dan profile

Here’s a plug for an oval ring. I am (still) running 11sp and recently installed a Wolf Tooth 30T oval. I am really happy with the extra oomph it gives me here in the Winch and Descend land of Bellingham.

My take - good luck trying to ride no-hands with this device in place.

Somebody/bodies will undoubtedly buy them, but will they have *sought this feature out*? My cynical guess is no - it’ll just be another invisible feature on an anonymous urban rig.

I think it looks awesome. I love the little innovative touches, and the overall aesthetic. But the price is bonkers. I'll enjoy from afar.

I have been looking forward to the update of the Spectral since I demo’d a 2022 model last fall. That one was a top spec carbon bike with wheels made of the same plastic fantastic, and the same one-piece bar/stem. XTR components and Kashima bits throughout. 

I really liked the experience I had on the bike - it was the first mullet ebike I rode and I thought it handled great. I had a lot of confidence charging into familiar lines and even hit some new to me jumps and features that i had previously ridden around. The only thing that would have kept me from purchasing one if $10K USD fell into my lap was the sizing - that model only went to a size large and was limited to a reach of 485. I see Canyon is now offering a 510 reach XL which is perfect for my height. (I will say though that when I reached out to their customer support team in the winter asking if they’d be making a larger frame, the representative said “people are happy with the sizes we offer.” Insert eyeroll here. I mean, there weren’t any 2022s left to buy, why not just keep the customer engaged with truthful information?) 

Anyhow it’s a little surprising to see that this demo bike showed up in such a state - magnets that fell off, a battery strap that was torn, and a power connection that was not water-resistant - especially given that Canyon product guru Vernon Felton is formerly a BIKE mag gear editor. Did he box it up or personally transport it to NSMB HQ? Of course not, but you’d kinda think he might instruct his minions to ensure that the bike was dialed before it got handed off for a sorta high profile review. 

Also the battery count is pretty confounding. Yes yes there are lower-spec bikes in the mid-four figure price range that don’t ship with these little energy pods but for the top spec bike, it’s odd they didn’t come up with a way to integrate the peripheral bits with the main battery esp given that there is the XL 900Wh option. Trek’s latest Fuel EX-e has this integration, I’ve read. 

I’ll still keep one of these on my wishlist, but definitely not the model with all of these distracting servos. (FWIW the other bikes on the list are the Trek Rail and the Rocky Altitude PP.)

I’d be happy to sell you mine if you’re still interested and have yet to buy one. I have a bike with a Knock Block HS and I need a $28 USD adapter to make the Haf Clip work. I’m not terribly excited about spending more - I should have thought this through more thoroughly.

Mine just arrived and it looks great. However, it was as I was unwrapping it that I realized AGH I AM A FOOL! I have a Trek so I have Knock Block keyed HS spacers. This isn’t going to be compatible. Massive facepalm. Perhaps Trevor you can put that in the article as a limitation of the product.

Thanks for the reminder about this - I just ordered one in alloy. I was a little anxious about a plastic version.

“ I watch as the young company grows to employ more talented designers” 😆

Great post, Andrew, and dang! the discussion in the comments! Gotta pour a cup of coffee and look through ‘em, I’m interested to know what others think here. 

Me, I’ve been a pretty consistent customer of one specific brand as it’s taken care of me whenever problems come up. And problems come up - I break everything. One thing about this brand is that it - unlike many - reliably offers a full-XT bike across several of its different model lines. No bullsh*t XTR candy dangling off the hanger. That said, I do wish this brand would go full batshit and spec a long travel 29er with high-end suspension, and full-on Deore, including the group’s excellent four-pot stoppers. Call me a dreamer. I’ve shared this feedback with the brand via Twitter DMs (which they always respond to!) and I have no doubt I give the marketing folks a chuckle. But again, I write stuff, they respond, and I inevitably buy another bike with the same name on the downtube.

Yep, very cool. Donated!

If you're ever on the Washington side of the border, Greg Mackenzie is the man. I think he's wrapping up a brick and mortar but you can reach him on Instagram @ButterSuspension. (His new shop space is TBD.)