Canyon Spectral CF 9 mountain bike review - Top trail performance meets excellent value (2024)

Overall

Quality

Performance

Value

With the latest Spectral platform, Canyon has adjusted its suspension kinematic, geometryandintroduced a redesigned rear triangle. The bike ushers in new technologyand all of the mod-cons you'd expect of a modern trail bike, too. The result is a bike that performs well. Its incredibly competitive price is another reason why this iteration of the Canyon Spectral is one of the best mountain bikes currently on the market.

• The bike geometry Bible - Everything you need to know about the shape of your bike
• 2022 Canyon Spectral 125 CF8 review
• Bike check: Fabien Barel's Canyon Strive:ON CFR LTD

Canyon Spectral CF 9 - Technical details

Along with refined tube profiles, internal storage in the downtubeand even more mounting points, Canyon has given the Spectral a shake-up for 2024. The most alarming of the changes is that the Spectral now runs 140mm of suspension at the rear which is complemented with 150mm up front. The brand has reduced thetravel figures,boosted compliance through a redesigned rear triangle and made its suspension kinematic more linear. There’s still some progressionto sprinkle in a dashing of support and bottom-out resistance. It canruna coil shock, too, as exhibited by the CF 8 CLLCTV modelbut I’m not entirely sure that doing so is a good move. We’ll get onto that a little later.

The front-endstiffness remains mostly unchanged. There's also a new one-piece rocker link thatreduces lateral loadsto the shock. It looks far sleeker, too.

The rear triangle of the Spectral has seen a lot of work as on top of the nip and tuck that’s present in its tubes, it now comes with a flip-chip that enables the user to swap between a 650b and 29-inch rear wheel. Not only does that change the rear wheel size, but because of movements in the pivot points, a 29-inch wheel makes the suspension more linear, whereas the smaller wheel adds a bit of progression. The chainstay also stretches from 429mm up to 437mm with a 29-inch wheel installed.

There’s also a flip chip in the rearmost shock mount, a mainstay of the Spectral, that adjusts the bike’s angles by half a degree and raises the BB by eight millimetres.

Canyon has also changed thesizing parameters to match its most recent e-MTB lineup more closely, making it more in line withMerida’s Agilometer concept, Specialized’s S sizingand Privateer’s P sizing. With this sizing philosophy, riders can pick a frame size based on its length and desired ride traits, rather than whether they can fit on it thanks to the employment of short seat tubes, shorter head tubes, and long but adjustable dropper posts.

To put that into numbers, the large frame pictured here has a 500mm reach, a 64-degree head tube angle, a 76.5-degree seat tube angle, and a 429mm chainstay in the mullet configuration. With a 29-inch wheel in the rear that stretches to 437mm. Then that all equates to a 1,272mm wheelbase.

I always pick a large frame, unless it’s certain e-MTBs and that’s what I chose for the Spectral but as Canyon has changed its sizing around a little, its sizing chart suggests I should have gone for a medium, standing a 5’10”. That said, I’ve been pretty comfortable with the large frame and I’m running the dropper post at full extension so this version of the Spectral is very welcoming of sizing up.

As we’re on the subject of dropper posts, Canyon has kitted the new Spectral with generously travelled posts across the size range. This large frame offers 200mm of drop and a fat dropper, measuring34.9mm in diameter. The brand has opted for this as it’s said to increase the stiffness of the dropper, thus boosting durability and longevity.

A bold move for the brand is the inclusion of K.I.S, or Keep It Stable as standard. It’s a steering stabiliser hidden within the top tube and can be adjusted using a little tab externally. This was introduced on an old-gen Spectral a year ago and has since been tweaked to make it more applicable to the average rider, so it gets weaker springs. I saybold addition because it stakes Canyon’s confidence in the system, including it on a bike straight out of the box. However,it can be removed and any leftover holes can be covered with blanking plates.

Canyon has also graced the latest version of the Spectral with more storage options, including three bolts under the top tube forbolt-on accessories. There's then, of course, the down tube storage which provides space for goodies, including Canyon's tool wraps and anything else you would like to stuff in.

