2021 Canyon

Spectral CF 9

A 27.5″ carbon frame full suspension enduro bike with ultra high-end components.

MSRP€4,299 (about $4,724)
Weight29.4 lbs  
FrameCarbon
SuspensionFull, 150 / 150mm
ForkRockShox Pike Ultimate
ShockRockShox Deluxe Ultimate
Wheels27.5″ Carbon
Drivetrain1 × 12
GroupsetX01 Eagle, Truvativ Descendant Carbon
BrakesHydraulic Disc
SeatpostDropper
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Ride Feel

Based on frame geometry and build specs.

Terrain
easyextreme
Handling
nimblestable
Spectral CF 9
Other Enduro bikes
Gearing

A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

Lowest gear

(climbing)

26 mph

Spectral CF 9

26 mph

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Highest gear

(descending)

Spec Level

Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.

Sizing
SM

< 5'8"

MD

5'6" – 5'11"

LG

5'9" – 6'2"

XL

6'0" +

Rider Fit Notes

None yet.

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Reviews
Enduro Mountainbike Magazine
Canyon Spectral 125 CF 9 – In our 2022 trail bike group test

Jul 2022 · Simon Kohler

The Canyon Spectral 125 CF 9 combines little travel and a progressive geometry. How did it fare in our 2022 trail bike group test?

Highs
  • Feels as if it had more travel and thus inspires confidence

  • Direct handling and firm suspension

  • Pedal-neutral rear suspension uphill

Lows
  • Tires don’t do justice to the potential of the bike

  • Requires an experienced rider

Read Review

MBR
Canyon Spectral 125 CF 9 review - MBR

Jun 2022 · Alan Muldoon

Take a cursory glance at the new Spectral 125 and you could easily mistake it for the full-blown 150mm Spectral. Make no mistake though, the Spectral 125 is a unique bike in its own right. And not just unique; the performance is impressive to count it among some of the best mountain bikes we’ve tested this year. Need to know: A 125mm travel 29er designed to tackle big terrain CF models use a full carbon frame with tube-in-tube internal cable routing All models use 140mm travel forks with a 64º head angle in slack/low setting G5 dropper post can be adjusted internally in 5mm increments,  with a 25mm adjustment range Alloy Spectral 125 bikes available from £2,449 Canyon Spectral 125 frame and geometry The most telling difference is that the head tube is 15mm taller on the 125, it also has a 20mm shorter seat tube and the seat stay assembly is longer too. Other than that, the geometry is nigh on identical. In fact, the 125 CF carbon frame is only 100g lighter and meets the exact same safety standards, so you know it is designed for hard charging. Canyon offers three carbon versions, where the Spectral 125 CF 9 tested here is the top-end bike. There are also two alloy bikes, the entry-level AL 5 costing £2,399. The carbon bike gets a hi/low flip-chip that adjusts the BB by 8mm and the head angle by 0.5º. The alloy version forgoes the geometry adjustment and combines the slacker head angle with the steeper seat angle for a best of both worlds approach.  Other neat features on the CF 9 include tube-in-tube cable routing and extra seals on the pivot bearings to ensure that the bike spends the minimum amount of time in the workstand. It also has mounts under the top tube for attaching tools or Canyon’s Load frame bag. Canyon has missed a trick with its chainstay protector though, because chips in the carbon swingarm right beside the chain ring indicate that the rubber protection falls just short. Canyon Spectral 125 suspension With 125mm of rear travel but geometry fitting of a 150mm bike, it makes sense that the shorter travel Spectral has more progressive suspension than its big brother. It also has more anti-squat, which combined with the reduced travel makes the bike feel tighter and more reactive when you get on the gas. Yes, the rear suspension can feel a little too progressive at times, so we found that running the bike in the high geometry setting, with a lower spring pressure gave us the best response. Another option would be to remove the biggest of the two volume spacers from the Fox Float X shock and keep it in the low setting. To balance vertical wheel travel front and rear, Canyon fits a 140mm Fox 36 Factory fork. The Grip 2 damper provides plenty of support, and riding the Spectral 125 back-to-back with the longer travel version really highlighted just how stable the geometry is …Continue reading »

Highs
  • Tight responsive handling that rewards riders who want to engage with the terrain. Top quality build kit. Low-slung frame design looks killer. Niche never looked so mainstream

Lows
  • Needs an EXO+ casing rear tyre. Not much lighter than a 150mm bike

Read Review

Mountain Flyer
Canyon Introduces Its New Short-Travel Spectral 125: Available Now

Feb 2022

The Spectral 125 is Canyon’s newest offering in the busy, short-travel category. It’s a trail bike with 125mm of rear wheel travel matched to a 140mm travel fork, with geometry matching the newly updated Spectral 150 long-travel line.

Read Review

VeloNews
Canyon introduces 27.5, alloy, mixed-wheel, and kids Spectral models

Oct 2021 · Travis Engel

When just releasing an aluminum version simply won't do.

Read Review

Flow Mountain Bike
Canyon Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV Review | A dedicated mullet bike that's built to party

Oct 2021

Joining the 2022 Canyon Spectral lineup is this brand new mixed wheelsize option. Featuring a 29in front end that's paired to a 27.5in rear, the Spectral mullet promises the perfect balance between the two. But is it really the best of both worlds? Read on for our Canyon Spectral CF 8 CLLCTV review.

