Canyon Neuron:ONfly CF 9
£6,699 + £88.98 packing & shipping | Less weight and travel, but still plenty of power
Until now, Canyon’s burgeoning e-MTB range has been missing a lightweight/SL option. Enter the new Neuron:ONfly, built around a Bosch Performance Line SX motor and with 140mm of travel front and rear, some fairly progressive geometry and a standardfor-Canyon competitive price tag.
SPEC
Frame Carbon fibre, 140mm travel
Drive system Bosch Performance Line SX motor, Bosch CompactTube 400Wh battery
Fork Rockshox Pike Ultimate, 140mm travel
Shock Rockshox Deluxe Select+
Gears SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission (1×12)
Wheelset DT Swiss HX 1700 LS 29er wheels, Schwalbe Hans Dampf ADDIX Soft (f) and Nobby Nic ADDIX Speedgrip (r) 29×2.4in tyres
Brakes SRAM Code Silver Stealth, 200mm rotors
Bar/stem Canyon alloy, 760mm/ Canyon, 45mm
Seatpost/saddle Canyon dropper/fi’zi:k Terra Aidon
Weight 19.78kg, large size without pedals
THE FRAME
The lightweight SX drive unit may be limited to 55Nm of max torque, but it still puts out 600W of peak power, fuelled by a 400Wh Bosch Compact-Tube battery integrated into the down tube. A 250Wh PowerMore range extender, sold separately (£439.95), can be fitted in place of the bottle cage should you want to go further. Bosch’s System Controller top tube display uses coloured LEDs to indicate the riding mode – toggled using the Mini Remote on the handlebar – and remaining battery life.
Canyon construct the Neuron:ONfly from carbon fibre. It rolls on 29in wheels, and isn’t compatible with a ‘mullet’ (650b rear) set-up. Rear bounce comes courtesy of a four-bar Horst-link set-up, with the shock mounted under the top tube. Cables are routed through the headset, and the dropouts have SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger interface.
The Neuron:ONfly is available in five sizes, from XS to XL. All have a 64.5-degree head angle, 76.5-degree seat tube angle and 450mm chainstays. We tested the large size, which has a reach of 485mm and a short 445mm seat tube. The stack height is on the taller side, at 644mm, while the effective top tube length is a roomy 640mm.
THE KIT
Selling direct, via the internet, allows Canyon to offer great value for money. The CF 9 is the second-priciest model in the range and features a wireless GX Eagle AXS Transmission, alongside a full complement of other SRAM-family parts, including their Code Silver Stealth brakes, plus a RockShox Pike Ultimate fork and Deluxe Select+ rear shock. DT Swiss HX 1700 wheels are wrapped in Schwalbe Hans Dampf and Nobby Nic tyres, with Super Trail casings and a grippier ADDIX Soft compound up front. An own-brand handlebar, stem, seatpost and grips round things out, with a fi’zi:k Terra Aidon saddle on top of the dropper.
THE RIDE
On the climbs, the Canyon has a comfortable riding position, without placing you so upright that it feels unsporty. While the trend is for seat tube angles even steeper than the Neuron:ONfly’s 76.5 degrees, it suits the bike well. We never felt like we were too far over the rear wheel, and there wasn’t as much pressure transferred through our wrists as on some bikes with a steeper number. Overall, the fi’zi:k saddle is a comfortable place from which to spin out the miles.
The Bosch SX motor requires you to pedal at over 100rpm to access its full assistance. This suited us, but if you’re used to the low-cadence power of a ‘full-fat’ e-MTB, you may need to adapt your riding style. The Canyon isn’t a cruisy climber, requiring a more active style to get the most from it, but we found this enjoyable and engaging.
Moving on to the descents, the Neuron:ONfly continues to impress. Its slack-ish head angle, long reach and lengthy chainstays feel incredibly well-balanced, giving confidence to attack the downs and allowing you to push on at pace. The bike will rail corners as rapidly as you dare push it, too, and on flowing singletrack it’s a wickedly fast and fun machine to ride.
The stable geometry does highlight a lack of plushness from the rear end, though. While the RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock has a lively feel on smoother flow trails, it begins to get a little out of its depth when speed and gnar levels increase. This means the Canyon doesn’t feel as smooth as you’d expect of a 140mm-travel bike with angles this aggressive. The suspension is firm off the top, which helps you carry speed on mellower terrain, but lacks support deeper in the travel, making it seem like there’s less rear bounce than there is. We also regularly bottomed-out the shock through larger drops and bigger hits. There isn’t a lot of progression built into the suspension; a volume spacer or two might help in this regard.
Our bike also suffered from incessant motor-freewheel rattle. Over rough terrain, this became one hell of a racket, amplified by the frame. We found this quite unnerving and annoying, and a little disappointing from an otherwise impressive drive unit. Other SX-equipped bikes we’ve tried haven’t had the same problem, so it may just have been an issue with the motor on our sample.
The rest of the spec suits the Neuron:ONfly well. SRAM’s Code Silver brakes are solid performers, with oodles of power and tons of modulation. While not flashy, Canyon’s finishing kit hits all the right design notes, with the handlebar being a good shape and the dropper post offering plenty of travel. The stock tyres are OK for all-round riding, too. However, after riding the bike with a grippier Schwalbe Magic Mary up front and the Hans Dampf moved to the back, it’s clear that a more aggressive rubber combo would be a worthwhile upgrade.
HIGHS
Powerful Bosch SX motor
Mostly well-chosen components
Confidence-inspiring geometry
Great value
LOWS
Motor on our bike rattled loudly
Deserves grippier tyres
Shock gets out of its depth in the rough
MBUK VERDICT
Canyon’s first lightweight e-MTB is fast, fun, capable and great value, but a little rough around the edges