Canyon’s Spectral all-mountain bike family just got a lot bigger, with a whole suite of siblings for last winter’s Spectral CF 29. Now there are three wheelsize options – either 27.5″, 29″, or a mullet combination. Next, looking at frame materials, last year’s revamped CF carbon frameset now gets a more affordable alloy version or an ultra-premium unicorn hair CFR Canyon Factory Racing frameset, as well. Great news for trail riders looking for more Spectral options from Canyon, the number of possible frame & wheel combinations went from one just a week ago to six today. Plus on top of all of those, a seventh option drops in a slightly shorter travel 27.5 alloy kids trail bike called the Young Hero to help build the next generation of enduro riders…

2022 Canyon Spectral all-mountain family adds alloy, kids, CFR & Mullet options

Canyon calls this generation of 150mm travel Spectrals, “one of the most versatile trail bikes we’ve ever made. And after having ridden a 2021 Canyon Spectral 29 CF 8 all summer from local singletrack to big alpine bikeparks, that’s an idea I can get behind personally. It’s built to pedal up just about anything, but tested to handle all the EWS racing abuse of their longer travel enduro bikes.

Now, riders looking for one bike to rule them all, have a lot more options to tweak their ideal do-it-all trail setup, and several choices that will save quite a bit of money.

29er, Mullet, or 27.5″: All with the same progressive geometry

First off, the new Spectral family now comes in three wheel size options: 29″ wheels carry over, new 27.5″ versions are again available in the same modern trail geometry thanks to a new front & rear triangles, and a new mullet option combines the 29er main triangle & fork with the smaller-wheeled rear end. The most impressive part of it all is probably that progressive geometry and travel don’t change at all, no matter what wheelsize you pick, with the curious exception of 3mm higher frame stack on the 27.5 bikes.

The big (or rather small) thing to note there is that the Spectral 29 is available in the same four sizes as when the carbon bike debuted last year (S-XL). But now the new Spectral 27 (eds. 27.5″) comes in a smaller four sizes (XS-L) overlapping the 29er to fit smaller riders. Those in the middle essentially get to pick if they want more speed from bigger wheels or more agility from smaller ones.

And then there’s the mullet bike for those who want both.

The mullet shares the 29er front end so you get all of the Spectral 29 geometry, plus the 27.5 rear end to keep the bottom bracket height, wheelbase & angles unchanged.

All bikes even use the same shock rocker/linkages, with the same well-proven 150mm of ‘Triple Phase’ four-bar suspension. They take the best suspension kinematics that were updated in the Spectral CF 29 last winter with its progressive leverage ratio, increased bottom-out protection, and extra anti-squat for improved pedaling efficiency with minimal pedal kickback.

(Stay tuned for our in-depth first rides review!)

New bigger Spectral family options

The biggest news in Canyon Spectral land might be the new Spectral AL alloy frameset option. With a claimed frame weight of 3000g (just 400g over the CF), it’s less than a small water bottle heavier than the carbon model, and definitely a lot cheaper. Complete bikes start at just 2500€.

The aluminum bike is available with 27.5 or 29″ wheels (no mullet option), and shares the same overall geometry of the carbon bikes. The one difference here, the alloy bikes do not get the suspension flip-chip adjustability, instead combining the more aggressive LOW bottom bracket & slacker 64° headtube angle position with the HI steeper seattube angle for the best combination of climbing and descending.

Read more in-depth about the new Spectral AL here.

Another sneaky aluminum addition here is the new Spectral YH, young heroes edition for kids. Taking inspiration from the old 27.5 Spectral WMN, this new kid-friendly trail bike sneaks a smaller 2XS size into the Spectral family. For just 1800€, the Spectral YH offers 10mm shorter travel – 140mm rear & 140mm fork – on 27.5″ wheels.

Read more in-depth about the new Spectral Young Hero here.