Canyon Spectral CF 9 - Componentry

For your £4,800, Canyon has been generous with the Spectral CF 9’s build. It delivers top-end RockShox Ultimate level suspension with a Lyrik fork, that dons the Buttercups tech amongst other goodies, and there’s a Super Deluxe shock.

SRAM sorts shifting with its most recent GX AXS T-Type drivetrain and Code RSC brakes. It rolls on alloy wheels from DT Swiss in the form of the XM1700 wheelset which is wrapped with a pair of Maxxis Minion DHR II tyres that are 2.4in wide and covered with the faster rolling and more robust Maxx Terra rubber. There are also Exo+ casings present at both ends of the bike.

Finishing off the build is Canyon’s G5 stem that’s slimmer and much better looking than before.All this weighs in at 15kg with the downtube storage gubbins in the frame.

However, the new Spectral range poses great value with bikes starting at £3,300 and going up to £6,700.

Canyon Spectral CF 9 - Performance

As I said in my first-ride review, the small changes come with pretty substantial results. And after spending even more time aboard Canyon’s new all-mountain ripper, I’ve gained a much greater understanding of how it behaves. The bike hasn’t lost its Spectral charm.

A lot of the alterations made to the Spectral revolve around its rear end. The tube profiles are much slimmer which adds a real level of compliance to the rearand Canyon has worked on the suspension kinematic which signifies a departure from the previous iteration.

The brand saysits kinematic is now ‘linearly progressive’. It still ramps up through its stroke but not as quickly. Combined with the more compliant stays, Canyon’s work here has culminated in a much calmer rear end, which poses a clear improvement over the old bike as Canyon may have taken its Triple Phase Suspension kinematic a little too far in hindsight, and riders, myself included, ran a coil shock to quieten down down its seriously rowdy ride that was harsh over quickly repeating hits.

Then the slimmer chain and seat stays do a lot to take away the initial sting of fast-occurring impacts, so in general, the rear end of the new Spectral is noticeably better composed. Although the tubes are thinner, the redesigned rocker increases stiffness between the front and rear triangles.

The new linearity in the suspension kinematic frees the shock to move through its travel and importantly, soak up bumps. It provides a serious level of grip at the rear wheel, too – all of which makesfor a bike that’seasy to ride. The biketracksstraight while providing a magic carpet ride over the chunky stuff. And, because there is still some progression built into that rear end, it’s still very happy to be pushed into sneaky trail lips and hoisted into the air. The Spectral then relies on the spring of the skinny rear tubes to blanket the bike with an air of all-out liveliness that tricks the rider into feelingthey’re riding the bike close to the ragged edge.

Even though the bike’s linearly progressive kinematic helps to improve composure in the rough stuff, in some situations, it feels as if Canyon may have gone a little too linear. During heavier compressions particularly, the bike is keen to sit deep in its travel which becomes noticeable mid-corner. It doesn’t wallow as there’s still good support but I found myself winding compression onto the shock to help it stand up better in such scenarios and retain some efficiency.

For those who ride much harder than me, volume spacers are a must. There's already one installed as standard but I added twomore whichboostedprogression and kept the bike from using so much of its travelwithout hindering its excellent small-bump sensitivity. It increased the responsiveness of the rear suspension and midstroke support. In hindsight, two additional volume spacers may have been overkill but I preferred the extra progression. I have some concerns about adding a coil shock on the CLLCTV model as I wouldn't want the Spectral to be any more linear than it was in its standard configuration.

Regardless, having a linear kinematicis cheaper to remedy than one that’s too progressive. A set of volume spacers for the shock will set you back less than £20, which is far less than what a coil shock would.

Despite this, it sits deeper in the travel, and support in the stroke is still very present, it’s just not quite the wall I’ve been used to and this is where the shorter rear travel seems to play its role. The bike fires out of corners and rollers with haste and it’s a mega fun ride to throw about.

