Canyon Spectral AL 9.0 EX - Eurobike 2013

Aug 27, 2013
by Mike Levy  
Canyon Spectral AL 9.0 EX

A Burly 140mm Trail Bike

While Canyon's Strive garners plenty of attention under Fabien Barel as he races it in the Enduro World Series, it's the brand new, 140mm travel Spectral lineup that caught our eye during Eurobike's first day. The Spectral range consists of five 650B-wheeled models, with the AL 9.0 EX standing out thanks to a component spec that is burlier than the rest of its brothers. This includes a 150mm travel RockShox Revelation RCT3 fork - the others use 140mm travel forks, a stout looking Renthal handlebar and stem, as well as a Continental's Trail King 2.4'' tires font and rear. It is also the only Spectral to not make use of a front derailleur, with SRAM's single-ring X01 drivetrain utilized instead.

Spectral AL 9.0 EX details

• 140mm of rear wheel travel
• 150mm Travel RockShox Revelation
• Aluminum frame
• 650B wheels
• SRAM X01 drivetrain
• Renthal stem and handlebar
• MSRP: TBA

The bike's aluminum frame is executed quite nicely, with colour matching decals on the fork, shock, and wheels, as well as nearly invisible external cable routing that gives the bike a remarkably clean appearance. Like many machines these days, there is the requisite tapered head tube, as well as an entry port for an internally routed dropper seat post, but we were surprised to see that there are no ISCG chain guide tabs welded in place around the bottom bracket shell, an unexpected omission given the Spectral's sturdy build kit, even considering the X01 group's chain retention abilities. Out back, a 12 x 142mm thru-axle is used, and Canyon offers both standard and Direct Mount rear derailleur hangers for the bike. All told, it appears to be a smartly spec'd machine that is ready for some serious terrain, and we're looking forward to seeing if Barel chooses to race a Spectral on less demanding Enduro race courses.

Canyon Spectral AL 9.0 EX

The Spectral's 140mm travel rear suspension utilizes a four-bar layout with a shapely rocker arm to activate its RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 shock, and while there are no travel or geometry adjustments, the design is very streamlined and gimmick-free, with aluminum pivot hardware holding everything together. There is also plenty of mud clearance at both the chain and seat stays, even with a high-volume 2.4'' wide Trail King tire installed on the rear wheel. It should be mentioned that this last point isn't common among most mid-trail trail bikes, although it's one that we greatly appreciate.

Canyon Spectral AL 9.0 EX


Stay tuned for more from Eurobike 2013


www.canyon.com

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106 Comments
  • 44 0
 Ya this bikes looks good. Always add geo to such an article please. Ha, tt, cs, wb, sa, bb...
  • 4 1
 agreed, sick looking trailbike though
  • 5 3
 damnnnn. look at that rear derailleur housing routing. AWFUL. other than that, the bike looks super
  • 2 1
 One Hot Ride!
  • 3 3
 Looks like its routed incorrectly, should be on top of the chain stay and looks like its set for that, of so it would be one of the best routed bikes around, down the top of the downtube is best Ive seen in a long while usually only on DH bikes which generally are the only ones to route cables properly, otherwise its an after thought by most manafactures too dam lazy to do a decent job, not ROAD bikes OEMs!.

I like it probably one of 2 or 3 27.5" bikes that I actually like, but yeah give us number inclu front and center eff TT is useless on bikes likes these and wrong size choices seem to be getting worse by muppets not better!

Good work Fabian, u da man!
  • 1 0
 Canyons generally use internal cabling. The spectral does have a visible port in the downtube.
Here's my old Canyon Nerve

a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/user/m444uk/media/IMG_1080.jpg.html" target="_blank">img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/m444uk/IMG_1080.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_1080.jpg"/>/a>

