Canyon Nerve AL 9.9 29er

Components

Braking is taken care of by Avid Elixr 7 brakes with 180mm front and rear discs. Though perhaps a little unrefined when compared with more expensive alternatives, they are perfectly up to the job. Powerful and dependable, I rode them hard in the wet and the dry, at 33 degrees and in freezing hail, without ever needing to hold back or worry about unwanted speed in the corners.

Avid Elixr 7 brakes

180mm front disc…

…and same sized Elixr unit on the rear.

The full Shimano XT drivetrain was crisp and dependable. Gear changes were smooth, with very little friction on the up-shift even with hands so frozen I could not really feel the shifters anymore. The double front 38/24 10-speed chainset was perfect for all the climbing and descending on the day, and the omission of the additional chain ring allowed for decent clearance over big rocks and other obstacles that often account for chipped chain rings or damaged chains.

The rear XT derailleur features a “stabiliser switch” or “clutch” which increases chain tension therefore reducing chain slap; handy on those long descents when the last thing you want to listen to is the chain slapping around when what you really should be concentrating on are the tremendous Alpine views and the sheer drop off the mountain just off to your left…