The bike’s still an impressive climber. Canyon has played around with anti-squat on this bike, having reduced it from the previous figure, and power transfer is sharp and the suspension does very little to sap energy. It’s a fast bike to get up a hill which is a massively welcome trait, given how much fun it is to push down where quick sprints out of the corners recompense with hefts of easily attained speed.

The story of the Spectral’s rear continues as the wheel size swapping flip-chip changes things slightly too. It’s mega easy to fettle with and I’ve installed, and run both a 29-inch and 650b wheel in the rear of the bike without issue. But as flipping the chip changes the location of the effective pivot points around a little bit, running a 650b wheel ups progression while a 29-inchis more linear. Of course, there’s a lot more at play when changing wheel sizes but there’s certainly an increased smoothness with a 29er at the back, whereas the 650b graciously skips over holes.

Long bikes are cooland the Spectral is long in its new large size. Where most of the numbers haven’t changed, the reach and wheelbase have with both of those making a sizeable difference in how the bike rides. Regardless, its 500mm reach combined with its 64-degree head angle places the front wheel rather far out in front of the rider and this is a great thing as it provides tonnes of support when descending steep trails. I’ve ridden faster and more confidently over familiar trails on this bike. The bike's length has a knock-oneffect on stability, where it furthers its composure, being unphased by speed.

This stability isn’t without a compromise to its agility, however. Although the chainstay is short and awesome fun to whip about, the Spectral requires a little more care when negotiating tighter corners. Where I’ve been so familiar with the old model, I’ve often caught myself by surprise, smashing into corners to find myself having to pick up the rear to swing it around. K.I.S also has a clear rolein its stabilitybut we’ll take a rather deep dive into that system.

On the subject of geometry, the new Spectral benefits from the seat-tube angle of the previous-gen alloyversion – and thismodernises the bike. It shifts weight further forwards on the bike but puts the rider in a more comfortable, and efficient spot over the pedals. It then negates a short chainstay’s tendency to encourage the front wheel to rise when climbing steeper gradients. Not only does it affect theclimbing prowess butit makes it more comfortable. This is a subtle but fantastic move from the brand.

Elsewhere, the cool on-bike storage solutions are a great touch. Other reviewers have reported rattling but I’ve experienced nothing of the sort. All over, the Spectral has been perfectly quiet, whether that’s cable rattle, or the down tube’s door making a racket.

Canyon's latest iteration of the Spectral is a rocket ship both up and down a hill where it’s kinematic and adjusted seat tube angle provide a welcoming and easygoing experience when launching it up an inclineand its new reach combined with Canyon’s hard work in reshaping its rear end makes for an incredibly sure-footed ride when pointed down. It’s fun, engaging, and mega-capable.

Canyon Spectral CF 9 - Is K.I.S any good?

A big addition to the Canyon Spectral is K.I.S, or Keep It Stable. In a nutshell, it’s a steering stabiliser, not a steering damper. It’s a simple but clever bit of kit that we’ve seen before on the Canyon Spectral and a Liteville bike, and I’m sure we’ll see it on many bikes to come. It employs two springs within the top tube thatattachesto a collet that wraps around the fork steerer. What this does is centralise the steering when it is not influenced byinput from the rider. It’s then adjusted using a 4mm Allen from a little tab on the top tube. The nearer the saddle the tab is, the more effect the system will have, and whennearthe stemthe less effect.

The bottom line is that this system worksvery well. It boosts stability by forcing the front wheel back to straight, similar to how a car’s steering straightens up after making a corner. But to put that increased stability into real-world terms, it improves control over the bike in several situations.

First, when climbing the front end of the bike wanders far less it’s much easier to point up a hill and pedal away which is basically what K.I.S is all about. On the descents, it calms down the front of the bike and works to keep the front wheel tracking straight which pays back massively when grip is scarce, the trail is chunky and the gradient is steep or a combination of the three.

In such situations, it minimises the influence the terrain or trail has on the front of the bike. So where the front wheel may be knocked offline by a rock theK.I.S forces it through the object. This is particularly noticeable when sliding through slop, where usually the front wheel might turn and persuade you off in another direction, K.I.S again, keeps the wheel straight and you going forward. It boosted control and confidence andmade me a quicker rider while taking real effort away from constantly keeping tabs on where the front wheel is pointed.

