CAN THIS BIKE HANDLE TECH? | 2022 Canyon Spectral 29 AL 6 Review | Mountain Biking Pisgah Forest, NC

Welcome to Part 1 of a two-part review of the 2022 Canyon Spectral 29 AL 6!
I'm in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, putting the new bike through its paces. And since Pisgah is infamous for its tech trails, that's what the Spectral will need to contend with today.
Techy terrain is notorious for pushing a mountain bike's suspension to the limits...is the new, budget-friendly aluminum framed offering from Canyon up to the task?
As a relative beginner, I'll do my best to provide my honest experience and thoughts. If you're also new to mountain biking and/or considering getting a Canyon Spectral yourself, I hope this helps give you the information you need to make a decision and choose the best bike for you!
Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll be testing out the Spectral on flow trails...in a very special location!
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[@beerbikesbarbells]

Have you bought (or are considering buying) an aluminum framed Spectral? Should I have gone with a carbon frame?? Let me know what you think in the comments!

[@muppie5111]

Did you feel confident on this bike ? ( confident enough to use it for enduro ?? ) and do you think it’s possible to use this bike also for the once a year bike park trip ?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@muppie5111 I would say yes to both. Coming off a shorter travel 27.5 MTB, this bike is way more stable and felt fast over really chunky terrain. The limiting factor was definitely me...a better rider would have no issue using this for enduro riding. I would also say it has enough travel for occasional North Shore or bike park duties, especially if you only go a couple times a year. The aluminum version feels very robust, I think it would take a lot to damage this thing. Only things I didn't like it were the saddle (at the time of purchase, website said it comes with an Ergon enduro saddle, but it didn't), the bars (pretty heavy and don't dampen vibration very well: I replaced them with my PNW Range bars) and grips (too thin for my taste, but that's personal preference: I replaced them with ODI Rogues). Now with these changes and once I get a saddle that fits me better I'd feel very confident using this bike on any type of terrain.

[@muppie5111]

Ok Nice! did you try the fox versions too ? Because I’m thinking to buy the cf8 or the al 6

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@muppie5111 I had a Fox fork and shock on my last bike and liked those too, but honestly not sure I felt a huge difference between the two. Both companies are producing high quality stuff, but keep in mind with the CF8's higher price tag you're getting the Fox Performance Elite components, which are going to be higher quality anyway, plus better drivetrain, better brakes etc. So if price isn't a factor I'd say you'll be really happy with the CF8. The AL6 is definitely a great choice for someone who is looking for a balance between high quality and affordable price.

[@muppie5111]

@@beerbikesbarbells yeah I’m good in braking derailleur’s , so an xt replacement is very expensive. and the carbon frame is not even 0.5 kilo ( sorry I’m not American) lighter . the only thing why I’m not sure which one to take is the fox suspension with the many suspension settings

[@endlesstrailfitness6953]

High spec alloy builds are the thinking man's choice. Great job on the video Rob. A shame about the shaky cam, but you made it work.

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Thanks! Yeah I was very disappointed and hated to think the vid might make some people feel nauseous (like me lol) but I edited the best I could. I don't get accused of being a thinking man often so I appreciate the support 😂

[@kimschmidt8911]

It is quite ridiculous that we call a 3000€ bike budget friendly at this point

[@3BrothersExtreme]

Great review

[@broukos100]

Awesome bike and totally vfm ! Love the gnarly trails you have over there . They are pretty similar to ours here in the Mediterranean coasts . We will be glad if you keep us updated in the future , about how reliable these new spectral aluminum frames are . The moment at 10:00 combined with your humoristic narration really cracked me up ! Nevertheless you did some great saves at that tight point. I am curious if the spectral responds like an immovable sled in such tight corners or just needs a different approach- a different type of riding to overcome gnarly switchbacks like these. Anyway , this was a great video ! Keep riding - have fun !!

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! The bike definitely feels a little long on tight switchbacks, but it's more enduro oriented so it makes sense...though I'm sure a better rider would have no issue there lol. One thing I did notice after the first ride was a little bit of a creaking sound somewhere near the headset. Others have commented saying they've noticed the same thing, but haven't figured out what it is yet. Other than that everything feels pretty solid!

