New bike features K.I.S. stability system and enduro-rated frame

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Published: Thursday, 12 September 2024 at 09:01 AM

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Canyon has announced the Spectral:ONfly, a lightweight electric mountain bike, with a claimed weight of 18.1kg and 150mm of rear-suspension travel.

The lightweight eMTB uses TQ’s HPR50 drive system with a 360Wh battery positioned in the down tube and a 200Wh, 50Nm motor in the bottom bracket area.

Canyon says the bike balances the poppy, nimble feeling of the best trail bikes with the extra boost and speed of an electric mountain bike.

At launch, the Spectral:ONfly will be available in four specifications, with prices starting at £5,199 / €5,999 for the Spectral:ONfly CF8, while the Spectral:ONfly LTD tops the range at £8,349 / €8,999.

US riders can only buy two bikes from the range, the Spectral:ONfly CF 8 for $5,999 and the Spectral:ONfly CF CLLCTV for $7,499.

Tech-filled front triangle

The Canyon Spectral:ONfly uses a full carbon fibre frameset, which is said to be capable of enduro-level riding. It tips the scales at a claimed 2.65kg.

Canyon has incorporated plenty of technical features into the frame.

The top tube hosts Canyon’s Keep It Straight (K.I.S.) steering stabilisation system, which debuted in 2022 on the Spectral 29. The system centres the handlebar and is said to increase control and confidence on loose, choppy terrain.

There is also a screen for the TQ system on the top tube, with the display showing stats such as range, power output and battery level.

TQ power system

Like many modern electric mountain bikes, the slender 360Wh battery and 50Nm motor are hidden in the frame. This makes the new Spectral hard to distinguish from a non-assisted mountain bike.

The 360Wh battery can be increased to a total of 520Wh with a 160Wh range extender, which takes the place of the bottle cage and claims to increase kilometres per charge by 44 per cent.

We’ve tested the TQ system on the Trek Fuel EXe and found it to offer natural, powerful and almost silent riding characteristics.

The bike rolls on a mullet wheel setup with a 29in wheel up-front and a 27.5in wheel on the rear.

The rear-suspension travel is delivered by Canyon’s Triple Phase linkage. This is based around a four-bar design and is said to provide good mid-stroke support and a bottomless feel on big hits.

Up-front, there’s a 160mm suspension fork. All the bikes in the range feature a 36mm or 38mm-stanchion fork, as well as 200mm brake rotors front and rear.

Canyon has bucked the trend of internal-headset cable routing, choosing down-tube cable routing instead. This removes the hassle of cutting cables to replace headset bearings.

The brand also says it has used double-sealed pivot points in the linkage to reduce water and dust ingress in the pursuit of longevity.

There is also a mount under the top tube for a spare tube or multi-tool.

Long reach measurements

Canyon has given the Spectral:ONfly an aggressive geometry with long reach measurements and slack head angles through all sizes.

Four sizes are available: small, medium, large and extra-large, with the medium featuring a 470mm reach measurement and a slack 64-degrees head angle.

Chainstay lengths remain the same on all sizes at 440mm.