Although I’ve certainly appreciated and enjoyed K.I.S –it’s not going to change the world. That’s simply because it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing and I’m not talking about people, I’m talking about trails. K.I.S is fantastic at keeping the front end true and inspiring a newfound level of confidence through fast and generally straight sections of trail but over trailspacked full offast and tight corners, it adds a hint of lethargy to the Spectral.

There were also some instances where I preferred the benefits of K.I.S in a stronger setting but others where I wanted freer steering. So the solution here is to change the setting before dropping into every trail for that particular track but that’s another level of faff I’m not particularly fond of.

It also adds more faff when swapping forks and changing headset bearings as you’ll need to thread the fork steerer through K.I.S’s collet. Granted this isn’t too much of an issue in the grand scheme of things, especially considering that the system itself doesn’t require maintenance, says Canyon. However, if you take a spill and spin the barstoo far, it’s not the end of the world. Youneed to turn the bar a little beyond the noticeable stop along its axis to recentre the system. This bit is especially clever and simple.

But with all this said and done, K.I.S is completely removable and included in the price of the bike so really, there’s nothing to lose. Although the system does pose very tangible benefits, it’s something I would remove, and there’s nothing wrong with that because thankfully, the Spectral itself is still a good mountain bike. For me, K.I.S provides advantages in some areas andcan be a burden in others regardless of the strength of its effect. Because of that, it’s another thing to think about and when I'm riding away from testing or work, I hardly want to be thinking at all. Some say that limiting one’s self enables greater creativity, and for me, that’s the case.

Canyon Spectral CF 9 - Verdict

For your £4,800, you’re getting the full package with the Spectral CF 9. Electric gears, top-end suspension, and a sorted carbon fibre frame. What more could you want? Well, the Spectral isn’t without competition but even then, it still offers excellent, if not unbeatable, bang for your buck considering the kit on display here.

£5,000 will get you YT Industries’ latest Jeffsy Core 4. Its build is very similar to RockShox Ultimate suspension and a full SRAM suite comprising its GX T-Type drivetrain and Code RSC stoppers all of which are on the Spectral for £200 less. It’sshorter in the same size, however, it falls within the trail/all-mountain category with a 475mm reach, 65-degree head angle, and a 77.9-degree effective seat tube angle. If you want to size up, the Jeffsy'sseat tube measures 460mm on an XL frame with a 495mm reach. We’ve got a review of this bike coming soon but my first impressions of the top-end bike were good and can be found here.

To get a similar geometry in terms of length with a comparable build kit, you’ll be looking at spending £6,400 on Merida’s One-Forty 8000. Its wheelbase is a little shorter at 1265mm but you get a 509mm reach with a 65-degree head angle and an 80-degree seat tube. There’s a 437.5mm chainstay which is just half a millimeter longer. Theshorter wheelbase meansthe One-Forty is more manageable in the corners while offering the advantage of a long reach in the steep stuff. Here’s our write-up of the more walletfriendly Merida One-Forty 6000.

With a history of praising Canyon’s Spectral platform and a positive initial impression of the bike, I tried as hard as possible to find something I didn’t like. But Canyon has covered all of the bases, with the points that raise questions, K.I.S and the linearly progressive kinematic being easily mendable by the user. So, unfortunately, despite my best efforts to find something Idisapprove of the new Spectral CF 9 held its own.

With the bike, Canyon has taken some things away, namely its suspension travel but it gives back a more complete and composed machine. It’s just as capable as its bigger travel and arguably burlier predecessor. It can still be pushed to Mach 10 between the tapes but it’s a bike that can eke the fun out of nearly any trail. Props, Canyon. The Spectral’s new sizingneeds better communication.

• www.canyon.com
• The reader's guide to Off-Road.cc's review scoring system

You might also like:

• Gravel bike vs mountain bike: what are the differences?
• 10 worst bits of mountain bike riding advice I’ve been given by randoms
• Are flat pedals worth it?

Bikes