[@jamisonk.097]

First of all, Great review straight to the point, easy to understand and not annoying to listen too. I am wondering how stiff the lockout is on the front and back suspension?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!! The lockout on the shock is relatively stiff, you don't get a lot of movement there. The damper on the fork the AL6 came with doesn't actually have a true lockout feature, so even with the compression turned all the way up, you do get a considerable amount of compression. It doesn't hamper you too much on the climbs, but it's definitely noticeable.

[@jamisonk.097]

@@beerbikesbarbells thx

[@slowridemtb4712]

Good video, thanks. I could relate to the terrain, your level of riding, and the difficulties (won't say 'crashes' because they weren't crashes, just difficulties).

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Thanks! Yeah I hope it helped, cause I like watching bike reviews but always feel like the reviewers are WAY beyond my skill level, so it's hard to know if I'll notice any of the small details they're talking about. We'll get there one day though!

[@hambo76]

@@beerbikesbarbells I prefer watching Italian, Swiss and German review sites, they cover more all-mountain and technical riding and now gravity focused bike park stuff. They seem to have more fun at lower speeds and not riding at Mach chicken all the time!

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@hambo76 LOL very true

[@MountainBikeMusings]

Ofcourse it can handle it! I have been riding tech on mine in AZ, and it seems to be made for the rough stuff.

[@Papaciclista]

Thanks for the video, the material help a lot how response the al 6 , I'm not a fan of RockShox so thinking on cf 7 instead, waiting for part II

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Glad you found it useful! Hope the shaky cam wasn't too bad, it was definitely a bummer when I watched all the footage after. And my last bike was Fox and I really liked it so def need more time on this one to see how the new fork and shock compare 👍

[@roccogrande8513]

Any update on if you like the suspension on the AL 6

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@roccogrande8513 So far I'm a fan. I've played around with the compression and air pressure a bit more and it's feeling pretty good. I'm not an expert biker or reviewer by any sense, so I probably couldn't tell you the minor differences between comparable suspension brands, but I don't have any complaints!

[@rafaskout4750]

hello, first of all, well done on the video! Secondly, could i ask? How does its weight feel? Did it bother you that its alloy instead of cf?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Thanks!! And to be honest, I didn't really notice the weight. My last bike was carbon and weighed about 3lbs less, but it was a shorter-travel bike definitely not built for more aggressive riding, and since that's more what I want to get into as I improve, I'm totally ok with the extra weight. It does make it feel a little more durable on rough descents.

[@cs.adventures]

Did you bottom out at all? How did the bike feel on this terrain?

[@Not_a_Dentist]

Curious to hear your thoughts on this bike vs the Bronson you rented? Obviously a significant price difference, but if money was no object, would you go Bronson, or stay Spectral?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Honestly I think I'd go with the Bronson. The travel is the same on both, and so are the components (roughly) despite the price difference, though of course you get the lighter carbon frame with the Bronson (which isn't something I'm really concerned about). The main reason I would choose the Bronson is because the mullet setup just feels really good for me. I know some people love it and some people think it's dumb, so it's all personal preference, but I noticed a difference while riding the mullet and I was a big fan. So I guess it's not so much the Bronson as it is the mullet...which the Spectral now offers with a coil shock...but again, way more than the Spectral I got and outside my price range 🙃Maybe one day the price on mixed wheels will come down and I'll be able to afford one lol. I'd highly recommend renting a mullet sometime if you haven't already: you might love it, or might not notice any difference over a 29er.

[@topchoice1621]

I absolutely love my canyon spectral AL 6 I paid 2200$ for it when they had their sale at the time it was priced at 3499$ so it was a no brained to get it and I couldn’t believe how great the quality of the bike is

[@edwinvermaas]

Part 2? 😁

[@hambo76]

Sadly I think he's bailed on this channel. A shame as his videos were rather good! Still waiting for Part 2..

