Canyon Breakaway sale

[TimVW]

As posted in the newbies section, I am looking to get an emtb as a route to getting back to some level of fitness after surgery for cancer and looking at the various makes, some of the Models in the Breakaway sale seem to offer really good value.

I have a sizing question though. The PPS suggests that I require an XS, but I have read various comments both in support of and questioning the PPS. I am a modest 65” tall with a 30” inside leg and this puts me on the top end of an XS, however, the seat tube on the Spectral is longer than most emtbs at 420mm XS and 430mm S.

One reason for the size question is that the XS comes with 27.5” wheels both ends and the S with a 29” front, which I would quite like.

Does anyone have direct experience of the lower Spectraln sizes that they can share, or, have a view on the size that I should consider?

I’m currently looking at 7.0, but possibly in the female version in Stealth black as this gets the Performance Elite forks and DT Swiss wheels for £3,789.00.

Thanks Tim

 

[Richt20000]

Yea its a shame womens doesn’t come in Large. Way better spec choices - so unfair!

 

[Lee Dove]

You need at least a small if not a medium. I have a 30 inch inside leg and tested a Medium Spectral which fitted fine. Canyon sizing seem to be one size out. My wife was recommended a XS but got a small Neuron (after a test ride) and again it fits fine.

 

[TimVW]

Thanks Lee, that is helpful info on sizing.

What made you go (change?) for the Decoy?

 

[Lee Dove]

Thanks Lee, that is helpful info on sizing.

What made you go (change?) for the Decoy?

I had already ordered the Decoy by the time the Spectral test ride came round. I rode it to keep my wife company when she was testing the Neuron. I liked the Spectral but wanted integrated battery (and bigger) and a bike with a bit more capability on the steep techy stuff, I live next to the Innerleithen DH tracks.

I would recommend it as it was #2 on my list (#1 before the Decoy was announced)

 

[Richt20000]

I had already ordered the Decoy by the time the Spectral test ride came round. I rode it to keep my wife company when she was testing the Neuron. I liked the Spectral but wanted integrated battery (and bigger) and a bike with a bit more capability on the steep techy stuff, I live next to the Innerleithen DH tracks.

I would recommend it as it was #2 on my list (#1 before the Decoy was announced)

Did you get to ride/ compare it to the Rocky Mountain Altitude?

 

[TimVW]

So, is the view that it would be better to wait / choose a bike with an integrated battery and would brand batteries from the Oem providers of motors be preferable to bespoke bike manufacturer solutions (whether provided by an oem motor producer or not)?

 

[Lee Dove]

Did you get to ride/ compare it to the Rocky Mountain Altitude?

No but I would be wary of the custom RM motor. It may be great but who knows about lifespan,reliability etc.

 

[Maxdown]

So I can answer both of these queries, I have a Spectral ON XS but I’m 5’6” with a 29” leg so pretty short. The XS is great but I could have probably stretched to the S as the XS reach is quite short but seat height fine. I would in your case of height go for S as standover height would be ok and reach better, you might struggle a bit on M with only 30” inside leg.

I would have gone for Decoy aside waiting until Oct for my size/spec and the warranty on the battery. As a bonus it does have that integrated battery look which is maybe one of the few negatives on the canyon. Although there is the argument that the weight is slightly lower and better on the Canyon. I can’t fault mine it has been amazing so far, really sweet riding!

 

[Levo Lution]

Since Specialized cancelled my order for levo I was deciding between spectral and decoy, bought canyon spectral 7 (full shimano equipped) mostly because I prefer aluminium frame + liked geometry better. Even if it has semiintegrated battery it looks really good in person. Bike rides really really great so far. Combination of different wheel sizes is also very pleasant surprise for me. Loving the bike.

 

[Peaky Rider]

You need at least a small if not a medium. I have a 30 inch inside leg and tested a Medium Spectral which fitted fine. Canyon sizing seem to be one size out. My wife was recommended a XS but got a small Neuron (after a test ride) and again it fits fine.

Hi Lee

Can I ask your height?
I too have an inside leg of 30" and have always ridden medium sized, including my current Focus Jam2.
However, according to the Canyon sizing calculator, I need a small.
I am 5' 8".

 

[TimVW]

Hi, can I ask your height?
I too have an inside leg of 30" and have always ridden medium sized, including my current Focus Jam2.
However, according to the Canyon sizing calculator, I need a small.
I am 5' 8".

I think that the Canyon sizing calculator is focused on inside leg measurement, so does not account for torso and arm length adequately. When I spoke to Canyon they seemed keen to reinforce the suggestion of their calculator.

