Trail Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

The wide world of mountain bikes has meant there are many bikes for specific types of riding. Hyperlight XC (cross-country) bikes, such as the Lux or Exceed, are primarily designed to rocket up climbs, while long-travel gravity bikes like the Torque or Sender are specifically built for slaying the steepest, roughest downhills.

Canyon's trail bikes are designed to fall in-between these two camps. Canyon's trail bikes climb and descend equally well, allowing you to go on hard-hitting trail runs after work, or endeavour on an all-day epic ride.

If you're looking for a bike that's perfect for epic adventure riding-lightweight, quick climbing, and comfortable over the long haul, the Neuron is a great choice. The Neuron is our most evenly balanced trail bike. It boasts a very neutral seat position and a geometry that delivers all-day riding comfort, particularly on less extreme, rolling terrain. It's a great, nimble all-rounder.

If you want a rowdy trail bike that excels on technical descents, yet climbs better than long-travel models, the Spectral 125 is a great choice. The Spectral 125 appeals to aggressive trail riders who want the geometry of a longer-travel bike, but appreciate the playful, "poppy" feel of a shorter travel bike like this one, which sports 125mm of rear suspension.

The Spectral 125 is all about getting loose in corners, pumping every compression on the trail, and catching a bit of air whenever possible. It is our "shreddy" short-travel 29er.

Finally, if you are after one bike that can handle any trail you happen to encounter; from singletrack forays, to the occasional trip to a bike park, the longer-travel Spectral models are your ticket. The Spectral features the same aggressive trail riding geometry that you'll find on the aforementioned Spectral 125. These longer-legged Spectral models, however, pack significantly more front and rear suspension, with 160mm of front and 150 millimeters of rear suspension.

That extra squish, in turn, gives you more margin for error when you push your limits on rocky trails, blast through root gardens or, because it happens to everybody, come up a little short on a big jump. We offer these longer-travel Spectral in full 29er, "Mullet" (29 up front and 27.5 in the back), and 27.5-wheeled configurations.