The only thing more fun than a high-speed mountain bike is an even speedier one. With a motor. Canyon seems to know this, as the German company has announced two new e-bikes in its range. The two-wheeled rides, the Torque: ON and Spectral: ON, both feature Shimano’s EP801 motor and a massive 800Wh battery, sheathed in an aluminium Darfon housing.
You’ll only be mocked by the other chaps doing their Saturday 50 on the local mountain bike trail the hard way until you’ve disappeared over the horizon, which shouldn’t take long at all. You’re probably riding Canyon’s Torque: ON, which is designed for going big and going home (before the other chaps have made it halfway).
Grand, Canyon
The Spectral: ON, unlike its aggressively off-road companion, is better suited to trails and climbs, plus “fast after-work rides as well as for big backcountry adventures.” The Torque model is “ready for the toughest trails and the biggest airtime moments,” according to Canyon.
In terms of range, riders can expect up to 85 kilometres on a charge — it is an 800Wh battery, after all. The company hasn’t mentioned top speeds, but with 600W of motor and 85Nm of torque under your pedals, do you really need to know? Top speed doesn’t mean much when you’re dodging trees, after all. It’s all about that acceleration.
Price matters too. Canyon’s Spectral: ON starts at R115,000 (€6,000 — man, our currency sucks), while the Torque variant is a slightly more palatable R95,500 (€5,000 — yup, it still sucks). Whether they’ll ever be sold locally is unknown. You can buy the company’s regular bikes here, so having the e-bike versions turn up might not be impossible.