Highs
  • An absolute dream to rip corners with

  • Playful, jump-loving attitude

  • Supple and well-controlled suspension

  • Aggressive, high-traction tyres

  • Appealing spec for the money

  • Pragmatic and serviceable frame design

Lows
  • Not the best technical climber

  • Harder work on really rough & raw singletrack

  • Slow hub engagement

Read Review

Revolution Mountain Bike Magazine
[R]eviewed // Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8

Jul 2021 · Blake Nielsen

At 150mm of travel front and rear, coupled with relatively modest geometry numbers, the Spectral:ON slots itself into the all-rounder/playful trail bike category. Reviewer // Blake Nielsen  Photos // Matt Staggs Given the Spectral:ON’s geometry package and its amount of travel which category does the bike slot into and what type of rider is it aimed at? While the suspension package is very capable, it’s not put together to be a self shuttle’able downhill bike. It’s very nimble in the […]

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Freehub
Bike Review | Canyon Spectral 29

Jun 2021 · Spencer Astra

A one bike quiver is an attractive strategy for the budget-conscious mountain biker. Besides the obvious savings, owning a single bike means you’ll have less to keep track of when it comes to maintenance. Keeping up with suspension service intervals, brake pads and chain wear is easy with just one bike in the garage. Deciding which bike, among the hundreds of available options, to make your one-and-only is a more difficult equation. Canyon’s Spectral 29 CF 9 is described by the German company as a “true all-rounder for all off-road conditions.” For a rider like me who loves the simplicity of a bike that can handle just about anything, Canyon’s vision statement is one I can get behind. So, eager to see how the Spectral would fare on Bellingham’s diverse terrain, I put it through its paces—riding everything from ultra-fast low-angle trails that are common close to town, to steeper lines farther afield. Our test model arrived with 150 millimeters of progressive rear travel and a 150-millimeter RockShox Pike Ultimate fork. Before we go on, one important note regarding spec: Riders who purchase the Spectral 29 CF 9 in North America will receive a slightly different build kit with a Fox DPX2 shock and a slightly longer 160-millimeter Fox 36 Factory fork instead of the RockShox setup included on the bike I received for the purpose of this review. In my experience, bikes with around 150 millimeters of travel and more usually come with trade-offs, mainly in that they don’t pump or have the agility and efficiency of shorter travel models.

Read Review

Outdoor Gear Lab
Canyon Spectral 29 CF 7

Jun 2021 · Jeremy Benson

The Spectral 29 is the next step in the evolution of Canyon's popular Spectral trail bike. Rolling on 29-inch wheels with 150mm of rear-wheel travel, a...

Read Review

Geometry
99 Spokes on YouTube99 Spokes on YouTube
Specs
Build
Frame

Canyon Spectral CF, Material: Carbon (CF)

ColorsStealth; Non Forest

Fork

Rock Shox Pike Ultimate, Travel: 150 mm

Travel150mm

Spring TypeAir

Shock

Rock Shox Deluxe Ultimate

Travel150mm

Spring TypeAir

Bottom Bracket

SRAM Pressfit DUB, No noise, no fuss bottom bracket from SRAM that will keep running smoothly for years.

Stem

Canyon G5

Handlebar

Canyon G5 Carbon, Width: 760 mm

Saddle

Ergon SM10 Enduro Comp

Seatpost

OneUp Components V2, Durable dropper post. Up to 180 mm of saddle height adjustment with the push of a button. Additional tuning option: reduce the travel by 10 or 20 mm depending on your preference.

TypeDropper

Pedals

None included

Grips

Canyon G5 Grips, Gravity-specific screw-on design. Get huge control and plenty grip in all situations.

Groupset
Rear Derailleur

SRAM X01 Eagle, SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed rear derailleur delivers quick and precise shifts.

Crank

Truvativ Descendant Carbon DUB 32T, Number of chainrings: 1

Shifters

SRAM X01 Eagle, 12-speed, Aimed at aggressive trail riders, Eagle X01 pairs premium materials and design for years of accurate shifts under pressure.

Cassette

SRAM XG Eagle 10-52, All the range you need to climb the biggest mountains, courtesy of SRAM's 10-52, 12-speed cassette.

Chain

SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed, FLOW LINK inner plate design reduces friction, solid pin construction, PowerLock tool-less master link

Brakes

SRAM G2 RSC, SRAM G2 RSC disc brakes offer outstanding power, control, as well as both reach and contact-point adjusters. | SRAM G2 RSC

TypeHydraulic Disc

Wheels
Rims

DT Swiss XMC 1501 XD, Rotor Mount: Center Lock | DT Swiss XMC 1501, Rotor Mount: Center Lock

Tires

MAXXIS Minion DHR II 2.4'', Casing: Exo, Compound: 3C Maxx Terra, Technology: Tubeless ready | MAXXIS Dissector 2.4"

Disc Rotors

SRAM Centerline Rounded Edges, SRAM's 200mm Centerline front rotor ensures you always have stopping power to spare. | SRAM Centerline, 180mm

Rider Notes
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