Canyon is Here: First bikes shipping to customers in the U.S.

Written by Zach Overholt Aug 17, 2017 1:45 p.m. ET

Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

After what seems like an eternity, Canyon bikes are finally shipping to the U.S. Well, most of them anyways. If you go to the site and start poking around, you’ll notice that a few of the bikes are listed as coming soon (like the new Inflite SLX 9.0). However, there are a number of bikes that are in stock and ready to ship – directly to the consumer. The arrival of Canyon marks one of the world’s biggest consumer direct brands landing in the U.S., further adding to the changing retail landscape. For consumers in the states, each bike comes packed in their Canyon Bikeguard reusable box, and ships via FedEx ground for $89. Customers also have the option for 2 day shipping at $150, or overnight shipping for $175. Accessories from Canyon, or things like Shimano pedals ship for $6. The website still has some bugs that need to be worked out as I got an error message at one point, and there are still a lot of products that need to be uploaded to the site for the accessories category, but you can actually buy a bike and have it shipped to your house. And for Canyon in the U.S., that’s a huge step forward.

canyon.com

SaveSave

Zach Overholt

5,630 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

55 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

OldTimerCat1

6 years ago

They need better geometry charts. They are lacking information. Making the rider buy a handlebar/stem combo that doesn’t fit them is also a problem.

Aaron

6 years ago

Reply to OldTimerCat1

How about a constructive criticism on how they can improve on their charts instead of sounding like..? LOL

OldTimerCat1

6 years ago

Reply to Aaron

They’re smart enough to include what’s being left out. Trail, BB drop, rake, etc. They don’t need me to tell them how to measure a frame I’m sure.

boom

6 years ago

The end is nigh for the LBS and local advocacy

Chader

6 years ago

Reply to boom

No, but it will require change to survive.

A shift towards service as the main focus is huge as well as fostering an active community in the area are 2 keys IMHO.

Champs

6 years ago

Reply to Chader

Yes, but you probably sent a healthy percentage of bike shop workers to the dictionary over the word “service.”

Many of them sell Specialized bikes, and now is the time to recall that company’s slogan.

Chader

6 years ago

Reply to Champs

S*crew everybody!?

Oh, wait. You mean the OTHER one…

Innovate or die…
(quite approps. well done)

Aaron

6 years ago

Reply to boom

Well, it’s going to change for sure. But time will tell on how much change.

Robin

6 years ago

Reply to boom

That’s not true at all, and there’s nothing to indicate as much. LBSs that can adapt to the new marketplace will survive. Local advocacy? I see no reason for that to be affected by Canyon’s entrance into the US market. The sky isn’t falling.

JNH

6 years ago

Reply to boom

The end began fifteen years ago when Specialized, Trek and Giant began demanding exclusive shop space, then moving own brand stores in five doors down the road. Here in the UK most of the bike shops I used to go to are gone, the ones that are surviving either focus on commuter type services (rapid repairs), ultra high end custom builds or they’ve gotten into servicing parts in a way LBS never used to do. My nearest shop is now a Fox, Rockshox and BOS and Bosch E-Motors service centre, they get plenty of business.

Flatbiller

6 years ago

Reply to JNH

Where are there Specialized-specific stores down the street from Specialized retailers? I know Trek does that, haven’t heard about Giant and Specialized.

But let me ask you: Of the shops that remain, weren’t they at one time a startup, the little guy if you will? When is the line crossed from the “little guy we must all support” to “nobody should go there, it’s too crowded?”

Nobody has ever been able to define that line. They just like paying lip service to the “little shops” until those little shops become too big that they can’t be referenced in a cool, Fight Club sort of way, sort of like hipsters and their obscure rock bands; once those rock bands are big time, the hipsters can’t drop them at speakeasies to make themselves sound cool. Of course, you can always say you read “Ulysses,” but we all know only four people ever have read that book. But it sure attracts educated women.

Padrote

6 years ago

Reply to Flatbiller

your teenage band analogies don’t quite explain how global capitalism affects local economies

Dude

6 years ago

Super stoked to have Canyon as an option now. It’s about time.

Gmundy

6 years ago

Reply to Dude

Who’s gonna build it for you? Or fit it? Or tune it up?

