2015 Canyon Spectral 7.0 EX - Part 2 (Bikechoice and Sizing)
applause
Posts: 35
Hi
This is the second part of my review of the 2015 Canyon Spectral 7.0 EX. The first part of my review can be found here http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13000093
The first part contains a general review of the bike including riding charecteristics, componentry, suspensionssetup etc.
In this second part I will be focusing more on why I choose a 140/150mm trailbike for the terrain i usually ride in and how the sizing fits me being 180cm tall (5'11). First a little background-check.
I live in a small country, Denmark, where there is no mountains of what so ever. The highest point above sea level is about 170 metres. Denmark is a purebred XC country were all that matters is having the lightest bike and the strongest legs - That is if all that matters is who gets over the finish line first. The terrain is a combo of smooth singletrack, open fireroads an gnarly forrests. I the past few years there has been a positive evolution in the trailbuilds as more and more people is starting to realize the fun of jumps, drops, beams, downhill sections (however short), technical climbs etc. Therefore a good few of my local trails has evolved into something a bit more "fun".
I'm a 32 year old\young bloke at a 180cm (5'11). I therefore sits right between Medium and Large frames. To complicate things I have fairly long legs sporting a 88cm (34") inseam and a 61cm (24") torso. I weigh in about 90 kgs with all my gear on.
My previous bike was a '09 Trek 6700 (18") which is a midrange 26" hardtail with full SLX components. It has served me well for the last 5 years but in recent years I've developed a riding style that were too punishing on both me and my bike.
Bikechoice
If I were to follow 99% of the Danish MTB riders and had 2600 Euros to spend I would probably end up buying a 9 kg 29'er hardtail. In the fully-section it would probably be a Giant Anthem og Cannondale Scalpel. For the record I did try these bikes and found them great, fast and also a bit boring. I needed something to support a more aggressive riding style. So I tried a Giant Trance and knew I was in the right direction although at first I was convinced that 140mm was to much for the terrain I was going to ride.
I'm a sucker for reviews so I started reading about what a proper all mountain bike should be able to do and what components received good reviews regardless if I'm too much of an amateur to feel the difference. So I cooked up a shortlist of terms that my new bike should fulfill
1. A fullsuspension trailbike (120-140mm)
I really wanted to try to own a bike in this category as I felt I fittet here due to my riding style. I also had the chance to try both a Canyon Nerve and Canyon Spectral back in the summer (2014) at a local 12 hour XC race. The Nerve was blazing fast over the rough where as the Spectral were more confidenceinspiring on the downs. I acutally set a record time on the Nerve were as the Spectral was a bit more sluggish to drag around the course. That said the Nerve's suspension felt it was setup perfectly to me as the Spectral was set up for a guy weighing 70kg - so a bit to the soft side.
2. RockShox components was prefered but not an absolute
SID, Revelation or PIKE up front. I've been reading about Fox having trouble with their forks the past couple of year and the ones I've tried felt very plush - maybe a tad to plush.
3. <68 degree headangle
The one thing that struck me positive when I tried the Spectral at the local race and the Giant Trance i mentioned before, was the plessure of having a relatively slack headangle.
4. 1x drivetrain
This was really just for the hype. I wanted to try it and I didn't want to spend to much money afterwards in upgrading a 2x to a 1x.
5. Sub 13kg
I know this doesn't tell much of a bike. A 14kg trailbike can "fell" lighter than a 12 kg but I didn't want a tank.
After setting the above criteria I started searching for a bike with 120 to 140mm travel at max 2600 Euro. Living in Denmark there really isn't much to Choose from. All the cool bike manufacturers from the US wasn't present in the DK market and if I had to import it would be outragous expensive. Giant was the only manufacturer that had bikes that came close to my criteria but I felt there were to many comprimises. I then started to look at Rose, Canyon, Commencal, YT and other internetbikedealers.
I actually came close to ordering the new Commencal Meta Trail Essential as this checked almost all the boxes and 120mm would probably be better suited for my terrain than 140mm.
