[Closed] anyone got a canyon spectral 27.5 (2014 or 2015)? looking for rider feedback?

i have read a few of the reviews looks promising just looking to get actual owners opinions?

Having read about your issues with Tredz I really wouldn't recommend buying from Canyon. They took 3 months to replace my faulty frame.

really....? i had heard that most of there customer service problems were ok now.... ok m8 will bear that in mind!!!

This was spring this year.

I've whinged about it already on this thread

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rose-and-canyon-bikes-anyone

How about the Bird Aeris? Not out till January mind.

I purchased a 2014 spectral AL7 which I have had for about 2 months.
I had to wait about 2 months for delivery but it arrived on the same week as promised.

Quite easy to set up and assemble but the front disc was noisy, due to a slight warp.
It came with a thick wad of books and product leaflets etc but suspension pressures where available on the fox web site.

after reading a lot of speculation regarding frame sizes I used the online size calculator and ordered a medium and the size was fine.

one of the first rides was up the snowdon ranger where I got 3 pinch flats, 2 simultaneously on the telegraph valley.
the standard continental tyres where replaced by a highroller 2 at the front and an ardent at the back, no more pinch flats so far. Grip is also much improved particularly on my local dh track which is rooty and muddy.

the bike was nice to ride up but getting to grips with the front fork was hard. the bike handles nice and is good over small jumps and drops.
bB height is low this makes for nice cornering but prone to pedal strikes, getting used to it now.

my main gripe is the front fork which is the fox 32 talas ctd evolution, as most of the reviews say getting a good set up is hard.
At the moment I have raised the pressure and running approx 10% sag with the setting on trail. Small bump performance is poor but less prone to diving. Rode the beast in coed y brenin the other day and it was ok just as fast as my old lapierre spicy with 36's on the downs as I got quite a few strava PB's.
thinking of a fork upgrade already the x fusion's look good or pikes.

So in a nutshell the package is good but I feel they have skimped on the fork.

am looking at the sramx1/pike build.... was thinking the top of the line one with the dbinline but if i can't stretch to that the 2100 pike build looks good!

seen a few reviews and they all mention the std tyres by i think the 2015's come with HR2....

what height are you? am 183cm so thinking the large for me!.

thanks

They've increase the length quite a bit for 2015 over 2014. Certainly on the medium at least.

Ordered a Spectral AL 6.0 2014 a week last Thursday, Arrived this Friday,
First ride tomorrow so I can't judge but I must say it feels and looks great.
Will update tomorrow!

cheers taco!

Also very interested in this bike, - so eager to hear any feedback.

Thinking about the new carbon one due out, - with 150 pike and CCDB-Inline,- thinking this could be a ripper of a bike for enduro with the new geometry.

Got mine back in March - Spectral al8.0 - love it. Running the tyres tubeless so no issues with pinch flats. I'm 182cm and went for a large - size ok although a little longer would be nice. Ive seen they've changed the sizes for this year and they look even better.

Ride wise I the spectral is amazing value, best bike ive had over the years. Went from a Cotic soul and a Scott voltage wanting something inbetween and got it - great up and really capable down, almost more capable than my voltage - strava went nuts on all my local routes for a few weeks. Tempted to swap the fork though as not getting on with the Fox 32.

Very tempted with the strive though, not much more weight but more travel

yeah the NEW strive with shapeshifter looks cool! although alittle heavy! not voltage heavy tho! 14.2kg ish for the strive but not available till feb march time!....

i have the DH bike for more travel thinking of getting (2015)pike version @2099 then if the pikes are spaced remove to put up to 150 travel.... that should do me! its the weight of the spectral that interests me! 12.6kg....INC the reverb! thats mega light!

its mostly local trails i ride more aggressive trail riding than what you would call freeride so somewhere in the middle.... i had a rock mountain altitude 50 140mm and done everything on it!! even the last box jump at fortwilliam so i was thinking 140mm - 160mm would be perfect!