Maybe the sneakiest addition to the 2022 Spectral line-up is this new 29er-only CFR bike, in just one premium build. Built to go even faster than before, it uses Canyon’s top-tier Factory Racing carbon material and more precise layups to shed another 300g off the CF model. At a claimed 2300g for the CFR carbon frame, it’s still just as tough, having even been raced earlier this month at the EWS Tweed Valley in Scotland.

Basically, the Enduro World Series racing CLLCTV team was looking for a lighter-weight enduro bike for faster, less-demanding terrain when then didn’t need the 170mm of the Canyon Strive, and this new Spectral CFR looks to be their new ultralight EWS weapon of choice.

Now the mullet… Mixed wheel sizes have been a debate since the dawn of bigger 29″ wheels (remember the 69ers?), and Canyon decided it was time to bring the Spectral on board to the business up front, party in the back atmosphere.

Only one 4000€ carbon Spectral CF mullet model is being offered for the time being, a special CLLCTV edition with a coil shock out back. While Canyon says they carefully designed the two separate 27.5 & 29″ platforms so it is as simple as swapping out a 27.5 rear triangle to go mullet, they don’t have plans to offer the rear end separately. It seems like Canyon are testing the waters with the Spectral CF Mullet.

But I have to admit, after riding it for a couple of weeks, back-to-back with a Spectral CF 29, the Mullet build does deliver on the playful, rowdy ride.

Last but not least, the regular Spectral CF is still here, just like the bike debuted last winter. But, now it adds those four 27.5-wheeled sizes, including the new XS for smaller riders. A solid balance of progressive descending and efficient climbing, the Spectral CF is a hard to beat all-mountain all-rounder.

Tech details

The new Spectrals pretty much all share the same details as the carbon bike debuted last year. In all wheelsizes, the new carbon bikes all get the adjustable geo flip-chip at the rear shock mount, so riders can fine-tune their geometry +/- 0.5° in just a couple of minutes. I generally prefer the higher position which gives an 8mm higher BB to clear rockier trails, while allowing for a plush rear suspension setup.

Not looking to skimp on suspension performance, the CFR model still gets a piggyback air shock, now in a Fox Factory Kashima-coated spec (above, right). But Canyon says they were still able to keep weight down with their lightest, partially bare paintjob for the carbon Spectrals yet.

Canyon also carries over the under toptube accessory mount for all of the new Spectrals – from the alloy Young Hero up to ultralight carbon CFR. Canyon sells a small bracket separately that mounts securely to the single bolt, where you can strap on a spare tube & tool. Plenty of options available from other manufacturers will fit too (I use a customizable one made by Syncros.)

The chunky integrated chainstay protector is still there to quiet the drivetrain on any of the new Spectrals. And all also get Canyon’s clever QR rear thru-axle that tucks its own lever neatly out of the way while riding (securely & rattle-free).

Lighter carbon Canyon Factory Racing: CFR

At 6500€, the single Spectral CFR build is certainly the top-tier flagship of the new Spectral family. Canyon claims a complete weight of just 13.3kg for the new ultralight carbon bike. But it’s not shaving weight at any cost, the ethos of the CFR is more about optimizing stiffness, handling & control like in the one-piece carbon CP009 cockpit that’s still built to handle EWS-level racing duties.

The top CFR build gets Fox Factory air suspension paired with a Shimano XT/XTR drivetrain, RaceFace Next SL carbon cranks, and 30mm internal carbon DT Swiss XMC 1200 wheels. But on top of all that light kit, it still features proper 2.4″ tubeless Maxxis Minion DHR tires with EXO+ casing so you can bomb down any trail with unwavering confidence.

2022 Canyon Spectral – Pricing & availability

The entire seven bike Spectral family is available to order starting today direct from Canyon – alloy Spectral YH, alloy Spectral AL 27, Spectral AL 29, carbon Spectral CF 27, Spectral CF Mullet, Spectral CF 29 & carbon Spectral CFR – plus more than one build of a couple of those, now starting at 1800€ and topping out at 6500€.

Actual availability does depend a bit on sizing, color, and which build spec you desire, so dig around and see how quickly Canyon can ship a new Any Trail bike to your door.

