For 2019, Canyon have redesigned the Neuron, their 130mm travel trail bike. The updated Neuron, which will now be available in the US, has updated suspension workings and more modern geometry. It takes some major aesthetic cues from the Lux, Canyon's 100mm XC bike, and the Spectral, their more aggressive trail bike. The Neuron sits pretty squarely between the two as a versatile 130mm trail bike.
The medium, large, and XL Neurons roll on 29" wheels, while the small and XS bikes are designed around 27.5" wheels. There's a wide range of build options and there's also a women's specific build that has different touch points. The Neuron starts at $3,499 USD / 2,699 EUR and then the top end 9.0 Unlimited build sells for $6,999 USD.
Canyon Neuron Details
• Intended use: XC / trail
• Wheel size: 29" (Small and XS 27.5")
• Rear wheel travel: 130mm
• Boost 12x148
• Carbon frame
• Size: S through XL
• Weight: 12.4kg - (CF9.0 LTD)
• Price: $3,499 - $6,999 USD
• Available this spring
• www.canyon.com While Canyon is a newer name to the bike game in the United States when compared to the likes of Trek or Specialized, the direct-to-consumer German brand has a well-established presence in Europe. Canyon have control over every aspect of the design and construction of their bikes, and are able to deliver their bikes at very competitive prices directly to riders by foregoing the once traditional bike shop sales model.
Back in the day, the Neuron was the Nerve. The Nerve had been reimagined a few times, as most bikes typically are, and was a mainstay in Canyon's line. It served much the same purpose as the modern Neuron does - an "all-rounder" that suits a variety of riders. As a capable 26" bike to start and then a 29er, the Nerve was apparently pretty successful until the advent of 27.5" wheels.
The Nerve, at this point, was essentially dead and needed a full update and re-branding. Bring on the Neuron.
Frame Details Full carbon frame: Front to back, the Neuron is all carbon and that's the only way it comes.
IPU: Canyon's IPU (Impact Protection Unit) keeps the bars from over-rotating to the point where your controls could damage the top tube in the event of a crash, or if your bike inadvertently tips over onto the sidewalk while you're waiting in line for a cappuccino before your morning ride.
1x or 2x: There's a removable front derailleur mount that gives the option of running the Neuron as a 1x or 2x bike.
Cable routing: The Neuron uses a bolt-on cable guide/guard to simply and neatly route cables on the downtube. It does double duty as added protection against rock strike and shuttle pad damage. It's replaceable if you break it for far less money than a new frame would cost.
Sealed and covered bearings: Bearings on the Neuron are sealed and covered as much as possible. The idea, according to Canyon, is to prevent debris from getting anywhere close to where it could do damage. Low maintenance seems to be an underlying theme in the design.
The bearings are asymmetrical on the main pivot with two on the drivetrain side and one on the non-drive side. In addition to the standard sealed bearings, there is an added additional seal next to the bearings themselves functioning as an outer shield. The shock extension also acts in this capacity, further protecting the bearings beneath it.
Frame Options / Build Kits The Neuron is available in five different build options. All of the bikes have 130mm of travel front and back. The builds start at $3,499 USD for the CF 8.0 which has a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, Guide T brakes, Fox 34 Rythym fork, and aluminum DT wheels with a claimed weight of 29.1 lb (13.22 kg).
The Neuron CF 9.0 Unlimited get the top-of-the-line parts spec, complete with Shimano's new 12-speed XTR drivetrain, a Fox Factory 34 fork, and a DT Swiss carbon XMC 1200 wheelset. The Unlimited weighs a reported 26.7 lb (12.12 kg) and sells for $6,999 USD.
In addition to these builds, there are also two "women's specific builds" that feature the same geometry and frame but different contact points including narrower bars and a shorter stem. The women's specific build is available on the GX and X01 Eagle options.
For the 8.0 and 9.0 builds that feature aluminum wheels, Canyon have gone with two different rim widths. The front is 30mm while the back is 25. The logic behind this is that it saves weight and allows for a more appropriate tire profile.