I spent a few days riding one in Mallorca this summer - a good bike, really held back a poor fork (Fox 32 Evo 140mm) and shock (another Fox Evo thing). Had to run it with very little fork sag to stop the front end diving whilst keeping the shock soft so it actually worked (but bottomed out a lot). Sizing on the 2014 model did come up short but otherwise good geometry. Rear suspension pedalled pretty well, good anti-squat and pretty stiff when descending gnarly rock gardens. With that shock and fork it wasn't in the same league as my Spitfire which has a 160mm Pike and CCDBA but if I didn't have that I'd be pretty happy on a longer Spectral if it had that fork and shock.

its defo the RS pike for me love them!!! so its either £2799 with the ccdbinline + extras or the £2099 with the monarch +..... dont know if between the two there is £700 worth that i would notice!!

thanks for some of the feedback so far!

Hmmm... can see a purchase of a Pike soon for mine - just got some Zochi 55s on the Voltage and its really shown me just how rubbish the Fox's are.

I got a 2014 Spectral 8.0 in large - I am 182cm and the fit is great for me. The calc put me on a medium, glad I didn't follow that. Love the bike, great all-round, really fun to ride. Compares very well to the ones I demo'd before it arrived.

So far I have replaced the saddle, grips and added a c guide. Plan is to beef up the front end - slightly wider carbon bars and shorter stem are sat in the garage waiting for the 150mm Pike to be ordered. I actually think the Fox 32 Performance Talas isn't too bad, just want something a bit burlier with a touch extra travel. Quite like the Conti MKs for local XC and trail centre rides but will use a High Roller/Ardent combo for rockier stuff.

IMO the 2015 spec has improved, especially the EX versions.

Interested to hear your views Taco. I was thinking about replacing my stolen Zesty with a Spectral AL 6.0. What colour did you go for? Someone on here thought the polished ali finish on Canyon bikes wasn't very good, but I'm not too sure on the petrol colour.

Cheers

OP, I will give you a review in a month time when my 2015 Spectral 7.0 EX arrives 🙂

I'm 180 with a 87cm inseam, 61cm torso and 61arm length. PPS recommended a medium so ordered that. Got cold feet regarding to the size a week ago and contacted Canyon who confirmed the PPS. So I'm sticking with the medium accepting that I might need to fit a 7cm stem if necessary.

am looking at that exact model!

dont know if i will wait a month lol, might have it ordered by this friday! still looking at other options but can't see ANYTHING close in value for money!

am 184 it says medium for me but am thinking large tbh i would prefer a bigger bike to ride rather than a smaller one!

hoping for tacos review

Cazum - if you are in the gloucester area you are welcome to try mine to see size.

has anyone got a picture of the petrol colour way in the flesh?

basically any photo that hasnt been taken by Canyon, just so I can see the "real" colour.

I wish the 6.0 came in black 🙁

I have the 7.0 2014. PPS recommended Small, I went for Medium (definitely the right choice). Talas Evo was terrible — good support if riding aggressively but for small bumps and trails it was very poor. After discussing it with Canyon and Mojo, it was upgraded to the Factory internals. Now it's perfect — really great fork. Worth going down this route if there is a chance it is faulty.

Other than that, ditched the saddle and added wider bars. Very fast bike, can't think of any bike I've had more fun riding.

This years Medium has a reach only 1 cm short of last years large. I tried the 2014 large at a local race and it was a fine fit for me though I thought the front-end a bit high due to the tall steerer tube. Nothing that can't be corrected though by removing the spacers and choosing a non-riser bar.
I just like my bikes small an nimle 🙂

The 2015 medium spectral has a reach that is 3 cm longer than my current '09 Trek 6700 hardtail (18,5") so I think I will fit just fine in the Medium. But if I were 184 like the OP I would go for the large.

Bought a 2014 Canyon Spectral AL 6.0 in red, back in May.

Delivered quickly and the bike assembled with no problems at all.