Canyon.com

The post 2022 Canyon Spectral all-mountain goes big in new Alloy, Kids, CFR & Mullet trail to enduro bikes appeared first on Bikerumor.

Thanks to the huge variation of bikes out there, we ask a lot from our bike racks. They need to fit everything from 20mm to 5″ wide tires, frames of vastly different shape, and all without interference between multiple bikes. Because of that, most racks top out at four bikes maximum, though vertical racks have started to get more popular because of this very reason.

Vertical racks, like the ALTA SIX work by supporting the front wheel with a basket, and then a lower tie down strap secures the rear wheel. By tilting the front wheel slightly, the handlebars don’t smash into each other, allowing in this case to carry up to six bikes. It does all of this without frame contact, and offers three adjustments to fit different wheel bases and 24″ – 29+ wheels.

ALTA is a pretty unique company that started as a passion project by engineers that previously spent years designing and building products for the military and offroad industry. Seeing a chance to create a better rack system that helped people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, ALTA started selling the SIX earlier this year.

The SIX gets its name from the six bike capacity, and is sold with your choice of basket size. There are three different sizes – Standard which fits road tires to 3″ wide tires, Mid-Fat which fits 3-4″ tires, and Fat which fits 4-6″ wide tires. When you order the rack, you can mix and match the baskets if you want, and rack owners can purchase additional baskets which are easily swapped out.

The rack also works with adapters that let you run roof mounts so you can mount things like horizontal ski racks for use in the winter.

There’s also a repair stand accessory for $75 that allows you to fix bikes right off the rack, or when the rack is stored in your garage if you purchase the rolling Floor Stand shown above for $349. Note that if you purchase the floor stand, you can also store your bikes on the rack when it’s in the garage and not on your vehicle.

Equally important to the SIX’s design is the fact that it clears most tail gates from trucks, mini vans, etc. The hitch mount has a 15° rise with 25″ of clearance to offer better angles for off road driving, and there’s a safety pin and release which allows the rack to pivot backwards.

Future options may include a hammock stand and a lift gate table which is held in place by ratchet straps secured to the rear end plates of the rack. These also function as a strap down system for off road driving to further support the rack.

Weighing in at 82lbs for the six bike carrier, all ALTA racks are designed and made in Utah, offer a lifetime warranty, and the ALTA SIX sells for $1,185 with your choice of baskets.

altaracks.com

The post ALTA Racks carry up to 6 bikes, accessories, and may work as a mobile base camp appeared first on Bikerumor.

The Stompump claims to be the fastest, easiest way to fill high volume tires anywhere you might need to. Launched earlier this year, the miniature foot pump is through production starts shipping in November with a few unique features. The most obvious differentiator is the design, putting a small foot floor pump in a package that can fit on your bike using the included water bottle cage bolt mount. The stuff you don’t see includes an integrated air filter to keep that trailside dust from infiltrating and gumming it up, and the fact that it’s made in Marin County, CA.

The Stompump weighs 195g, so just a bit more than a standard mini pump, but still fits on the bike. You could throw it in a hydration pack, too, if you’re already carrying a big pack. They say it fills tires up to 3x faster than traditional mini pumps, and since you’re pumping with your legs, probably much easier, too.

It’s designed for high volume tires and has a max pressure of 60psi. So, think mountain bikes, cyclocross and gravel bikes.

Retail is $99.95, up for pre-order now. Custom colors are available, and they have various hose colors to choose from, too.

Stompump.com

The post Stompump mini foot pump fits on your frame, fills big bike tires 3x faster appeared first on Bikerumor.

You can always count on SKS to have a few new products to show, and Interbike was no different. A few of them like the revised Air Checker we’ve already seen, but others like the Airstep foot pump are all new.

Built with a cast aluminum body, the Airstep is made in Germany in the same facility that manufactures cast aluminum intake manifolds for Mercedes Benz. The pump expands to allow you to use your foot to pump instead of your arms, and it features a long hose that coils up and stores around the gauge. Capable of reaching pressures up to 102psi, the pump includes a presta or schrader head and sells for $79.99.