Geometry / KinematicsThe Neuron, according to Canyon is designed to be balanced and "easy" to ride. To achieve this, they gave the bike fairly conservative geometry numbers. The headtube on the 27.5" wheeled XS and S frames is 67° and those bikes have 430mm chainstays. The M-XL bikes with 29" wheels have a 67.5° headtube and 440mm chainstays. The seattube angle is 74.5° on all bikes, which is a pretty conservative number compared to some other bikes we've seen as of late.
Canyon says they did a lot of testing in developing the bike and went with some slightly un-orthodox spec to get all of the bikes, in all sizes, to offer the same ride feel. The XS and S, even though they have 27.5" wheels, use the same 29" fork with 51mm of offset found on the larger frame sizes. The smaller bikes have 4mm less trail in order to create the same feel as the larger sized bikes. They also claim that for smaller riders, "a 27.5" wheel already feels like a 29er."
Taking all of this a little further, Canyon have also spec'd the XS and S bikes with a 740mm handlebar. Now, it's not difficult to draw the correlation between smaller riders with narrower shoulders needing a narrower bar however, Canyon say that there's more to it. In their testing and research they found that handlebar width coupled with the amount of trail a bike has was directly correlated to how the bike rides. Engineers and riders tested different bar widths on different frame sizes and with different fork offsets and even wheel sizes to come up with this conclusion.
According to Canyon, this is the same testing that led them to spec the XS and S bikes as a 27.5" wheeled only ride, coupled with a 29" fork. If you look at the geo chart, there's even a new column and number to make this more scientific. In making this number consistent across sizes the way they wanted, they say that the bike feels the same across frame sizes and works just as good for a shorter rider as a taller one. Whether this is the result of too much time in a lab and over-engineering, or if it actually has some tangibility on the trail is yet to be proven, but I suspect this isn't the last time we'll see this number in a geo chart.
The suspension on the Neuron takes some inspiration from Canyon's Sender DH rig, but is scaled back to a "trail" application. There's a high amount of sensitivity built into all stages of the travel.
The first phase of travel is sensitive, the middle is designed to be supportive and then the end of the travel ramps up to prevent a harsh bottom out. The XS and S bikes have a 195x45mm shock and the M-XL bikes have a 210x50mm.
The smaller bikes have a different kinematic from the larger sized bikes. Canyon's engineers attribute this to the riders on smaller bikes generally being lighter than average and needing different tunes than riders on a larger bike, as well as the smaller bikes having a higher leverage ratio than the larger bikes. This puts a smaller and lighter rider more in the middle of the shock's range of settings, rather than at the extreme, allowing for more adjustability out of the box.
I had the opportunity to check out the new Neuron in western Portugal, where, in addition to speaking with the engineers and product team about what was new with the Neuron, I was able to get a good day of riding in on the bike.
In addition to climbing up paved roads through villages and spinning along on steep gravel paths in the forest, there was singletrack and chunky rock-laden descents over fire charred hillsides. From technical, rooty and rock to mellow and smooth, there was a little bit of everything. It definitely wasn't a bike park, and I'd say the riding we did was just good old fashioned mountain biking - the type of terrain the Neuron was designed Neuron for.
Daniel SappLocation: Brevard, NC, USA
Age: 31
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 148 lbs
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @d_sapp1 Climbing In addition to sharing a very similar aesthetic to
Canyon's new Lux cross-country race bike, the Neuron also behaves in quite the same manner as it moves through its suspension. As advertised, the bike is supportive and supple, although I did toggle the pedaling platform on the shock off and on at times. The need for it isn't huge, especially if you pedal circles more than squares, but when you've been going uphill for what seems like hours, you'll take what you can get as far as help goes, even if it's more mental than anything else.
The bike felt stable and confident in tight uphill corners, however, most of the climbing that we did was more on wide open terrain, so the real verdict on that will have to wait for when I have one back on familiar terrain for a longer period of time. Overall, while pointed uphill, the Neuron performed about as well as a 130mm bike should in the terrain I was in. Nothing stood out and really wowed me, but there was nothing that detracted from the experience either. It's a solid and capable climber.