One evening I suddently saw that Canyon had released their 2015 models and the Spectral 7.0 EX ticked ALL my boxes. So I took a leap of faith and ordered the bike immediately as I knew that delivery times would go up the longer i waited.
Present reflections on my choice
I've now put in a month on this new bike and I do not regreat my choice. My ridingbuddies say I'm nuts (they all ride 29er hardtails). Nevertheless I have no problem keeping up with them. I might lose 15 seconds on the climbs but I gain these again on the downs.
So is the Spectral overall faster than my old bike or am I faster than my ridingbuddies? No. Do I need it to be? No. Does it fell sluggish? Compared to a hardtail or a 100mm XC fully (like a Giant Anthem), Yes - but actually only on the climbs on general singletrail it feels light and nimble.
I've figured that choosing a bike really isn't about finding THE bike that's perfect for the exact terrain and ridingstyle you have. OK, maybe for the Pros. But it's not about what you need It's about what You want. Hell if we all were just riding what was needed here in Denmark we were all just be riding Cyclocross bikes.
If I had to choose over again I would probalby choose the same bike but it would also depend on other things. I would not have choosen a lower spec Spectral with Fox supension, 2x drivetrain at above 13 kg. I would not have choosen the 7.0 EX if I were to wait 6 months to get i delivered. In that case I would probably have choosen a Commencal Meta Trail Essential. So for me it was more about choosing the bike that felt right for me and what was available that sunday evening.
Afterwards it all about the fun with your mates and fun on the trail.
If you are riding to win seconds in those XC races - choose another bike (You probably wouldn't read this review if you were looking for an XC rocket anyways).
If your like me and want slack full suspension trailbike you can have fun with but also care about spec's and weight, I highly recommend the 2015 Canyon Spectral AL 7.0 EX.
P.S. A 1x drivetrain is super nice but it might not be for everyone. Personally I'm not fit enough to pedal the steepest of climbs with the 34 tooth chainring. The 34 tooth chainring combined with the 42 tooth cog feels more like the middle chainring\big cog on my old bike. So just keep in mind that you might be forced to swap the chainring on a 1x to a smaller one depending on what terrain You ride and how fit You are.
Sizing
There is two things to point out when it comes to sizing
1. Canyon's sizing of their bikes
2. What to choose when You're like me - sitting in between sizes.
In regards to the Spectral, Canyon has listened to the critique an made the Spectral with a 17mm longer toptube compared to last years model. For many, this will probably uncomplicate the choice a bit. But at the same time they've replaced the stem on all the 2015's so that they now sport an 1 cm shorter stem compared to last year. So the handlebarreach is only like 7mm longer. What it gives us i a longer frontcentre and longer wheelbase. What this does to the riding charecteristics You can read about in some of the hundreds of articles found online.
When I tried the 2014 Spectral in large, I found the reach just fine but then I found the front end too high. I like to ride with my bars a tad lower than my seat. So when canyon launched the 2015 models, the medium now had a reach that were almost the same as the 2014 large but with a stack that suited me more.
For the Spectral I believe that Canyon has now sorted out the sizing to a degree where You can trust the PPS and the Canyon support's recommendations although I urge you to apply common sence.
You could easily get the same stack and reach on both the large and medium though. Let's say You've ordered the Spectral in large but are in doubt if you will feel to streched and the stack would be too high. Add a flatbar without upsweep and add a 30mm stem without rise and you would have about the same handlebarstack and reach as the medium sports out of the box. If it was the other way around, you could just add the 2 cm spacers under the handlebar and a 65 stem.
Some of these cockpitchanges would of course affect handlingcharecteristics a bit but as long as You are not Fabian Barel trying to win an enduro race I dare to say it's only very subtle changes.
So You fit both bikes in regards to handlebar reach and stack. But what about wheelbase? I believe this i where you can feel the biggest change. There is also a ton of articles found online that will tell you the difference between an long and a "short" wheelbase so go and read those before deciding.
