# Long-ish term review: Canfield The One



## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

I've been gushing for a few months about my new ride, a 2012 Canfield The One. It's time I post up something resembling a full review of the bike, rather than just saying the usual, 'it pedals really well' mantra for which the One has become known. So here it is. It's going to be rather long, but more information is always better than less when you're about to drop the big bucks on a new frame. I will try to respond thoroughly to the questions and doubts that I had while I was deciding on a new frame.

WARNING: long post ahead. If you don't want to read it all, you don't have to. But if you're seriously looking into the bike and want honest info, go ahead and read.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do not know the Canfield Brothers at all, although I met them once, years ago, riding Bobsled in Salt Lake. Didnt' know it was them at the time. I don't know any of their employees either. I'm not being paid or compensated in any way by them, and I really am trying to remain as objective as I can about this bike. If something is less than stellar, I'll be honest about it. Since I had never test ridden a Canfield before ordering the frame, I was a bit worried that I had possibly purchased the wrong bike. I want people to be able to make a good decision and get the bike that they want, that's all.​
History: 
To put it into context, I'm 32 years old, 6'3" tall, I tip the scales at 240ish lbs geared up. I'm a big guy of caber-tossing Scottish heritage. I'm a former motocross racer, and I like to ride fast. Not all that into slopestyle hoppy jumpy park stuff. I can usually be found pounding rock gardens and fast singletrack.

I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I enjoy lots of varied terrain, ranging from spring slop/clay to mulchy forest, dust on hardpack, and Moab's sandpaper. I like it all.

I've owned a number of bikes, starting with a 1996 Cannondale F400 (yes, the sparkly purple one with the Headshok P-Bone), and most recently a 2009/10 Giant Reign 1. I've also spent a considerable amount of time riding a Santa Cruz Blur, Kona Dawg, a few different variations of the Santa Cruz Nomad, and recently the Yeti SB-66.

I have started riding steeper stuff in the past few years. One trip to ride lifts at Deer Valley, and I could feel my Reign was starting to wimp out. I wanted to ride more full on DH stuff, but I was being limited by my gear. All my friends are xc types, so I couldn't upgrade to some 45lb DH beast unless I wanted to ride alone. I heard all about The One being a great crossover between AM and DH, and all reviews of it were glowing. I had heard the same praise given to Ellsworth bikes, and one ride on one was enough to make me hate it. I was very skeptical of 100% positive reviews. Early this spring, I ordered a Canfield The One frame on blind faith that the internet masses were telling the truth: that it could pedal like an AM bike, and descend like a DH bike.

Here she is:

















Build details:
Frame: Canfield The One, XL
Rear travel: 8" mode
Fork: Fox Float36 180mm
Shock: Cane Creek Double Barrel Air
Brakes: Shimano XT IceTech
Rotors: Shimano IceTech 203/180
Bars: ODI Flight Control, 29.75" wide
Grips: ODI Ruffian lock-on
Drivetrain: 1x10, 28 x 11-36
Crankset: Sram X9, 170mm
Chainring: North Shore Billet direct mount, 28T
Shifter: Sram XO
Derailleur: Sram X9 Type 2, short cage
Guide: MRP Lopes
Hubs: Hope Pro2 Evo, black
Rims: DT Swiss FR600
Spokes : DT Swiss Comp, black w/ red nipples
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF Exo 2.5 (ghetto tubeless)
Pedals: Canfield Crampon Ultimate, black
Saddle: WTB Rocket V SLT
Seatpost: Rockshox Reverb Stealth, 150mm
Headset: Gravity G1
Head angle: 65 deg
BB height: 12.7in
Weight: 34.6 lb

First Impressions:
I admit I had a bad case of NewBikeMakesMeFaster-itis. I felt like superman, but that wore off after a few rides. The first week was dedicated to dialing in the Float 180 and Cane Creek DBair shock. The DBair is _incredibly_ good, but it did take a lot of tweaking to get it where I wanted it. The first large difference between it and my recently sold Giant Reign was the bar height. The One is longer, and noticeably lower in bar height than the Giant. The One also felt much more rigid, and the center of gravity was much lower. The bars being a few inches lower than the Giant made me feel a bit over-the-front at first, but when descending, I realized what a benefit it was. More on that later.

