Looking for a new bike at the moment, want a FS and thinking of one of these 2:

This years Canyon Nerve AL, 120mm travel;

http://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=3026

or last years AM (This years AL+) , 150mm travel, but similar price:

http://www.canyon.com/_en/outlet/article.html?o=A1025497

Inclined to go for the AM, more travel which can be wound down to 120mm and colours not as crazy as the AL ! Both have a decent spec for the money.

Does anyone have either of these bikes? Help me decide…cheers!

Bump for the morning crowd or indeed anyone! 😀

I work with a chap who’s been dithering for months whether to buy the 120mm bike

They are both great value, but you need to be 100% sure of what you want in a bike. A 150mm bike is a big old machine to drag around, day in, day out

How savage are your local trails?

I run an all mountain bike with 160mm front, 140mm rear and it can a struggle for normal rides on local tame trails. I also run a hardtail, which i probably use for 80% of my local riding

The colours on the AM look a look nicer mind

The only thing i’d say about the 120mm bike is that it hasn’t got a bolt through front axle – it’ll only be £100 to upgrade after the purchase, but they make such a difference

However, my primary consideration would be what you’d be using it for, because 150mm of travel on your day to day bike is a lot

Cheers

Yes thats what I thought, I’m mainly on local trails, the odd trail centre and the like. 150mm is a lot and I just got rid of my SC Heckler, that was one of the reasons why, it was a big heavy bike and didnt reallty need all of the travel. The XC will suit the riding i do now, suppose I thought I was getting a bargain with the AM, but suppose I should be realistic and go for the XC machine! Cheers.

They look nice and win magazine tests on spec alone. The suspension is essentially a Specialized FSR 4 bar design.

The angles look quite safe / German / traditional rather than new school cool slackness.

I’d really want to ride one before I parted with that kind of cash.

Agree with you Tamoso – the magazines have wet dreams about the spec!

I know 3 people who ride them and they really like them

For £1200, you can’t really go wrong – if you don’t like it, strip it and sell the parts 🙂

Other German alternatives from bike-discount.de

http://www.radon-bikes.de/xist4c/web/Slide-125-7-0_id_22291_.htm

http://www.radon-bikes.de/xist4c/web/Slide-140-7-0_id_22296_.htm

They look as though they were made in the same factory!!

They look as though they were made in the same factory!!

Indeed, especial when you compare the seatpost hydroformed gusset of the Radon Slide 150 and Canyon Nerve AL 29

http://www3.bike-discount.de/bilder/xxl/71308/slide-150-9-0.jpg

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2012/09/11/1/canyon_nerve29_link_600.jpg

Nerve AM all the way, just so much fun to ride and the kit is unbeatable without spending a few hundreds more for a similar spec.

Remember 30 day money back, don’t like it send it back.

I would have no problems going back to Canyon again, the new AL+ looks so tempting 😆

Can highly recommend the Canyon nerve al, oh went from a Giant xtc ex 85mm travel up to the 120mm Canyon, she loves it, a blast round CYB on the weekend she got it, i had a quick blast over some tricky sections it runs really well and grips in nicely, not as bouncy as my spesh.

As for travel, all my mates ride Orange 5’s or big 150/160mm travel bikes while i ride my 120mm spesh. Things to consider are climbing, actual trails and tbh would you use the travel, i barely use full travel as it is, and im always quicker uphill than the other guys. Yes downhill they can be more reckless but i reckon i have more fun.

Plus i remember when 120mm travel was a big travel bike, damn mbr/mbuk/singletrack mags 🙂

I went for an AM a couple of years ago as the small bit of extra weight made sense for increased downhill performance. It’s hardly hard work on just gentle xc stuff anyway and climbs better than the 2004 enduro I had before. If I was buying now I’d be very tempted by their new 29er’s though.