Canyon Spectral 125 CF 8: first ride review

I found this review a little confusing. Additionally, what I really would like to know is how it compares to the Spectral 150; the reviewer seems to hint at this without giving a direct comparison.

This is the kind of bike I like and was after before going slightly longer travel due to stock / seeing a frame I really liked the look of and impulse buying it.

Along the lines of a Norco Optic / Bird Aether 9 / Cotic Flaremax / Nukeproof Reactor etc.

I think the geometry makes sense – if it’s a bit more nimble and pedals better than the longer travel version but retains the geometry for steep tech stuff it’s perfect for a lot of UK riding.

My Sentinel is 150m travel at both ends with a circa 64 degree head angle and it’s way poppier than I thought it would be and quite playful. This Spectral is most likely lighter but similar geometry with a bit less bounce.

Maybe they’ve missed a trick not making the suspension curve work for coil shocks though. Something like a Cane Creek db coil il is pretty light and would suit an aggressive trail bike.

Great review Benji.

I currently own the Spectral 150. There’s a lot too like about the bike. Sizing, fit, geometry, feel (especially now I’ve got it dialled in after 10 rides).

Yet I can’t help be drawn to sporty, snappy short travel trail bikes with sorted geo as firstly, historically that’s what I’ve preferred and owned and secondly, they suit how I ride and predominately where I ride at least 80% of the time. For that other 20%, you rein it in.

The Spectral 125 certainly appeals and perhaps addresses some of the minor gripes about the Spectral 150. Shorter seat tube, longer dropper, internal cable routing.

It’s just a shame Canyon don’t do frame only.

Woohoo Canyon have finally made a bike that’s worth looking at! Not quite sure what’s confusing about this review as per the comment above, seems pretty straightforward to me, although I really think we need someone with some authority to define ‘downcountry’. Last I heard Pinkbike were talking about the Lux Trail as a downcountry bike, and yet this is too even though it’s radically different?

I think canyon have missed a trick with this bike. Could they have not gone 130mm front with a 34 fork and less burly wheels to make it more different from the standard Spectral and more into the modern Down country as the Lux trail is a bit of a half hearted effort at this category

I really think we need someone with some authority to define ‘downcountry’. Last I heard Pinkbike were talking about the Lux Trail as a downcountry bike, and yet this is too even though it’s radically different?

I’m with chrismac on this.  The Lux Trail is a half arsed attempt to make an XC bike more ‘down country’ and this has maybe gone to the other end of the scale with 36s etc.  I don’t think we need an authority to define any category though, just pick a bike you like

Brilliant, bike companies are finally making the bikes we all wanted 10 years ago when the best we could do was struggle on a tiny overforked 4X bike or kill an XC bike (with offset shock bushings and slacksets)by thrashing it well beyond it’s limits.

It may well be a good fit for me … I don’t do big stuff
BUT
I can’t help wondering how long it will be before you can actually buy one 🙄

I had been looking at getting a Neuron 6 AL which also seems to fit my riding and budget but eta of those just keeps being put back,

Not sure how much they’ll be in the UK but the price on the Canyon Spain website is showing as €4499.

That is insanely cheap considering that you get Fox Performance Elite suspension, full XT 12 speed groupset and brakes, high end Ergon finishing kit, and DT Swiss’s top level aluminium wheels.

Well done Canyon for reintroducing sensible pricing back to mountain biking.

As above though, I’m not sure a bike with a 140mm Fox 36 fork and piggy pack shock qualifies for the ‘Downcountry’ club.

I can’t help wondering how long it will be before you can actually buy one 🙄

Showing in stock for me right now (at least in M – XL sizes).

@joebristol – maybe they tried it and something about it’s design kept wrecking the coil shocks. I know there have been a few bikes in recent years where ‘optimised for air shocks’ really meant ‘it snaps coil shocks for fun’.

@zerocool – that’s a good point. Normally the ones that snap coil shocks have a yoke between the linkage and the shock – effectively increasing the eye to eye length of the shock massively. Think Specialized / Ripmo etc.

Looking at this one there isn’t a yoke – but it looks like the seat stays are joined to the linkage and then extend out to the shock after that – so maybe this setup could also have the same effect on a coil shock.

