Review: Canyon's New 2021 Spectral 29 CF 8.0

Along with getting bigger wheels and updated geometry, the Spectral's carbon frame also shed some weight, checking in at 2598 grams for a size medium frame. At the moment, there aren't any aluminum frame options offered – all models, from the $3,699 Spectral CF 7 to the $5,699 Spectral CF 9 use the same full carbon frame.

It's the Spectral CF 8 29 that's reviewed here, which is priced at $4,699. Build kit highlights include a 160mm Fox 36 Performance Elite fork and DPX2 shock, Shimano XT M8100 12-speed drivetrain and brakes, DT Swiss XM1700 wheels, and a Maxxis Minion DHF / DHR II tire combo. All of that adds up to a weight of 31 pounds without pedals for a size large. It's worth noting that the flouro-green paint job won't be available in the US - black will be the only frame color option for the CF 8.

The Spectral will be offered in other markets with a more trail-oriented build that has a 150mm fork and an inline shock, but all of the US options come with what Canyon call their "Shred Spec." That means a 160mm fork, in this case either a Fox 36 or RockShox Lyrik, and a piggyback shock, either a Fox DPX2 or RockShox Super Deluxe.

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Construction and Features

At a glance the Spectral 29 may look similar to its 27.5” sibling, but take a closer look and the differences become clear. The shape of the seat tube mast has been changed, there's now internal cable routing with internal plastic tubes to guide the housing to its destination, and the rear pivot position has been altered as part of the changes to the bike's kinematics.

Hamfisted mechanics will be glad to see that almost all of the threaded inserts on the frame are replaceable. That means if you somehow managed to cross-thread or strip something you'd be able to replace an insert, rather than mangling the frame. First developed for the Sender downhill bike, those threaded inserts are held in place by a small screw, eliminating any need to go groveling around on your shop floor looking for dropped parts.



There's room for a 600mL water bottle inside the front triangle, but any bigger than that any you'll start running into clearance issues. Some water is better than none, but I wouldn't mind the ability to carry an even bigger bottle for longer rides. Maybe Canyon will come up with a tiny flask that can attach to the one bolt on the underside of the top tube... In the meantime, that bolt is used to secure a bracket that can hold a tube or a small pouch for trailside fixes.

Other details include a threaded bottom bracket, and molded chainstay, seatstay, and down tube protection. An integrated upper guide adds a little extra security against dropped chains, and while there aren't any ISCG tabs to be seen Canyon does offer a removable mount that can be purchased separately.

Geometry & Sizing

Canyon gave the Spectral a solid dose of the long and slack treatment, and the results are a bike with a 64-degree head angle in the low setting, a 485mm reach for a size large, and a 437mm chainstay length for all sizes. Flipping the chips on the seatstays will steepen the head and seat tube angles by .5-degrees and raise the bottom bracket height by 8mm.

The seat tube lengths have been shortened to allow for longer travel dropper posts, although some riders still may run into some issues if they want to run a 200mm post or longer. As it is, the large frame has a 460mm seat tube and comes with a 170mm post.

Suspension Design

The shape of the Spectral 29's leverage curve is similar to that of the 27.5” version, but the amount of progression has been increased, as has the amount of anti-squat at the sag point – it now sits around 95%.

There's a 29.5% change in the leverage ratio, a number that should allow the bike to work well with a coil shock, although Canyon says that the bike was designed to work best with an air shock. Plus, the larger dimensions of some coil shocks could eat into some of that valuable water bottle room.

Testing took place in and around Bellingham, Washington, during the transition from fall to winter, which meant conditions ranged from tacky perfection to sloppy with a few inches of snow thrown in for good measure.

Climbing

There's been a resurgence of all-mountain bikes over the last year or so, the category where bikes like the Norco Sight, Transition Sentinel, Specialized Stumpjumper EVO, and now the Canyon Spectral reside. All of those models have 29” wheels, 150mm of travel paired with a 160mm fork, and sit in that nebulous area between trail bikes and beefed up enduro bikes. They also all happen to rely on a Horst Link suspension layout, but they each have their own distinct handling characteristics out on the trail.

With the Spectral, its climbing manners are closer to what you'd expect from something with a little less travel. Even though it's significantly longer and slacker than the 27.5” version, it still has a decent amount of peppiness - stomp on the pedals and it accelerates quickly, free from nearly any unwanted bobbing from the DPX2 shock. On the vast majority of my rides I was perfectly content to leave the compression lever alone, due to the fact that the shock seemed unfussed by my position on the bike – the amount of motion remained fairly constant no matter if I was seated or standing. If you do want to firm things up it's easy to reach, something that can't really be said for the water bottle, at least unless you have extra long arms.

That snappy climbing is tempered to some extent by the Spectral's increased length. It was manageable on technical climbs, but it does have a little more subdued nature to its handling compared to the previous version. I've been riding lots of bikes with similarly slack geometry numbers so I felt right at home, but it might take a little getting used to for riders who are coming off of shorter, steeper machines.