We saw this earlier in the year, but the Air Checker is getting an upgrade. Thanks to a new chip, the guage is more accurate at low pressures, and it will give you real time pressure, even as you’re letting out air with the bleeder valve. This will replace the previous version for $32.99.

SKS had these Compit & Compit/E mounts for smartphones which offer a secure hold and a front and center mount. More importantly, there’s a universal adapter so you can put anything on the mount, as long as it has a flat surface for you to mount the adapter. There’s also a potential that down the road, an updated version of this mount could allow you to wirelessly charge your phone while riding your e-bike around town.

Adding to their massive fender collection, SKS now offers the Edge AL full aluminum fenders which will fit 700 x 42mm tires for the 45mm version, or 700 x 50mm tires for the 56mm version. Weights are listed at 542g or 568g, and prices at $55.99 or $59.99.

The Bluemel 75U is a similarly styled fender, but made from plastic. The fenders will work for 27.5 or 29″ wheels with a max tire width of 65mm. Weight is listed at 800g, and they’re $74.99.

Finally, SKS has a number of new bags including some interesting pieces like the Traveler Click 800 which is a saddle bag that unzips from the side for easy access.

sks-germany.com

The post SKS Steps on it with Airstep foot pump, phone mount/charger concept, new bags, more appeared first on Bikerumor.

After unveiling their new L50 and M50 Dash head units at Eurobike, Stages Cycling still had more to show at Interbike. Namely, the head units were much further along in actual function, but more importantly – there was a very exciting new option for power meter cranks available.

If you’re excited about it, you’ve already heard that Cane Creek has partnered up with Stages Cycling to add a power meter version of their titanium eeWings crankset. Initially available for their MTB version, the crankset uses a unique drive side placement of the power meter due to clearance issues with wider mountain bike chainstays. In this case, the 15g power meter pod sits underneath the chainring, which should clear most frames. We’re double checking their compatibility with 2x drivetrains if you use a direct mount spider.

Stages says that they had to redesign the strain gauges to work with titanium, but other than that the concept is the same. Because of the material differences, they also point out that every one of their power meters is slightly different and tuned to work with that specific crankset. With the introduction of the eeWings power meter, they now have power meters for steel, aluminum, carbon, and titanium cranks. The Stages equipped eeWings are currently available in 170mm or 175mm lengths for MTB at $1,499, and will eventually be available in their gravel cranksets as well.

On the Dash side of things, Stages now had working versions of their new color screen which is so bright, it’s hard to take pictures of. That brightness is said to make them very easily read in full sunlight, and it always on which makes their 18h and 15h battery life pretty respectable.

The color screen helps to simplify power measurement and training by color coding everything. That way you can simply look down and know that you’re supposed to be riding in the orange zone during your intervals.

It also makes their included maps very useful by making it clear which roads are the safest routes for bikes. You wouldn’t want to ride on a freeway, which is why they have color coded the roads to help you avoid busy, dangerous routes. Each head unit comes equipped with all U.S. maps pre-installed, and you can download additional maps for other countries free of charge.

The head units also include your choice of a premium aluminum mount, which attaches to the computer in an aerodynamically efficient way. Stages points out that with most of their competitors, you have to buy a premium mount separately, which is an added advantage of the L50 and M50.

The computers both support GPX, TCX, and FIT routes, have ANT+ and BTLE connectivity, allow for custom data fields, and integration with the Stages Link online training platform. Available in November, the M50 will sell for $249, while the L50 is $349. A third monochrome (non-colored) computer called the L10 will also be available as an entry level device for $149.

stagescycling.com

The post Stages Dash L50 & M50 get real colorful, first hand look at eeWings power meter appeared first on Bikerumor.

