Though the colorways of the new Canfield Nimble 9 steel hardtail scream vintage, the same definitely cannot be said about the bike’s geometry. Since the first Nimble hit the trails in 2013, the geometry has come a very long way, with the reach figures stretching further than ever before. Now in its 3rd iteration, the Nimble’s refreshed geometry is bang up to date, while still retaining the classic Canfield radially-bent seat stays. Let’s take a closer look.
Canfield Nimble 9 hardtail mountain bike
For some time now, especially in the steel hardtail category, longer, lower and slacker geometry has been trending. Not ones to be left behind, Canfield have followed suit. For 2020, the Canfield Nimble 9 has stretched out the reach, now at 450mm in medium, a figure previously seen on the large, and slackened the head angle off to 66 degrees. The bottom bracket drops 50mm relative to the axles and the seat tube has been shortened across all sizes in order to accommodate the longer travel dropper posts that are now available. The longer the dropper post you can fit, the further you can smash your saddle out of your way on descents, freeing up more space above the bike for the rider to move around.
Despite its revamped geometry, the Nimble 9 retains Canfield’s trademark radially-bent chainstays which permit vertical compliance. Though intended as a 29er, sliding dropouts at the boost 148×12 rear axle allow for chainstay length adjustment from 417mm to 433mm, meaning the bike can take 29″ or 27.5″ wheels, with the latter allowing enough clearance for up to a 2.8″ WT.
Canfield pitch the bike as one of the most versatile on the market. Owing to the adjustability provided by the sliding drop-outs, the Nimble 9 can be built up as a single speed, a bikepacking packhorse or left as an all-mountain hardtail shred machine with whatever wheel size takes your fancy.
For 2020, the Nimble 9 sees redesigned chainstay yolks, meant to provide more stiffness to the frame overall and be more durable than their predecessor. Perhaps more necessary on a hardtail than a full suspension mountain bike, the frame features an ISCG 05 mount for a chain guide to ensure your chain stays firmly wrapped up on the chainring when the tough gets rough.
The frame also comes with a removable direct mount front derailleur block, should you wish to maximise the bike’s gear range with a 2, or even 3x drivetrain.
2020 Canfield Nimble 9 Geometry
|
Size |
S |
M |
L |
XL |
|
Reach |
425mm |
450mm |
475mm |
500mm |
|
Seat Tube Length |
370mm |
405mm |
445mm |
490mm |
|
Head Tube Angle |
66° |
66° |
66° |
66° |
|
Seat Tube Angle (Effective) |
77° |
77° |
77° |
77° |
|
Chainstay Length |
417mm – 433mm |
417mm – 433mm |
417mm – 433mm |
417mm – 433mm |
|
Bottom Bracket Drop |
50mm |
50mm |
50mm |
50mm |
|
Head Tube length |
100mm |
105mm |
115mm |
125mm |
Pricing & Availability
The 2020 Canfield Nimble 9 is available in sizes Small to XL, with reach measurements spanning 425mm to 500mm. Choose from five vintage-inspired colorways including race car red, mud puddle brown, mantis green, night sky blue and rad pink. With headset and seat clamp, the RRP is $799.99 but Canfield are offering a Black Friday pre-order price of $599.99, and a Cyber Monday price of $649.99. Canfield are also offering a frame and fork combination with a 150mm DVO Diamond Boost 29er fork for $1,899, but just $1,299 for today’s Black Friday deal. They have a whole bunch of other Black Friday deals on componentry, including 50% off cranks and chainrings.