Climbing:
Ah yes. The first thing everybody wants to know about the bike. Does it really climb as well as people say? In a word, yes, but not how I was expecting. First thing I noticed was the different feel of the bike. It was a very different beast from the Giant I had just sold. The Giant's Maestro suspension I had grown accustomed to stiffened up a LOT when pedaling. The harder you cranked, the more like a hardtail it climbed. You could feel every pebble, root, bump, etc when climbing. The same could be said to a degree of the Nomad (both coil and air) and SB-66 (air). They were a little softer/more active while pedaling than the Giant, but still seemed to be in the same arena. Pedal harder = stiffer suspension, and stiffer suspension = higher efficiency, right? I thought so too.

The Canfield seems to subscribe to a very different philosophy. The rear end of the Giant would almost completely deactivate while climbing, but the Canfield's parallel-link suspension remains active. Very active. I did feel a little pedal bob, even after tuning the shock all over the place. I minimized it to about 1/8" of an inch or so on the shock stanchion, but I couldn't fully get rid of it without pumping up the shock to ridiculous pressures. Now, when I say pedal bob, I don't mean some galloping, 2002 Kona Stinky pedal bob. I mean just a tiny bit. But even with the minimal amount, I was honestly worried because I felt less efficient, less connected to the ground as I pedaled. I was about to get a little disappointed with my purchase.

It took me timing myself up a trail that I've done countless times on other bikes to realize the benefits of an active rear triangle. As I hit roots, rocks, and other obstacles, the One would gracefully gush right over them. The stiff back end on my Giant would allow me to feel every little edge, giving me the illusion of efficiency, but what it was really doing was killing my forward momentum. I destroyed my best time on the Giant up the climb, and have done so every time since, with remarkable consistency. It's only a 20-minute climb, but I am consistently ~2 minutes faster on that climb every time I ride it on the One. A bump comes along, the back end floats up and over it with zero increase in pedaling effort, and the bike maintains forward momentum. The rear end of The One stays planted and smooth even when pedaling through rough, loose, rocky climbs. The traction is unbelievable.

You do sit a bit more over the rear wheel than the average AM bike, due to the slack geometry. So that is something to take into consideration. To keep from looping out I sometimes have to really scoot up to the tip of my saddle. But it's not awful by any stretch. It's just a slack bike, and I had to adjust my riding style a bit.

Verdict: Canfield nailed it. Honestly. It feels so buttery soft, like it should be inefficient. But the One can climb fast. Amazingly fast. I don't know how it can feel so cushy and still climb so quickly, but it does.

Bottom Bracket Height:
This is a point of concern with many people. The BB height on The One is low. It's about 12.7" with my setup and no angleset. Before you freak out, realize that it it was designed that way for a reason. Generally speaking, the lower the BB height, the faster the handling. I've hit a few rocks with the pedals, yes. But I did so on occasion with my Reign that had an almost 14" bb height too. I have grown so accustomed to it in these past few months, I don't really even think about watching my pedaling anymore, and I rarely even tap anything with the pedals. I run 170mm cranks and Crampon Ultimate pedals. The one thing I will say is that the low bottom bracket height makes the bike handle like a scalpel. It corners better than any bike I've ever ridden (a title which was previously held by the SB-66). Just think it, and the bike is already responding. Corrections mid-course were often a scary thing on my Giant due to how tall it was. I've grown to LOVE the low bb height, and will not go back.

Descending:
This is where the One comes into its stride. I do not have a dual crown beast of my own, but I have ridden/demoed DH rigs ranging from a Karpiel Disco Volante (awesome bike in its time) to a brand new V-10c set up just for me by Santa Cruz's techs. I feel I have enough ground to compare the One to full DH race bikes. Does it feel like a V-10c? Kind of. The V-10 feels a bit sluggish until you get up to a certain speed. Then it livens right up and will eat anything in its path. The Canfield feels very light and lively right out of the box. It is effortless to skip over rocks, and the suspension eats up harsh hits very well. I purposely cased a small yet peaky double on a local trail, just to see how it would respond. No problem at all.

It does feel like it gets a little nervous in comparison to the V-10 when going REALLY fast, but that is to be expected. The One isn't designed to be a full DH race bike. That's the Jedi's territory. But the One does feel almost as capable in every way, and easier to jump and corner. If your technique is good, I believe you can rail corners faster than any 6" AM bike out there. Rock gardens, even steep ones, are easier than ever. The One is the funnest bike I've ever ridden when pumping through twists and turns on a fast section of trail. It's SO nimble!!