Personally often ride tight and twisty singletrack and I wanted a bike I could easily throw around. My old XC hardtail had a wheelbase of 108 cm and the medium Spectral was about 115 cm. So nevertheless I would get a bike that was more stable than before. I could go large but I was concerned I would get a bike that felt like a tank in all other situations than on the downhill.
I actually think that Transitions Bikes has got the idea spot on when it comes to choosing bike size. They've made a chart illustrating that a guy at 5'11 could really go either way depending on what experience that person wants. Check out they website.
So what do I feel like now I've got the Medium Spectral? Well I'm very happy with the riding charecteristics. The reach and stack is fine. The bike is super stable downhill and I've not yet found a reason to change the cockpit. Actually I've slammed the stem all the way down to headtube to get the bars as low as I want 'em to be. But that's all down to personal preference.
My old XC hardtail had an effective toptube of about 60cm and I rode with a 10cm stem. The medium Spectral has an effective toptube of roughly 60cm and I ride with a 5cm stem. So the seated handlebar reach is actually 5cm shorter than on my old bike and this was initially my first concern. But you have to remember that you're supposed to sit a little more upright on an AM bike than on a XC bike. If you come from an AM bike that You already feel to cramped on then size up. If you're like me a come from an XC bike that fits you OK, then don't be startled about a tad shorter handlebar reach on an AM bike.
I have long legs and a short torso. This means that as the saddle goes up it also goes back, extending the effective handlebar reach when seated. When I stand up going downhill I'm very happy with the low front end that the medium sports. This also goes for uphill performance where the front wheel stays glued to the ground due to the fact that it's easy to get my bodyweigh up and above the bars when seated.
I can't make the choice for you. I can only say that getting a medium for me was not a bad choice. If I were to review the large here today I would probably highlight all the positive things there is to a larger framesize. But if I were 6 ft I would choose large.
Happy riding
This is the second part of my review of the 2015 Canyon Spectral 7.0 EX. The first part of my review can be found here http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13000093
The first part contains a general review of the bike including riding charecteristics, componentry, suspensionssetup etc.
In this second part I will be focusing more on why I choose a 140/150mm trailbike for the terrain i usually ride in and how the sizing fits me being 180cm tall (5'11). First a little background-check.
I live in a small country, Denmark, where there is no mountains of what so ever. The highest point above sea level is about 170 metres. Denmark is a purebred XC country were all that matters is having the lightest bike and the strongest legs - That is if all that matters is who gets over the finish line first. The terrain is a combo of smooth singletrack, open fireroads an gnarly forrests. I the past few years there has been a positive evolution in the trailbuilds as more and more people is starting to realize the fun of jumps, drops, beams, downhill sections (however short), technical climbs etc. Therefore a good few of my local trails has evolved into something a bit more "fun".
I'm a 32 year old\young bloke at a 180cm (5'11). I therefore sits right between Medium and Large frames. To complicate things I have fairly long legs sporting a 88cm (34") inseam and a 61cm (24") torso. I weigh in about 90 kgs with all my gear on.
My previous bike was a '09 Trek 6700 (18") which is a midrange 26" hardtail with full SLX components. It has served me well for the last 5 years but in recent years I've developed a riding style that were too punishing on both me and my bike.
Bikechoice
If I were to follow 99% of the Danish MTB riders and had 2600 Euros to spend I would probably end up buying a 9 kg 29'er hardtail. In the fully-section it would probably be a Giant Anthem og Cannondale Scalpel. For the record I did try these bikes and found them great, fast and also a bit boring. I needed something to support a more aggressive riding style. So I tried a Giant Trance and knew I was in the right direction although at first I was convinced that 140mm was to much for the terrain I was going to ride.
