Field Test: Canyon Spectral 125 AL 6 - When Trail Meets Enduro
VALUE BIKE FIELD TEST
Canyon Spectral 125 AL 6
Words by Ryan Palmer, photography by Tom Richards
Canyon Spectral 125 AL 6
Words by Ryan Palmer, photography by Tom Richards
As the most expensive bike at the value bike Field Test, it wasn’t surprising that the Canyon Spectral AL 6 was spec’d better than the rest. But it still astonished us what Canyon could put together for $3,500. Absolutely nothing needs to be changed right out of the box on this bike. Moreover, everything about it is built to last, from the all-aluminum frame to the parts hanging off it.
The frame is a no-nonsense affair, with a simple four-bar suspension layout designed without any unneeded links or clutter. We can’t test for longevity at Field Test, but a system this straightforward has a potential leg up on more complex designs.
Canyon Spectral 125
The frame is a no-nonsense affair, with a simple four-bar suspension layout designed without any unneeded links or clutter. We can’t test for longevity at Field Test, but a system this straightforward has a potential leg up on more complex designs.
Canyon Spectral 125
Canyon Spectral 125 Details
• Frame: aluminum
• Travel: 125mm rear / 140mm fork
• 29" wheels
• 64° head-tube angle
• 76.5° seat-tube angle
• Reach: 486mm (large)
• Weight: 34.9lb / 15.8kg
• $3,500 USD
• www.canyon.com
• Frame: aluminum
• Travel: 125mm rear / 140mm fork
• 29" wheels
• 64° head-tube angle
• 76.5° seat-tube angle
• Reach: 486mm (large)
• Weight: 34.9lb / 15.8kg
• $3,500 USD
• www.canyon.com
The geometry on the other hand, is less practical. The Spectral 125 has just 125mm of rear wheel travel and 140mm up front, yet runs numbers that are normally seen on longer-legged enduro bikes. To start with, the reach on the size large is a rangey 486 millimeters. The medium is 460mm, longer than most size large bikes from just a few years ago. The headtube angle is 64-degrees, one of the slackest found on a bike with 125mm of travel, and a full degree slacker than anything else we had on test.
It’s a specific type of rig that mixes playfulness and plowfulness in a way that not many other bikes can do. It’s long up front, but relatively short in the back, with 437mm chainstays across the fours sizes, and even though it didn’t have the longest rear-center on test, it did have the longest wheelbase by a long way, at 1260mm. The next longest was the Stumpjumer at 1237mm. What this means is that the Spectral 125 AL likes to get rowdy on gnarly terrain. It’s big for its britches, so it’s a good thing it has the component spec to keep up.
The Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain executed flawlessly speedy shifts, can take a beating, and when you do have to replace it, is much more affordable than SRAM GX. The GX cassette for instance, retails for $230, while a replacement SLX cluster will only run you $105. With that kind of performance and value, the SLX drivetrain was decidedly the favorite drivetrain of the whole fleet we had in Tucson. The SLX four-piston brakes impressed us as well, with buckets of power and solid consistency throughout the test.
Not to be overshadowed, the Fox Rhythm 36 fork and Float X Performance shock were equally impressive. These dampers don’t have the adjustments found on Fox’s Factory or Performance Elite-level offerings, but they’re smooth, consistent, and adjustable enough for truly high-level riding.
Climbing
On the chunky, technical climbs we were testing on in Tucson, the Spectral’s length and slack head angle were immediately noticeable as not being totally at home. It doesn’t have the snappy manners of the YT Izzo, making it more difficult to change directions when choosing lines. However, for riders with more power, who could maintain higher speeds on the climbs, it proved to be quite a solid technical climber. Kazimer wrote that, “the length and slack head angle slow the trail down a bit and give time to pause, collect yourself, and get ready for the next move.”
Personally, I love techy climbing and was able to clean many of the most technical moves at our testing grounds, just not consistently on the Canyon. I’m a much slower climber than Kaz, and at the speeds I was going, the bike would exhibit undesirably floppy steering. It was more of a handful than the Izzo, which was my favorite bike for the trails in Tucson.
Regardless of our climbing quickness, we agreed that the Canyon isn’t as ideally suited for climbing certain types of singletrack as some of the other bikes in the test, and that it’s far more comfortable on less steep, less technical climbing, and smashing fire road climbs.
The actual pedaling efficiency of the Spectral 125 is very good, though. There’s really no squatting or wallowing to speak of, even with the shock in the open setting. Testers appreciated not needing to use the firm lever on the shock because leaving the shock open enabled them to maintain traction on the loose, rocky terrain, without losing power.