Durability:
I'm a big kid, and I don't go easy on my gear. Nothing has broken on it, and I've definitely been putting it through its paces. The welds look to be of good quality, and the machining is well done too (I work with CNC machines, so I'm particularly picky about that). Haven't had any massive get-offs yet, but i did have numerous close calls this spring in Moab. Lots of rocks have smacked all over the frame, but all I have seen are a few tiny scratches in the anodizing. No dents at all. It is also comforting to see the oversized pivot bearings and built-in bearing shields in the bolt heads. The pivot bearing size was a problem on the first Nomad I rode. The little toy bearings got hammered very quickly, and the once smooth linkage started to grind and rattle. It'll be a while before I expect I'll need to replace them on the One. Even with my big boy size, everything feels extremely tight and tidy.

Frame Flex:
As mentioned earlier, the frame is nice and rigid. It doesn't twist nearly as much as my Giant did. Just a degree or two of twist will translate into a lot of displacement over the length of an XL frame, so rigidity is important to me. The Canfield is plenty rigid and tracks very straight in rock gardens and turning g-outs. I'd love to see a carbon version of it, but I admit that would be a tall order from a company or Canfield's size. Definitely possible, given the talent that went into the current offering, but carbon development requires VERY deep pockets and a few years' time.

Downfalls: 
I'm actually scraping to find any that are worth mentioning. Honestly, all fanboy stuff aside. It is hard to find anything that I truly wish were different on the bike. Most are small items of personal preference, like cable routing options. The XL sized frame could be a bit taller in height, but that would mess with the quick handling, so I don't know if I would really want that to change.

The weight of the bike isn't exactly feathery, but it doesn't feel heavy at all when riding. If you're coming from a light duty AM bike, the weight will probably add to your time while pedaling up hills, so it will be important to build it light. That means more money spent per part, but it is worth it. Keep in mind that it is not an xc machine, and never will be. A super light xc leg shaver rocket bike will still beat it to the top of the hill, but you'll pass them back on the way down. Keep in mind that the One is more of a Grizzly bear in ballet slippers, not a sparrow with combat boots.

If I was to complain about anything, it might be that the rear linkage seems to have a pretty progressive rate to it. Yes, this is another matter of personal preference, not something actually _wrong_ with the bike. The progressive linkage makes it a bit hard to use the last bit the travel if you are using an air shock like the CCDBair. I haven't tried the extra volume air canister for it yet, but I hear that it might help make things a tad more linear (which I usually prefer). But again, that's preference, and I'm sure others that jump a lot will want to keep that progressive rate for added bottoming resistance. I'm finding a very wide range of people ride this bike, and it can be tuned very easily to suit a number of different roles.

----

Anyway, that's about all I can think of at this point. I'm incredibly impressed with this bike. It feels different from other bikes. Those differences took a few weeks to get used to. But I now see the logic in every one of the differences I've found, and I would not go back to what I previously liked. It is that elusive mix of DH and AM that everyone seems to want. It feels like it should be inefficient on the climbs, but it gets you to the top very quickly, and does not sap all of your strength in the process. It is incredibly playful, super plush, and very agile on the way down. It is strong, well designed, and handles exceptionally well. What more can one want?








(Bull Run, Mag 7, Moab)








(Climbing Jacob's Ladder, Corner Canyon, Salt Lake City)

Oh, one more thing. Canfield's customer service is outstanding. It's been said over and over again in these forums, but it is true. I called well before ordering to ask a few silly questions about compatible components. The guy (Sean) answered all of my questions very honestly and enthusiastically. While we chatted, I could hear noises in the background hat sounded like bikes, and I eventually asked about it. Turns out, he had stopped mid-ride/photo shoot to answer his work phone! That is a person truly dedicated to the customer. Incredibly nice and knowledgeable people, and they stand behind their products 100%. Not that they need to though, The One stands just fine on its own.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

no pics make me a sad boy.


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

Done posting a few pics. I've been riding a lot by myself lately, and I've been having far too much fun to interrupt a ride and set up a camera. I'll try to get some action shots, and maybe I'll take out the GoPro if i can get it back from a friend who 'borrowed' it 6+ months ago.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

even garage queen shots make me happy.


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## DBY (Mar 9, 2010)

Nice review! My purchase of The One back in February is the best money I've ever spent on a frame. Very solid, very versatile.