I'm a sucker for reviews so I started reading about what a proper all mountain bike should be able to do and what components received good reviews regardless if I'm too much of an amateur to feel the difference. So I cooked up a shortlist of terms that my new bike should fulfill
1. A fullsuspension trailbike (120-140mm)
I really wanted to try to own a bike in this category as I felt I fittet here due to my riding style. I also had the chance to try both a Canyon Nerve and Canyon Spectral back in the summer (2014) at a local 12 hour XC race. The Nerve was blazing fast over the rough where as the Spectral were more confidenceinspiring on the downs. I acutally set a record time on the Nerve were as the Spectral was a bit more sluggish to drag around the course. That said the Nerve's suspension felt it was setup perfectly to me as the Spectral was set up for a guy weighing 70kg - so a bit to the soft side.
2. RockShox components was prefered but not an absolute
SID, Revelation or PIKE up front. I've been reading about Fox having trouble with their forks the past couple of year and the ones I've tried felt very plush - maybe a tad to plush.
3. <68 degree headangle
The one thing that struck me positive when I tried the Spectral at the local race and the Giant Trance i mentioned before, was the plessure of having a relatively slack headangle.
4. 1x drivetrain
This was really just for the hype. I wanted to try it and I didn't want to spend to much money afterwards in upgrading a 2x to a 1x.
5. Sub 13kg
I know this doesn't tell much of a bike. A 14kg trailbike can "fell" lighter than a 12 kg but I didn't want a tank.
After setting the above criteria I started searching for a bike with 120 to 140mm travel at max 2600 Euro. Living in Denmark there really isn't much to Choose from. All the cool bike manufacturers from the US wasn't present in the DK market and if I had to import it would be outragous expensive. Giant was the only manufacturer that had bikes that came close to my criteria but I felt there were to many comprimises. I then started to look at Rose, Canyon, Commencal, YT and other internetbikedealers.
I actually came close to ordering the new Commencal Meta Trail Essential as this checked almost all the boxes and 120mm would probably be better suited for my terrain than 140mm.
One evening I suddently saw that Canyon had released their 2015 models and the Spectral 7.0 EX ticked ALL my boxes. So I took a leap of faith and ordered the bike immediately as I knew that delivery times would go up the longer i waited.
Present reflections on my choice
I've now put in a month on this new bike and I do not regreat my choice. My ridingbuddies say I'm nuts (they all ride 29er hardtails). Nevertheless I have no problem keeping up with them. I might lose 15 seconds on the climbs but I gain these again on the downs.
So is the Spectral overall faster than my old bike or am I faster than my ridingbuddies? No. Do I need it to be? No. Does it fell sluggish? Compared to a hardtail or a 100mm XC fully (like a Giant Anthem), Yes - but actually only on the climbs on general singletrail it feels light and nimble.
I've figured that choosing a bike really isn't about finding THE bike that's perfect for the exact terrain and ridingstyle you have. OK, maybe for the Pros. But it's not about what you need It's about what You want. Hell if we all were just riding what was needed here in Denmark we were all just be riding Cyclocross bikes.
If I had to choose over again I would probalby choose the same bike but it would also depend on other things. I would not have choosen a lower spec Spectral with Fox supension, 2x drivetrain at above 13 kg. I would not have choosen the 7.0 EX if I were to wait 6 months to get i delivered. In that case I would probably have choosen a Commencal Meta Trail Essential. So for me it was more about choosing the bike that felt right for me and what was available that sunday evening.
Afterwards it all about the fun with your mates and fun on the trail.
If you are riding to win seconds in those XC races - choose another bike (You probably wouldn't read this review if you were looking for an XC rocket anyways).
If your like me and want slack full suspension trailbike you can have fun with but also care about spec's and weight, I highly recommend the 2015 Canyon Spectral AL 7.0 EX.
P.S. A 1x drivetrain is super nice but it might not be for everyone. Personally I'm not fit enough to pedal the steepest of climbs with the 34 tooth chainring. The 34 tooth chainring combined with the 42 tooth cog feels more like the middle chainring\big cog on my old bike. So just keep in mind that you might be forced to swap the chainring on a 1x to a smaller one depending on what terrain You ride and how fit You are.
