Tech

Canyon launches new women’s specific mountain bikes

Supplied by Canyon.

· By Press Office · 0 comments

For the challenge or the camaraderie, to disengage or simply get out and have fun on bikes, more women are taking to the trails. Across all disciplines, Canyon is committed to offering every rider the right tool for the job. Applying an in-depth knowledge of female and male anatomical differences attained from developing successful women’s-specific Road and Fitness lines, the target was set to release the full potential of Canyon mountain bikes for female riders, starting with the launch of the all-new Spectral WMN and Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX.

A 140 mm full suspension trail bike and progressive 110 mm travel hardtail, the Spectral WMN and Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX are made for more. More precision, more control, and more agility thanks to dialled geometries, tuned suspension and the perfect fit. Most importantly though, they’re made for more of the good stuff that makes any rider want to get out there.

The cornerstone to developing the Spectral WMN and Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX lay in the ability to analyse the anatomical data of over 68,000 female riders worldwide thanks to Canyon’s online sizing tool, the Perfect Positioning System. This data enables Canyon’s engineers to take the guesswork out of determining the key differences between male and female riders when it comes to body size and proportions, findings that were then used to shape the geometry and fit for each bike. Offering riders one of the broadest size ranges on the scene is key. With the addition of a new 2XS frame size for hardtail and full suspension, female riders between 148 cm and 179 cm now have four distinct frame sizes available to them.

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When it comes to riding dynamics, the Spectral and Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX excel where it matters most: on the trail. Thorough research pointed to three key areas that could enhance control for female riders. Adapting reach by making the frames slightly shorter creates a less outstretched, more balanced position on the bike. Low top tubes reduce standover height for extra room to manoeuvre. Finally, lower bottom bracket heights for smaller frame sizes mean every rider experiences a more planted feel on the trail from a lower center of gravity.

Beyond geometry and fit, Canyon went the extra mile to bring the rider closer to the bike. The suspension on the Spectral WMN features a new leverage curve engineered with extra responsiveness at the start of the stroke to reflect the lower weights of female riders, while all RockShox Reba RL forks on the Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX come kitted out with a Light Tune exclusive to Canyon for trail-hugging levels of grip.

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Grand Canyon WMN

We understand that it’s in every mountain biker’s nature to always want to advance their riding. Even if it simply means hitting that one section cleanly for the first time, the constant strive towards more precision, control and confidence on the trails is universal. With the Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX, Canyon’s first women’s-specific hardtail, we have adopted a fresh approach to give female riders just that.

This is the most progressive trail hardtail we have ever developed, achieving our goal of enhancing the connection between rider and bike, and bringing them closer to the trail for an unmatched riding experience. The new Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX is made for more.

ccs-62657-0-56418400-1519996900.jpgGrand Canyon WMN AL SLX 9

Confidence and control

When it came to riding dynamics, we wanted the Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX to excel where it matters the most: on the trail. To do this we not only adapted the geometry to guarantee comfort in the saddle, we also added features to make it more progressive for more control when things get technical.

The WMN version of the Grand Canyon differs from our current unisex model through the following features:

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Perfect fit

The cornerstone to developing the Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX was our ability to analyse the anatomical data of over 68,000 female riders worldwide thanks to our online sizing tool, the Perfect Positioning System. This data enables us to take the guesswork out of determining the key differences between male and female riders when it comes to body size and proportions.

Our data analysis backed up what many would simply assume, namely that female riders are on average shorter in height, have shorter arms in relation to torso length, and have narrower shoulders than men. However, there are other important factors to take into consideration that impact handling dynamics on the trail, such as being lighter and having a lower center of gravity.

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Sizing down

Up until now, Canyon mountain bikes have been developed using size M as the midpoint from which to base all frame geometries. Taking the shorter average height of female riders into account, we shifted our focus to size S when developing the women’s specific Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX to achieve more consistent handling and fit across the size spectrum.

Offering riders one of the broadest size ranges on the scene is something we take pride in at Canyon. With the addition of a new 2XS frame size, female riders now have four distinct frame sizes available to them, catering for all heights between 148 cm and 179 cm.

This distribution curve shows how the average female rider size requirements di er to those of male riders. The range of sizes required by male riders is broader, while the majority of female riders require XS and S, with demand also being shown for our new 2XS offering.

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The right components

Geometry determines how a bike will perform, but even the most progressive approach needs to be backed up by the right components.

Suspension
Rider weight has a huge bearing on suspension performance. With the Reba RL forks equipped on all models, we partnered with RockShox to create a special Light Tune that is more responsive for lighter riders. Putting out 110 mm of travel (80 mm on 2XS), the fork has enough reserves for control on the trail, while full lockout and its light construction result in a super efficient climbing setup.

Grips
The right touch points can make or break a ride. With narrow Ergon grips designed to be comfortable for smaller hands across all models, there are no worries.

Saddle
The most important perch for any rider, carefully selected women’s-specific saddles are ergonomically optimised for the female form for hours of comfort on the trails.

Canyon Through Axle
The neatest through axle lever on the trail integrates seamlessly into the axle body when not in use. Canyon-engineered. Patent pending.