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## bigcrs (Oct 27, 2008)

Great write up, well written. You've done well to highlight the qualities of The One with such a short amount of saddle time.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

wow long write up...but truely amazing bike...I have ridden a "ONE" xc'ed out out 27 pounds and full DH one weighing 34...both pedaled the same, but I would choose the 34 pound with an 888 ti and DB coil......a great bike...I am impressed


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## Fachiro1 (Nov 25, 2012)

Great review! thanks a whole bunch!


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## motochick (Jun 22, 2010)

Good read, I love my Diggle!


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## 1962 (Feb 23, 2008)

Question, I like and ride with minion dhf 2.7 tires. Is there enough clearance in the rear tri angle for these bigger tires ? ...ralph


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

1962 said:


> Question, I like and ride with minion dhf 2.7 tires. Is there enough clearance in the rear tri angle for these bigger tires ? ...ralph


I can't say for certain, since I haven't run anything other than a 2.5 DHF. I hear that the constraint is not the width between the chainstays, but between the center tread of the tire and the cross brace that connects the chainstays to the seatstays. The 2012 also has a small bit more clearance than the 2013. I did read in another thread that a 2.7 DHF will fit with about 1/16 of an inch of clearance on the 2013. That's really close, and could rub if the tire gets squished just right. Mud might not be too fun with that small a gap. I don't know how well it fits in terms of width, but I would imagine it would be close there too.


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## derby (Jan 12, 2004)

Great review. Very well written and complete, especially the pedaling action observations. Thanks!

Sounds like the suspension is leveraged to optimize a more linear spring rate. I've found that a larger air can set up to have the same sag and damping adjuster settings as a smaller can, requires a little more air pressure, which supports mid travel, reducing pedal bob, allowing less compression damping, and gains in deep bottom travel access and bump compliance.


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks very much for the info. I'll most likely be ordering the larger air can in the next month or two. I'll let you know if it performs as you say.


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## cosmoworks (Jan 22, 2008)

charging_rhinos said:


> I did read in another thread that a 2.7 DHF will fit with about 1/16 of an inch of clearance on the 2013. That's really close, and could rub if the tire gets squished just right.


Yeah that was my post... Minion 2.7" fits out in back of the 2011/2012's easily, but only clears by 1/16" on 2013. Still, the 1/16" gap is at the front of the rear triangle brace... I wouldn't worry too much about the tire rubbing from "squishing", I'd only be more worried about riding the 2.7 in muddy conditions.

Charging_rhinos, you might prefer the "high flow inner air can mod" which is different than the extra volume outer can. I had this mod done to my DB Air and it's working great - I can easily use up all the travel if I set the HSC to allow me to do so.

Nice writeup, I agree with every point you mentioned in here :thumbsup:


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## fishwrinkle (Jul 11, 2012)

well written review! man i just got a N9 now my wife is gunna kill me when i tell 'er i'm looking at the one. they (canfield) might want you as a pitch person


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## Sabre2 (Dec 8, 2010)

Wow, I'm very glad to see a really good thorough review of the one. Well done!
I have the one 2011 which is practically the same bike with exception to gusset plates at the head tube and additional reinforcement to the rear triangle.

I can honestly concur with the characteristics you mention. I absolutely love my bike, rides like no other and if I had to compare it to my Giant Trance X with reference to pedalling efficiency, I would say the Canfield is generally better and agree with the review.
I think the only difference is how long you are going out, you will feel a bit of strain if trying to keep pace with other more cross country biased bikes,.....but only after about 2.5 hours riding and that because the bike is slightly heavier. Even with this in mind I much prefer to ride the Canfield because of its active suspension and the feedback you get from the bike. Bottom line.....I'm selling the Giant because the Canfield does everything you could want from a bike and therefore have no need for 2 bikes.

I have the X fusion HLR coil shock and love it, please can anybody let me know how the cane creek db coil compares? Running fox van 180 on the front.


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## carlos23 (Jul 21, 2013)

Hi.

Could someone advice me about suspension forks for `The One`. I m looking double crown fork, any advice, what would fit best and what headset? Also is it still good to pedal, because mostly I drive flat forest paths. I know that I dont need that, it just that I want it!! I m heavy guy, 245 lb ,191cm tall so Fork should be with coil?

