FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS: CANYON NEURON:ONFLY LIGHTWEIGHT ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE

Canyon’s current ebike line is impressive, consisting of the all-around Spectral:ON, enduro-focused Strive:ON, and freeride-inspired Torque:ON and they even have an electric-assist hardtail called the Grand Canyon:ON. That leaves an obvious hole but that gets filled with the all-new Neuron:ONfly lightweight electric mountain bike.

This new bike features a carbon frame and 140mm of front and rear travel, but its electric-assist system is somewhat unique. Maximum assist from the Bosch SX motor is the same 600 watts as its CX system, and the way it delivers this power is different than most lightweight electric bikes out there. Canyon says that they designed this bike for people who don’t want to let the bike do the riding and prefer to put effort into their pedals just like a regular mountain bike, but want to go faster and farther doing it.

Canyon powers the Neuron:ONfly with Bosch’s SX drive unit. This motor produces a maximum of 600 watts of assist and 55 Newton meters of torque. It is paired with a 400-watt hour battery and can utilize Bosch’s 250-watt hour PowerMore battery extender for a total of 650-watt hours of juice. The Bosch system includes its clean and tidy-looking wireless remote, valve-stem rear wheel sensor and top tube display.

With 600 watts of assist and up to 650 watt-hours of battery, the Neuron:ONfly’s drive unit sure sounds a lot like a full-power ebike motor system on paper, but where it really differs is in its power delivery. It is tuned to deliver maximum assist at high pedal cadences. Where the Bosch Performance CX motor gives all of its 600 watts at a 70 RPM cadence, the Neuron:ONfly’s SX motor is only giving 400 watts. It’s not until about 105 RPM that the SX motor gives maximum assist. This is a very different setup than even most lightweight ebike motor systems. Canyon claims that you can get 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) of climbing on a single charge, even in turbo mode. Power output in all modes is fully tunable via Bosch’s eBike Flow app too.

The Neuron:ONfly features a full carbon, 29”-wheeled frame with trail-focused geometry. A size large comes in with a 64.5-degree head angle, 76.5-degree steat tube angle, and a 485mm reach. Chainstay lengths are fixed across the size range at 450mm. Cables are internally routed through the headset and internal PU hoses for rattle-free performance. Inside the head tube is an Impact Protection Unit (IPU) that restricts handlebar sweep before anything can make contact with the frame if a crash were to happen. There is also a full-length chainstay guard and integrated chain guide for protection and chain management.

Canyon gives the Neuron:ONfly 140mm of rear-wheel travel with a Horst-link-style, four-bar suspension design. Canyon says that they gave it a higher degree of anti-squat to fight pedal-induced bob and loss in efficiency. It sees a RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock and 140mm travel RockShox Pike Base fork spec. Size XS bikes see the exact same spec but at a reduced travel of 130mm front and rear.

 

Globally, there are four Neuron:ONfly models available, but in the USA only the CF 7 will be offered, costing a rather reasonable $5,499. Colors include Dystopian Green or Digital Cherry. It is built with a Shimano Deore drivetrain, SRAM Code R brakes and a Canyon-branded cockpit including a 200mm-travel dropper post on sizes medium and large.

 

FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS

We were able to spend about an hour riding the Neuron:ONfly, and we can say it delivers a unique ride among lightweight ebikes. Canyon claims that it weighs 44.97 pounds (20.4kg) and while we didn’t have a scale to confirm that, this felt fairly accurate. It’s powerful, but in most cases it feels very similar to other lightweight ebikes. It’s not until you really spin up the cadence and put in some effort that it starts feeling faster, but it does.

It’s hard to say if its just the high cadence and effort put in by the rider that makes it fast or if it really is the assist, but either way the bike scoots up hills with authority if you put some effort into it. Having to spin over a 100 RPM cadence can be tough if you’re not used to it, though. We wonder if riders who like to grind will like the bike as much as those who spin perfect circles. Riders who pedal like Ned Overend will likely get along better with it than those who pedal like Tinker Juarez, but we will need to get more time and people on it to really see.

 

 

Descending is where this bike also shines and feels much more nimble than most full-power electric mountain bikes. It’s easy to whip through turns and pop into the air compared to its full-powered companions. Overall handling is superb with an appetite for hard cornering and trailside jumps. Simply put, it’s a fun bike to ride.

 

 

Canyon representatives seemed to resist calling it a lightweight ebike, and after riding it, we can almost see why. It has a bit more power than most lightweight models we have tested, but you really have to put in some effort to see it. And it’s battery life seems impressive. We will have a long term Neuron:ONfly test bike soon, so keep an eye out for a full review. In the meantime, for more information please visit: https://www.canyon.com/en-us/