You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Based on the glowing reviews the Spectral has been getting I'm seriously considering one. However, I'm aware there has been some less effusive praise of Canyon customer service and reliability on here.
So, I'm keen to hear your experiences both of the bike and the company. Anyone had a frame fail? Anyone had warranty experience?
I had to deal with their warranty for a problem with the rebound on my forks. Easy to deal with and pretty quick turnaround.
Bike is great but can't compare it to other similar bikes as I haven't ridden many others.
Mates had one for a few years, and hammered it in the lakes, peaks, stainburn and greno. Always seems to go well. Think the newer ones are better as well.
I was one of the people caught up in their mess about a year and a half ago. On principle I wont attempt to buy anything off them again, they were absolutely shocking with me. On the flip side I have a mate who bought a Spectral from them 3-4 years ago and had no issues and recently bought a Strive and had no issues with the service.
So they seem to be over there mess and the new spectral seems to get brilliant reviews.
Great bikes, rubbish service if you're unlucky. Pays your money takes your choice.
I've hammered my strive everywhere for the past 4 years apart from the months it was out of action because they couldn't sort a rocker link out for me. Couple of warranty issues for parts also took a month or so but I knew they would be a ballache, and bought replacements and flogged the warranty returns.
You save enough money to factor that in but it's when a critical canyon part goes like in my case you're stuffed if your unlucky. I'm tempted by a spectral myself to replace the aging strive but the extra grand or so the whyte s150 is going to be is probably going to win it for the peace of mind.
It also annoys me that you can't buy in Euro, you have to pay the inflated uk price to pay for the U.K. operation which in my experience isn't actually any use. I don't think they're actually a lot cheaper these days, my bike was £2500 when everything else of the same spec was 4K+, now I think companies like whyte and bird are narrowing the gap.
I've had a strive and now the latest spectral , good bikes , crap service so won't be buying another , think whyte 150 maybe next year !
Thanks to all for the responses.
PSA: [url= https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/specials/breakaway/sale/mtb.html ]Discounts on Canyon bikes[/url]
Unless it is discounted I'd be hesitant as they must be due a refresh soon on it so I'd wait. If I was buying a bike now I'd want all the latest standards.
got a 2015 alu Spectral.
Bike ordered and came in 4 weeks
Had issue with Dbline rear shock. Service and turnaround was great.
Had replacement gearcable plastic mounts sent out free, and also a rear axle when I rounded it off like a noob
ordered replacement bearings. they all got sent out in different packages and some took ages, hence chased them and then they got double sent.
bike is amazing, its taken a hammering in 2 and half years (including a number of uk enduro races). on its second set of linkage bearings
Fyi - changing the air spring in the pikes to 160mm and then adding an offset bush to bring BB back down has worked out great.
But if your not in a rush I would be tempted to wait for next years releases of bikes. the stive and spectral (my 2015 is the same frame as the one u are looking at) have been running the same frames with just colour changes for the last 3 years. so I'm guessing there will be some changes coming to next years bikes.
i got both the 2016 aluminium nerve and spectral
i definately prefer the nerve (neutron) for day to day riding, and its definately lighter although same published kgs
but the spectral ex with a 150 pike and 11 speed sram is brilliant for downhill, i feel absolutely knackered after a few hours riding it compared to the nerve,
as others have said £1800 for that partslist would have been £4k+ on most brands.
i got an email for sale prices today, i'd say wait for the late sept news or if you get a good discount buy now.
the 2017 bikes got downgraded on components i noticed for the same version number of 2016 bike
You have a link to the prices?
I have literally just bought a Neuron 8.9
The spectral is a great bike, I had one myself "just wish I'd bought the large instead of the medium" I wouldn't buy one now though, it's been out for a few years and will be due a design change soon.