The new Canyon Spectral, Renthal's pedals and more

And a race of this week's best stories.

Liam Mercer

Feb 23 2024

With Corebike kicking off the trade show season, it comes as no surprise that this week has been huge on the release front and we've done our very best to get all of the fresh product in for testing. In this week's Five Cool Things, we're going to take a look at Canyon's latest bike, Renthal's flat pedals, new clothing from Specialized and Granite's torque wrench. We'll also take a look back at the top stories of the week.

There have been loads going on this week and a lot of it has come off the back of Corebike. Corebike is the first trade show of the year and is packed with new releases and very cool things, so be sure to check out our Corebike 2024 tech highlights gallery to see the most exciting products we saw.

Unfortunately, it's still very wet out there but we reckon that running a mudguard is a must for most of the UK's riding. Because of that, we brought you our pick of the best MTB mudguards. On top of that, we also give you some handy tips on how to buy the best mudguard for you. If you're not yet running a mudguard, it's well worth a glance as they do an excellent job of keeping your vision clear (at the very least) when you're travelling at warp speed in the wet.

As always, the reviews have been coming in thick and fast, too. Early in the week, Pete showed us his thoughts on the £200 Sidi Dimaro Trail MTB shoes and Matt told us what he thinks of the Lizard Skins 3DGRP, a very techy pair of cross-country grips that'll set you back a whopping £52. We then take a look towards one of the far corners of the planet and check out the Colombian-built Scarab Apuna gravel bike.

Canyon Spectral CF 9

£4,800

This week, Canyon announced a fresh host of updates to its beloved Spectral platform and we managed to ride one ahead of launch. Although its silhouette is similar, it's a very different bike as it now employs 140mm of travel at the rear and 150mm at the front as opposed to 150 and 160mm, respectively. But that's not all as the bike now features downtube storage, Canyon's Keep It Stable system and the stiffness in the rear triangle has been reworked.

We've got the new Spectral in its CF 9 build which gets its suspension from RockShox with a Lyrik Ultimate fork and a Super Deluxe Ultimate shock. SRAM then handles shifting with a GX Transmission drivetrain and also braking, thanks to a pair of Code RSC brakes. This bike then rolls on a pair of DT Swiss XM1700 wheels with a Maxxis Minion DHR II in the 2.4in width at both ends. This particular bike gets a mullet wheel size but with credit to a flip-chip in the chainstay, the bike can run a full 29in setup.

A few weeks before the launch we spent some time on the bike, so we've got a first ride review ready for you to sink your teeth into. However, a full review is incoming so keep an eye on the site for more.

www.canyon.com

Renthal Revo-F pedals

£155

Renthal has been the talk of the down since it released its Revo-F flat pedals just last week and the brand has put in just as much effort in the design of these pedals as it has with the rest of its range. Here, in its AluGold colourway, the Revo-F benefits from a dual-axis concave platform that measures 100x104mm and is constructed of 6061 aluminium.

It gets 10 pins per side all of which are mega adjustable from 2.5mm in height up to 5.5mm in 1mm increments. The internals are where things get interesting as the Revo-F spins on a chromoly axle that's home to three outboard cartridge bearings and an extra wide inboard IGUS bush. That bush is user-serviceable, too, and can be cleaned up or replaced using readily available tools that you probably already have at home.

The pedal's completely sealed with a full contact lip seal inboard and an outer o-ring seal. Renthal says the pedals weigh 488g.

www.renthal.com

Granite RocknRoll TQ Mini Torque Wrench

£55

This is Granite's answer to portable torque wrench needs. Coming in a neat wrap is a torque tool that can tighten and loosen, as well as 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, T20, T25 and Phillips 2 bits. On top of that, there's a handy extension which means all of those hard-to-reach bolts should be easily accessible.

As it all sits in a textile case, it comes sorted with extra storage options for chain links and other small things. And handily, it can be used in tandem with an accessory strap, so it can be attached to a bike's frame which may be ideal for bikepackers or MTB guides.

granite-design.com

Specialized Trail Air and Gravity clothing

£40 - £140

Next up we've got a few things from Specialized's brand new Trail Air, Gravity and Gravity Race clothing lines. As you might have guessed, this fresh apparel is designed for comfort and performance during trail and gravity rides, and it comes sorted with features to do exactly that.

The Trail Air shorts come built with a VaporRize fabric that's sorted with a water-repellent coating and there's a zipped bonded pocket bag that allows for easy storage of trail essentials. There's laser perforated venting and UV 50+ protection. The Trail Air long-sleeve jersey gets a similar treatment too but it features a crew neck collar, a relaxed fit and UV 30 protection.

The Gravity Pants up the game with high abrasion-resistance zones at the knees and there's a waist adjustment tab for a dialled fit. The legs are tapered and these pants are cut with a unisex fit.

Finally, the Gravity Race Long Sleeve jersey benefits from cool laser perforated heat zones and a semi-form fitting elastane for a good fit and plenty of manoeuvrability.

www.specialized.com

Challenge Gravine

£83

Just last Sunday, Challenge unveiled its latest tyre, the Gravine. It's a product that's had the full force of the brand's cyclocross tyre know-how thrown at it to create a tyre that's capable of providing plenty of grip in mud and over rock.

As expected from Challenge, this tyre is hand made and it gets the brand's clever Smartplus rubber compound that's said to roll quickly thanks to its high durometer. It's claimed to wear slowly too but without sacrificing grip in the areas where it's expected to perform.

This tyre is available in two builds, with the Gravine employing Challenge's Ganzo PPS puncture protection and 260tpi casing whereas the pricier Gravine XP gets Corazza Armor Gold. This is a burlier protection that features a tightly woven fabric that stretches from bead to bead.

www.challengetires.com

Author block

Liam Mercer

Since beginning his mountain biking career while working as a resort photographer in Greece in 2014, Liam became a freelance contributor at off.road.cc in 2019. From there, he’s climbed the journalism job ladder from staff writer to deputy technical editor, now finding his place as technical editor.

Partial to the odd enduro race, heart rate-raising efforts on slim-tyred cross-country bikes, hell-for-leather e-MTB blasts or even casual gravel jaunts, there’s not a corner of off-road cycling where Liam fears to tread. With more than 40 bike reviews under his belt and hundreds more on MTB, e-MTB and gravel parts and accessories, Liam’s expertise continues to be cemented and respected by the industry.