One thing that's worth noting is that while there is a generous amount of standover on the Neuron, the seat mast is fairly tall. Tall enough that on a size medium, with the dropper post spec'd, the shortest seat height one can run is 70 cm. If you need a lower seat height than this, you can either use a shorter dropper post, or you'll want to size down, and that will put you on a 27.5" wheeled bike. This ties in with Canyon's philosophy of having all of the bikes ride the same, despite wheel size, however, a lot of people are accustomed to buying bikes based on wheel size. Whether Canyon's philosophy of bar width, trail, and those numbers adding up to a consistent ride can be validated as science or dismissed as snake oil, this is going to be a mental hurdle for some riders to get past.
Descending When it comes to descending, the Neuron very noticeably carries over some traits from the Lux, and it feels closer to it than its other longer travel sibling, the Spectral. With 30% sag the suspension was supple and handled small bumps well, and didn't shy away from soaking up larger hits, although there are limits to how hard it can be pushed.
The Neuron has a very balanced, neutral feel. It's not super long or slack, and its performance place it smack dab in the middle of the trail category. To compare it to a bike that has been out for a bit now, the Neuron has a similar feel to Pivot's new Trail 429, and the numbers associated with both of the bikes back this up. The chainstays on the Neuron are a little more lengthy and while this seemed to help keep the bike pretty stable in higher speed technical terrain, I wasn't blown away by the bike's ability to corner. It did a decent job, but wasn't overly quick when it got tight.
First Impressions | The new Neuron strikes me as a very capable all-around trail bike bike, one that's well suited for riders looking for a little more travel than a full-on XC race bike, but isn't overly long or slack.
If you want to use a German auto analogy, I'd liken it to the BMW X5 of mountain bikes. For someone that wants to get out and just go mountain biking, whatever that may be to them, and is most concerned with just getting in a good ride and having a good time. Whether it's shredding singletrack, pedaling fire roads, or even doing an overnighter laden with gear, the Neuron may just fit the bill.— Daniel Sapp |
"Sticks and stones man, why don't you just kick me in the nuts, no need to be that cruel." - Canyon Designer, probably
Mums
Police patrol cars
Drug dealers
So if that's what the writer was going for in his description here -- it's a mountain bike, it's got two wheels and 130mm of travel, it works if you like it, but if not, there are dozens of others to choose from -- then mission accomplished.
They are comfortable and they are for they who don't give a shit about driving itself (other than the ocasional throtle slam in a straight line to feel all that power they paid for), but who like the elevated view from a big car and the sense of unvulnerability that comes with it.
And don't forget one major thing, people don't buy transportation, people buy status, cars are just dicks on wheels
Does not pedal well, does not go down well, slow on pavement, no grip on dirt, might look hot, but completely useless unless you have money to waste and no use for a real mountain bike.
Obviously, saying that is gonna piss off the SUV owners...
- SUVs are as evil as they are useless, they are for people who are old and/or hate driving
- the X5 is an SUV
- people who drive SUVs are not necessarily evil, but I suspect some are or at least would like to be
- the comparison between the Neuron and the X5 could be a case of libel (and if not, it should be)
@ka81: it's just that we haven't broken a hip lately so we don't need a X5 to drive the 500m to the store that sells pants that cover our nipples.
As for evil and useless, look for my post on my Grand Cherokee. Great for commuting, great for road trips, great for hauling bikes to the trail, light duty off roading, etc. And not an X5
And I'm not evil. If I was, I'd be driving a Suburban. Now THATs a useless vehicle.
X5 is pretty awesome. The 2019 especially.
Most luxury-SUV marketing has some BS section where they show their $80,000 Audi or whatever fording a small rivulet, or driving up a dirt road to insinuate that you might do something similar to offroading in your new SUV.
Not BMW. I read through an X5 brochure a couple years back, and there wasn't a single scene of the thing off the pavement.
It was kind of refreshing. BMW was like, "Look, this is a very expensive, very comfortable SUV. And it'll do an awesome job of taking you and your family to dinner at a fancy restaurant. That's it."
I'm not really sure what that says about the Neuron, but it doesn't seem great.
"I think they (SUVs) are all that is wrong with the automotive industry, and indeed with mankind itself."
This is so true.