a href="http://s2.photobucket.com/user/m444uk/media/IMG_1071.jpg.html" target="_blank">img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/m444uk/IMG_1071.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_1071.jpg"/>/a>
  • 1 0
 i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/m444uk/IMG_1071.jpg
  • 1 0
 head angle, top tube, chainstay, wheelbase, seat angle, bottom bracket. I feel much better now
  • 30 5
 Finally a decent mention of a canyon! (first I've seen anyway) thankyou pinkbike Smile now maby a YT...?
  • 12 2
 Yeah
  • 1 0
 Yeah, about time! And this is EXACTLY what I was hoping Canyon would release for next year. I'm getting one!
Unless YT comes out with something better.. which would go very nicely with my TUES WC edition Smile
  • 1 0
 Check out the all Mountain and enduro Bikes from yt,they are amazing,do you like the tues wc Edition,im thinking of getting the tues pro edition
  • 1 0
 I love it! Brilliant bike at a insanely low price. There's a few photos of it on my profile. I like their Enduro bikes but they are over done for my needs. Light AM bike with 130-140mm. of travel, not over 12kg and XX1 or X01 - that's what I'm looking for in my next bike.
  • 1 0
 Ah,okay.So you would recommend me to buy a yt dh Bike?
  • 1 0
 Absolutely. If I were you, I would wait and see if there's going to be a WC edition again this year though.. Much better value than the Pro edition.
  • 1 0
 Yeah,i Hope they Release something Special at Christmas Time again,i also heard something about a carbon Edition,did you hear anything
  • 1 0
 There were a few pictures of carbon prototypes released last year, about 2 months prior to the presentation of the 2013 WC edition. So I think that is is VERY likely to see a carbon frame from them this year.
Have you seen the prototypes?
  • 1 0
 Yes and i Hope the carbon One comes out in december.does yt brings Crash replacement warranty for the bike?
  • 1 0
 YT hasn't a booth at the Eurobike Wink
  • 1 0
 And,it doesnt mean that they don't Plan anything
  • 1 0
 When do YT usually release their next bikes?
  • 1 0
 Soon,around Christmas Time they always Release a Special Edition and they also will Release a carbon Version in the very near future
  • 1 0
 No for sure not, I just wanted to inform you about that fact.
  • 1 0
 I Know that,i were there,im also german
  • 22 1
 Hurray for not getting it in North America!
  • 2 0
 No kidding, I will buy one as soon as they are available here
  • 2 2
 You can order one online on their webpage. I'm pretty sure they ship to all over the world.
  • 10 0
 Nice spec and looks! It'll probably be cheap too!
  • 8 0
 Canyon is always cheap
  • 4 2
 2 words... SHIP IT!
  • 19 0
 2 words... THEY WON'T!
  • 2 0
 they may start to soon though now the specialized horst patent has expired.
  • 2 4
 2 words... GOT MILK?
  • 1 3
 2 years... that's how short their warranty period is. Stay away.
  • 2 1
 I have seriously never used an mtb frame for more than 2 years. There is always something new to go broke on.
  • 2 1
 2 years on parts (like any other bike company) and 6 years on the frame. Even second owner gets warranty for first 2 years.
  • 13 4
 Specialized Pitch?
  • 10 0
 Smack my Pitch up!
  • 1 1
 Niner RIP9?
  • 4 0
 The Pitch is tits! Apart from that goofy bend in the top tube, this is one of the sexiest bikes i've seen of late.
  • 2 0
 Can't you read? It's Canyon Spectral AL 9.0 EX! Smile

Since the FSR patent has lapsed this year,
you better get used to all the bikes with "Horst Link" suspension popping up like mushrooms.
And yes, they all will look like Specialized, more or less.
  • 3 0
 OK someone please tell me what's going on with there being two versions of X01... because there seems to be one version with a bunch of carbon in black, silver and red, (www.pinkbike.com/news/SRAM-X01-Drivetrain-Explained.html), and another with alu in black and grey (www.pinkbike.com/news/SRAM-X01-One-by-Eleven-for-the-People.html)...
  • 2 0
 The carbon XO1 is the aftermarket version
  • 1 0
 I'm glad I got the last of the Nerve AL+ (the model this replaces), this one's a step backwards. A shame. What people in the Americas probably don't realise is the sheer value of these bikes. The spec of the model I got would have cost £600-£800 more from the big names. It's a truly awesome bike.
  • 1 0
 It's not as nice as the bike it replaces. The Nerve AL+ (glad I picked one up in time! Awesome bike). It looks ok but a bit of a backwards step, as it looks like the bikes they were producing 4 years ago. They make utterly superb bikes that always come 1st or 2nd in group tests against all the top bikes. The value is incredible, to get a similar frame and parts spec from other manufacturers would have cost me between £600 and £800 more.
  • 3 0
 If Barel races a Strive then it has to be the prototype of the next version. Proto of which the TT strangely looks like the one on this bike btw!
  • 1 0
 frame layout seems same indeed. hard to say if its this Spectral or some burlier frame with 150 mm rear / 160 mm front.

what Canyon says :
“Refined Simplicity“ – a clear statement of intent which was the focal point of the development work on the Spectral AL. The objective was to focus on the essentials. Sit on it, ride off and have fun – whether it’s up a steep hill, on flowing single trails or technical downhill sections. We have designed a versatile trail bike in the form of the Spectral AL with its refined and uncomplicated simplicity, perfectly positioned between the Nerve AL touring bike series and the Strive AL enduros. We decided to launch two Spectral AL versions to meet the individual demands of riders and the various requirements of the areas of their use. The 27,5″ and 29″ versions of the trail bikes in the Spectral AL model series replace the successful Nerve AL+ model in the new model year.