I'm a low-intermediate rider, so probably aren't best placed to give advice on handling etc, but my 2p's worth is;

- Great value and a good basic spec.
- I am 183cm and have a large size frame which fits me ok.
- Now have 450 miles on it and not a single problem.
- As posted above, Fox 32 Evo CTD forks aren't the best and even at my riding ability I'm thinking of upgrading them to Pikes later in year.
- Ref CTD forks, I run them on 'descend' when on flat or descending. But find the forks can dive too much on some terrian, or when climbing on tech stuff. don't know if this is me or forks, or setup (noted previous comment ref fork pressures).
- I haven't yet, but have read that Fox CTD Float performance rear shock on this bike benefits from a large volume spacer being fitted internally. This is to enable the rear shock pressure to be set up properly without leading to it bottoming out (gives a more progressive suspension). Plan to do this later in year when i strip and clean.
- I've found that pedal strikes can be a pain on sunken singletrack. Don't know if this is me or the bike, or that the rear shock needs a spacer (noted previous post comment above).
- replaced rear tire with faster rolling maxxis
- replaced saddle with Charge spoon
- fwiw Looks good. Bike normally attracts positive comments from other riders, who presume it costs a lot more.

In short i love the bike, it's very confidence inspiring, hasn't let me down and I will 99% certain buy another canyon when i next buy a MTB.

I'd guess that if you bought one of the cheaper spectrals and sold the fox forks and fitted Pikes from day 1 you'd have a great bike.

hope this helps.

I've just ordered the 7 ex as well but mine isn't due till March :(. I'm 189cm and have gone for a large. If I was you op I'd go large as you can always shorten the stem to a 40mm if you think it's too big. Otherwise compare the geometry to other bikes and try a few to give you a general idea.

cheers guys! just having a final look around tonight before ordering incase i see something else i would want!

@bushwhacked - thanks for the offer but central scotland 🙂 think its alittle far to try cheers again tho!

@skydragon - thahnks for your input! as i said above if am buying am buying the pike version the exact one am looking at is!
http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3560
i just can't see anything beating that for value!, add to that all of the problems people have mentions foxes....tyres.... should be taken care of as its pikes and high rollers!

@gavjackson1984 - you ordered the stealth black one then?

@applause - thanks again for that info defo thinking the large is right canyon say medium but i dont wanna feel cramped on the bike! or have to put a stupid size stem on it! so large and if need be a smaller stem!

First ride out the other day, unfortunately only around Sherwood Pines,
Please also bare in mind that I've come from riding a 120mm Prince Albert hardtail.
It rides well but as has already been pointed out, the suspension lets it down,
The Fox 32 Evolution is somewhat better than the Rebas I'm used to,
However I can feel it's going to take some fine tuning to find that agreeable spot,
I had to set up at near 100psi, around 20psi more than recommended for my weight,
At 80psi the forks would bottom out (remember this is Sherwood pines we're talking about!).

The rear suspension Fox CTD is pretty good but again I'm running much higher than my weights recommendation, The Climb setting could be better, I feel it doesn't lock out as much as it could.

I have a Small and at 5'6" it fits me perfectly.

The bike feels great, no play on any components,
I really need to ride it a few times to get a feel for it but I know we'll get on perfectly well!

Only gripe! as mentioned, The Raw finish looks a bit shabby in places,
I considered the 2015 6.0 in Petrol but I can't complain to much as the price was better on the 2014.

Will get back with a better report on how the bike rides after Cannock tomorrow.

Oh! As skydragon has done, I'll be replacing the tires, Mountain Kings don't roll too fast and The saddle isn't all that comfortable, Charge Spoon is only £20!

Also! The Chain stay protector occasionally got caught when my pedaling,
Annoying but possibly because I've switched to chunky Shimano AM45's and just getting used to them!

Just out of interest did you guys get a email the week the bike was due to be shipped, my bike is due to be shipped this week with any luck.

