Testing the Canyon Neuron CF LTD on an Alpine crossing – with 1.000 m vertical meters for free

With the Neuron CF LTD, Canyon have launched a special edition of their popular trail bike in a limited series of 100 pieces. The top class spec includes a fork and wheelset from DT Swiss and an electronic SRAM X01 AXS drivetrain. Given the many high-end components, the price of € 4,999 looks more like a typo. But did the Neuron survive our Alpine expedition or did it throw in the towel on the tough trails that took us from Oberstdorf to Riva del Garda?

Alpine crossings are the ultimate test for both the rider and the materials, but also the best and perhaps most romantic way to escape the worries and pressure of everyday life for a few days – seven in our case! One goal, four countries, five friends and 11,000 vertical meters were on the menu of this epic adventure that took us from Oberstdorf to Riva del Garda. Months before setting off, we spent our days drawing up totally unrealistic training schedules, absurd diet plans and surfing the web in search of the most badass route, latest equipment and perfect bike. And then Canyon released the Neuron CF LTD – perfect timing, right?

What makes the limited-edition Canyon Neuron CF LTD so special?

If you happen to ride through one of Germany’s beautiful low-mountain ranges, you’ll almost certainly cross paths with a Neuron, the popular trail bike of German direct-sale brand Canyon. But it’s the last iteration of the bike, the Neuron AL 7.0, that seemed to have finally unlocked the full potential of the frame platform. And that’s why we were even more excited to put our hands on one of the special edition models. And no, we don’t always agree on the aesthetics of a bike, but with the Neuron CF LTD we all had to admit: this bike looks sick! The matt-black finish of the frame blends in with most components and makes for a very elegant look. To improve its downhill performance, Canyon replaced the standard 130 mm fork of the Neuron with a 140 mm DT Swiss F535 fork and used a 200 mm rotor to provide powerful and reliable deceleration. Here Canyon’s intentions are crystal clear: the Neuron CF LTD is trimmed to handle even the most challenging of descents.

Canyon also rely on DT Swiss for the rear suspension and wheels, with a R535 shock taking care of 130 mm rear-travel and an elegant XMC1200 EXP 29″ wheelset with 30 mm internal width rounding off the elegant look. On their webpage, the Swiss have a practical suspension setup guide, which helps you with all the basic settings. Even with the drivetrain, Canyon have spared no efforts: a top-end wireless Sram X01 AXS Eagle drivetrain with huge 10-52 cassette provides smooth shifting in all conditions and Sram G2 RSC stoppers take care of the braking. Canadian brand Race Face provides a Turbine stem, narrow 760 mm Next handlebars and a 150 mm Turbine dropper. The Canyon Neuron CF LTD retails at € 4,999. So, what’s the catch then?

The geometry of the Canyon Neuron CF

With only 10 mm more fork travel, the geometry of Neuron CF LTD differs only minimally from that used on the standard bike, which is rather conservative. While the head angle is slightly slacker (67.1°), the 448 mm reach (size L) is still very short and the bottom bracket is very low given the very centred riding position. While the two smallest frame sizes come with 27.5” wheels, the other three (M to XL) have 29″ wheels.

Size	XS	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	400 mm	400 mm	445 mm	480 mm	520 mm
Top tube	560 mm	583 mm	605 mm	627 mm	655 mm
Head tube	88 mm	100 mm	102 mm	112 mm	143 mm
Head angle	66.5°	66.5°	67.0°	67.1°	67.1°
Seat angle	74.0°	74.0°	74.0°	74.1°	74.1°
Chainstay	430 mm	430 mm	440 mm	440 mm	440 mm
Wheelbase	1,125 mm	1,149 mm	1,170 mm	1,194 mm	1,225 mm
Reach	393 mm	413 mm	438 mm	448 mm	468 mm
Stack	581 mm	592 mm	617 mm	626 mm	655 mm

The Canyon Neuron CF LTD – first ride review

As mentioned above, we put the Canyon Neuron CF LTD through the wringer on a tough Alpine crossing. As enduro riders, we wanted to take the route with the most fun trails, one that could be completed within a maximum of seven days and without relying on uplifts. What we ended up with was a great mix of challenging climbs, secluded trails and first-class singletracks – we couldn’t have asked for more. We rode parts of the Heckmair and Albrecht routes, but swapped the downhill trails for more challenging and exciting ones.

Crossing the Alps with on a loyal steed

We started off our journey in Oberstdorf – and what a start that was! Already on the warm-up climb, the Neuron CF LTD impressed with an efficient and nippy character. While some of our riding buddies were fighting a dodgy thru-axle and others struggling with their high-tech equipment, the Neuron and its test rider Phil were already waiting at the first stage of the Schrofenpass. Thanks to the low overall system weight of the bike, the upcoming carrying passage wasn’t half as bad as originally feared. After gaining almost 11,000 meters on the Neuron CF LTD, we can say with confidence that this bike is a true climbing monster, munching through climbs like there’s no tomorrow. The rider with the fewest vertical metres on his annual account was suddenly flying up the mountain, as if he had a motor on his bike.

The riders who spent the entire climb staring at the backwheel of the Neuron CF LTD were secretly hoping to pass it on the way down. But the reality was very different: not only is the bike lots of fun on descents, but also incredibly fast on flowy singletracks. The rear-end generates good traction and, together with the sensitive DT Swiss F535 fork, smooths out the imperfections of the trail. Not even natural and technical Alpine trails seem to impress the Neuron, until you start riding fast on rough terrain. Here the bike inevitably reaches its limits and the 140/130 mm suspension setup runs out of reserves. Anyway, that’s not what the Neuron was designed for and there are other more capable bikes out there. Nevertheless, on most trails, it encourages you to ride fast and to have fun with the trail features.

Canyon Neuron CF LTD – conclusions

If you’re planning your own Alpine crossing, you should try to get your hands on a limited-edition Canyon Neuron CF LTD! The bike impresses with a sensible spec, crazy good uphill characteristics and excellent downhill performance. For € 4,999, the Canyon Neuron CF LTD is a no-brainer and the perfect bike for long rides with lots of climbing.

---

For more information head to canyon.com

Do you want more exciting bike reviews? Here you can find all of our current ride reviews..