Descending
Just like on the climbs, the slack head angle stood right out—but this time in a very good way. The Spectral 125 had the most stable, secure, smash-into-everything type of feel to it. Going fast on the YT Izzo, and to a lesser extent, the Specialized Stumpjumper, tended to be a more carefully executed affair, but once we got the Canyon up to speed, it felt devilishly solid.
It begged us to let the brakes go and rally through the loose baby-head rock gardens and blocky stairsteps that litter the trails in Tucson. The suspension is quite progressive, which had us both appreciating and critiquing it. On one hand, it provided excellent bottom-out protection when we were cooking. The aggressive ramp-up helps when there’s just 125mm of travel to work with. The progressivity also gives the Spectral an overall sporty attitude that makes it really fun to play around with and get big pop off small trail features.
Just like on the climbs, the slack head angle stood right out—but this time in a very good way. The Spectral 125 had the most stable, secure, smash-into-everything type of feel to it. Going fast on the YT Izzo, and to a lesser extent, the Specialized Stumpjumper, tended to be a more carefully executed affair, but once we got the Canyon up to speed, it felt devilishly solid.
It begged us to let the brakes go and rally through the loose baby-head rock gardens and blocky stairsteps that litter the trails in Tucson. The suspension is quite progressive, which had us both appreciating and critiquing it. On one hand, it provided excellent bottom-out protection when we were cooking. The aggressive ramp-up helps when there’s just 125mm of travel to work with. The progressivity also gives the Spectral an overall sporty attitude that makes it really fun to play around with and get big pop off small trail features.
Timed Testing
Our timed lap consisted of steep, technical climbs full of ledges and hard efforts, and a rough descent littered with rocks that lead into a fast, loose section of trail. Don't forget that timing is just one of many ways to judge a bike, and fast doesn't always mean it's the best for everyone.
The Spectral 125 ended up in fourth place (out of five) for the climbing portion of our loop, seven seconds off the fastest time posted by the YT Izzo. On the descent it moved up to third place, three seconds behind the Specialized Stumpjumper and Fezzari Cascade Peak.
The results weren't entirely unexpected - the test lap had plenty of tight, chunky sections, and there weren't as many places to really let the Spectral 125 run.
At the end of the day, the Spectral 125 isn’t really made for the type of trails we were riding. On the steep loamers of the Pacific Northwest is where we feel this bike would really come to life. You know, trails that are scary in a less pokey type of way. The bike’s aggressively long and slack geometry and progressive suspension are more ideally suited for steeper, less boney terrain. That’s where this unique bike will really shine.
Pros
+ Excellent parts spec and value
+ Feels more stable at speed than most short-travel bikes
+ Unique mix of pop and brawl
Cons
- Long, slack geometry can be cumbersome on technical climbs
- Lacks small bump sensitivity
- Not the most space for water
The 2022 Value Bike Field Test was made possible thanks to Visit Tucson and Norrona clothing.
Want early access to all of the Field Test content, along with other exclusive articles and videos? The enduro bike Field Test is happening soon - to make sure you don't miss any content sign up for Beta MTB.
These tests take a lot of time and money to make happen, and we genuinely try to give riders useful, honest feedback about the bikes we review. We appreciate everyone's support!
These tests take a lot of time and money to make happen, and we genuinely try to give riders useful, honest feedback about the bikes we review. We appreciate everyone's support!
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(You seen the new trailer yet?)
- Place two water ports at the high point on the top tube, one for filling, the other with a flexible drinking tube that clips onto the top tube when not in use.
- Have a crank-driven impeller in the bottom bracket, driving a pump to pressurize the water.
- Incorporate a pressure relief valve to prevent the frame from rupturing when riders with Nino-class power are crushing the pedals.
- Manufacture the frame with a narrow clear strip, similar to that on automotive oil containers, so riders can see how much water they have remaining for the ride. Custom frames could be made entirely see-through, of course they'd have Perrier Premium pricing.
- For those fond of handlebar remotes (paging @MikeLevy) there'd be an optional 2-trigger remote to operate an electronically actuated drink tube with angle adjustment and portion control. One remote trigger would make the tube rise to any of three pre-set positions, the other would release a blast of water straight to the pie hole. Let's call it SquirtSpray. you know, because why not?
You just know once RC reads this he'll be running to his workshop (ie: kitchen table) yelling "Here, hold my beer. I have an idea!".
Except for water.
Specialized took a good stab at the concept calling it Shiv but their design has a few leaks.