Canyon has hacked some travel from the Spectral 125 but kept all of the other numbers the same. Is the Canyon Spectral 125 a trail bike?

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By ben_haworth

Get the full story here:

Canyon Spectral 125 CF 8: first ride review

Not sure where to start with this review.

You said ‘this is a bike for people who want to chuck it around and care less about rear end grip’, spoke patronisigly of people who like well tracking rear ends then criticised it for not being able to fit a coil shock so the rear end tracks better.

You criticised a bike you described as downcountry for having a dissector rear tyre for not being grippy enough – people race dissectors in the ews; it’s one of the grippiest hard conditions tyres around. Did you run it at 50psi?

The frame is 3kg plus shock – you can get super Enduro frames lighter than that.

You’ve asked for more than 180mm rotors on dual pot brakes on what you call a downcountry bike?

Looks great in that colour combination.

and yet this is too even though it’s radically different?

You’ve asked for more than 180mm rotors on dual pot brakes on what you call a downcountry bike?

Have you two read a different review to me? He quite categorically does not say the 125 is a downcountry bike.

I think canyon have missed a trick with this bike. Could they have not gone 130mm front with a 34 fork and less burly wheels to make it more different from the standard Spectral and more into the modern Down country as the Lux trail is a bit of a half hearted effort at this category

They already have a bike like that, it’s called the Neuron and I have one. If I put a -2 degree headset on it I get very close to what this new bike is and it’s something I was thinking of doing anyway. I rode it at Windhill a few months ago and it was a lot of fun so I can see the idea they had with this new bike, they even do a 140mm forked Neuron that’s more of a Downcountry bike than this Spectral!

How tall are you Benji, I quite like the look of this bike and tend to ride large frames but the canyon calculator puts me at a medium?

Thank you

As a owner of a Santa Cruz Tallboy 4. I totally get this bike. Great fun and very capable trail bikes. The whole idea of these bikes is they have the the geometry to handle the steep and tech trails without too much suspension to make them hard work on the flat, climbs and flow trails. To me they are the perfect UK trail bike. My only issue with the Spectral 125 is the over long seat tubes. Like all Canyon mountain bikes. No option to size up. This is the reason I got a Tall boy. I was able to size up from my small Spectral 27.50 to a Medium 29er. My tallboy like all Santa Cruz full suspension bikes only has a 405mm seat tube which still allows me to tun a 150mm dropper.

@AndrewL 185cm

Thank you that’s helpful, it does look like a nice bike, have also been looking at the orange stage evo and flaremax, nice to have more choices

@AndrewL Canyon size guide seems pretty good to me – I’m 6′ so was really surprised for the recommended size to be medium! However it fits perfectly (Lux Trail not a Spectral).
In fact one of the poorer reviews of the Lux Trail (5′ 11″ rider) complained about the large being too big (because of seat post ‘mast’) for the dropper to fit properly…

I find myself in quite a pickle! Have a Spectral 29 AL 6.0 on back order. Then got my eyes turned by a Ripmo AF, and now my head has been turned once again with this 125!!

Urgh.

It’s been a long while since I bought my old Canyon but do exercise caution with the sizing calculator. I followed it religiously and at 5′ 11″ was recommended a Medium that was too small for me. After playing with the calculator by slightly upping my measurements it jumped straight to Large.

I fell foul of the canyon size calculator years ago when I didn’t really understand frame geo and measurements etc. I’m 185 and it put me on a medium 🤦

Thankfully it fitted my dad so it wasn’t a total disaster.

I’d recommend looking on geometrygeeks and comparing with your current bike rather than trusting the canyon tool.

I echo what others have said about the sizing calculator. I’m 183 and own a large Spectral 29. Canyon’s recommendation for my height and inseam was a medium. It would have been too small. The large fits me perfectly. Check the geo as always for ETT, reach, etc. as a better comparison.

Yea, it’s quite the minefield. My 2016 is pretty conservative compared to the latest modest geo. I’m 186cm with a 92cm inseam and long arms, Canyon puts me on a large for all models.

Thank you all, I will get out excel and a tape measure!

