Funny seeing the last 4x thumbnails for this series of tests. Goes to show how the HORST Link patent expiring changed every bike manufacturers linkage designs overnight.
I’ve got a 3 year old Spectral and when I bought it- $4600.CAD When the bike arrived in Canada, customs calls and asks which province you live in, then they let you know what your tax will be and the duty on your bike. My total was about $1300 to pay customs before they can release my bike to UPS so they can deliver it. This is all fine, I understand how businesses work. But I could not find this information before purchasing. Direct to consumer brands should maybe have a chart on their sites saying if you live in this country and your purchase is “x”$ then your duties should be approximately this much. I’m sure a few customers have been shocked by the extra cost.
Just have to comment on the "Canyon Medium" part... I couldn't help but LOL on that. But you might want to be careful here. Reach numbers tell a big part of the story, but so does wheel base, AND those things in relation to what you are after. I started sizing up my bikes around 2011 and went to Large frames from medium. And with great success in my opinion. But the geo's were a still rather different compared to today. My last bike before going to the '23 Spectral was a size large '14 Canfield Balance. So when looking at bikes and comparing the geo's to the Balance, I found that while the large Spectral wheel base was nearly 4 inches longer, the reach number was only a half inch longer! In other words, the cockpit is nearly identical while now I having a longer wheelbase (which creates different pros and cons). This sounded perfect too me on paper and so far has been the case in the real. Had I gone down to a medium, I would be back in a more cramped cockpit AND not gotten what I was looking for from a longer wheel base. Perhaps a vid or story diving more into bike and size selection in relation to modern geo's vs old ones AND riding styles? That all said, great series!!!! Keep it up!
There's a website called Bike Insights that lets you overlay/compare geo of 2 bikes. Super useful for comparing sizing your current bike to prospective new bikes. You may need to manually input the geo of older bikes though.
Great review. I have a 22' Spectral 125 that I swapped out the airspring to 160 and bumped up the shock stroke a bit. Sounds like Canyon had a similar idea with this version.
I did the same thing. Went to 160. But head tube angle was to slack. Went to 150 on my fork and went to a 210x52.5 coil. Bike is savage meow. I went with the 125 Al 5. And pretty much swapped everything. Nobl wheel set. Shimano drivetrain and Xt brakes Fox suspension and a bomber cr coil so I can run air and coil. I do ride mine half the time in the bike park with the coil and air when I’m trial riding.
Having ridden both, I would never place them in the same category. The Jeffsy for me is basically a planted mini enduro and the spectral is a super spritely full on trail bike.
Hey guys thanks for the great reveiws! I’m 6,1 with inseam at 321/2 should I get a medium or a large? direct to consumer means I can’t ride before I buy . I know you mentioned that the medium was fitting like a large . Really appreciate your input:) Ryan
Curious guys, does anyone think this frame benefits more from the progressive nature of the RockShox suspension vs Fox on climbs? I ask because the CF 9 are not available in the US, and the CF 8 comes with a coil shock. So I'm considering the CF 7. I'm more familiar with Fox, and the CF 7 is far more cost effective for me anyway. I'm hoping stepping up to a slightly larger than stock volume reducer on the rear shock will suffice. BTW, BB height seems a bit low. They don't say actual height, but a 36mm offset is basically only 13.1" BB height on the average 29er tire in low position, and 13.4" in high position. Isn't that a bit too low for a bike with 140mm rear, 150mm front? I've got a 20 yr old XC bike with just 93mm rear, and 100mm front, and it has a 13.1" BB height with just 2.0" tires!
Don't know if that's how it feels riding it, but the front end on that spectral looks like it's chattering all over the place. The specialized looked alot smoother from your video's I've watched.
Have a 2023 Spectral 29 CF8 - carbon frame, Fox 36 Perf. Elite, Float X Perf. Elite, and everything XT but the chain. $3400. $3800 after tax and shipping to my door. Feel like I stole it.
Things I didn't expect: Canyon to get glowing reviews over other industry heavyweights Things I did expect: people to still find a way to complain about them and munch on low hanging fruit in the comments
Did they just call this 140 rear 150 front bike a short travel trail bike? 120 rear 130 front is a short travel trail bike, this bike only has 10mm less travel than my old 2017 trek slash enduro bike.