Even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend, you should still be able to get a quality bike. Well, that’s how Batch Bicycles sees it anyway. Using Interbike to introduce their bicycle line to the world, Batch Bicycles is establishing themselves as an affordable alternative to the cheap bikes of department stores, and the more expensive bikes of your local bike shop. Established in April of this year, Batch Bicycles is a subsidiary of United Wheels Limited – the same parent company of Huffy Bicycles and now Niner Bikes as well.

Batch Bicycles will be sold exclusively through your local bike shop, though you will be able to order them through their website or app with final delivery and assembly through the IBD.

Priced from $89 to $489, the Batch line up focuses on inexpensive but quality builds with a clean aesthetic and useful spec. Different models will be available from kid’s balance bikes, to adult hybrids, all with unique touches and details you might not expect to find on bikes of this price. Everything is available for pre-order now, while bike shops will start to receive their first Batch at the end of October.

Models – Descriptions from Batch

Commuter (Adult and Youth)

MSRP: $469.99 (24”) and $489.99 (27.5”).

• Lightweight 6061 aluminum frame
• C-Star mechanical disc brakes
• Shimano Altus 8-speed gearing
• Stars alloy double-walled rims (Wheel size optimized for best fit: 24” for youth, and 27.5” for adults)

Cruiser (Adult and Youth)

MSRP: $269.99 – $289.99

• Lightweight 6061 aluminum frame
• rear coaster brake
• Single-speed simplicity
• Stars alloy double-walled rims (Wheel size optimized for best fit: 24” for youth, 26” for women, and 27.5” for men)

The post Batch Bicycles whips up a new option for affordable bikes for kids & adults appeared first on Bikerumor.

At Interbike, Smith showed us the new Wildcat, a monstrous pair of retro-design sunglasses to go with their new aero road bike helmets. Hiding the next shelf down were two more new shades, the Reverb and Ruckus, which are almost as big but follow the Arena’s design aesthetic more closely. Also new are the Squad XL goggles, which should give your eyes plenty of field of vision and breathing room.

The Ruckus (right) is the larger of the two and uses a raised brow frame and center lens section to increase field of view and block more wind. The top bar serves to vent air over the lens to prevent fogging, an effort bolstered by two-position nose pieces. Adjust the nose pads into the farther position and the lenses will sit a bit further away from your face to reduce the likelihood of fogging up on slow climbs. Then push them back in when it’s time to cruise or descend. Or just ride faster…

The Reverb gets a slightly shorter lens with no brow bar to come in as Smith’s lightest cycling performance sunglasses yet. Claimed weight is just 27g.

Both come with a new PivLock arm attachment mechanism to speed up lens changes, and both will have an assortment of ChromaPop, Photochromic, clear and other lens colors to choose from. Temples are thinner than before to help them fit into more helmets, particularly Smith’s own road and mountain bike helmets with integrated sunglasses holster channels. Retail on both models is $189 and include two ChromaPop lenses and a hard case. Both should be available now.

If you’re a fan of the retro look but the Wildcats are just too big, the new Trackstand (left) is a vintage-inspired design that gets all their latest lens tech. The frame leaves a vent open at the top, and you can choose from five different interchangeable ChromaPop lenses, each with a hydroleophobic coating to repel dirt, dust, water and grease. It, too, gets the position adjustable nosepiece and thinner temples. Retail is $169 with two ChromaPop lenses and a case. Available now.

If you wanna get totally new age, on the right is the Flywheel. It, too, is an oversized lens, but uses a bridge across the inside of the lens at the brow (as opposed to the non-bridged design of the Attack and Attack Max, the latter having a very similar lens shape). These run $139 with a single, non-swappable lens and are available now.

Big is in, and the Smith Squad XL takes it bigger. It’s their largest google in the mountain bike collection and offers the widest field of view. The frame keeps their latticed construction to keep it flexible for a better fit…and very breathable. Inside is an anti-fog coating, and outside is a hard coating to repel crud and sweat. It has a 3-layer hypoallergenic foam that’s highly absorbent, too. Choose from six frame colors, including a Graham Agassiz signature model, and they’re compatible with Smith’s Lens Mud Kit with roll-offs. Retail is $85 and includes two lenses when it drops in February 2019.