Shimano brakes and no mention of the wandering bite point?
Rewrite!
Should probably just start saying "These shimano brakes are inexcusable, and no product manager should spec them."
And, yes, I know what a wandering bite point looks like. My previous (my 2016 bike) had Xt with wildly wandering bite point as soon as it gets hot.
Maybe it was just warm enough in Tucson.
The issue at hand here is that this is an engineering flaw, not a "be a better mechanic" flaw, and it doesn't matter how perfect your bleed is if there is a fundamental problem with the engineering. Bleeding your brakes 6-7 times in a season should not be a thing that happens with any brake.
I recognize that it happens more frequently for riders with large elevation to deal with, and if you live east of the Rockies it's probably a smaller issue for you than it is for somebody who lives in BC or the Alps and has regular 2500+ft descents, but there are a few issues with Shimano brakes that are straight engineering problems that have yet to be resolved. Ceramic pistons that develop micro fractures and let air in after experiencing high heat cycles, a MC design that traps air bubbles and leads to a variable bite point during hard cornering, and any number of other issues with them.
As far as I'm concerned, the brakes should work well for anybody, and you shouldn't need to be a professional mechanic to justify owning them. It's not like nobody has cracked the code on reliable (and strong) brakes, and that its just a difficult thing to get right - Magura, Hope, Formula, Hayes, and Trickstuff all have something pretty solid out there these days. These are solved problems, and after a decade of not giving a shit about it, it's probably best for people to call Shimano out for it.
It's definitely interesting for sure though. When I lived in California and did a lot of riding in Tahoe and some good socal stuff, I didn't know a person who didn't have issues with shimano's "wandering bite point" feature. It's pretty much the same story in the pac NW (although my sample size is admittedly smaller these days because after years of moving all over the country I just don't have as many friends in my immediate riding vicinity). Whatever the case, it's pretty easy to find significant enough numbers of people from any number of places all over the world that it doesn't appear it's an isolated thing.
But when I lived in Texas and the Southeast, I don't know anybody that had any issue and pretty much everybody thought it was just some made up internet thing.
My own personal guess is that extended descents that cook your brakes are more likely to cause down stream issues for shimano brakes.
Whatever the case for what's actually causing it (the speculation I've seen tends to center on the ceramic pistons not dealing with large heat changes well and not being very durable because of it, and the shape of the MC in the servo wave levers collecting and trapping bubbles) Shimano has got to have found more than enough samples in the past decade to figure out what the hell is happening and fix it.
And while I trust them as a brand to take care of getting the brake replaced when it happens, that doesn't help very much when it comes down to actual riding issues. 99/100 times it's just an inconvenience, but I know that I personally have been out for few weeks from overshooting a drop that comes out of a fast corner and pulling my brakes to brake check for it and finding them pull back to the bar after running perfect and smooth for the previous three weeks of riding. That's an unacceptable safety issue.
Long story short, while I'm happy to be running an XTR drivetrain on my bike, no way will I touch shimano brakes again unless it's a fully new design, and even then I'm waiting for a year or two, I'm not willing to be a guinea pig again for them.
And honestly, pretty happy with my Cura4's. They'll be on my bike until I'm able to get ahold of some Maxima's at some point in the next decade when they're finally available.
If I would take my time and bleed the system meticulously (some anal guy made a 37 steps tutorial years ago) the wandering bite point would disappear, but it would come back pretty soon in let's say bike park.
Also Putoline hpx instead of Shimano mineral oil has solved the issue for good.
Adding to that, an insufficient bleed leads to a bite point that is closer to the bar from time to time and for me the problem is the bite point wandering out from the bar so you grab a fistful of brake all of a sudden.
SLX is my new fav. GX can acutely take a bit of a beating too, but it just gets floppy so fast: the b-pivot is junk after a few hundred trail miles, and then ghost shifts on anything remotely janky and late shifts everywhere. SLX has been holding strong, keeps on shifting crisply, even when forced into shifting an XO chain on a GX cassette.
GX chain is also made of cheese, they need one in between GX and XO, with solid pins and just hardened rollers, and demote GX chain to NX.
And I just need to save for MS freehub body, SLX cassette, and XT chain, and say bye-bye to the bird group.
www.gmbn.com/video/shimano-xtr-vs-xt-vs-slx-vs-deore-mtb-drivetrains-explained
cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/#wrap-up
TLDR; SRAM 12 speed chains are the best as far as durability goes, specifically X01. Of the Shimano chains though, the XTR 12s lasts the longest and was the most efficient in the test.
