Canyon Nerve AL 9.9 29er
It was comfortable, as 29ers are generally considered to be for taller riders; fast on the climbs and very fast on the descents. Where others got off and walked – yes it would appear to be true that European riders just cannot descend – I had total confidence that the bike would get me down without needing to unclip or go too heavy on the brakes. The front end was surprisingly agile given the size of those wheels, and with a little extra work coped with every technical section and switch back thrown at it. I have to state that from being a 26-inch fan, since riding the Nerve AL 29 I am now a convert to the big wheel and like all converts, I’m fervent in my new found discovery.
Canyon gobbles up Alpine singletrack on the Cristalp
As I relate on BritishCycleSport.com, the fact that the Cristalp did not exactly live up to my expectations was no fault of the bike. The Nerve AL 9.9 was a blast to ride, and when the time to return it came, I actually felt something close to sadness. Dependable, solid, comfortable, well equipped, seriously good value for money: it had all the qualities of an old MTB friend. Oh, and it was very fast too…
Canyon in action on the Cristalp
So let me get it out and say it: I loved this bike and not just because of its 29er Mavic Crossmax ST wheels that rolled quickly and unfailingly over everything in their path. It was more than that. Put simply, after 9 hours of what proved to be pretty hard and unpleasant riding, I still wanted more; well, once the hypothermia had subsided and I could actually feel my hands and my body had stopped shaking uncontrollably that is. But as I’ve said there’s more about that in my review of the Grand Raid Cristalp on BritishCycleSport.com…
It is worth stating that the model reviewed is the 2013 Nerve AL 9.9 which is soon to be replaced by the 2014 model. Having had a quick look at the new spec it seems relatively similar. Main changes are the new DT Swiss Spline wheel set, an Ergon saddle, Continental Mountain King tyres, Ritchey bar and stem, and a slight tweaking of the colour schemes.
At the end of the day, it will be sorely missed – maybe time to trade in the 26-inch..?
The suspension is 110mm both ends not 100mm as stated. I measured my front forks to confirm and the green rear shock lever logo says 110 !