Sizing
There is two things to point out when it comes to sizing
1. Canyon's sizing of their bikes
2. What to choose when You're like me - sitting in between sizes.
In regards to the Spectral, Canyon has listened to the critique an made the Spectral with a 17mm longer toptube compared to last years model. For many, this will probably uncomplicate the choice a bit. But at the same time they've replaced the stem on all the 2015's so that they now sport an 1 cm shorter stem compared to last year. So the handlebarreach is only like 7mm longer. What it gives us i a longer frontcentre and longer wheelbase. What this does to the riding charecteristics You can read about in some of the hundreds of articles found online.
When I tried the 2014 Spectral in large, I found the reach just fine but then I found the front end too high. I like to ride with my bars a tad lower than my seat. So when canyon launched the 2015 models, the medium now had a reach that were almost the same as the 2014 large but with a stack that suited me more.
For the Spectral I believe that Canyon has now sorted out the sizing to a degree where You can trust the PPS and the Canyon support's recommendations although I urge you to apply common sence.
You could easily get the same stack and reach on both the large and medium though. Let's say You've ordered the Spectral in large but are in doubt if you will feel to streched and the stack would be too high. Add a flatbar without upsweep and add a 30mm stem without rise and you would have about the same handlebarstack and reach as the medium sports out of the box. If it was the other way around, you could just add the 2 cm spacers under the handlebar and a 65 stem.
Some of these cockpitchanges would of course affect handlingcharecteristics a bit but as long as You are not Fabian Barel trying to win an enduro race I dare to say it's only very subtle changes.
So You fit both bikes in regards to handlebar reach and stack. But what about wheelbase? I believe this i where you can feel the biggest change. There is also a ton of articles found online that will tell you the difference between an long and a "short" wheelbase so go and read those before deciding.
Personally often ride tight and twisty singletrack and I wanted a bike I could easily throw around. My old XC hardtail had a wheelbase of 108 cm and the medium Spectral was about 115 cm. So nevertheless I would get a bike that was more stable than before. I could go large but I was concerned I would get a bike that felt like a tank in all other situations than on the downhill.
I actually think that Transitions Bikes has got the idea spot on when it comes to choosing bike size. They've made a chart illustrating that a guy at 5'11 could really go either way depending on what experience that person wants. Check out they website.
So what do I feel like now I've got the Medium Spectral? Well I'm very happy with the riding charecteristics. The reach and stack is fine. The bike is super stable downhill and I've not yet found a reason to change the cockpit. Actually I've slammed the stem all the way down to headtube to get the bars as low as I want 'em to be. But that's all down to personal preference.
My old XC hardtail had an effective toptube of about 60cm and I rode with a 10cm stem. The medium Spectral has an effective toptube of roughly 60cm and I ride with a 5cm stem. So the seated handlebar reach is actually 5cm shorter than on my old bike and this was initially my first concern. But you have to remember that you're supposed to sit a little more upright on an AM bike than on a XC bike. If you come from an AM bike that You already feel to cramped on then size up. If you're like me a come from an XC bike that fits you OK, then don't be startled about a tad shorter handlebar reach on an AM bike.
I have long legs and a short torso. This means that as the saddle goes up it also goes back, extending the effective handlebar reach when seated. When I stand up going downhill I'm very happy with the low front end that the medium sports. This also goes for uphill performance where the front wheel stays glued to the ground due to the fact that it's easy to get my bodyweigh up and above the bars when seated.
I can't make the choice for you. I can only say that getting a medium for me was not a bad choice. If I were to review the large here today I would probably highlight all the positive things there is to a larger framesize. But if I were 6 ft I would choose large.