Or does anybody know a tip to solve this? basically it seems like the spring doesn't have enough tension, so every hit moves the der down/inwards
youtu.be/8TqdoAAn-go
re: SLX 11sp being louder than GX 11sp, that might be due to GX 11 already having the horizontal parallelogram design while SLX 11 still had a bit of angle to the p-gram, meaning a hard impact could more easily move the entire thing downward despite the clutch. With 12sp, everything (at least in mountain groups) has a pretty much horizontal p-gram, so way less movement in that area.
And as has been mentioned, Shimano clutches are rebuildable and adjustable, so if your setup seems noisy/loose, might be worth a clean and tighten. And Shimano 12sp also seems to have a much lighter level action than Shimano 11sp (at least XT 11, the only one I have experienced), so there is likely room to really crank the clutch up and still have pretty decent light lever action.
A) I have zero faith the rest of the mech is going to outlast even another fresh GX bolt, let alone a fancier bolt.
B) That kit is impossible to find right now, maybe ever.
C) That's not my job, it's SRAM's job to not cut corners such that large parts get thrown out prematurely because of poor quality small parts.
C) I don't want to support this kind of bullshit, wasteful, product, and having it on my bike, especially putting effort into keeping it there, is a kind of endorsement.
To everyone suggesting clutch tension issues, thanks for the info and link but that's not my root cause. The unwanted movement I am chasing is when the der goes inwards (same movement as when we pull the cable) because shocks make it go down (and IN, with p-gram designs that are not only horizontal).
Funny the Stumpy with an X-Fusion shock and practically no brakes pipped this rig out.
I'd still be getting the Deore Canyon over the Stumpy and Fezzari. Can't wait for the Izzo review to come out.
www.trailforks.com/region/tucson-mountain-park
I live in in San Diego and though I haven't been to Tucson, my feeling is that the trails here are largely similar to those in Tuscon - rocky loose techy stuff, with a handful of purpose built flow trails. The climbs here in particular can be pretty onerous. There's a super gnarly climb that I currently struggle with on my heavy 27.5 bike and I'm looking to get something that helps clear the steep loose sections so I can keep up with my pals who are faster.
www.strava.com/segments/6604242
Would the Spectral 125 be a better bike if they backed the geometry off just a bit?
Has Canyon reached the point where longer/lower/slacker in each subsequent model doesn't make a better bike?
Head angle: 67 vs 64
Seat Angle: 74.5 vs 76.5
Reach: 453mm vs 486 mm
Wheelbase: 1190mm vs 1260mm
About 3" longer wheel base is quite a spread. Both bikes have basically the same travel (F: 140 & R:125/130), but very different intentions. Personally I don't think either would be a great match for me. Likely in a year or 2 when Canyon brings out an update to the Neuron frame the numbers will fall nicely between these extremes.
A yari/z1 etc is the most fork Every person that comments on this stuff actually "needs"
Super duluxe/float x the most shock a person needs(in most cases a dps/deluxe will do)
deore drivetrain.
Brakes depend if you can bleed properly, Code R's or Deore if you cant bleed.
so remind me why We, myself included need factory stuff/ultimate level equipment?
the above statements is also anther reason why more manfs need to sell frames by themselves.
the components on your current bike are perfectly fine, but not every bike rides the same.
Also once you factor in duties and shipping here in Canada the base model Optic is only about $200 CAD more. Both bikes have a similar quality part spec while the Optic has a carbon frame. I would chose to support a local shop and get the Norco if I were looking for a 125mm shredder at this price point.
Then again, even at 5’9” I prefer a considerably shorter reach (450-465). Seems like PNW riders go for the longer reach if possible, which isn’t ideal for dry/desert riding.
I liked the raw alu through and much prefer slx to gx so went with the reviewed spec. Even the reach is not short it feels compact seated, you notice the wheelbase positively when going faster, and then it handles beautifully.
So good impression.
And what do you think of this model but with carbon frame and fork Rockshox Pike (www.canyon.com/fr-fr/vtt/trail-bikes/spectral-125/cf/spectral-125-cf-7/3177.html?dwvar_3177_pv_rahmenfarbe=GN)
Thanks
Haha why did you choose the SC instead of ?
As an owner of 2 Titus bikes it's nice to see a resurgence of the good-ol' Horst Lentier link bikes in the last couple years.
For the sake of a meaningful 'field test', surely if you're comparing bikes, the bikes should at least be in the same price bracket.
www.pinkbike.com/news/field-trip-polygons-2369-siskiu-fools-you-into-thinking-its-pricier.html