Artie_Fufkin

6 years ago

Reply to Gmundy

MYSELF!

Robin

6 years ago

Reply to Gmundy

One can build it themselves or have an LBS do it. One goes where other cyclists go to get bike fits: the LBS or a fitting studio. Tune up? Refer to the answers from question 1. LBSs (at least decent LBSs) don’t limit their services to only bikes that were purchased in their shop. That’d be stupid and a great way to find one’s business on the losing side of the changing marketplace.

Flatbiller

6 years ago

Will they partner with Amazon Locker or Instant Pickup? Let’s say I need a bike in the next 2 hours.

OldTimerCat1

6 years ago

Reply to Flatbiller

I think you owe it to yourself to research the history of Canyon and delivery times.

Robin

6 years ago

Reply to OldTimerCat1

Canyon admitted they had a delivery problem. They made improvements to address those problems. The new factory is online. You owe it to yourself to update your information.

TheKaiser

6 years ago

Reply to Robin

It wasn’t just a factory issue, they also implemented a new ERP system that was a horror show.

Veganpotter

6 years ago

Reply to Robin

There are still active complained about delayed orders. Your information is only what they’ve shared in press releases. Bike forums are full of angry customers with delayed shipments.

aradilon

6 years ago

Reply to Veganpotter

Only mad people put something on internet, u never hear about the fast delivery! My Grand Canyon took about 2 months to ship! But they make such good bikes and I have ordered 2 more bikes (Endurace AL and Canyon Lux) of them after the system update and I must say I got both bikes in about a week! Ordering my dreambike in februari again a Canyon!

Dylan

6 years ago

Reply to Veganpotter

I just bought two Canyon kids bikes in June so I’ll share my experience. Brief summary – The order process was a PITA, payment fell through at their end multiple times, and communication was responsive but woefully uninformative due to language issues (I speak English, and was ordering bikes through the Spanish arm of a German company…). If you need delivery guaranteed by a certain date (as I did), ordering from Canyon may not be for you.
But in the end it all worked out and delivery actually took less than 2 weeks from when I placed the order (to Barcelona).
The bikes are AWESOME and the packaging is super slick.
How awesome? Think 20″ wheel kids bike with 12mm DT through axles front and rear, hydro disc brakes, quality tyres, even nifty lock-on grips that use the brake levers to secure them to the bar.
Sure the prices are well up there, but even though I’ve bought myself carbon bikes for over $5000, I’ve never had one come with tools, let alone a good quality pedal spanner and torque wrench. Or a box with a handy guide for measuring inseam, and re-usable foam pads that you can velcro to the frame. Nor a detailed manual with 952 pages (sure, it’s in a lot of languages). Assembly using the ‘quick-start’ guide is a no brainer – insert front wheel, torque axle to spec, torque pedals to spec, measure inseam using box, set seat height according to markings on post, go ride.

——-
The long-winded version:

It’s essentially impossible to work out from their website when your bikes are going to be delivered, even if you pick one of the bikes on their “express bike” link. I think most of this is due to inconsistent translations of ‘dispatch’ and ‘delivery’, and they have some real issues with how they handle payments.

The order process for me went as follows:

1) 22 June 10pm placed my order on the website. The website gives a message that “you will receive a confirmation email in the next few minutes”. By the following morning I still hadn’t received a confirmation email, so I contacted their support, only to be told the order hadn’t processed yet. Huh? I asked them if that was normal, and the response was “This is normal. It usually takes from 48 hours to be processed”

2) 26 June the order finally gets processed through their system. I don’t know what they did wrong here, but despite having done all the ‘verified by visa’ and confirmation SMS business at the time of order, payment got rejected by my bank. This was a particular PITA for me because I was in Morocco when that happened, and don’t have global roaming on the phone number my bank has linked to my account. They didn’t send me an email to tell me payment had failed, I found out when I contacted them to find out if the bikes had shipped yet.

3) 29 June I contact them again, only to find out payment has fallen over AGAIN – even though I can still see the latest pre-auth sitting on my account. So I pay them again.

4) 29 June Finally receive a confirmation email saying my bikes are ready to be shipped, with an “estimated dispatch date 10-14 July”. Say what?! That’s cutting it fine, as the bikes are being delivered to my AirBnB hosts in Barcelona, and I’m flying out on 18 July. Contact them again to ask why it takes so long to dispatch an ‘express bike’ which is sitting in their warehouse already boxed, and am told that the ‘dispatch date’ is actually the expected delivery date.