Happy riding
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Comments
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I'm built almost identically to you. My current fuel ex 19.5 has the same ETT as the large spectral, so I think a medium will feel too short. But your write up has been very informative - cheers!0
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Two threads of rather long and meaningless review?Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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Having ordered the medium I was a bit concerned with the size as I'm 5'11.5". I was at our local trail centre today and a guy had a 2015 Spectral 7.0EX so I got to ride it around the car park. Initially when I saw it I thought it was the large. I currently ride a 2013 medium 29er canyon hardtail and previous bike was a 20" cube acid which I felt was on the large side so reduced the stem on that to 65mm. I did not find the Spectral cramped and I was surprised at how little stand over clearance was. It would be nice to try the large also just to compare but as I'm between the 2 sizes I'm satisfied with the Medium I've ordered.0
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RockmonkeySC wrote:Two threads of rather meaningless review?
RockmonkeySC, apparently You took the time to read my first "review" commenting it was meaningless. Then You took the time to read my second review commenting that it is also meaningless.
I sincerely apologize for all the minutes You''ve wasted reading my meaningless reviews.
Have a nice day.0 -
It was a nice day thanks. I was riding downhill all doy, you don't have them where you are which is why you have so much time to write REALLY long and dull reviews of a very average bike, not bad, just average.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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Not sure if troll, just childish or actual child ^0
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lol, I'd say just out of high school. Bless him0
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Just don't understand the point of spending all that time writing two reviews which don't really serve any purpose. Some of the advice is suspect and I don't understand what use an AM bike is in a country with no hills.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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Surely this bike is too small for the rider0
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lappymatt wrote:Surely this bike is too small for the rider
The funny thing is that it feels quite fine. I'm sure a large would have felt quite fine too although as I wrote earlier I tried the 2014 Spectral in Large and felt the front end was too high. This might have been because of the spacers and riserbar on the model i tried.
There are 2 reasons the handlebar on my bike seems very low in relation to the saddle
1. The angle the picture was taken in - The handlebar has both rise and upsweep and therefore the handlebar reach is effectively only an inch or so under the seat. It just looks very low when you compare it to where the stem is mountet.
2. I've slammed the stem all the way down to the top of the headtube as this felt right. I have the possibilty to raise the handlebarhight with another inch or so just by adding spacers under the stem.
All that said. If I were to choose today I would have gone with a Large and a 35mm 0 degree rise stem and an lowrise handlebar with no upsweep. But this is only due to my long legs in relation to torso length. If I've had a more "normal" proportion between my legs and torso or even short legs, but still bein 180 cm, I believe the Medium would have been perfect.
My conclusion: Inseam lenght pretty much decides the size of the bike where as reach and stack must be adjustet to the riders torso and arm lenght by means of the stem, handlebar and spacers used.
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ZZZZZZZ....... Less talking and more pictures0
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A picture paints a thousand words. Here we have several thousand words and one picture and the only picture makes people think the OP bought the wrong size bike!Closet jockey wheel pimp whore.0
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I've ordered one of these and have the same measurements: 5'11" with an 88cm inseam.
Canyon intially recommended a medium while their Auto Size Magic Thingy was down, so I ordered a medium. The guy didn't ask for any measurements other than height, so I was a bit concerned...
I used the size checker when it was working some weeks later and it recommended a large. I called them and this time they put me through to one of the guys in Germany who rides one himself and said that for a 5'11" rider a medium is good, but with a long inseam (apparently 88cm is long) he'd recommend a large, purely due to concerns on minimum post insertion.
I've changed my order (and added 3 months to my waiting time in doing so). At least I'm happier about the size!
I hope this helps others in a similar position.
Thanks OP for the review; there's nothing from pro reviewers yet as someone else said. Writing about your bike is cool and interesting for anyone looking at it; I guess we all know about bias etc. and will skip over it if it's not our cup of tea. More photos would be great though ^_^
edit: like super-explicit xxx rated close-ups of suspension linkages, 1x11 groups, cockpit; silhouettes against sunsets, etc. Premium bike porn.0 -
Hi and sorry for the wait for the pictures. Here are some from my ride today.
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Hi personal reviews make the world go round. Show us a picture of the largest hill you ride.I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
Cube Acid 2010
Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.0
