Trail bikes

Trail bikes & all-mountain MTBs: Find the right one for you

A trail bike brings unmatched joy across all terrains, standing out as the ultimate all-rounder in the world of mountain bikes. With its balanced geometry and adaptable suspension, it confidently tackles everything with remarkable versatility – from flowing singletracks and thrilling bike parks to leisurely countryside rides.

What makes a good trail mountain bike?

What truly sets a quality trail mountain bike apart is its versatility: seamlessly blending uphill efficiency with responsive downhill performance. At its core, every trail bike features a sturdy yet lightweight aluminium or carbon frame. Premium components – from reliable drivetrains and powerful disc brakes to intelligently-engineered suspension – deliver exceptional control and comfort regardless of terrain. Hitting the sweet spot between 12 and 16 kilograms, a trail MTB provides that ideal balance of rock-solid stability and nimble handling.

Who is an all-MTB suitable for?

A trail bike, also known as an all-mountain bike or all-MTB, is the perfect companion for mountain bikers who don't want to commit to a single discipline. Whether you're casually exploring forest paths, tackling technical trails or embarking on extended tours – an all-mountain bike flexes to match your riding style. Both MTB beginners and advanced riders benefit from a trail bike’s adaptability as it supports your growth and evolutions as a mountain biker.

All-mountain bikes excel for riders who: 

• Love discovering various terrains 

• Enjoy both climbs and descents 

• Need a reliable bike for different purposes 

• Prefer not to invest in multiple specialist bikes 

With an all-mountain trail bike, you're ready for any challenge – from casual post-work spins to epic multi-day tours.

How to choose the right trail mountain bike

Finding the ideal trail bike comes down to your individual preferences, riding style and the primary terrain. When making your choice, you weigh up key elements like suspension travel, frame material, wheel size and component quality. The sweet spot? A trail mountain bike with sufficient suspension to handle demanding descents while remaining light enough for efficient climbing. Our mountain bike buyer's guide covers all this in depth, but what follows is the essential information you need. 

Hardtail or fully? — Which type of trail mountain bike suits you?

Deciding between a hardtail or fully depends on your budget and personal preferences. Hardtails like the Grand Canyon or Stoic give you a more budget-friendly entry with simpler maintenance requirements. These trail bikes deliver more immediate ground feedback, helping you sharpen your riding skills.

Full-suspension trail mountain bikes like the Neuron or Spectral deliver enhanced comfort and grip, particularly over challenging terrain. The rear suspension absorbs impacts and boosts control when navigating technical sections. For riders seeking versatility and tackling demanding trails, an all-mountain bike with full-suspension is the obvious choice.

Frame material: Aluminium or carbon for your trail MTB?

Our trail bikes are constructed out of either aluminium or carbon. Aluminium frames impress with their robustness, affordable price and easy repairability if damage occurs despite their durability. Carbon frames offer high stiffness for optimal power transfer while having reduced weight and superior damping properties. Newcomers to the sport typically find aluminium all-mountain MTBs the smarter option, while performance-focused riders gravitate toward carbon's advantages. Dive into our guide on carbon versus aluminium for MTBs for the complete picture.

How to choose the right drivetrain for a trail bike

The drivetrain of your trail mountain bike should complement your riding style and local terrain, but personal preference plays a major role, too. We equip our trail bikes with groupsets from SRAM and Shimano because both are industry leaders. Both manufacturers use trigger shifters that let you change gears with thumb or index finger movements. While you can switch between systems, most riders find they develop a strong preference after becoming familiar with one. Fancy an electronic shifting system? In the MTB world, SRAM currently offers the only options.

A 1x12 MTB drivetrain delivers impressive range and fine gradations for steep climbs and fast descents, all while keeping maintenance simple and operation intuitive. That said, even our trail bikes equipped with 1x10 or 1x11 drivetrains provide plenty of versatility for most riding scenarios. For deeper insights to guide your decision, check out our comprehensive MTB groupsets guide.

Wheel size for trail & all-mountain bikes: What should you consider?

With trail bikes, you have the choice between 27.5-inch and 29-inch wheels. The decision depends on your height and riding style:

• 29-inch wheels offer more stability, better roll-over capability and more traction 

• 27.5-inch wheels are more agile, accelerate faster and are better suited for technical passages 

At Canyon, we match the wheel size to the frame size to ensure consistent riding characteristics. Smaller frame sizes have 27.5-inch wheels, while larger frames come equipped with 29-inch wheels.

Suspension travel: Fork & shock for maximum comfort

The ideal suspension travel for a trail bike falls between 120 and 160 millimetres. This range provides ample cushioning for technical descents without compromising your pedalling efficiency on climbs. Our lighter all-MTB options like the Canyon Lux Trail feature 120 mm travel for maximising efficiency during long rides, while more descent-focused models like the Spectral pack 160 mm for enhanced downhill capability.

Tyre choice: Grip, width & tread pattern check

The right tyres significantly improve the performance of your trail bike. For our all-mountain bikes, we fit tyres with medium tread depth that balance good grip with low rolling resistance. The tyre width ranges between 2.3 and 2.6 inches – wide enough for traction and comfort but without excess weight or sluggish handling.

As riders gain experience and confidence, many develop specific tyre preferences based on their local terrain and fine-tune their MTB tyre pressure for better traction. Every trail MTB in our range can be converted to tubeless if you prefer. This upgrade lets you run lower pressures for improved traction and puncture resistance – a real advantage when tackling technical trail sections.

Canyon's all mountain & trail bikes at a glance

We love mountain bikes! That's why we offer a wide range of high-quality trail bikes for every demand and budget:

• Grand Canyon: This aluminium hardtail for beginners offers excellent value for money and is the ideal companion for daily adventures. 

• Stoic: The robust hardtail with its progressive geometry is perfect for technical trails, jumps and pump tracks. 

• Neuron: This full-suspension, all-mountain bike is a true all-rounder for tours with steep climbs and rapid descents. 

• Spectral: With its progressive geometry and 160 mm of travel, this trail mountain bike is the ultimate fun machine for demanding trails. 

• Lux Trail: This lightweight bridges the gap between cross-country bikes and trail bikes. 

• E-MTBs: To help you master steep climbs with ease, we also offer three of these trail bikes as electric mountain bikes: Grand Canyon:ON, Neuron:ON and Spectral:ON. 

Whichever trail or all-mountain bike you choose, you’ll be getting cutting-edge technology, quality and unbeatable value.

How much should you invest in an all-mountain bike?

The price range for high-quality all-mountain bikes varies widely. Entry-level hardtails start at under 900 Euro, while top models with carbon frames and premium components can cost 4,500 Euro or more. You can get a solid all-mountain MTB with an aluminium frame and reliable components from us for between 1,200 and 2,200 Euro.

Thanks to our direct-to-consumer model, Canyon offers trail bikes with excellent value for money. This means you often get a full-featured trail mountain bike at a significantly lower price than comparable brands in specialist shops.

Buying a trail mountain bike online: What should you consider?

When buying your trail bike online, keep these key considerations in mind:

1. Start with our mountain bike buyer's guide to narrow down the perfect trail mountain bike for your needs. 

2. Get your sizing spot-on using our Perfect Positioning System (PPS), which recommends the ideal frame size based on your measurements. 

3. Pay attention to the equipment and compare the components. 

4. Consider what accessories like bottle cages or bike locks you might need.

With Canyon, you benefit from our straightforward online purchasing process. Your trail mountain bike arrives at your door 95% pre-assembled – just handle the final touches yourself. The 30-day return policy and six-year warranty give you additional peace of mind. If you have any questions, our service centre is happy to help.