For me, it is the longer seat tube, even in XS 420mm and S 430mm that is a concern due to dropper post length and the stand over height which seems greater than my inside leg in all sizes.

I have a Thok MIG in the basket awaiting me to transfer funds into my current account and I had a proper 'conversation' with them about sizing and why they felt size S was right for me. The Thok is also not a fully integrated battery, but it looks ok and is designed to lower the CoG. I have sprung for the Lyrik fork which makes the price similar to a Spectraln 7.0.

I still like the spec of the Canyon though and the 29 inch front wheel.

 

[miPbiP]

Hi, can I ask your height?
I too have an inside leg of 30" and have always ridden medium sized, including my current Focus Jam2.
However, according to the Canyon sizing calculator, I need a small.
I am 5' 8".

yeah same here. I'm 172 cm (5ft 7), inseam 79 cm (31 inches). Canyon put me on a small but I've ridden my mate's medium Spectral ON, it's fine.

If you go small make sure there's enough seat tube for you to have it at the height you need without going beyond minimum insertion. And also that you can get the bars high enough to match your seat height. The fork steerers come cut for you, with not much showing, so you don't get much choice on that.

The current trend for extending frame reaches doesn't help us with long legs and short torsos!

 

[Lee Dove]

Hi Lee

Can I ask your height?
I too have an inside leg of 30" and have always ridden medium sized, including my current Focus Jam2.
However, according to the Canyon sizing calculator, I need a small.
I am 5' 8".

Hi , I am just under 5' 8"

 

[Peaky Rider]

Hi , I am just under 5' 8"

Thanks, you're about the same size as me then and the fact that you felt comfortable with a size medium supports my view that a medium Spectral On is the size for me.

 

[Levo Lution]

I am 178 cm (5' 10''), inseam 82 cm and ride M size which fits perfectly (I was in the middle of M size range), the seatpost is almost all the way down, so I think S would be better for you. I would suggest order S size, try it and if it is too small, send it back and order M, you should only pay for second shipment, which should not be a lot.

 

[TimVW]

Having considered, and even spoken to Thok, I went for a Spectral:ON 7.0 in the end and despite probably not being able to ride it more that on very short flat paths for a couple of months at least, I wanted to pick it up during the sale, so ordered on the 29th July and it arrives tomorrow.

I ultimately chose the Canyon over the Thok as the geo in size S Canyon looks right for what I want and my intended use, the Small gets a 29 inch front wheel, plus the price v spec seems slightly better on the Canyon (and suspension damping is a bit key for me now!). I also went for the WMN's specific 7.0 as the suspension spec is better again than the other version, it is only the Canyon saddle that is WMN specific and I would have changed the saddle anyway (you never know the saddle might suit me right now!).

As it is a a WMNs version I have gone for Stealth black rather than the turquoisy blue colour and will put up some pics once it is unboxed.

It is my birthday (57 yrs young, and slightly chopped around) on the 17th August, so the big question now is rip it open as soon as it arrives, or, wait until the 17th???

 

[Richt20000]

Having considered, and even spoken to Thok, I went for a Spectral:ON 7.0 in the end and despite probably not being able to ride it more that on very short flat paths for a couple of months at least, I wanted to pick it up during the sale, so ordered on the 29th July and it arrives tomorrow.

I ultimately chose the Canyon over the Thok as the geo in size S Canyon looks right for what I want and my intended use, the Small gets a 29 inch front wheel, plus the price v spec seems slightly better on the Canyon (and suspension damping is a bit key for me now!). I also went for the WMN's specific 7.0 as the suspension spec is better again than the other version, it is only the Canyon saddle that is WMN specific and I would have changed the saddle anyway (you never know the saddle might suit me right now!).

As it is a a WMNs version I have gone for Stealth black rather than the turquoisy blue colour and will put up some pics once it is unboxed.

It is my birthday (57 yrs young, and slightly chopped around) on the 17th August, so the big question now is rip it open as soon as it arrives, or, wait until the 17th???

If you wait until the 17th to build and test it and it is damaged or has a fault, you might have run out of time to return it?

I would ride it!

 

[TimVW]

If you wait until the 17th to build and test it and it is damaged or has a fault, you might have run out of time to return it?

I would ride it!

Agreed, I would need to check it, and once it’s open what chance I would pack it up again - absolutely none I would say ?.

 

[Richt20000]

Agreed, I would need to check it, and once it’s open what chance I would pack it up again - absolutely none I would say ?.

