Against all reason, my old ass has been mountain biking for the past few months. It's a fun hobby, but I find the uphill part of mountain biking less interesting. Even tragic.
It wasn’t just hard on my body. It was hard on my soul to face the fact that I was out of shape. So I'm grateful for my personal rescue: Canyon's Spectral:ON CF 7. This all-carbon electric mountain bike takes the pain out of the sport, giving riders the freedom to enjoy themselves and/or fear for their lives even when they're not at their peak.
The CF 7 isn’t really a beginner’s bike, though, so to get a fuller picture of it, I asked OG mountain biker and mountain bike instructor Colin Wedel to put the CF 7 through a more rigorous test. More details below, but overall, first timers and bell ringers alike were impressed.
Canyon CF 7 Electric Mountain Bike Overview
On the mountain biking continuum. On the one hand, there are off-road bikes designed for pedaling uphill. On the other hand, there are the “that’s what ski lifts are for” downhill bikes. Sitting somewhere in the middle, the CF 7 is a trail bike that aims for the 'do it all' sweet spot in terms of geometry, suspension, weight and agility, and it's designed to get you on the ground with (relative) ease Go down the mountain.
I won’t go into detail about how smooth the shifts are or how good the brakes are, suffice it to say: the CF 7 uses high-quality components and is built by a company that has been making mountain bikes since the 1990s. At $4,000, this is a bike that's far from the most expensive on the market, but it's a "serious" ride nonetheless, and everything about it is the level of performance you'd expect at this price.
How to ride the Spectral:ON CF 7: An experienced perspective
Collin Wedel is a mountain bike instructor who has been riding simulated and e-mountain bikes on the West Coast for decades. He recently spent an afternoon riding the Canyon CF 7 in the mountains of Simi Valley and reported back. "When you first see it, you think, 'Man, this looks like a heavy bike,'" he said. "But when you get on it, it feels super nimble, super nimble, super fun. It feels a lot lighter than it is."
"On the road, it just feels alive," Weddle added. "It feels great on fast-flowing roads, and it corners amazingly . Man, it just eats up the corners. You can really sit in it." Come down and press them, especially I even hit a big 20-footer and it was perfect."
As for the more technical parts of the course, Weddle noted: "In the chatter, there was a little too much vibration in my hands. I don't know if that was because I was a little over-sprung in the shock, especially in the fork, so I can tweak it a little bit from an air pressure perspective.”
How to ride the CF 7: a beginner’s perspective
I'm happy with the bike's ability to haul me up hills, but that's basically what I expect from the "e" part of any electric bike. It was surprising how much fun I had going down the mountain.
Compared to the lighter mountain bikes I’ve ridden, the CF 7 seems like a behemoth. Even though it's full fiber, it still weighs over 50 pounds (mainly the battery). I expected a bike this heavy to feel bulky or difficult to control on the descents. But those fears disappeared the first time I pressed the CF 7 saddle-down button, stood on the pedals, crossed myself, and fell down. It feels like something clicks into place, you're in a stable, controlled position, and the weight of the bike disappears. You realize, "Oh, it's designed for this," and relax into the ride. Don't get me wrong: It's still scary, but not so much on this bike.
Are you a beginner? I know $4,000 is a lot of money for a bike, but if you can handle it, it's a great learning ride. This is only the second mountain bike I've ridden for any length of time, and the difference between my decent but nothing special hardtail and this one is day and night, mainly in how secure it feels. Not only are the CF 7's 160mm of travel in the fork and 150mm of rear suspension perfect for burly warriors taking on big jumps, but if you're like me and struggle over rocks and obstacles and pray you don't Do, then it's forgiving enough to break your neck. If your suspension system eliminates your mistakes, it will be much easier to follow a trail completely.
Even if you lack technique, the bike responds well into corners and maintains traction well. Like most beginners, I tend to hit the brakes harder when going downhill. While I didn’t use it on any black diamond tracks, the traction and control I felt on the gravel or fire roads I frequented was excellent.
The “electric” part of this electric mountain bike
I may not have a lot of mountain biking experience, but I've ridden a lot of e-bikes, and the CF 7's Shimano EP8 motor is excellent. The mid-drive, torque-based assist system provides 400 percent pedal assist so smoothly that it doesn't feel like the motor is helping you, but rather like your legs are suddenly super powerful.
In keeping with the "it's a mountain bike" vibe, the full-color screen is unobtrusive, small, and "just a fact." It tells you how fast you're going, how much pedal assist you have, and how much battery you have left. There's also built-in anti-theft GPS tracking, and your bike can be paired with Canyon's app,
The battery is removable but embedded in the down tube to keep the weight balanced and center of gravity in place. It's a small complaint, but I found it very complicated and tedious to remove. I only did it once and then charged it without removing it. I'm just so lazy.
There's no throttle - this isn't a around-town ride - but the bike's five assist levels mean you can provide as much or as little help as you need, from a 'slightly extra' Eco mode to a ' Tow my car "fat ass up this hill for me" in turbo mode. Of course, the battery life depends on how you use it, but it provides enough power that your legs will probably be out before the battery dies. exhausted.
Overall: A fun bike for anyone
Colin says the bike's ideal rider is a "weekend warrior" who isn't a pro but still wants the performance of a high-end bike. I aspire to be a weekend warrior, but I also think this would be a great bike for beginners. With a quality ride, the learning curve is less steep, especially since you don't need to ride up hills.
Canyon's Spectral:ON CF 7 Pros and Cons
advantage
Powerful engine conquers any hill
Solid content
shortcoming
Removing the battery is painful
Glasses
Price : $$4,099
Motor : 250Wh Shimano Steps EP8
Battery : Shimano STEPS 720Wh battery
Charging time: 3-4 hours
Top speed: 20 mph
Drive : Shimano Deore M6100
Brakes : SRAM DB8
Fork : Rock Shox Lyric Base
Rear shock: RockShox Deluxe Select, 230×60, 150mm travel
Frame : Canyon Spectral: ON carbon fiber
Rims : SunRingle Duroc SD42 12x148
Tires : Maxxis Minion DHF 29×2.5”, Maxxis Minion DHR 27.5×2.6”
Weight : 51.3 lbs.
Sizes : S, M, L, XL
