Grand Canyon ON 7 eMTB review: Single track joy with uphill ease
Not all of us are expert mountain bike riders, but thankfully Canyon makes an affordable eMTB for those who enjoy the simpler pleasures of single track riding.
Hyperdrive Hits
4/5 Medals of Yavin: A mid-range electric mountain bike that’s fitting for single track riders where a hard tail is desired.
Bosch Performance Line CX mid-drive motor with simple left thumb controller
RockShox front suspension, Shimano Diore gears, SRAM hydraulic brakes
Useful Bosch Flow smartphone application
It’s been a year since I started exploring the wooded trails of the Pacific Northwest with eMTBs and I’m having a blast. I tested out the fantastic carbon fiber Canyon Neuron:ONfly CF7 last fall and enjoyed that bike, but it was more than I needed so I did not purchase one.
As a novice mountain bike rider who is 56 years old, I primarily explore the woods on single track trails with small jumps. Thus, a hardtail model is fine for my needs and a Canyon model that more closely matches my Velotric Summit 1 can be found in the Grand Canyon:ON 7 and the folks at Canyon let me test one out for the past couple of months.
The Grand Canyon:ON 7 is a $3,799 eMTB and it offers higher quality components and a Bosch mid-drive motor that has kept me going seamlessly on my local trail networks.
Rating:
As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Grand Canyon Neuron:ON 7 five (4) Medals of Yavin. This model closely matches the feature set of my Velotric Summit 1 with higher end components and I am seriously considering one for myself. It is well built, has great features, and is a compelling hardtail eMTB. I’ve seen it lower priced on sale at times too so keep an eye on the the Canyon website for a possible future sale.
The Good and the Bad
It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product and for things like electric bikes the pros and cons can depend on your riding needs.
Pros
Lovely Pistachio color with matte finish
RockShox front suspension with plenty of travel, 120 mm
Powerful Bosch 600W mid-drive motor that easily helped me get up hills
Responsive hydraulic disc brakes
Full-featured Bosch smartphone app connectivity
29-inch tires with rugged tread and good width
Reasonable price for a eMTB with high performance elements
Cons
Still heavier than a standard mountain bike
No throttle for riders who need more assistance
Experiences
Last year when I started exploring my local trails for mountain biking, I found most eMTBs priced from $3,000 to more than $10,000. I bought a Velotric Summit 1 for $2,000 to get started with the sport and I have enjoyed that budget beginner mountain bike for the past several months.
I then tested a Canyon Neuron:ONfly CF7 last fall and enjoyed that bike, but it was priced at $5,500 and was a bit too advanced for my needs. The Grand Canyon ON:7 is more fitting for my skills and I’ve enjoyed riding it for the past couple of months. It arrived in a large cardboard box, in size large and the single available Pistachio mint green color.
The box includes the tools you need to assemble the bike, including a torque wrench for the main tool, small pump for the front shock, large wrench, gear back, Quick Start Guide, manual, and two-inch thick manual in several languages. The bike is nearly fully assembled with just the front handlebars and front wheel to attach. The handlebars are a component you want set up to your specific fit so it was good to spend time setting them up. Make sure to use the Canyon sizing guide to find the correct size of bike for you.
I highly suggest that you open up the Quick Start Guide found at the top of the large box inside the smaller box since this Guide will work you through all of the steps to assemble the bike properly. Even the large box has a handy locking mechanism so there are clear instructions for that step.
The plug for the Bosch battery is unique and took me a few rotations to get it lined up properly. The manual warns you not to rotate the pedals or move the bike while charging and with this battery design you cannot remove the battery from the bike to charge it.
The Grand Canyon ON:7 has a Bosch CX mid-drive motor that is easy to operate and helps you power up to the top of the mountain or trail. There is a line of LED lights that indicate the battery charge level and then a color LED that wraps around three sides of the front of the controller that indicates your pedal assist level.
A single press of the top button turns the motor on or off. There are four assist levels, identified as Eco (green), Sport (blue), EMTB (purple), and Turbo (red). Install the Bosch Flow app and connect your smartphone to the bike to have access to all of the level settings where you can fully customize how much assist is provided for each level. This amount of fine control over the bike is fantastic.
The placement of the controller on the left side is perfect and I was easily able to shift through the different assist levels while riding the bike. Thanks to the 12-speed drivetrain, I was able to easily get up hills so never missed the throttle from the Summit 1.
The Bosch Flow app also shows you the battery level and estimated range remaining, mileage in various assist levels, customization of riding modes, maps and routing details, ride stats, and other settings for the bike.
When you purchase the bike, you also can sign up for a free year of Flow+ that provides you with a bike arm, current charge level, extended navigation, and more data. You can also connect the app to services like Strava, Apple Health, and more. Since this was a review unit that I need to return, I did not sign up or test the Flow+ features.
The Grand Canyon:ON 7 is optimized for the types of forested single track trails I ride on here in the Pacific Northwest, but it may not be the best fit for everyone. I only pass over small jumps and I am not an aggressive rider so this bike fits my desires. I also don’t mind that the bike is much heavier than a standard MTB. It is still 13 pounds lighter than my Summit 1 so that difference is still significant. It is 10 pounds heavier than the dual suspension Canyon Neuron I previously tested that is built for more aggressive riders.
Specifications
Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.
Frame: Aluminum
Motor: Bosch mid-drive Performance CX, 600 Wh battery with 85Nm torque
Bike weight: 51 pounds
Suspension: 120mm RockShox front shocks
Pedal assist: Four levels
Max speed: Up to 20 mph with pedal assist, no throttle
Transmission: Shimano Deore 12-speed
Brakes: 200mm SRAM DB8 hydraulic disc brakes on the front and 180mm rear brakes
Wheels: 29-inch with Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires
Size: Four available to fit every rider
Bottom Line
Thankfully, I had the chance to ride on my local trail networks before the winter freeze/thaw damaged the trails and then right near the end of my test period it snowed and gave me the chance to ride in the cold weather. I personally love the Pistachio color of the Grand Canyon eMTB and the matte finish makes it easy to clean after riding sessions.
The battery lasted for every session of riding that I went on over the past couple of months. These were typically one to two hour rides and I lowest I saw the battery drop was 2/5 LED lights. I also was able to easily keep the assist level low most of the time thanks to the 12 available speeds.
Experienced riders will likely want more than the Grand Canyon:ON 7 offers, but for the right trail profile and rider I think it is perfect. It is closer to my desired price range and is definitely an eMTB I recommend for riders like me.