Canyon’s Grand Canyon ON: 9 isn’t your regular e-bike — it's geared toward the casual mountain biker who wants a dual-purpose bike that’s tough enough to tackle steep technical trails on the weekend, as well as the commute to the office.
If you’re a cyclist who wants a jack of all trades, and a master of most trails you head out on, the Grand Canyon ON: 9 is a good place to start. To find out more, I spent a month cycling — read on to find out what I loved, and thought Canyon could improve.
Let’s start with the technical bits. This bike has 29-inch front and rear wheels, 2.6-inch tires and an alloy frame, with plenty of mounting points for bottle cages and accessories. The bike looks and feels solid, and feels pretty stable — exactly what you want on uneven terrains. The 475mm reach means you’re still in a pretty relaxed, upright position when tackling off-road trails.
There are four different models on offer, but they all run the same Bosch Performance Line CX High Torque Drive Unit. The 8 and 9 models come with a 750Wh battery as standard, while the 7 offers a choice between the 625 and 750Wh units. The battery lasts for 6 hours on a single charge and takes 2 hours to fully charge.
The bike has 85 Nm of torque with natural handling and pre-programmed modes for you to switch between on the ride. On the top-end model (the ON:9) there’s also Canyon’s anti-lock braking system at the front wheel and rear wheel, which Canyon says reduces skidding on uneven terrain.
Canyon Grand Canyon ON: 9 E-bike — what I loved
The natural feel of the bike
While I’m a road cyclist by choice, a recent trip to Scotland gave me my first experience of e-mountain biking. I soon saw the joy in getting off road and out on the trail. The previous bike I tested used a Shimano EP8 motor, and I found the Bosch motor used in the Canyon comparable in its natural bike-feel.
Compared to an electric Brompton I’ve used in the past, there was no sudden jump forward as the assistance kicked in. The Grand Canyon On: 9 had four different assistance modes, each of which was indicated by a different colored light.
Speaking of the motor, the lower positioning of the motor and battery gave the bike a good amount of stability — it handled well on the trails, and does a great job of taking you from your front door to more difficult terrain with ease.
The versatility
The versatility is one of the main strengths of the Canyon Grand Canyon ON: 9. It’s not a hardcore mountain bike you’ll only use at weekends. I live on the outskirts of London, and could easily commute on this bike — there are plenty of mounting and fitting options for panniers, lights, and mudguards, and this bike would easily cope with the bridal paths, and muddier sections of the route.
The upright positioning makes it feel more comfortable and stable for longer distances than my road bike, although I do wonder how the wider handlebars would cope with sneaking alongside traffic in the city.
The comfort
I’m not the most confident mountain biker, but I loved the stability of this bike. The anti-lock braking system (ABS) does a good job of keeping front wheel traction at all times — I didn’t once worry about flying over the handlebars when testing this bike. I didn’t experience any slipping using the ABS on loose gravel, or particularly wet, muddy trails.
Canyon Grand Canyon ON: 9 E-bike — what I didn’t love
The lack of a screen
Compared to other e-bikes I’ve ridden, the lack of a screen on the Canyon Grand Canyon ON: 9 took a little getting used to. It wasn’t as easy to glance down at the bike and see which assistance mode you are in, or how much battery you have left.
That said, it didn’t take me long to get used to the lights system, and you can check your battery using the Bosch app, which connects to the bike. You can also mount your phone to the handlebars, and use the app to record your ride while keeping an eye on your battery level, should you wish.
The price tag
It really is hard to fault this bike, but the obvious downside is it comes with a pretty hefty price tag, meaning it won’t be affordable to all riders. The Grand Canyon:ON 9 costs £4,149/$5,098, so this is definitely a big purchase.
Canyon Grand Canyon ON: 9: Verdict
With electric mountain biking getting more and more popular, this is an excellent bike to invest in if you’re keen to give it a go, but also want a bike that’s comfortable enough to use on daily commutes. It was a dream to handle on more technical terrains, and it perfectly delivers to its targeted audience.
If you’re looking for a real adventure bike that’ll handle super-tight turns, this might not be the bike for you, but if you’re a trail user looking for comfort and stability, with an electric boost, you can’t go wrong.
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