Thanks
Karri


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

Any of the dual crown forks will work well with the One, in my opinion. Their axle-to-crown distances are all very similar. I've seen equal number of Rockshox Boxxers and Fox 40s on them, and I'm sure they both are fantastic. If you ride flat forest paths, I would get an air fork just to avoid the unnecessary weight of a coil. The new Fox Float 40 saves around a full pound from the coil version. The larger diameter air piston and reservoir of the Fox 40 allows you to use lower air pressure than with other brands. I'm a big rider too, and the Fox hybrid air/coil 40 was fine under me. Any modern air fork will work fine for your weight. But a coil would be fine too. It is more a question of how important a lightweight bike is to you, and how much you are willing to spend. The new air forks very nice, but also very expensive.

Headsets:
The most important thing with finding a good headset for the One is that you get an 'external bearing' lower headset. The top can be a zero stack if you like lower handlebars, but you should get an external lower headset to keep the bottom bracket up high. You can use this great tool from Cane Creek to find a headset that will fit your fork to your frame: Headset Fit Finder

You can get either an adjustable Angleset or a fixed angle headset with the One, since it has a full 1.5" (49.6mm) head tube on both ends. The important thing that you need to know is that the bottom half of the headset should say "EC", meaning external cup. That is what you want. The next step depends on what kind of fork you get.

If you have a straight 1 1/8" head tube on your fork, you want a *ZS49/28.6* for the top, and an *EC49/30* for the bottom.

If you have the newer tapered steer tube, you want a *ZS49/28.6* on top, and an *EC49/40* on the bottom.

I am using an FSA Gravity 1 headset with the external lower cup and it has been great.


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## carlos23 (Jul 21, 2013)

Thanks for a reply. It was perfect answer. I also have looked marzocchi 888 forks. Do you know anything about them?


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

Ah, Marzocchi. This is difficult for me. About 8 years ago, they were my favorite brand. Now, I don't think I would get them. They are heavy, but they feel VERY smooth, and they are very simple to take apart for service. The problem is reliability. Their oil seals tend to leak easily, and they had a lot of reliability problems when they moved their manufacturing from Italy to China a few years ago. To be fair, they have made much more reliable products in the past 2 years, but they are still struggling. Every year I see a news story that says they are almost in bankruptcy. Most of their original designers have left the company to start DVO Suspension. My personal feeling is that it would not be wise to get Marz products right now, since you never know if you will be able to get parts for them in a year or two. It kills me to say that though, because they were my favorite fork for many years.


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## nurb13 (Nov 2, 2009)

yo charging_rhin,

Excellent review!

How do you compare the ONE to the SB66? or maybe you wrote a review for the SB66?

ENJOI THE RIDE


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

nurb13 said:


> yo charging_rhin,
> 
> How do you compare the ONE to the SB66? or maybe you wrote a review for the SB66?


Thanks, glad you enjoyed the review.

In regard to the SB-66, there were a few similarities and a few differences. To me, the low bottom bracket height on the SB feels very similar to the One. They are both extremely flicky and agile. The SB might be a tad more agile, but I'd bet that any difference is due to the slightly steeper head angle and a bit lighter build. Both are fantastic at whipping through s-curves and corners.

The next difference is a bit harder to describe. Burlyness? The SB feels nice and solid underneath you when riding it. Very little flex, gush, etc. But the One is incredibly rigid in terms of the frame and rear triangle. It definitely surpasses the SB in stiffness. Hard to describe, but the extra rigidity adds immensely to the confidence I feel when getting into harder hits, rock gardens, and when railing choppy corners.

The SB climbs about equally with the One overall. The Yeti is lighter, so that most definitely helps. The One has a bit more floaty feel to it while climbing, but I'd bet it could keep up just fine. The extra lb or two of the One would be the only meaningful difference when going up for long periods of time.

Overall, I think the biggest difference would be the fact that the One can get into scarier terrain than the SB and still feel completely at home. That isn't to knock the Yeti at all though. It's a fine bike, and if someone gave me one, I would not sell it. But if you envision yourself pushing your bikes hard on the steeper terrain, the One really starts to shine.


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## savo (Oct 15, 2009)

That's a great review.

Now I read a lot of enthusiastic review about technical climbing and fast descending, but what can you say about steep, slow, alpine-like descents? How do the One's low BB and slack geometry behave?