@@benjy288 allmountain was no category not so long ago, and the gravel bikes now are more capable of mountainbikes in the past. also "this is not about past or presentÄ... namedrops a bike from over 7 years ago...
Can't you see, they literally rinse and repeat the very same bike over and over, change the name and there you go. pinkbike will give it a rave review because they want the add revenue. There is nothing new under the sun.
what they are doing for me is provide reasonable prices and having bikes in stock i tried getting a new bike last year, and i would have paid 130-150% of the price of a then new spectral and i could not even chose a bike i want, but what they wanted to move
I completely understand where you're coming from and I can definitely understand the allure of getting Bikes at a discount. With that, I don't think that a bike shop simply provides a bike. They provide an experience. They provide you somebody to bounce ideas off of, tryout different options, get your bike serviced, build a relationship with And hopefully enjoy each other's company. If we constantly give up valuable pieces of culture in order to save money I feel like we're doing ourselves the service. However, i'm happy you enjoy your bike and wish you nothing but the best.
@@HowToGetMoreMetal most of the experiences bike shops provide are ones that i can happily pass on. my local bike shops are the reason why i have a small workshop in my flat,.. to not have to deal with them if possible frankly the romantization of a "bike shop culture" is just outdated. there is just business now i do however have good relationships with one mechanic, and this is imho also the direction it should go. services will always be local. a good mechanic is a better asset to a bike shop than the 10k bike in the window i do get where you are comming from though. i just think we have had different experiences and share different sentiments all the best to you too
@@HowToGetMoreMetal not my shop. they get annoyed by customers, hate questions, and pass off your problems and occasionally send you home with $350 worth of parts that are not compatible with your bike. may as well order a bike and learn it all myself because i literally had to do that anyway.
Thumbs down on 140/150mm travel bikes. Once you've got that much travel and that much weight, you might as well go for 150/160mm travel bike because it's going to weigh about the same but that extra 10mm of travel will make the bike a little more capable.
Actual travel and the leverage curve of the bike might make a 160 feel like 140 and inversely, some 150 bikes are less capable than some 130/140 that's for shawwwr my man
Funny seeing the last 4x thumbnails for this series of tests. Goes to show how the HORST Link patent expiring changed every bike manufacturers linkage designs overnight.
kaz and dario, well done. keep it this way pinkbike.
I had a 2020 27.5. It was a super fun bike. I am sure this one will not disappoint.
Wow, I was very surprised by the glowing review. Any idea why it is not available in the U.S.?
I’ve got a 3 year old Spectral and when I bought it- $4600.CAD When the bike arrived in Canada, customs calls and asks which province you live in, then they let you know what your tax will be and the duty on your bike. My total was about $1300 to pay customs before they can release my bike to UPS so they can deliver it. This is all fine, I understand how businesses work. But I could not find this information before purchasing. Direct to consumer brands should maybe have a chart on their sites saying if you live in this country and your purchase is “x”$ then your duties should be approximately this much. I’m sure a few customers have been shocked by the extra cost.
and they no longer do, apparently... A friend bought one 4 weeks ago and didn't have any duty. In 2022 I had something around 1500$ (I live in Quebec)
Interesting. I bought a YT Jeffsy last year and didn’t pay any duties
would love to see a transition smuggler review
Just have to comment on the "Canyon Medium" part... I couldn't help but LOL on that. But you might want to be careful here. Reach numbers tell a big part of the story, but so does wheel base, AND those things in relation to what you are after.
I started sizing up my bikes around 2011 and went to Large frames from medium. And with great success in my opinion. But the geo's were a still rather different compared to today. My last bike before going to the '23 Spectral was a size large '14 Canfield Balance. So when looking at bikes and comparing the geo's to the Balance, I found that while the large Spectral wheel base was nearly 4 inches longer, the reach number was only a half inch longer!
In other words, the cockpit is nearly identical while now I having a longer wheelbase (which creates different pros and cons). This sounded perfect too me on paper and so far has been the case in the real. Had I gone down to a medium, I would be back in a more cramped cockpit AND not gotten what I was looking for from a longer wheel base.
Perhaps a vid or story diving more into bike and size selection in relation to modern geo's vs old ones AND riding styles?
That all said, great series!!!! Keep it up!
There's a website called Bike Insights that lets you overlay/compare geo of 2 bikes. Super useful for comparing sizing your current bike to prospective new bikes. You may need to manually input the geo of older bikes though.