I have no problem with people who use their SUVs/pickups for their intended purpose, but that is a small minority. its the people daily driving their land yachts to their office job that drive me nuts.
@Keit: let me guess... you own an SUV... "everything you wrote is absolutely incorrect"... dude, forming those sentences, this state of mind, causing you to spew this V-neck pullover tight sphincter jargon is really bad for your errection trust me. Do you even care anymore anyways? Now please please tell me - do you own a SUV? I want to know
We drew new offices for warehouse for Porsche retailer in my town not so long ago, so I’ve been there to take measurements and saw the latest Panamera wagon, it didn’t look like too much space. It was long for sure but it was as narrow as a regular hatchback if not narrower. Those wide rear wheels take loads of space. Make no mistake though, Panamera GTS is on top of my dream car list with A6 avant quattro, eventually A7. Tesla S wouldn’t be too shabby either but Panamera mmmm...
I have recently bought a used E70 4.8i X5. So far I dig it. I'm a BMW guy so when I had a kid earlier this year I had to trade in my coupe for something with more space. I wish we could get a 3-series or 5-series station wagon, but that's not an option in South Africa.
So why is an X5 good?
The V8 version is fast enough, but drinks worse than an alcoholic on payday.
The high ride height gives good visibility and is fine for the poor roads and rural roads we have. It isn't built for 4x4 action, but I'd rather be in an SUV or pickup on a gravel road than in a low-riding sedan.
The ride and handling is better than a pick-up (which is very common in South Africa). But because there are aso many big vehicles you also feel safer having a high-riding car if there's an accident.
The interior is great quality and feels pretty robust so far. The space inside is also pretty good. If I go to an MTB race I typically sleep in the back of the car.
I aint gonna stand up here and tell everyone to get an X5, but it isn't a bad option if you want an SUV.
i am however very much of the opinion that SUVs should be taxed higher than other vehicles.
the real tragedy here is that your country doesn't get the BMW wagons.
@wowbagger: BMWs well built!? Lmao someone's been drinking the kool-aid
@gunner44: Brake rotors being warped straight away is not common, however constant electronic issues is par for the course with BMW.
If you’re going to pretend to get an SUV, get a real one. Toyota 4Runner stock took me to many real off-road locations.
Beamer are only good to drive on the left lane (in Canada) with a sense of entitlement. Lol!
@sylvainvanier: Don't forget to never use your turn signal!
Oh, and my GC gets 19 city/25 highway. Not hatchback mileage, but not crap 10 or less like you get in a larger SUV. And ground clearance is something you won't get in a hatch.
It fits a purpose, fits our needs, and I like it. So there.
There are several reasons why people buy SUVs but I have yet to be shown a rational one.
SUVs are jacks-of-no-trades and the only credible reason for buying one that I've ever heard is "because i WANT one"
BMW must have different marketing tactics between our countries. Latest X5 ad has some 'dude' drifting one on a dirt road, coupled with flashbacks of him as a kid playing with his Tonka trucks in a sandpit while Blur's 'Song 2' plays in the background.
German built BMW's > US built BMW's
South African built BMW's > US built BMW's
@Poulsbojohnny: "not hatchback mileage" is putting it very nicely, my big station wagon (which I am very sure would do all things your SUV does, minus the carpark bragging rights) gets very nearly 50mpg combined.
There are several reasons why people buy SUVs but I have yet to be shown a rational one.
Well, if you want to go gas mileage, my Triumph gets 50 city and I drive it every day to work and back.
Bragging rights. Meh. Maybe that's a thing where you live? I don't care about it. I just like the size and versatility of the layout. And 10 inches of ground clearance is probably not something you will find in most wagons. But there is more to it than clearance. You have to have suspension that is suited for rough terrain. Dampening rates need to be correct, shock size correct, spring or bar size, etc. Its no different than a mtn bike...
Sure a wagon might get there once or twice, but they aren't made to do it over and over and eventually something will break, possibly leaving you stranded.