- Canyon
  • 4 0
 I know that PB is paid to cover the latest trends, but lets see some 26'ers.
  • 3 0
 I'm sure they would if anyone actually produced a new one......
  • 6 2
 The rebirth of my 2008 stumpjumper!
  • 3 0
 Very nice solid paint work.. Wonder when the trends turn into this side after the super detailed flashy decoration..
  • 3 0
 Without a price or any geo numbers it really doesn't tell us much.. Either way I'm interested, which is half the job I guess
  • 3 0
 That cable hanging under the bottom bracket.. No bueno.
  • 1 1
 Not even sure what that is?? its not the dropper, brakes, or derailleur lines...
  • 3 0
 Its rear derailleur's cable. Ye could be shorter. Big Grin
  • 1 0
 hah nearly invisible cable routing
  • 5 1
 This is a Pitch!
  • 2 0
 Canyon please dont raise prices to pay barel! Although He deserves it for sure!
  • 3 0
 Beauty!!!
  • 2 0
 This bike looks fantastic!
  • 1 0
 so I assume the FSR patent is up? looks like a lot of bikes are going to this recently. someone educate me please.
  • 2 0
 It expired last year iirc
  • 2 0
 also canyon are a european brand that has up until now not sold to the north american market, they have been making horst link bikes for years.
  • 2 0
 So Im assuming this will replace the NerveAL+?
  • 2 0
 Very clean lines, it needs a pike though.
  • 1 0
 What about the pedalling efficiency... A Pitch is almost the same and isn't very efficient...
  • 1 1
 I had plans to buy Canyon bike or frame for 2014 but this pictures cured me from this idea :/
  • 1 0
 nice bike =)

"eu gosto é que o Paulo Flor me chupe o narço Smile "
  • 2 1
 That bike seems perfect. Can't wait to see the price...
  • 1 0
 Saw joe riding one around at the megavalanche this year.. Looked good!
  • 1 0
 Beautiful, nice spec, cool concept.... I´d love to own it!
  • 1 0
 It will Be cheap,don't worry
  • 2 1
 Shouldn't a burly bike have a burly fork?
  • 1 0
 It depends. Not if you are 165lbs. Plenty of fork on the front. I'm not, and would probably want a pike on the front, but you cant build a bike to suit every riders needs from the factory.
  • 2 1
 Just what I need, where's the order button
  • 1 0
 Looks pretty sick man! Smile
  • 1 0
 why do they not sell in north america?
  • 1 0
 Competitive Cyclist was supposed to bring Canyon (road bikes) to the US but an existing patent beef between Canyon and Cervelo meant CC would have lost their Cervelo business, so it didn't happen. CC no longer sells Cervelo (Cervelo pulled out of online retail where brick and mortar stores were absent) so perhaps the Canyon will get a second chance...

I heard this from a roadie friend but it seems legit.
  • 1 0
 canyon (successfully) sued cervelo for copying their round to square seat tube design i believe.
also canyon do not have distributors or shops they are a direct sales outfit , the bikes come straight from the factory to the customer , thats how they keep the prices low.
  • 1 0
 Um, nitpicking but isn't that a Mountain King on the back?
  • 1 0
 should've put a Baron 2.3 on the back, nice spec though
  • 1 0
 Nice looking bike, except for the color.
  • 1 0
 mite just paint my pitch red and have a canyon
  • 1 0
 This bike is so clean. frame has nice lines too.
  • 1 0
 Want it so bad........ Wait 27.5...... Never mind:/. Cool looking though.
  • 1 0
 that TT looks lame.True story
  • 1 0
 Super sexy rig. If the geo is right it looks like a winner.
  • 1 0
 loose.. canyon are big business time these days. stoked
  • 1 0
 Really pretty! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Looks awesome
  • 6 6
 2008 called, they want their Enduro back.
  • 1 0
 Exactly: www.pinkbike.com/photo/7840135
  • 1 0
 Someone pass me a tissue
  • 1 0
 Where's Pike?
  • 1 0
 Not red enuf!!
  • 1 0
 so simple and clean
  • 1 2
 If they can Test a Canyon they can Test a yt
  • 3 0
 They didn't test it, it's a first look ....
  • 1 1
 You are right,i just was upset when i saw Canyon Standing there instead of yt,sorry dude
  • 6 13
flag deeeight (Aug 27, 2013 at 10:17) (Below Threshold)
 Well MAYBE if YT displayed anything at the bike show worthy of being photographed that actually stands out amongst the thousand OTHER exhibitors for them to photograph, or if they submitted any bikes to the magazine to be tested.... that might happen. Until it does. Stop whining about it never happening...
  • 12 4
 Calm down
  • 1 3
 Here it comes:
Looks like a...

...RM Slayer
  • 3 1
 nah a trek session
  • 2 7
flag wakaba (Aug 27, 2013 at 13:24) (Below Threshold)
 Directsalescompany pandering anodised bling with 1000mls life and very unimpressive quality to the uninitiated and their bikes have exactly zero resalevalue.
  • 3 2
 stop talking through your arse, i've owned a strive for almost a year now and its still as tight as a drum, the same couldn't be said for the Blur LTc i had before it that went through 2 full sets of pivot bearings and 2 complete lower links in the same time frame or the trek i had that broke in two, or the commencal that snapped 3 times in a year. the only bike i've had that was as durable as the strive was an orange 5
  • 1 2
 Comparing the bad with the unremarkable, a frame made of wet french baguette? Either way - you might have a riding style that is beyond the scope of AM/Enduro bikes. The Strive is quite beefy so it might outlast the commie a little bit. All other points still stand.
Had to have an commie frame replacement too, cracked.







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