[@JakeLeichtling]

Thanks for the vid! I'm thinking about buying one of these Spectral 29 AL 6s and am curious about sizing. I'm 6'2", and Canyon's website is recommending a large, but I've had another expert recommend that I size up to XL. How tall are you, and did this large feel like the right fit?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Hey Jake, I'm 6ft with a 32in inseam and Canyon recommended a medium...but in all other bike brands I seemed to be a large. I sized up to a large and it feels pretty good to me...though I obviously don't have a medium to compare it to. The standover height and reach are a bit bigger than other brands, but it doesn't feel awkward or unmanageable by any means. If your size tows the line between a L and XL on their size finder, you could go either way. The Spectral does feel kinda big compared to my last bike (a Santa Cruz) and other bikes I've rented, but I think I made the right choice. Hope this helps!

[@JakeLeichtling]

@@beerbikesbarbells thanks!

[@quban79]

@@beerbikesbarbells really? on Canyons website it states anything over 183cm would put you on a large anyway?. Canyons sizing is pretty weird, Im toying with the idea of picking up the spectral al 29 coming off a norco optic with a reach of 480 which is the same reach number as the spectrals large, ( going by norco sizing im bang in the middle of a xl but went with the large anyway ) and actually find the norco a tad on the small size.. so this is confusing as youve just said they run a tad large but going by other manufactures Canyons sizing is small, ive also come across threads with peeps returning their spectrals because its arrived smaller than expected..

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@quban79 I've talked to other Norco owners and they also said those bikes are pretty big. From the bikes I've ridden (Santa Cruz, Trek, Giant) this Spectral is definitely way bigger than the larges in those other brands, but for me personally, I think I should have stuck to what the website recommended and gotten a Medium. It sucks they don't have any in bike shops for you to test out, but it would definitely be worth looking out for someone riding one wherever you ride and see if you can hop on real quick. I wish I could have done that before I bought mine!

[@quban79]

@@beerbikesbarbells ... er ok so if id stuck with norco's sizing and got a xl yeah its a long bike hence why i thought id size down but yeah ok thats odd cas first thing i noted when i picked up the optic was it looked small for a 480 reach bike, ive also seen a couple optics for sale on facebook pages stating for a large it felt more like a medium etc.. anyways ive got pretty long arms which doesnt help but yeah a med reach is 455 on the spectral which i wouldnt even consider being 187cm and with my optics 480 reach.. unless your sorter more referring to the bikes wheelbase ? anyways food for thought i guess

[@vainmaniac7188]

Ist das spectral 125 al 6 zu schwer um zu touren zu fahren und berge?

[@badcompany1313]

Any complaints at this point? Do you think this is a good all around bike for someone who wants to progress to bigger/harder trails but still have fun on 20+mile adventure rides? Also does it seem playful at all? I demo’d the Ripmo and fell right between sizes, but they felt very playful compared to the hard tail I’m on now. I’m just not sure if this bike is too aggressive to be an all arounder.

[@Proceedgt_Tobi]

im searching for this too, but i think it is the perfekt bike for this!

[@badcompany1313]

@@Proceedgt_Tobi I ended up demo’ing the Ripmo again and fell in love. Did about 15 miles in Santa Cruz and had the best time, my AF is showing up in a couple weeks. Cant freaking wait!!

[@jackohiskins9128]

Mine just arrived

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Nice! Hope you enjoy it...also hope yours came with the Ergon saddle it was supposed to, not this super wide thing that kept hitting the inside of my legs when trying to shift my weight back 🙃 So far I'm not a fan of the new Selle San Marco saddles they're putting on...it hasn't been very comfortable so far but that's personal preference I guess.

[@kaczka90]

Jacko, can I ask how tall are you and which size did you pick?

[@themuslimmountainbiker]

I've had the exact same bike since last June and it's brilliant. Perfect all rounder and a high value full suspension bike for sure

[@TheDoctor46vr]

Where's the second video? I'd like to hear how you think the weight is with quick changes of direction.