Broad Ranges
Running out of gears on the climbs is a thing of the past, wide gear ranges and smaller chainrings ensure every rider can spin it to the top.

Dropper Ready
Equipped as standard on the top-line 9.0 Trail spec, anyone looking to enhance their riding with a dropper post bene ts from clean stealth routing through the seat tube.

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Design Benchmark

The Grand Canyon WMN AL SLX raises the game for performance hardtails through its form alone. Achieving an overall aesthetic with all the right proportions is a challenge when dealing with small size bikes, so we devoted a lot of attention to this area throughout the design phase. Every size communicates this bike’s performance potential.

Applying the latest hydro-forming methods enables us to create the standout edges, contours and definitions previously unseen on aluminium frames. Progressive techniques for a bike built for progressive riding.

Borrowing design elements from across our current mountain bike range, from the World Cup-proven Sender DH rig to our latest trail-taming Spectral, the Grand Canyon epitomises the cutting-edge in Canyon form and design language.

ccs-62657-0-05668500-1519996902.jpgGrand Canyon WMN AL SLX 8
ccs-62657-0-17164000-1519996899.jpgGrand Canyon WMN AL SLX 9 Trail

Spectral WMN

When developing a dedicated do-it-all trail bike for female mountain bikers we wanted to bring the rider closer to the bike. To do this, we focussed on two key aspects; geometry to offer the best fit and enhance riding dynamics, and suspension kinematics tuned to give lighter riders more control.

Ultimately, we set out to create a bike that is easy to ride, feels fast and inspires confidence. With the all-new Spectral WMN, we looked at the most modern technology in mountain biking and we found the right balance to give female riders what they need on the trail. It’s made for more.

ccs-62657-0-07146800-1519996888.jpgSpectral WMN CF 9.0 SL

More control

The Spectral WMN is the definition of a modern trail bike. Our experience in this field enabled us to come up with a balanced geometry that combines a playful character with the stability required to take on technical terrain.

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Four key features set the Spectral WMN apart from the men’s Spectral:

  1. A shorter reach reflects our data confirming women have shorter arms in relation to their torsos than men, so they aren’t too stretched out.
  2. The lower top tube reduces standover height even further giving riders more room to manouver.
  3. Lower bottom bracket heights for smaller frame sizes ensure that smaller riders enjoy the same bene ts from a lowered center of gravity.
  4. 740 mm handlebars pair with a short stem for optimal control to round out a complete package aimed at improving balance and handling without sacrificing playfulness.

Suspension

We took huge strides forward when developing the suspension concept for our downhill bike, the Sender, and that technology has made its way to the Spectral WMN. Our new linkage completely readjusts the placement of the pivot points and sets the shock in a more horizontal position compared to the rocker configuration on the old Spectral. With the Spectral WMN, we even went a step further, tuning the kinematics to o er the best performance on the trail for lighter female riders.

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New Linkage
This new suspension layout not only improves the stroke of the shock, it has allowed us to dramatically reduce standover height, crucial in providing increased cockpit mobility.

High anti-squat enables efficient acceleration and pedalling, but also results in more pedal kickback. We optimised this to strike a balance that actively increases the rider’s momentum without causing undue leg fatigue over fast repetitive hits.

Effective anti-rise means the rear end remains active and in contact with the ground under heavy braking for exceptional traction and control when they’re needed the most.

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Triple phase suspension
The kinematics on the Spectral WMN have been specifically tuned for the lower weights of female riders. Shorter shocks than those equipped on the men’s models are used to provide a different leverage curve that is even more responsive in the first phase, while still using the full potential of the 140 mm rear travel to hug the trail. The graph shows how the kinematics of the Spectral WMN (upper curve) compare with the men’s Spectral (lower curve).

Phase 1 — Response: The linkage transmits high power at the start of the stroke to effectively engage the air shock upon first contact with the trail. The result is outstanding responsiveness, small bump sensitivity and traction around the sag point.

Phase 2 — Stability: Through the mid-stroke the suspension provides a stable platform to reduce momentum loss. This enables the rider to actively pump for more speed and make exacting line choices.

Phase 3 — Ramp: The end of the stroke ramps up progressively to avoid blowing through the travel and to give the suspension a bottomless feel. By installing volume spacers, the rider can further tune the shock’s progression to their needs.

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Wheels

The 27.5” wheel standard is the ideal match for the Spectral WMN, providing solid speed and stability, they remain easy to handle down tight, technical trails for a wide range of rider sizes.

With modern 30 mm rims acting as versatile platform for a greater variety of tyres than ever before, riders can choose themselves how they would like to balance traction, weight and precision for the terrain though the rubber they ride with.

ccs-62657-0-12135800-1519996889.jpgSpectral WMN CF 8.0
ccs-62657-0-93049600-1519996885.jpgSpectral WMN CF 7.0
ccs-62657-0-20183200-1519996890.jpgSpectral WMN AL 6.0
ccs-62657-0-98881600-1519996886.jpgSpectral WMN AL 5.0
For more information on all of the new WMN MTB models, go to https://www.canyon.com/made-for-more/

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