Just for fun, here’s a pic of the Wildcat next to the standard Squad goggles. Check those and the new aero road helmets out in this post.

SmithOptics.com

The post Smith adds bigger, lighter cycling sunglasses; plus larger Squad XL goggles appeared first on Bikerumor.

The 4iiii Precision Podiiiium crank-based power meters are now shipping pre-installed on Shimano 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace cranksets. Shown at last year’s Interbike with the promise of early 2018 delivery, the program is called “Ride Ready” because they ship already attached to a new left-side crank arm. All you need to do is swap out your existing non-drive crank arm and pair it with your head unit and off you go.

The Ride Ready units only come on the three Shimano crank arms, with retail price for the arm plus power meter running from $399 to $599. Or, you can send in your own cranks to have the rechargeable Podiiiium units attached in their factory, then returned. If you don’t mind a short wait, that’ll only run you $399 for left-side only and can be done to virtually any Shimano crankset from 105 and XT or better; SRAM XX1, X01 and Red carbon cranks, Campagnolo Potenza, plus some Cannondale and Praxis cranks, too. Check their website for exact models, and hit up this post for more tech details.

4iiii.com

The post 4iiii Podiiiium Ride Ready power meters now Shimano road cranks appeared first on Bikerumor.

We’ve been seeing prototypes of the new Panaracer Romero and Aliso for a while, and now we finally have official sizes and specs, plus a few more details on the rubber. The Romero is their all-conditions tire with a triple-compound, DH-oriented rubber outside of a 60tpi casing. Inside is their bead-to-bead Anti-Flat Plus puncture protection belt with additional rubber around the bead to help prevent pinch flats.

It’ll be available in 27.5 and 29er in both 2.4 and 2.6 widths with a claimed (average) weight of 1,130g. Retail will be a reasonable $59.99 when it drops in November. Following in January will be a lighter, more supple enduro/trail version with a 120tpi casing that puts the puncture protection only under the tread. Claimed weight for that one is 930g.

The Panaracer Aliso (shown directly above without a hot patch) uses the same casing options but with a slightly revised tread pattern that makes it more suitable for softer, looser conditions. Weights should be similar, and it’ll launch in November also, with the same sizes…except the 29×2.6 will come in February 2019. Also $59.99. Following that in March will the 120tpi enduro/trail versions, too.

Those will join the DriverPro (foreground) XC/trail hardpack tire, which will come in big 2.4 and 2.6 widths (29er is 2.4 only) with their Anti-Flat casing and 60tpi construction. It also has a triple rubber compound, but with a more XC-ish blend than the knobbier ones up top.  It, too, should get a lighter 120tpi build some time next year.

The limited edition colored Gravel King tires in the background are still available, too.

Panaracer.com

The post Panaracer Aliso gets all soft on enduro, new Romero MTB tire handles the rest appeared first on Bikerumor.

SQlab’s Interbike booth was all about comfort. Comfort at the bars with their new 311 FL-X bars, and comfort at the saddle with the 602 Infinergy seat that’s making its way to production.

Compared to the 3OX bar, the 311 FL-X has 30% more flex. That should translate to a more comfortable ride at the bars, especially for lighter riders who don’t need a stout bar.

The 311 FL-X will be available in two models, both with a 16 degree bend. One will have a 15 degree rise, the other 30 degrees. Both should come in under 200g and will retail for $250.

Infinergy foam seems to be finding its way into a few new saddles lately – it’s not just for shoes. The expanded foam takes the place of the rubber like polymer for their Ergolux Active saddle system and allows the whole saddle to move independently of the rails for a more comfortable ride.

As usual, the saddles use their stepped design which is said to reduce pressure on the important bits, and will be offered in different widths for $109.99.

sq-lab.com

The post SQlab flexes w/ new 311 FL-X bars, moves with comfy 602 Infinergy saddle appeared first on Bikerumor.