Have you ordered a 2014 or 2015 model?
Mine took 7 days from ordering,
The first confirmation email said they were busy and could take 5-8 days before the bike was sent out.
5 days after ordering I got an email confirming the bike was ready,
My UPS number said it was waiting to be picked up, On day 7 the UPS status updated, almost an hour later the bike was here!

i ended up ordering a radon slide carbon its like £200 more but same weight more travel better spec.....

take it you ordered a 2014 from stock? if the 2015's has been available within a few weeks it would have given me something else to think about but when i started looking at canyons the wait time for 5 weeks which was ok! the next say it was 9 weeks! ..... sort of put me off!

Those Radon Slide's look good, wish I'd seen them 3 weeks ago!

yeah they look good value for the carbon!!! but alittle worried about rear chainstay seen one or two have cracked them.... but those were 2014 models not sure if they have changed the 2015 ones! but they seem happy to replace them with little hassle!

I've, this week taken delivery of my 2015 Spectral AL 7.0EX in Stealth, and it is very "Stealth" - put it all together, size looks good, I went for Large after visiting Canyon in the summer and test riding bot M & L in the 2014 model, the slight change in length of the new model made me think a bit but still opted for the large on the basis the med was still shorter than my "shortest" bike which I always felt was a a tad short.

First ride will be this weekend - looking forward to it 🙂

I test rode the chrome red colour which looked great in the showroom, what put me off was the dull looking used one in the bike racks outside, just thought it'd loose it's shine after a while - the Stealth doesn't have a shine to loose!

ETA - I'm about 185cm tall

I've got a 7ex on order, delivery May next year, long wait, but at least the worst of the weather will have passed. I'm a smidge under 6ft with around 33" inside leg. My current fuel ex is a virtual 19.5 and the top tube length is 1mm different to the large spectral so I'm going to stick with a large. Don't like short bikes

Your stats sound very much like mine - I've always run 19, 19.5, 20" bikes but my PACE is 18.5 feels a tad short for me - the canyon is a few mm longer than my XTC but with the shorter stem isn't much different...

I did look the other day, I was amazed at the waiting time - I actually went on to order a 2014 bike the day/day after they released the 2015 bikes, still was a 2 month wait.

What colour have you gone for?

My thoughts were/are if I didn't get on with the bike after trying I'd buy a different frame - I don't think you'd be able to buy all those parts for what the bike costs..

Went for the stealth too. When I ordered the red was available in March, but the black won me over

This is really interesting as I was just looking at ordering a Spectral 8ex and read this only to realise the 7ex seems like a better buy. Much longer wait though! Im 5"11 and currently ride a large heckler and had a large mojo before that. Both these have been more or less a max seat post extension. Do you think I'd be best with a large spectral also?

Inside leg? Only thing that seems significantly different is the length of the head tube to my trek. If you're used to riding large, I'd go with your instinct

I'd love a stealth but realistically need to keep to the budget of the 6.0 😈

also current week 20 on shipping of the 7 EX - damnnnn

First post on here for me so I thought I'd add my views.

I ordered a 2015 Spectral AL 6.0 at the end of September. It arrived a week early. Well packed. Loads of 'stuff' in the box to read and play with. The bare aluminium finish looks nice in a functional way. I'd have preferred black though.

Set up was dead easy. Canyon's PPS suggested a medium but at 6ft (and after speaking to a chap at Canyon UK) I went with a large at it feels good.

No issues with the Float 32 up front. I've set it slightly over the fox recommended psi for my weight and so far, so good. The rear shock has been a bugger to get right. I was blowing through the travel easily. An email to Mojo got me buying a volume reducing kit and that seems to have done the trick. Bigger impacts don't blow through the whole range.

However, I think the unit may also be leaking air or at least I'm losing air when removing the shock pump. Even after buying a two-stage pump that should prevent airloss I'm still losing 10-20 psi every time I check the unit. That's weekly at the mo as I have a bad knee.