Compared to the quartet of bikes I mentioned earlier, I'd put the Spectral at the front when it comes to pedaling efficiency, although the Stumpjumper EVO would get the nod for best all-round climber. The geometry differences aren't drastic, but the Stumpjumper EVO's slightly longer chainstays and shorter front center did seem to help make it easier to snake through tight trees, or keep maintain traction when faced with a multi-tiered mess of slippery roots.

Descending

One of my favorite trails to test bikes on here in Bellingham is called Dad Bod, a descent full of quick dips and dives, with plenty of sideways roots and off-camber bits to keep you on your toes. It's not the absolute steepest trail, but it's a great way to see how well a bike maintains speed and responds to quick direction changes. The Spectral felt right at home in this setting - the 150mm of rear travel is well managed, with enough support to keep the bike from feeling mushy or lethargic when pumping the backside of a roller or pushing into a turn, and the ability to take the edge off bumps without completely muting the trail.

Frame stiffness is always a tricky thing to judge, but I'd put the Spectral towards the stiffer end of the spectrum. It has a more taut, almost 'pingy' feel, for lack of a better term, compared to the Transition Sentinel, which has a slightly softer, more compliant feel.


On rougher, steeper trails the Spectral still maintained its composure, but it doesn't really encourage the same level of reckless abandon as a bike like the new Commencal Meta TR. The Meta, even with less rear travel, has a more planted, plow-through-everything nature. If the Meta is an aluminum meat tenderizer, hell-bent on smashing the trail into submission, then the Spectral is a finely honed chef's knife, precisely slicing its way down the fall line.

The Spectral's limits feel a little more defined – it does exactly what it's designed to do, but I also never found myself wondering about how it would handle with something like a 170mm Zeb up front and a coil shock in the back. The precise, agile nature of the bike makes it seem like trying to beef if up would be a step in the wrong direction. As an aggressive trail / all-mountain bike it hits the mark, but it's not quite the gravity fiend that enduro racers may be looking for.

How does it compare?

Let's dig in a little deeper into how the Spectral stacks up against the Stumpjumper EVO. The travel amounts are the same, and both bikes come in at very reasonable weights, although the Stumpjumper EVO frame is lighter – Specialized says it's 2750 grams with shock, while the Spectral is 2598 grams without a shock.

On the trail, the Spectral's the snappier pedaler, with a slightly firmer platform at the beginning of its travel, a trait that will appeal to riders who don't want to feel like any of their input is going to waste. The Stumpjumper has a more active feel that might not be quite as efficient, but it does deliver plenty of traction. The Stumpjumper feels a little more compact on the descents due to the shorter reach, which makes it slightly more maneuverable in tighter terrain, but the Spectral isn't exactly a cumbersome sled - it just takes a teeny bit more effort to get it to bob and weave through really tight stuff.

The Stumpjumper EVO pulls ahead when it comes to frame features. Those include the ability to set up the bike in one of six possible geometry configurations, which put the head angle at anywhere from 63- to 65.5-degrees. And don't forget about that SWAT storage compartment in the downtube, which now comes holds a bladder for even more water carrying capacity.

What about price? Well, there's no frame-only option for the Spectral, but it's possible to compare the $4,900 Stumpjumper EVO Expert to the $4,699 Spectral CF 8. Both models have full carbon frames and the same Fox Performance Elite suspension package. The Stumpjumper gets a SRAM X01 derailleur and shifter, along with Code RS brakes, while the Spectral has a Shimano XT drivetrain and brakes. Both companies use house brand components for the cockpit, and it's really only at the wheel level where the Spectral has the edge – the DT Swiss M1700 wheelset is nicer than than Specialized Roval Traverse wheels. Canyon's consumer-direct model does allow them to offer a lower price, but in this case the difference isn't nearly as dramatic as I'd expected.

Technical Report

DT Swiss XM1700 wheels: DT's M1700 wheels are always a welcome sight – it's basically the pre-built version of what I would build up from scratch if I was looking for a set of durable, reliable wheels. The 350 hub laced up to DT's XM481 rims is an excellent combo, and I didn't have any issues at all during testing.

Shimano XT 4-piston brakes: I'll keep the griping to a minimum this time around, but Shimano's XT brakes still don't have a consistent feel at the lever, especially in steep terrain where repeated hard braking is required. I have had sets come through that worked just fine, but the rear brake on the Spectral was finicky, even after a thorough bleed.

Dropper post: I did find myself wishing for a longer travel dropper post on a few occasions. The 170mm Canyon Iridium post worked just fine, but once you've grown accustomed to running a 200 or 210mm post its hard to go back to anything less. The Spectral's seat tube length is a little longer than what's starting to become the norm, at 460mm for a size large, which could be a limiting factor for some riders who want the most drop possible.

Fox 36 Performance Elite fork: It sort of feels like the new 36 fork has been flying under the radar, overshadowed by the burlier 38. Realistically, the 36 is going to be the way to go for most riders, and the level of controlled traction is very impressive. Plus it's really fun to push the little air bleed valves and hear a little 'pssst' of air come out.

Pinkbike's Take

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Reviews and Tech Reviews Trail Bikes Canyon Canyon Spectral