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Today’s Deals2022 Canyon
Spectral CF 9
A 27.5″ carbon frame full suspension enduro bike with ultra high-end components.
Manufacturer Price
€4,299($5,002)| Weight | 29.4 lbs |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Suspension | Full, 150 / 150mm |
| Fork | RockShox Pike Ultimate |
| Shock | RockShox Deluxe Ultimate |
| Wheels | 27.5″ Carbon |
| Drivetrain | 1 × 12 |
| Groupset | Truvativ Descendant Carbon, X01 Eagle |
| Brakes | SRAM G2 RSC Hydraulic Disc |
| Seatpost | Dropper |
< 5'8"
5'6" – 5'11"
5'9" – 6'2"
6'0" +
None yet.
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Summary
The Canyon Spectral enduro bike is celebrated for its playful and versatile ride, making it a favorite among aggressive trail and enduro riders. Its suspension performance, particularly with models featuring coil shocks, is noted for being supple, supportive, and progressive, enhancing stability and confidence on descents. While it excels in downhill performance and offers great value, some reviews mention limitations in climbing efficiency and suspension tuning.
Playful and versatile ride
Supple, supportive, and progressive suspension
Great value for the price
Well-sorted bike for aggressive trail and enduro riders
Impressive build quality and extras included
Slightly sluggish on climbs
Effective seat tube angle could be steeper
Limited in tuning the suspension without buying other springs
Pedal bob when seated
Stock brakes could be better
This is a really fun bike to get silly on.
BIKE MagazineThe Spectral CF8 CLLCTV is a blast to ride.
BikeRadarIt’s a fun, predictable ride that meshes well with steep and featured trails.
BIKE MagazineThe Spectral is one of the best bikes I have tested when it comes to mechanical durability over an extended period.
NSMBThe Spectral CLLCTV is unapologetically fun on the descents.
Vital MTBFeedback?
View all reviews
Oct 2023 · Matt Miller
The Canyon Spectral CF 8 K.I.S. is a unique carbon fiber mountain bike with a mixed-wheel layout, coil shock, and a SRAM GX AXS drivetrain, all for under $5,000.
FUN!
Looks great
Cornering and handling manners
Quiet
Good suspension spec
Room for improvement in parts spec, particularly the wheels and cockpit
K.I.S. is not a clear winner
May 2023
We put the Canyon Spectral CF 8 KIS to the test to see how the new steering stabiliser works, and how it impacts your riding.
Improved cornering performance on loose terrain
Significantly reduces wheel flop on the climbs
Simple & lightweight
Adjustable slider is useful for different terrain
KIS system adds cost & complexity
There are notable quirks on the trail
Price of entry is relatively high
Jan 2023 · Leon Poultney
With shorter travel and a lighter frame, the Canyon Spectral 125 CF 9 is designed to rip on a multitude of terrains.
Great handling
Plenty of adjustment
Sweet components
Not much weight saving over 150mm version
Carbon frame prone to chipping
Fair amount of initial set up
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?
Feels as if it had more travel and thus inspires confidence
Direct handling and firm suspension
Pedal-neutral rear suspension uphill
Tires don’t do justice to the potential of the bike
Requires an experienced rider
Jun 2022 · Nic Hall
In our Canyon Spectral 125 CF8 review, we found its confidence inspiring and can ride terrain we usually don’t think about taking a 125mm bike in. Learn more!
Poppy, playful geometry
Progressive leverage curve
Just a fun all around bike
Quality, headache free components
Unsettled in big terrain at speed, which it will lure you into!
Jun 2022 · Tom Marvin
The Spectral 125 is a hooligan of a bike that encourages you to try things you might otherwise not dare
Aggressive shape
Super-fun personality
Frame easy to live with
Sluggish at low speed on mellow terrain
Not a sofa-like ride
Thin tyres
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 »
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
Needs an EXO+ casing rear tyre. Not much lighter than a 150mm bike
| Frame | Canyon Spectral CF, Material: Carbon (CF) Color: Non Forest |
|---|---|
| Fork | Rock Shox Pike Ultimate, Travel: 150 mm, Fork steer tube diameter: 1 1/8" - 1 1/4" Travel: 150mm Spring Type: Air |
| Shock | Rock Shox Deluxe Ultimate Travel: 150mm |
| 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. Type: Dropper |
| Pedals | None included |
| Grips | Canyon G5 Grips, Gravity-specific screw-on design. Get huge control and plenty grip in all situations. |
| 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. | SRAM Eagle XG-1295 12-speed Cassette |
| Chain | SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed, Flowlink inner plate design reduces friction, solid pin construction, PowerLock tool-less master link. | SRAM GX EAGLE 12-speed Chain 126L |
| 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 Type: SRAM G2 RSC Hydraulic Disc |
| 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", Width: 2.4" | Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ 3C MaxxTerra WT 27.5" x 2.4" MTB Tyre |
| Disc Rotors | SRAM Centerline Rounded Edges, SRAM's 200mm Centerline front rotor ensures you always have stopping power to spare. | SRAM Centerline, 180mm | SRAM Centerline X Rounded Brake Rotor | SRAM Centerline Rounded Centerlock 200mm Brake Rotor |
First added November 27
Last updated December 24
Not listed for 1,254 days