Thank you


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

I took mine down the Whole Enchilada a few weeks ago in Moab, and it has a lot of steep, slow, technical obstacles. I wasn't babying it over any of the ledges or rolls, and it was just fine. I hit the pedals 3-4 times, but I hit them all the time on that trail. I never hit the chainring on anything, although I was surely close at times. But to be fair, I think I would have been pretty close on any bike with more modern 13"ish bb heights. The slack geometry is VERY nice to have when rolling slowly down stair-stepped edges. It also handles tight switchbacks surprisingly well for a bike that feels longer than most AM bikes. And when the occasional abrupt 'hide-a-hill' appeared around a blind corner, It was easy to stand up and grind my way up it.

The only thing that I noticed on that ride that might be considered a negative was that it isn't a very good trials bike. What I mean is that, in a few spots, I was trying to hop my way through a few obstacles (mostly climbing up ledges) with near-zero forward speed. As most do, in that situation I often will compress the suspension to load it up as I approach. When it rebounds, it helps me hop up the ledge. The One tends to require a bit more energy input than my last 6" bike did in that situation. Not a TON more, but just enough to notice. That's to be expected though. It has more available travel, and therefore more opportunity for the suspension to dissipate the energy I put into it. So I had to put a little bit more into it to get the same rebound effect. It still got me through them just fine, I just noticed I was expending a tad more energy. I suppose a shock with a pro-pedal type feature might alleviate that, if you could just flip a switch on the handlebars, stiffen things up a bit, and open the platform up once you got past the obstacle.

I hope that answers your question. Sorry it was long too. I like to err on the side of too much, rather than too little.


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## savo (Oct 15, 2009)

charging_rhinos said:


> I hope that answers your question. Sorry it was long too. I like to err on the side of too much, rather than too little.


It does! thanks a lot.


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

How did I not know you were in SLC? We gotta hit some trails some time.


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

We definitely should. A good ol' fashioned NV desert peeps ride. I'm not nearly the jumpy I Street guy you are, but I can hold my own on things like the Crest or Brighton.


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## Moosey (May 18, 2010)

charging_rhinos said:


> We definitely should. A good ol' fashioned NV desert peeps ride. I'm not nearly the jumpy I Street guy you are, but I can hold my own on things like the Crest or Brighton.


I only know of I-Street and bobbysled in SLC, so if you know some fun trails I'll ride whatever. As long as I'm on my bike I'm having fun, whether it be rocks, roots, or jumps and drops. I'll ride it all.


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## cSquared (Jun 8, 2006)

Parrish Creek!


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

cSquared said:


> Parrish Creek!


Haven't ever ridden up there. Just checked some pics out, and it is now on the quick list once the snow leaves. Thanks for the info!


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## lifer (Feb 5, 2004)

If anyone is looking for a like new medium, I have mine posted on Pinkbike:
Canfield One Medium Like New Current Gen - Pinkbike


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## TrailNut (Apr 6, 2004)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> wow long write up...but truely amazing bike...I have ridden a "ONE" xc'ed out out 27 pounds and full DH one weighing 34...both pedaled the same, but I would choose the 34 pound with an 888 ti and DB coil......a great bike...I am impressed


Hmmm. I want One. Set up with all coils.


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## guitarjohn21 (Jan 16, 2012)

I finally got one couple weeks ago. It was hard to find and I did not want the Balance just yet.
Your review had me sold about a year ago after Shiver Me Timbers recommended one in another post, since I am about the same size and weight as you mentioned in the review. I had been breaking way too many bikes the last few years and needed something "burlier". 

When it arrived, I immediately saw what everybody has said about Canfield bikes, The thing was a monster compared to any of my other Trail/AM bikes I've owned. Absolutely solid design, looks amazingly strong. I only wish they still made this frame. 

I am a few weeks away from being able to really give this one quality time on the trail, as I am still recovering from a broken leg and towards the end of my therapy, but pedaling it around I can feel how solid it is. It is the perfect companion to my DH bike, and now I won't have to choose what bike to bring on road trips anymore where there is varied terrain and trails. This one clearly does it all. 
Thanks again for your review.


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## ThomasF (Oct 4, 2013)

have you ever ridden a Canfield Balance? how does it compare? i know they don't have demo's for their bikes, but it'd be nice to have reviews from someone who has ridden both

who knows, maybe they discontinued the one to do some updates on it and will bring it back later... i can only hope.


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

I haven't ridden the Balance yet. I stopped by their office when I went through Bellingham over the summer, but they didn't have any to ride around. Going off of the geo numbers, I'd guess it rides like a lighter, more nimble One, with just a bit more stiffening of the rear end while pedaling. The shorter chainstays will make it manual like a champ.