[@beerbikesbarbells]

In the works! Lol still new to video editing so it takes me a while...if only this could be my full-time job I'd have a lot more time for making videos haha

[@hambo76]

@@beerbikesbarbells I can't wait to see it! Do you have the option to record at 60fps?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@hambo76 Yep! I've heard a lot of MTB KZbinrs record in 24 or 30 for a more cinematic experience but then choose higher frame rates if they plan on doing anything in slo-mo. I don't know too much about all of it yet so still experimenting!

[@hambo76]

@@beerbikesbarbells Ah ok, I know you can record and upload at 60fps - it looks a lot clearer, especially on the trails!

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@hambo76 I'll have to give it a shot! Headed to Montana to do some biking next week so we'll see how it goes!

[@srdjankalinic]

Hi Rob, can you post in your reply links, to stuff you have changed from stock version.. I heard PNW Riser Bar.. change. Why did you do it, and how noticeable is the difference once you swapped..

[@srdjankalinic]

Found the answer, and bought PNW based on your recc. Also left them note, i found out thru your channel. Good work on your side :)

[@kaan6560]

Is this bike good for urban freeriding. I want to go down stairs and small stair gaps

[@kaczka90]

Check Fabio Wibmer, he uses one for it

[@velomaniaromania]

No bears around there? I seen you alone lol..In Romania in the mountains would be dangerous but depends on animal 😮

[@kacperciesielski5316]

How tall are you ? :)

[@DD-wu9gx]

What is your height? I’m 5’11” sitting between medium and large. Canyon sizing has me on a medium.

[@beerbikesbarbells]

I'm 6ft with roughly a 32-22 inch inseam. I got a large even though the website recommended Med, and honestly I should have gone Med. The bike feels just fine, but it's definitely BIG. The geo and sizing for Canyon bikes in size Large is pretty similar to every other brands' Mediums. The only issue I have is standover height. I had to run the seatpost all the way into the seat tube just to get enough clearance for me to be able for my feet to reach the ground. Not a huge deal, but if I could do it over again I'd go Med 👍

[@MrSupermugen]

@@beerbikesbarbells crazy, im 6ft and i test rode a medium and its far to small... IMO at 6ft you should be on a large, the strive is a medium though as its damn huge.

[@rileyparrish184]

Is every MTBer on KZbin from North Carolina? Seems like it.

[@beerbikesbarbells]

Haha I'm from Florida so NC is the closest place that actually has a better variety of challenging terrain. I drive up there a lot...every time hoping I spot Seth from Berm Peak somewhere. No luck so far lol

[@hoangvienvan3689]

Love the bike design kzbin.infoUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L and functionality. It is hard to align the front tired to center the disk brakes. The brake wheel touches the stationery side of the brake caliper and pad. I aired the tire up to 40 psi as the markings say 40-60psi. Left the house for a few hours and came back to an exploded innertube.All in all it seems to be a good bike. Have not ridden it yet though so that's the max of my knowledge. Update, put a new innertube made sure the tire was set properly and it did the same thing in under 20 minutes as second pic shows.

[@user-fu5xk9mg6s]

does it come tubuless

[@beerbikesbarbells]

It did not. So you'll have to tape the rim and get tubeless valves. Some people in reviews of the bike said theirs did come tubeless, but I'm skeptical...

[@diesdas4393]

The hub doesnt make any Sound?

[@beerbikesbarbells]

I'm not sure it's advertised as being completely silent, but unless I'm moving really slow and it's really quiet outside, I can't hear it at all. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first but it is pretty cool to hear the tires on the trail!

[@diesdas4393]

@@beerbikesbarbells thank you for your quick response :). Unfortunately I dont like those silent hubs…

[@beerbikesbarbells]

@@diesdas4393 Yeah they're not for everyone. It grew on me after a while but there are plenty of aftermarket hub options to get the hub sound you want 👍

[@ryanthompson1442]

Settled on the al7 spectral for sure. Still torn between the 27.5 and 29 options

[@beerbikesbarbells]

My last bike was a 27.5 and this one is a 29...still not sure which one I prefer. I'm sure a more experienced rider would see more of a difference between the two but not sure if I can yet lol