NEW BIKES
The previous Neuron got on our nerves; can its redesigned successor get us fired up?
£2,249 • 27.5in & 29in • canyon.com
NEED TO KNOW
● Entry-level trail bike with 130mm travel
● 11-bike range, offering both carbon and alloyframed options starts at £1,849
● Small frame sizes come with 27.5in wheels, larger sizes get 29in wheels
● Updates include more progressive geometry, integrated protection and a focus on low maintenance
The Canyon Neuron was launched in 2017, but its roots can be traced right back to the brand’s very beginning. It was the replacement for the full-suspension Nerve, a bike that was born in 2002, and happened to be the first Canyon model we ever tested here at mbr. That bike was the 2011 Nerve XC 5.0, and it came with an alloy frame, 26in wheels, 120mm of travel, weighed 12.9kg and cost £1,188 excluding the box and shipping.
Now there’s a new Canyon Neuron, and while the geometry bears little relation to that early Nerve, the wheels are 3in bigger in diameter, and the price and weight have both crept up, it’s still intended to be an affordable, versatile, friendly trail bike that is as approachable for beginners as it is thrilling to experienced riders. At least that’s the aim. But the last version, introduced three years ago, was (at least in my opinion) a bit of a flop.
At a time when geometry and sizing was settling down after a period of rapid evolution, Canyon chose to take an overly cautious approach. The head angle was too steep, the seat angle was too slack and the wheelbase was dinky. Which made the bike twitchy and unstable on descents, and the steering too light when climbing. It meant that the Neuron was basically out of date from the moment it hit the market. While the new model shares a similar silhouette to its predecessor, it’s obvious from the stance that this is an entirely different proposition. The seat angle is visibly steeper, the head angle obviously slacker and the reach appreciably longer. To put numbers on these changes, the seat angle is 1.5° steeper, the head angle a similar amount slacker, the seat tubes are around 20mm lower, and the reach has grown by between 10mm and 40mm, depending on the frame size. These changes to the geometry have transformed the Neuron for the better.
Before I get to the ride, let’s run through the basics of the range. Available in either carbon or alloy, the Neuron frame delivers 130mm of travel matched with a 140mm-travel fork. Carbon frames save a claimed 660g over their alloy counterparts, with a size Medium alloy frame tipping the scales at a claimed 3.1kg without shock.
The alloy frame gets a bent seat tube that looks a touch less modern than its carbon counterpart, but many riders – me included – will appreciate the more conventional internal cable routing that runs into the side of the down tube rather
