Canyon’s new lightweight Spectral:ONfly eMTB combines some of the best all-mountain tech to create an ebike that should be a blast to ride on everything from local singletrack to big mountain epic trails. The proven all-mountain versatility of the Spectral family with a full carbon frame and 150/160mm travel. Simple, adjustable, and effective Keep It Stable steering stabilization. And the lightweight powerhouse of TQ’s compact HPR50 ebike powertrain with a light 360Wh internal battery and the option for an external range extender.
Canyon Spectral:ONfly lightweight all-mountain trail eMTB
“Canyon designed the Spectral:ONfly with one goal in mind: Create a [e]bike that blends the poppy, nimble, and confident handling of the best trail bikes with the extra boost and speed of an e-bike. The result is a 150mm travel all-rounder that sports a 2.65kg (5.8lb) carbon-fiber e-MTB chassis capable of enduro-level riding. With complete e-MTB bikes weighing as little as 18.1kg (40lb), the Spectral:ONfly is lightweight, yes, but it’s no flimsy pushover.”
How will it ride?
Let me start by saying that I haven’t had the chance to ride this ebike yet, but it looks especially promising. I’m a long-time fan of the Spectral platform for its geometry & suspension versatility from classic trail rides to full enduro. This addresses the only minor downside I’ve seen in the latest generation, going back to a longer travel 160mm fork to balance the fact that you will certainly get this ebike to the top of some wild descents.
And the TQ ebike drive system is undeniably one of the best on the market.
At the moment, no other system I have ridden can match TQ for a natural ride feel, nor TQ’s level of pedal-assist customization that allow the rider to tailor motor support to how you want the ebike to feel. (Geek out with me a bit on that customization here on a different TQ eMTB.)
The KIS system is tucked in behind the TQ toptube display… this simple but unique steering stabilization system is pretty cool. I’ve ridden it on four bikes now, and have one at home. It truly changes how you ride a mountain bike. It really delivers more confidence & control at high speeds, through rough stuff, and in the air. Although it does make you slightly relearn bike handling at slow speeds in the steeps. It’s fun, it’s weird, and you can always dial it back or even disconnect it if you don’t feel like it’s improving your ride. But it’s surely worth everyone trying.
Tech details
Key to the Spectral:ONfly versatility is the same proven enduro-level-tested carbon tech from the rest of the Spectral family (Category 4E), but of course adapted a bit. While the latest Spectral dialed back to 150/140mm of travel, this ebike keeps 160mm up front paired to 150mm in the back. That owes a bit to the heavier eMTB weight, but also to the fact that the pedal-assist support makes it easier to get in over your head on gnarly trails far from home, so a little extra squish is appreciated.
Geometry is also only gently tweaked – just no flipchips, though. For starters, all Spectral:ONfly models get mullet wheel combos – 29″ up front for business, 27.5″ for the party in the back. That helps keep chainstays to just 440mm (only 3mm longer than the 29er Spectral setting). Other than that the 64° headtube and 76.5 effective seat tube angles are unchanged. And Stack & Reach figures for the 4 sizes (S-XL) are mostly identical to this ebike’s regular pedal-powered trail bike siblings.
2024 Canyon Spectral:ONfly – Pricing, options & availability
The new Canyon Spectral:ONfly range includes four complete all-mountain ebike builds.
The absolute top-of-the-line, and the one best suited to emptying your pocketbook is this 9000€ Canyon Spectral:ONfly CF LTD. The lightweight limited edition build gets a top-tier spec with 160mm Fox 36 & 150mm Float X Factory suspension, a full SRAM XX Eagle AXS T-type drivetrain, Code Ultimate Stealth brakes, and Reynolds Black Label Expert carbon wheels (18.1kg/39.9lb, claimed size M).
The next tier $7500 / 7300€ Spectral:ONfly CF CLLCTV build is put together not specifically to be a more affordable spec, but more to be more of a hard-charging light enduro eMTB build inspired by Canyon’s pro gravity mountain bike team. Suspension travel is the same front & rear, but its fork stanchions get boosted with a Fox 38 paired to the Float X piggyback rear shock, both in all-black Performance Elite trim. A SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission, Code Silver Stealth brakes, and alloy DT Swiss HX1700 LS wheels round out the build (19.5kg/43.0lb).
Dialing back to regular all-rounder ebike riding territory, the 6300€ Spectral:ONfly CF 9 gets a Fox 36 Performance fork & single can Float DPS Performance shock, with a mechanical Shimano XT drivetrain & brakes, and also aluminum DT Swiss H1900 LS wheels (18.8kg/41.4lb).
And then, the $6000 / 5600€ Canyon Spectral:ONfly CF 8 is the most affordable version of the new lightweight carbon eMTB, spec’d with a RockShox Lyrik & Deluxe Select+ suspension combo, Deore drivetrain, SRAM Code R brakes, and alloy Sun-Ringle Trail Expert wheelset (18.9kg/41.7lb).
All four Spectral:ONfly models are available directly from Canyon. You can see from the pricing that only 2 are available in the US and they’ll be available in the first weeks of October, while the rest have otherwise global consumer-direct availability now.
