Canyon Spectral AL6 Review: Shopping your first MTB?

MTB Matt
Jan 12, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Jan 13, 2023

Think “Mid level price point for a mid-high end build” is how I can best describe the value this steed brings.

MSRP: ~$3300 - American Doll Hairs

TL;DR: This bike is amazing. One of the best purchases of my life.

My Current Setup:

Size: Med
Wheels: 29”
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHR2
Brakes: Sram Code R, rotors, calipers, levers
Drivetrain: Sram GX, 12sp
Cranks: Descendant 6k, 170mm
Pedals: Crank Brothers Stamp 7, anodized orange
Cockpit: Canyon G5, stem bars & grips
Fork: Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate, 160mm
Damper: Rockshox Super Deluxe select+, 150mm

Add-Ons:

(Reviews of the add-ons coming soon)

Where to start?…

This bike is an absolute unit, a ripper, a straight up beast. An enduro bike built for even the gnarliest pro. Even as the bike comes from factory, it has some of the best components and geometry on the market, and it is in-fact the choice of many pro riders including Sam Pilgrim - recently joined the Canyon Pro team in the start of 2023 - and enduro bike of choice is you guessed it: a Canyon Spectral. Braydon Bringhurst climbed “The Whole Enchilada(Moab, UT) - I’ll say it again a little louder for the people in the back: “HE CLIMBED. CLIMBED, THE WHOLE. ENCHILADA. CLIMBED IT. In one go. You can catch this insane feat in the film, “Braydon Bringhurst | 8600FT | Full Film” on YouTube. If you know mountain biking or MTB trails you know the legendary trail known as The Whole Enchilada is no joke to RIDE DOWN. Bringhurst is bringing a new meaning to technical wizardry; climbing that epic, legendary trail.

It’s safe to say these bikes are ready to tackle the gnarliest of techy trails, drops, booters, jumps, and jibs if senders like Sam and Braydon are riding these steeds as first choice. If you haven’t seen any of Sam Pilgrims video check out his YouTube channel.

My personal experience…

I’ve had the bike about two months now, and this is my first full-sus MTB, EVER. I’ve put about 100mi on the beast give or take a couple, and so far it has held up nearly flawlessly. Even through two moderate crashes at decent speeds, I was surprised to find how well it held up - couple small adjustments and back on the trail. I have had to replace the derailleur hangar so far - a result from one of my wrecks - and aside from some washing and lubrication, this thing has functioned flawlessly from day one. Minimal maintenance/repair/downtime and MAXIMUM function and fun! Canyon did it right with this bike. Perfect geo; a slack headtube angle for aggressive attacks downhill, big wheels rolling everything under the sun essentially, and major stability and control on jumps and through tight tech sections; this bike is very nimble. The bike was designed with maximum upgradability in mind, so it will grow very easily with any riders progression, but comes very well equipped from the factory for intermediate and even advanced riders. Hell, pros are riding this thing, and full on sending it.

Overall

I have been very pleased with the performance of this absolute unit of a mountain bike, and it has easily been one of the best purchases of my life. I expect this thing to bring endless hours of progression and fun for many years to come. This bike is a great MTB for anyone who has any riding experience, or even a brand new rider as it will be more than enough bike to grow into with any level of progression.

Signing off:

-MTB Matt