For more precise info, I'd hit up rsullivan. He's always lurking about the mtbr forums and he has a very impressive stable of Canfields. He'll be able to give you real answers.


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## ThomasF (Oct 4, 2013)

charging_rhinos said:


> I haven't ridden the Balance yet. I stopped by their office when I went through Bellingham over the summer, but they didn't have any to ride around. Going off of the geo numbers, I'd guess it rides like a lighter, more nimble One, with just a bit more stiffening of the rear end while pedaling. The shorter chainstays will make it manual like a champ.
> 
> For more precise info, I'd hit up rsullivan. He's always lurking about the mtbr forums and he has a very impressive stable of Canfields. He'll be able to give you real answers.


thanks for the help!!


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## guitarjohn21 (Jan 16, 2012)

Does anyone know the link to the cane creek setup guidelines page for the one?


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## savo (Oct 15, 2009)

guitarjohn21 said:


> Does anyone know the link to the cane creek setup guidelines page for the one?


https://www.canecreek.com/products/suspension/double-barrel/base-tunes

https://www.canecreek.com/products/suspension/db-air/base-tunes


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## rsullivan (May 16, 2009)

ThomasF said:


> have you ever ridden a Canfield Balance? how does it compare? i know they don't have demo's for their bikes, but it'd be nice to have reviews from someone who has ridden both
> 
> who knows, maybe they discontinued the one to do some updates on it and will bring it back later... i can only hope.


ThomasF
Comparing my Balance to my 2011 ONE..... 
*Traction/Climbing-* The Balance is very similar on the climbs over roots and rocks... I rarely kick on the climb switch except for long climbs-(1 mile or greater). If there is any notable difference would be less bob and the ability to stand and climb on the steep ups. 
*Downhill*- The ONE is a dh oriented geo.... so super stable. The Balance is steeper on the Headangle but for some reason it feels really stable on the rocky steep downs. Finding my self forgetting that it is more trail oriented. 
*Ride thoughts*- The ONE is a pedal friendly DH bike in which is really enjoyable. The Balance feels super light on pedaling and seems to pop off the drops and jumps. Making for pure enjoyment whether going up or down. One of the other comments made by current Jedi owners... The Balance seems to have very similar wheel path traits compared to the Jedi.

To sum it up- The Balance is a vastly improved ONE for trail riding but is still super fun on the downs. Every time I get on it, the balance just feels so right.


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## ThomasF (Oct 4, 2013)

thanks man. i need to save up and get a balance. one of these years haha


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

wish they still made this bike, however the above review makes me think that i could get use to a balance if i cant find a used 'one' at some point.


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## rsullivan (May 16, 2009)

dirtdawg21892 said:


> wish they still made this bike, however the above review makes me think that i could get use to a balance if i cant find a used 'one' at some point.


The One is a AWESOME bike but the Balance can do just about everything the One can do. Minus being a full on DH bike, which it was not intended to be. If you do a little research you will find it built in both the "Park" mode(26" 170mm fork)and "Trail" mode as a 160mm 650B. Further searching for videos/reviews you will see the Balance taking some BIG drops and hits. It just sucks it up and screams for more. You will not be disappointed if you can't find a used "One" and end up buying the Balance!!!! Every time I jump on the Balance to hit the local XC/Freeride trails it just feels SOO right!


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## dft (Apr 9, 2004)

just saw this, great review. 
i've had my one for almost 2 years now, i freaken love this bike still!
its actually my big bike. i sold a pure DH bike (knolly podium) since just too hard to pedal up anything i have a boxxer WC on it, DH rims and tires. its essentially a DH bike, i think its 64 HA with the world cup. and as reviewer says, it really opens up at speed, great for park riding, but also for not too long climbs with real technical descents. i'm about 5' 10 1/2" and riding a medium, feels plenty long.


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## snowwcold55 (Jun 6, 2014)

So....

If you want a comparable frame to The One that you can set up with 180mm of travel, what do you go with? I saw that they dropped The One in '13 and switched it out with the Balance, but that is only supposed to go up to 170mm of travel.... hmm will it still perform? Can it still crush the DH stuff?!


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## digitalsoul (Feb 17, 2004)

snowwcold55 said:


> So....
> 
> If you want a comparable frame to The One that you can set up with 180mm of travel, what do you go with? I saw that they dropped The One in '13 and switched it out with the Balance, but that is only supposed to go up to 170mm of travel.... hmm will it still perform? Can it still crush the DH stuff?!