Great review and a fabulous looking bike. I’m not about to go changing my Ripmo anytime soon (somehow manages to do plush, playful and poppy, and I love it dearly), but if I was buying that bike again I’d certainly have this on my shortlist.
Makes a lot of sense to me.

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/getting-back-to-the-mountains-its-been-a-while/

I rode last years’ version and really liked it. It made for a really good all round mountain bike.

The Strive is for my money perhaps even better. The shapeshifter adjustment means it felt really good on XC rides while being big mountain capable.

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/there-and-back-again-putting-the-mountains-back-into-mountain-biking/

Both were sponsored pieces but I would happily buy either of the bikes with my own money. Not often that I will say that!

Cheers

Sanny

As the owner of a smuggler I really like aggressive short travel full sussers. I think this looks great and reasonable value for money to boot.

isn’t down country a term for a cross country bike that has been beefed up?

this is a trail bike that has had its travel reduced to make it more twitchy/interactive. that needs a whole new classification.

Orange already call reduced travel, and slacker option an Evo.

Yea, it’s quite the minefield. My 2016 is pretty conservative compared to the latest modest geo. I’m 186cm with a 92cm inseam and long arms, Canyon puts me on a large for all models.

Canyon’s size calculator really cares about inseam. At 5’10 with short legs it puts me on a small. As I have a long torso and arms I’d want the reach and ETT of the large to not feel cramped, but would need to swap the dropper post to a shorter one.

Hi Benji. Great review! Sounds like a cool bike. I’m roughly your height at 185cm, and Canyon recommends a size L although an M would fit me as well, at least according to their online tool. When you mention it’s crucial not to upsize with the Spectral 125, would you go as far as getting an M in my case (meaning 460mm reach vs 486mm on L)?

I contacted them using the form on the website about sizing. They were helpful, but I am still dithering. One thing is to make sure it is your inner leg measurement rather than your inseam you are entering into the calculator.

I’m a short arse rider. I have come to the conclusion that standover height is not a key measurement for shorter riders. I ride bikes where my crotch hits the top tube, but I am never in that position, that far forward on the bike ever. When stationary, I drop the saddle and rest on one foot. When riding down steep trails, my arse is over the back wheel. If I lose balance, I topple sideways. If I go OTB, standover does not come into it.

Just arrived today. CF-8 spec, size M. Green looks great in daylight.

I’m 5’10 ish. Hopefully first ride tomorrow if my Invisiframe doesn’t drop off overnight.

@geolog – that looks awesome. Very similar to my Norco Optic, which is an absolute riot to ride.

will be interested to hear some feedback on it.

enjoy!

Looks fab, do report back after riding it.

Canyon seem to have killed it with this bike.

Did 25km tonight with a mix of trail centre red and off piste stuff. First impressions are it’s going to get me in to trouble (the good kind), it’s fast and fun! It pedals very well.

Coming from a Slash as my other bike:
•I’ve got an ML Slash – M feels spot on with the 125. Noticeably quicker handling in the turns on the downs
•Feels rapid on flowy singletrack (natural or trail centre)
•Feels very playful in this size, glad I didn’t size up. I had a large Bronson previously and this feels very similar reach wise, and it’s no less energetic.
•Sketchier across faster rough sections as you’d expect, but that’s where the fun is right? Rear feels very stiff (shock needs dialling in), haven’t checked the tyre valves yet but feared they might have tubes so I ran a couple of psi more than normal which made it worse.
•Feels roughly as fast (and controlled) as the Slash across faster smoother stuff, or slower moderate trails. Haven’t tried it on anything super tech yet, but I think it will handle well. Was within a second or two on a number of downhill trails of 50-90s
•Didn’t think twice about jumps, drops, gaps etc that I am used to on bigger bikes – it took it all in its stride
•As above, shock feels skittish in the rough but that’s due to the suspension set up on my part – I need to spend some time playing with the pressure and compression/rebound dials. Set it at 25% sag for now but think my “that looks about right” eyeing in maybe wasn’t accurate (I just wanted to get out and ride). Felt sluggish in a couple of compressions but that was my fault.

Looks good against logs.