They load new vehicles up with every bit of BS electronics and "Driver Aids" to try to give them a justified reason to then sell the vehicle at the ridiculous prices they do. Best cars are those that are well balanced, simple designs that are fun to drive. Also as a MTB rider, I would hate the thought of mounting my bike up on the roof of a SUV. I'm tall but it just seems a chore to wrestle the bike up on such a unnecessary high roofline.
XC Wagons - minus all the electronics crap inside, would be a much better fit or a simple hot hatch ))
Then there was the after school pickup in a VW Beetle. We almost used to hang out of the windows if we could get them open enough, especially when it was +30C
Now days it is, "oh we have a baby, must buy a Large SUV to carry it in." Meh!
Excellent choice on the Volvo V70 btw. Almost bought a 2010 T6 AWD (black with black leather), recently but dealer was asking too much and wouldn't budge on the price so I walked lol.
What I can say is that I love my 2018 (F15) X5 35i, far more than I thought I would. It's brilliant do take mounting biking. All hatches should have a split fold tail gate, including the wagon's European's are lucky enough to get. It's an instant mobile trailhead prep station and can carry a 4 bike hitch bike rack. Has 7 seats when needed the kids love. Is it slow? Not particularly. Is it necessary for real winters in Ottawa? No, but I've winter daily driven a 2011 E90 M3 Competition on 245 section Michelin Alpine winters and it's terrible. The X5 is just so much more pleasant to drive in the snow and ice.
Oh and it uses way less gas/petrol than the M3 - especially in the cold.
So reading the Pink Bike take - it makes sense to me, it isn't the choice to go as fast as you can, or or as gnarly terrain as possible, but you'll have a surprisingly good time no matter where you fancy going that day...
"The Q7 is the best 3rd row option hehe. Yeah I have a whole bunch of kids.
X5 is pretty awesome. The 2019 especially."
oh come on, whom are you telling that?..
They keep talking about what they don't have so ...
It's just funny. )
Actualy I don't have a car currently. Sold my old X164 and now just carless.
So, keep trying to make up new points of view.
However the fact that you tell me that I know nothing about cars in the discussion about a fkng SUV means you are a total dweeb. Know about cars... that’s like mentioning knowing something about weight lifting in a discussion about kettlebell training. You set your standards incredibly low.
The fact alone that you can get insulted on the internet tells a lot about how smallest you are. The only way I could give you a pardon would be if you were some sort of state official, a job that tunes you into being “correct”, keeping a face. If not, your stiff upper lip must be so much in your way that I doubt you have excelles at anything.
Please post a video of you riding, maybe a link to your FB profile if you have one, tell me how much you squat, give me some race result, anything and I can see who you are. I am an open book you can find me really easily anywhere. If you don’t though, I am forced to paint a picture and everytime You write something, this picture looks like a Joey with expensive bike, with average physique, average skills because hou have no time to ride properly, because you have to earn your upper middle class money, you are not intelligent enough to get the best bang for the training and practice buck. I assume your body fat is between 20 and 25%. I wouldn’t be surprised to find man boobs
What is stopping you really, why so anonymous with such big ego?
WAKIdesigns says:
I like you, we are very similar, however just like me you fall short with your assumptions as soon as you elaborate them further. Data shortage. I just wanted to prove to you that you cannot hurt me more than I can hurt myself. Race me? Uneducated? Trumpian? Coward? Honestly? Do people actually get intimidated when you speak to them this way or you just haven't tried it in real life? You talk like a 16 year old looking for a fight. Do you know how many "discussions" like that I have had? What the hell do you think you're doing here? Trying to outsmart a fool in his own game? You can try to get on your high horse all you want. Many many tried, I am just typing sht online, I don't give a flying f*ck what people like you think of me, I am just entertaining myself. Maybe because I got more friends than enemies by putting a stick into an anthill... journos, engineers from bike companies, sales reps, mechanics and racers on WCup race. and I will care about you?
You took a wrong turn man.
Oh and no hard feelings... honestly, you're just another pissed off dude. I can understand that. Make this a better day for yourself and ignore me.
I love the old joke;
"what's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?"
"With the porcupine, the prick is on the outside"
But ja, my heart yearns for a wagon...
In South Africa, you see so many E30 and E36 models running around...