I bought a Balance to replace my XC bike, and I still had a downhill bike. After riding the Balance around and doing some of the downhill trails around where I live. I quickly sold my downhill bike and use my Balance as my do all bike. The Balance is able to handle the double blacks at my local resort without a problem. But then I am able to do all of the local XC rides when I want. This is one bike I can take with me on a road trip and I know it will handle whatever I throw at it.


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## charging_rhinos (Jul 29, 2008)

First, let's toss out the 'cool' factor of owning a DH bike. Hauling around extra weight just to impress others is lame. It's very much not cool when you're struggling to pedal a DH sled up a minor hill with a guy in a tie-dyed tank top on 20 year old Klein hardtail passing you while grabbing an apple out of his saddlebag. This may or may not have happened to someone that may or may not be myself... So don't worry about being seen as cool or not. The rider's skill makes a far bigger difference in how cool they look.

The 10mm difference in travel (170mm to 180mm) is not enough to be worried about, in my opinion. If you can notice 10mm of travel, I'd be very surprised. It really comes down to the terrain you're riding. The One will likely be better for the rougher stuff, but only if it's in the 200mm travel position. I know of very few people who run the One at 180mm. It seems to like the 200mm more. It feels buttery soft over chunky stuff, but it can be a bit of a bear to climb steep hills with, due to the more rearward body position. 

The Balance will likely be better for aggressive, scary trails, flowy, and jumpy trails like A Line, in my opinion. The One soaks up things very well, but the Balance seems to pop a bit more, hence my stating that it probably will jump better. But it can surely handle some super rough terrain as well. Perhaps a tad slower than the One, but it'll handle it just fine. I've seen pictures of Canfied employees hitting some SUPER gnarly, technical stuff on their Balances, and it seems to handle it just fine. Stuff that I'd be far too scared to ride on my One. And with the Balance being a few lbs lighter, that's always a good thing too.

I guess the question to answer would be: Do you want a DH bike that can be pedaled around, or do you want a do-everything bike that can handle DH? I'd bet most will fall into the second category.


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## dirtdawg21892 (Jul 20, 2009)

Im a fairly new owner of a '13 one and can agree that it soaks everything up but lacks "pop". Clearing jumps I've ridden for years is noticeably harder. Still possible, but it takes some effort. 
However drops are where it really shines, it just eats it all up and feels super planted all the time. 
I still can't get over the fact that I can taken the same bike on 30 mile rides without significantly more effort. I'm really digging it. 

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk


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## NWS (Jun 30, 2010)

I'm pretty certain that "pop" has more to do with shock and spring tuning than with the frame design. A little more compression damping and/or a little more air pressure and/or one notch up in spring stiffness should be able to get you more pop if you want it. And try changes at both ends.


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## guitarjohn21 (Jan 16, 2012)

I set up my '13 One a couple ways:
For everyday AM riding it's in the 200mm setting. I set the sag to 30% for a plush feel on gnarly trails, and about 25% sag when I'm doing more tech climbing and want to avoid pedal strikes. I also add a few clicks of LSC from the DBAIR base tunes.

For bike parks where I'm jumping all day long, I really like the 180mm setting. It realy turns into a mini DH bike as it slackens out slightly and just loves to take a corner. The lower BB will be noticable at first and might take a minute to get used to. I have only run the sag at 30% in the 180mm setting so far, and I have been trying different shock settings. Usually it's just a bit more LSR to prevent bucking on jumps. I also take a 5-10 lbs out of the Metric 180mm fork I have on it to even out the feel. Set up like this, it becomes a great jumper. About 15 trips to Snow Summit this summer and I rode the Canfield more than my 303WC.
I rarely ride my DH bike anymore. So much pushing up the smallest hills. It's great at parks like Mammoth, but I find when I bring the Canfield along, I ride it there just as much. I put a KS LEV on The One and now I ride it more than any of my other 5 bikes.


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## shwinn8 (Feb 25, 2006)

I've been contemplating buying The One.. I just don't have the funds/job security right now but an all MT. platform would be nice!


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## guitarjohn21 (Jan 16, 2012)

shwinn8 said:


> I've been contemplating selling The One.. I just don't have the funds/job security right now but an all MT. platform would be nice!


I just put on a 2x Front der, dropper post, and mine became an AM destroyer.


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## shwinn8 (Feb 25, 2006)

My bad, I mentioned to say buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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