis Forekaster EXO 2.35in 3C MaxxTerra Front & 3C MaxxSpeed Rear
• Chainset // SRAM Stylo 7K DUB, 30t Chainring
• Rear Mech // SRAM X01 Eagle, 12-Speed
• Shifter // SRAM X01 Eagle, 12-Speed
• Cassette // SRAM GX Eagle, 10-50t, 12-Speed
• Brakes // SRAM Guide R, 180mm Front & 160m Rear Rotors
• Bar // Canyon H15 Alloy , 15mm Rise 760mm Wide
• Stem // Canyon V12 Alloy, 60mm Long
• Grips // Ergon GA2, Lock-On
• Seatpost // Fox Transfer, Performance Elite, 100mm Travel
• Saddle // Iridium Trail
• Size Tested // Medium
• Sizes available // X-Small, Small, Medium, Large & Extra Large
• Claimed Weight // 12.86 kg (28.29 lbs)
• RRP // £3,349

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Disclosure

Flights & accommodation for this trip were covered by Canyon.

Review Info

Brand:	Canyon
Product:	Neuron CF 9.0 SL
From:	Canyon, canyon.com
Price:	£3,349
Tested:	by Daz for 1 lovely day in Sintra

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