Great review. I have a 22' Spectral 125 that I swapped out the airspring to 160 and bumped up the shock stroke a bit. Sounds like Canyon had a similar idea with this version.
I did the same thing. Went to 160. But head tube angle was to slack. Went to 150 on my fork and went to a 210x52.5 coil. Bike is savage meow. I went with the 125 Al 5. And pretty much swapped everything. Nobl wheel set. Shimano drivetrain and Xt brakes Fox suspension and a bomber cr coil so I can run air and coil. I do ride mine half the time in the bike park with the coil and air when I’m trial riding.
Got Jeffsy from an insane sale, which is very similar to Spectral. Changing the travel to 160mm was really great upgrade for very small cost. Love it.
You run it 160/160?
@@Jacobomo 160 front, 145 rear
Having ridden both, I would never place them in the same category. The Jeffsy for me is basically a planted mini enduro and the spectral is a super spritely full on trail bike.
Would you guys consider doing a review on the Ari Delano peak now that it has 142 travel stock vs the fezz having had 135?
No the sizing aspect is very important to any review cause not everyone is same size as you
with the now old spectral i use it as a straight up enduro bike. dunno if i would be the target audience anymore
sam pilgrim abuses his spectral a lot, so i guess it still works
it would be really useful if you mentioned how tall the range of riders are that tested the bikes. gives alot of context to sizing, great vid though
Mike is 5,11”, and Dario is around 6’2”
Question: will you guys also be doing another xc/downcountry feild test this year?
Yes, I am really looking forward to a xc/downcountry field test.
So are the less expensive one's worth it? This i snot a bike I see much of compared to the stump jumper.
This spectral or trek fuel ex ride better?
Hey guys thanks for the great reveiws! I’m 6,1 with inseam at 321/2 should I get a medium or a large? direct to consumer means I can’t ride before I buy . I know you mentioned that the medium was fitting like a large . Really appreciate your input:) Ryan
I know the seat tubes are short but does everyone at PB have like a 40+ in inseam?
Off topic question: Is that the Feedback Sports HD work stand?
Yes
The videos from pink bike lately are 🔥
Pinkbike doing the talk n' ride!
taking inspiration from the best i guess
what is the height of the pilot in the test?
Curious guys, does anyone think this frame benefits more from the progressive nature of the RockShox suspension vs Fox on climbs? I ask because the CF 9 are not available in the US, and the CF 8 comes with a coil shock. So I'm considering the CF 7. I'm more familiar with Fox, and the CF 7 is far more cost effective for me anyway. I'm hoping stepping up to a slightly larger than stock volume reducer on the rear shock will suffice.
BTW, BB height seems a bit low. They don't say actual height, but a 36mm offset is basically only 13.1" BB height on the average 29er tire in low position, and 13.4" in high position. Isn't that a bit too low for a bike with 140mm rear, 150mm front? I've got a 20 yr old XC bike with just 93mm rear, and 100mm front, and it has a 13.1" BB height with just 2.0" tires!
well is the spectral 125 discontinued? can't find it anywhere
yep
They still have some in their website but almost gone. Glad I got mine.
So - how does this compare in ride to the popular Neuron. Is it "just a little more aggressive? :)
I almost bought this bike but couldn't get on board with that slack HTA.
I prefer 65 HTA or even 65.5
Don't know if that's how it feels riding it, but the front end on that spectral looks like it's chattering all over the place. The specialized looked alot smoother from your video's I've watched.
Yt capra core 1 through 4 coming?
How does it compare to the new Trance X?
Such in-depth analysis. Really good, guys. So many good trail bikes out there. Love my Primer. Ya'll haven't reviewed Intense in a minute..
Have a 2023 Spectral 29 CF8 - carbon frame, Fox 36 Perf. Elite, Float X Perf. Elite, and everything XT but the chain. $3400. $3800 after tax and shipping to my door. Feel like I stole it.
best bike i ever owned
Fantastic!
Awesome bike
Please post the ripmo next!! 🙏 🙏 🤞
This was the number 1 bike by all the riders
It's a shame you didn't feature the YT Jeffsy. The value seems unbeatable!
How does this compare to the Tallboy 5?