Plus not good to leave the battery dormant. Or at least thats what you can tell yourself ?

 

[TimVW]

Plus not good to leave the battery dormant. Or at least thats what you can tell yourself ?

Good point, I was planning to charge the battery and then would want to fully discharge it so need to ride the bike to do that. Always assuming that the battery is delivered with the bike (I’ve heard that this is a possible Canyon failing).

 

[Lee Dove]

Good point, I was planning to charge the battery and then would want to fully discharge it so need to ride the bike to do that. Always assuming that the battery is delivered with the bike (I’ve heard that this is a possible Canyon failing).

You do not need to fully discharge the modern batteries.

 

[TimVW]

You do not need to fully discharge the modern batteries.

Thanks Lee. Agreed, LI batteries do not have charge memory, but some are alleged to benefit from a full charge prior to initial use and then a full discharge to get all cells initialised.

For the sake of it, unless someone advises that it is harmful, it has to worth a go, I guess?

 

[Zimmerframe]

For the sake of it, unless someone advises that it is harmful, it has to worth a go, I guess?

You should DEFINITELY experiment with discharging it a bit at least.. maybe more .. depending how you feel. Congrats on ordering one, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it ! You could propose that MrsVW just fills the box with other things for your birthday ...

 

[TimVW]

You should DEFINITELY experiment with discharging it a bit at least.. maybe more .. depending how you feel. Congrats on ordering one, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it ! You could propose that MrsVW just fills the box with other things for your birthday ...

I can ride the 3km up and down the local flat railway trail 20 times until the battery is drained?

Tried the birthday present box fill, but the alternative proposal was just a ribbon around the bike, ridden or not . There will be some mtb related extras though, my current flat shoes are toast so incoming 2FO’s, plus a set of Chester pedals.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I can ride the 3km up and down the local flat railway trail 20 times until the battery is drained?

If you're in Eco - don't be disappointed if you still have lots of battery left after that ...

You might want to install stepsunlocker or something similar on your phone so you can adjust the assistance levels as you play (at the end of each 3k run). I keep dropping eco down each ride on mine as for an "eco" setting it always seems to give a bit too much assistance. For me, "Trail" is for when I want more assistance.

Tried the birthday present box fill,

In fairness, she'd struggle to fit a full blown racing yacht into the box, even if she bought it you in extreme kit form (1,000,000,000 match sticks and a tub of glue) I'm not sure it would fit.

 

[tedturbine]

Thanks Lee. Agreed, LI batteries do not have charge memory, but some are alleged to benefit from a full charge prior to initial use and then a full discharge to get all cells initialised.

For the sake of it, unless someone advises that it is harmful, it has to worth a go, I guess?

https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/um/UM-70F0A-005-00-ENG.pdf

Some snippets from the above

"If the battery has become completely empty, charge it as soon as possible. If the battery is left uncharged, it may cause the battery to deteriorate and become unusable

Charging can be carried out at any time regardless of the amount of charge remaining, but you should fully charge the battery at the following times. Be sure to use the special charger when recharging the battery at these times.•The battery is not fully charged at the time of purchase. Before riding, be sure to charge the battery until it is fully charged.

Storing the battery•If the bicycle will not be ridden for a long period of time, store it away with approximately 70% battery capacity remaining. In addition, take care not to let the battery become completely empty by charging it every 6 months. "

So I would fully charge just before using and leave it showing one or two bars of 5 used if not using it for an extended period

edit:

also https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/downlo...ano-Steps-E8000-Electric-Bike-User-Manual.pdf

 

[TimVW]

In fairness, she'd struggle to fit a full blown racing yacht into the box, even if she bought it you in extreme kit form (1,000,000,000 match sticks and a tub of glue) I'm not sure it would fit.[/QUOTE]

I will just have to order about 499 more bikes (with the mast strapped to the outside)?

 

[MrDuece]

How many days did the shipping take? I just had an email today saying mine is shipping today and, Sod’s law, I’m going away in a few days time!

 

[TimVW]

How many days did the shipping take? I just had an email today saying mine is shipping today and, Sod’s law, I’m going away in a few days time!

It was shipped from Koblenz PM on 0208 and was in Greenford 03/08 at 02.46. That being a Saturday, they phoned me to arrange a delivery on Monday 05/08 and delivery slots were Weds to Friday.

If yours ships today it may be in Greenford overnight and you may be able to arrange an appointment this week assuming they have delivery slots left. They ( it is Europa that take over from DHL Freight at the uk end) did ask if I had access for a large size truck, so maybe plenty of space on board?