Not a massive issue but one I will ask Mojo to look at when it goes in for a service.

Other than that I can't fault the bike. It's far better at everything than I am. 😉

However, I think the unit may also be leaking air or at least I'm losing air when removing the shock pump. Even after buying a two-stage pump that should prevent airloss I'm still losing 10-20 psi every time I check the unit. That's weekly at the mo as I have a bad knee.

Totally normal. You 'lose' it everytime you reattach the pump because some of the air has to go into the pump to give you a reading on the gauge, effectively increasing the toal volume and dropping the pressure slightly.

I ended up on a medium at 5' 11" and its bang on! Absolutely love it! Canyon fan - have you contacted Canyon? They're extremely helpful!

Can you pay at a canyon within the UK yet? I don't want to get stung for an overseas fee on my CC...

Yes you can - I had no fee

I ordered the 7.0EX Stealth as soon as it was released and it arrived a week ago. 2 weeks early!!
Haven't ridden it in anger yet, too busy at work, but so far it feels great, just tweaking the riding position and shock pressures to find a sweet spot.

I nearly bought a 2014 model but glad I waited for the 2015 version with the longer front and centre and Pikes upfront. For the money I just couldn't see anything to compare to the spec that it comes with.

Pic of it straight out of the box - [img] [/img]

I like your forum name - we should start a band! 😉

Gfunk - what pressure are you running your likes at? I have to agree- these bikes can't be beaten for the price!

Anyone got a pic of the blue 29er?

that looks dope in the black. wish i could stretch to the 7.

...maybe i can...

I've not long got a 2015 8EX
[img] [/img]

I'm 179cm tall and I went with a medium and i'm happy with the fit, the bike feels nice and maneuverable and it climbs very well, I was down at Glentress today and I managed to PR sections that I just couldn't get close to my old bike, the bike holds it's speed very well and is very easy to pedal.

@chiefgrooveguru - we could give it a try Alex but all I could bring to the band would be some mediocre turntable skills! 🙂

Hopefully see you on a Stanmer ride soon. Need to get the stealth beast dirty.
Greg

Can you pay at a canyon within the UK yet? I don't want to get stung for an overseas fee on my CC...

I bought mine from Germany and the transaction was in sterling with no cc fx charges.

Anyone know if the 2015 spectrals come tubeless or not?

Quick update (Spectral AL6.0 delivered in May 2014)

- I replaced the Fox 32 140mm forks with Rockshox Pike 150mm, has made a massive difference for the better to the front end.
- I added a medium sized volume reducer spacer in the Fox rear shock, which has improved rear end travel.
- turned the stem upside down to lower the bars a bit
- went tubeless
- I'm replacing the pivot bearings this week, as the main pivot (down near bottom bracket) has started to develop some play. I've done 720 miles on the bike, mainly in wet and very gritty conditions, so aren't too upset about having to do this.

I'm expecting my AL 8.0 EX to arrive tomorrow, I only ordered it last Saturday and it was posted on the Thursday!

gavjackson1984 - Member

Anyone know if the 2015 spectrals come tubeless or not?

They all come with tubes, you have to do the conversion, mines also came with tubeless valves.

Cheers, got to wait until March for my 7 ex 🙁

Euan were your tubeless valves in the box with all the manuals etc?

James, yes they were in the bag with all the manuals and other spare parts

That's interesting as I'm sure mine didn't come with those!

Me & a friend are going to the London Bike show to specifically look at the 2015 Spectrals. I'm currently on a large Specialized Camber so really want to try a bike for size. I'm looking at the AL 8.0 EX in the polished silver 🙂 http://www.canyon.com/en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3558 Roll on the bike show in Feb!!

Those with the 2015 Spectral (7.0 EX ideally)...how are you getting on with it?

When do Canyon charge; is it on order or shipping? There's a 7EX out there just waiting for my bank balance to hit the mark.

They take the money as soon as the bike is about to be dispatched so if it's instock you'll probably get a day or 2 before they debit your card.