Its a canyon so u know the answer
That instrumental from Fred Again in the background 👌👌
Things I didn't expect: Canyon to get glowing reviews over other industry heavyweights
Things I did expect: people to still find a way to complain about them and munch on low hanging fruit in the comments
you got the reach number wrong. 475mm is for size M, not L
Good catch - we tested the size medium, which has a 475mm reach. The size label is incorrect in the video.
Still absolutely massive for a M
I like steering dampers, I don't like kiss.
So far it really appears that Rocky Mountain really shit the bed with the new instinct…
I like the KIS on my bike. Sue me.
the boys at Loam Wolf liked it so you are not alone..
@@Arkane117 woohoo, not alone. I'll have to go watch their review!
🚨lawsuit incoming🚨
15kg full in carbon, no ty lol. Heavy af, had 15kg Trek top fuel in alu , sold it bcs weight.
15kg+ is the new lightweight for mountain bikes these days, more weight is now a feature!
Bikes are heavy now.
Did they just call this 140 rear 150 front bike a short travel trail bike? 120 rear 130 front is a short travel trail bike, this bike only has 10mm less travel than my old 2017 trek slash enduro bike.
dude..don't get stuck in the past. some XC bikes have 120 front
@@Sai-tb1xt looks like youre stuck in dumboland
@@Sai-tb1xt Its got nothing to do with past or present, its about category
@@benjy288 allmountain was no category not so long ago, and the gravel bikes now are more capable of mountainbikes in the past.
also "this is not about past or presentÄ... namedrops a bike from over 7 years ago...
@@Sai-tb1xt I don't know what that post addressed, tell me what's the difference between a trail bike and an enduro bike?
I find it hilarious how PB refuses to give KISS any time of day in this review. No explaination. Just no.
It rattled too much. Seems fair they don’t want it.
Because KIS only really works if you're not that skilled at steering yet.
Henry did a full review on it already. They don't like it.
Canyon, great bikes until you have a warranty issue
Can't you see, they literally rinse and repeat the very same bike over and over, change the name and there you go.
pinkbike will give it a rave review because they want the add revenue.
There is nothing new under the sun.
I don’t care for what mail order bikes are doing to the bike culture
what they are doing for me is provide reasonable prices and having bikes in stock
i tried getting a new bike last year, and i would have paid 130-150% of the price of a then new spectral and i could not even chose a bike i want, but what they wanted to move
I completely understand where you're coming from and I can definitely understand the allure of getting Bikes at a discount.
With that, I don't think that a bike shop simply provides a bike. They provide an experience. They provide you somebody to bounce ideas off of, tryout different options, get your bike serviced, build a relationship with And hopefully enjoy each other's company. If we constantly give up valuable pieces of culture in order to save money I feel like we're doing ourselves the service.
However, i'm happy you enjoy your bike and wish you nothing but the best.
@@HowToGetMoreMetal most of the experiences bike shops provide are ones that i can happily pass on. my local bike shops are the reason why i have a small workshop in my flat,.. to not have to deal with them if possible
frankly the romantization of a "bike shop culture" is just outdated. there is just business now
i do however have good relationships with one mechanic, and this is imho also the direction it should go. services will always be local. a good mechanic is a better asset to a bike shop than the 10k bike in the window
i do get where you are comming from though. i just think we have had different experiences and share different sentiments
all the best to you too
I dont care for the crazy prices that bike shops charge
@@HowToGetMoreMetal not my shop. they get annoyed by customers, hate questions, and pass off your problems and occasionally send you home with $350 worth of parts that are not compatible with your bike. may as well order a bike and learn it all myself because i literally had to do that anyway.
Thumbs down on 140/150mm travel bikes. Once you've got that much travel and that much weight, you might as well go for 150/160mm travel bike because it's going to weigh about the same but that extra 10mm of travel will make the bike a little more capable.
Actual travel and the leverage curve of the bike might make a 160 feel like 140 and inversely, some 150 bikes are less capable than some 130/140 that's for shawwwr my man
Thumbs down to not looking at the whole package of each bike, bikes are so much more complicated than a travel number
what a strange and peculiar pers-... take.
But at 160 you could just add 10mm of travel for not much more weight and be more capable. See where I'm going with this?
@@Domowoi2 160 bike is pointless when you can ride a 170... 170 bike is pointle-...
(ends up buying a DH bike and walking it up a hill)