Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8 Electric Mountain Bike: Beginner-Friendly, Under $5K

The Shimano XT/SLX drivetrain and brakes are popular across the eMTB market. You’re not getting the very lightest tech, but they are reliable workhorses. Suspension comes from a FOX 38 Rhythm fork and Float X shock, which, like the drivetrain and brakes, are classy performers. There’s 160 millimeters of travel up front and 155 mm at the rear, which gives good support for rough, technical descents, while remaining efficient on longer rides and over mixed terrain.

Also included here is Canyon’s in-house iridium dropper post, a 30.9-mm internally routed unit with 125- to 170-mm travel, depending on your frame size. It’s solid, reliable, and easy to use, although I did find it fairly slow to return to position. It’s not a big deal, though. The DT Swiss HLN350 (15 x 110 30-mm) tires are very much in keeping with the rest of the bike—trusted eMTB options that, while not flashy, will perform well and last.

The constituent parts all add up to a hugely impressive electric mountain bike that’s a heck of a lot of fun to ride. It doesn’t have the headline-grabbing features of the Specialized S-Works or the Trek Rail, but at $4,500, it’s hard—no, nigh on impossible—to argue with. First-timers will get more from it than pro-level riders, but for me that just adds to its wider appeal.

It does weigh 54.5 pounds, though. This is a heavy bike, even within the full-power e-MTB category. It’s an absolute brute to handle when not riding it, and I pity anyone who has to get it up any stairs or out of a ditch. It’s also a bit unwieldy if you’re navigating technical terrain at slow speeds, but once you pick up the pace, the low-slung battery and friendly geometry transforms it into a track-munching, mud-surfing cruiser.

The Ride

Photograph: Chris Haslam

The Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8 ate up my local singletrack, muddy paths, and tight tree lines. The 64-degree head angle is fairly slack, but that suits both my level of riding and the terrain. It’s stable, and I feel like I’m in control on steep, fast descents. It feels incredibly stable and encourages me to ride harder and seek out more technical lines. Traction in the corners is excellent, and the geometry should appeal to the widest range of mountain bikers. Beginners will take confidence from the fact that you’ll need to work hard to go over the handlebars.