This latest crop of mid-travel 29ers seems to hit the sweet spot for a LOT of riders, with plenty of options to lean more XC-ish or more AM.
I stepped up from a 130mm front/rear 27.5 to a Ripmo this year, and I really haven't noticed much of a drop in snappiness. The current crop of bikes with steeper STAs, longer reach, and slacker HTAs just really feel like a step change compared to previous years' bikes.
The idea that mountain bikers "need" lifted pickups to make it to the trailhead is the flip side of this ridiculousness.
Please, please, please: do not repeat the marketing HORSE SHIT that an SUV is "a little safer in the snow".
Let me see...
higher center of gravity? Yes, and that is sooooooo goooood for automotive safety.
cushy suspension? Yes, along with body roll and brake dive.
extra weight? Yes, and that is NOT a good thing.
"special" tires? Yes, and that higher profile will not improve braking or cornering performance.
Looking out the office window, I see snow on the ground. And it will stay there until... APRIL. My daily commuter is a Lynskey (road salt will not destroy it) with winter Schwalbe spiked tires. Our family car is a Jaguar RWD sedan with Nokian winter tires. That is what safe looks like. It is every bit as good on snow or ice as the FWD VW it replaced. And much better than any SUV, particularly the ones running around on "all-season" tires.
When I used to live in a very rural area, I have a Land Rover Defender. NOT an SUV! It was great off road, but the only time it was "safer in the snow" was when the highways were closed by half a meter of drifting snow, so there were no SUVs spinning out of control.
In a race, maybe. But driving on highways is not a race. All wheel drive gives better acceleration traction. Brakes? Cornering? It is just more weight. I believe we agree that tires are the overwhelming factor in winter driving performance.
I doubt that the AWD version of my Jag is a better handling car than my RWD. If I had thought it was, I would have gotten one.
@TheR:
A Camry??? Ouch! How about a good RWD sport sedan with traction control, ABS, and all the modern car toys?
You see people selling bikes that are 10 years old 26inch with bike 3x9 drivetrain, for 80% of the MSRP. I'll never understand that
i scroll through stuff every now and again and there's a 2007 Specialized Enduro that's advertised for 2k and has been for ages - by now it's like meeting an old friend and i swear i'll be sad when it's gone someday.
BTW: that comaprition to X5 it's the best way for killing ANY bike reputation ;D
I know, a trail bike not tend to be super slack and low, but this is ridicilous.
Anyway it's a good looking bike, but the numbers are bad AF.
I prefer the longer reach (433 way to short isn't it? it'd be way better at least 450), longer top tube, and a bit slacker head angle, not super slack. Just look at the first pic, of the driveside... looks like a 24" dirt bike hitten by a 4 tons truck
It's an absolutely perfect companion to my Meta for less aggressive riding and long days in the saddle. That's what this bike is for and I don't see how slacker HA would make it better...
By the way, if you think that a slacker HA make a bike better, you're pretty narrow-minded. The HA is just one brick in the wall, that builds up what we call handling.
I think you are missing the point of this bike. It's not an enduro replacement but a 'boring', capable good value short travel trail bike between the Lux and the Spectral and suits the needs of ~80% of the mountain bikers...
Just check some other brands trail bikes, like the new Giant Trance. A bit longer reach, a bit shorter seat tube. And on the complete spec, there's a more capable build with its 40mm stem etc.
Thats why this neuron is an old timer on geometry field and its nrs are bad AF.
Pick a lane, Michael!
Am I the only one thinking this should have been 140 mm up front? Was hoping Canyon would come up with a higher spec cheaper alternatively to the Hightower, I guess I'll have to wait for the 2019 YT jeffsy....
And that should be (marathon) trail bike?
To me, a wide, cushioned, high rollover tyre matched to a 30mm rim on the back with a narrower, more precise 25mm rim on the front is a better combo.
The sqauarer profile at the back allows easier engagement of the cornering knobs and the rounder front tyre profile better suits the higher lean angles seen at this tyre??
See what I did there? YT , GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!
The 2019 Jeffsy is gonna be a sweet bike, have some patience and maybe you can throw your thousands of extra dollars at it then.