I'm very tempted for one too but currently looking at week 24 for a stealth black medium, suppose It will be worth the wait, going to bite the bullet I think

Sorry for the thread resurrection, but I'm still dicking around trying to decide on an all day full suss.
Anyone around Cheshire area running a Large?
I don't want a "short" bike, and don't want to drop my cash on an expensive BMX.. 😕

yes, Ive got a large 7EX - emither me, you're welcome to sling a leg over to get a feel for it

Cheers M6TTF... I will.

Hi all, I'm expecting a NERVE AL 9.0 SL next week, i let you know my view asap.

Had my Spectral 8.0 EX for about 3-4 months now and loving it. I'm 5-11 & have a medium and it feels just right for reach. Always up the FOD if anyone needs to look for sizing. Quite often have people look at it for that. Made a change this weekend that someone wanted to look at my bike for my Invisiframe!!

Had mine since febuary last yr in that time its had a cracked chainstay replaced under warranty. The seatstays bent had to pay for them after a huge argument that they wont let you buy removable parts they are reserved for warranty claims only they finally agreed that's a stupid rule.Now the bike is back in Germany for inspection due to the frame cracking on the seat tube where the reverb routes through the frame, only noticed as the reverb had to be sent back to sram under warranty as the crack was hidden by a gromit. Needless to say what is a good bike for the money there is a reason for that in my eyes I will be cutting my losses when it comes back and selling the frame on had enough tbh

Hi,
I got my Spectral 7.0 in October last year. I had issues with Canyon from the start with the ship date getting put back and back and back. Ok it was a new model, but it was 6 weeks late in the end.

I'm 178cm tall and 80kg, the PPS put me at a medium. I have a medium road bike and a large XC bike (Merida HFS) and the fit is good. I've never been uncomfortable even on long trail centre days in Wales. Sometimes I do think a Large would have given me a bit more room, but unless I spot a large that I can try i'll never know 🙂

Issues
Canyon customer service is hit and miss.
I got great CS from them when the chain guide wore out on one side only after less than 800 miles. A replacement one was sent out in under a week.

Recently the rear shock squirted at me on a climb. I spoke to Canyon on their live chat and they said to send in an e-mail. Which I did. 3 days later I got a response and they wanted me to send the shock back to them so they could send it to the service centre.

In the meantime, however, I had already contacted Mojo Suspension and after explaining the issue they said to send it directly into them as they would be dealing with it anyway. 4 days later (including a weekend) the shock was repaired under warranty and back on the bike. - Big up to Mojo Suspension, those guys know CS!!!

Riding
I too have had some of the issues mentioned on here, the BB height does seem a little low and I've launched myself off in climb mode when trying to negotiate tricky climbs where pedal clearance is an issue. I've since bought some 170mm cranks to try and help it a touch.

Changes

The 2 x 10 setup worked really well. I just couldn't stomach going for the 1x11 EX version. I like my Shimano gears and the thought of dropping £150 for a rear cassette made me cringe.

I've been running a 1 x 10 setup for the last 6 weeks or so and I like how it feels.
XT rear cassette
Superstar expander ring 40T (dropped the 17T out of the cassette)
Superstar chain ring 32T

Tublessed the tyres after about a month. Never had any issues with grip

Overall:
I really like the bike. It's been my first 'long' travel bike so I don't really have anything to compare it to.

It's taken my riding to the next step. I've still to find it's limit, it's taken a week of all Coed-Y-Brenin could throw at it, a weekend in Bike Park Wales and Afan Forest, numerous weekends on natural trails in the Peak District (where I live).

Bang for your buck, your going to find it hard to match spec for price. I researched bikes for 4 weeks before splashing the cash.

The only downside is Canyon's CS. It needs stepping up, it seems like they are going the right way, it might be early days yet for them in the UK. I'm not sure if it would put me off buying on again from them.

Anyone heard/seen anything about the 2016 bikes?