5) 1 July the bikes get shipped.

6) 4 July bikes are safely delivered to Barcelona. Phew.

roadrash

6 years ago

Reply to OldTimerCat1

I ordered this morning, already shipped with delivery wed, nice being in the same state. I would not have ordered if not in stock. I am content so far.

Jonathon

6 years ago

Fixed sizing bar & stem combo is an issue for me :/
I’d buy the correct bar & stem width/length, but they don’t even make it

aradilon

6 years ago

Reply to Jonathon

It’s coming, probably next year, I did ask that question in a Road.cc video and they were working on it and said that it would come next year! U will also be able to change gearing ratio’s! BTW, if u have a Canyon-center near u they change it without paying extra!

Andrew

6 years ago

Still curious as to whether there are any plans to eventually expand to Canada as well!

Nick

6 years ago

No XC full suspension? OK…

Jon

6 years ago

No Lux XC mountain bikes 🙁

Rapha

6 years ago

But launching with way higher pricing and super limited selection…honestly they should have waited a month to get it right

contrarian

6 years ago

Reply to Rapha

Right. I think a lot of people are waiting for these bikes as a cheaper alternative to those offered at the local shop. For instance, you can get the Strive AL 6.0 in Germany for the equivalent of $2100 without VAT and Neuron AL 6.0 for even cheaper.

Enter-net

6 years ago

Reply to Rapha

Couldn’t agree more. The big looming threat of Canyon is hardly that.

Above someone mentioned ERP issues. Supply chain issues are more of an internal vs external threat.

Canyon’s goals of disruption were good but it looks like it will be a slower, less direct impact to ibd’s.

TDO

6 years ago

Reply to Rapha

For them just setting up, it does make sense. Anyone that wants one ASAP will be forced to get a more expensive model. Same is done with new car model releases, they’re usually slow to release lower trim models. Labor for assembly is pretty much the same regardless of price. Having lower volume and being able to hit orders on time is much better than overselling and having people complain about slow delivery.

randomperson975

6 years ago

Reply to Rapha

Also, I wish they set up in Reno or somewhere else in NV so their biggest market could escape the sales tax. Seems like a poor business decision on their end.

John Moss

6 years ago

I don’t see a reason for the sky is falling mentality. Canyon bikes are not better than the products in stores, stores build the bike, fit the rider, service the bike, etc. And, bikes have been available on the internet and mail order already. So…what’s the big deal?

Sean Calder

6 years ago

Dammit. No shipping to Canada… at least initially. Has anyone heard when they may start that?

onrhodes

6 years ago

My wife and I own 9 bikes between the two of us, 6 of them are mine. Out of the current fleet only 2 of them were purchased as a whole bike from a brick and mortar bike shop, my Trek Farley and her Jamis Renegade. I purchase most of our bikes as framesets and then cherry pick the parts I want for them Sometimes that is from a local shop, lots of times that is from online retailers or even eBay. Canyon coming to the US doesn’t mean the death of bike shops, it does offer an alternative buying platform.

One of the reasons I piece together my own bikes is because in all honesty after 28 years of riding/racing and working on my own bikes, I for sure feel I am more informed and better educated on the bike world than most of the shop employees I have interacted with. Sorry to say it, but it’s the service side of the world that is hurting shops. Trek, Cannondale, Specialized all sell nice bikes, but the weak point tends to be the sales/service side of things.

Not all shops are bad and there are actually some really stellar businesses out there but just like auto dealers and independent repair shops, I kind of see the bike world going the same way.

Kreativecid

6 years ago

Reply to onrhodes

Well said!

Crash Bandicoot

6 years ago

Reply to onrhodes

Excellently stated! This is precisely the reason that I do nearly 100% of the maintenance on our fleet of 7 bikes. Typically I’ve found LBS to be difficult with warranty issues (Not specialized dealers though they’ve been great) and the quality of service is awful in most of the shops I’ve visited with a short list being, incorrectly set limit screws, lack of torque wrench use on stems (leading to a near crash), use of unsuitable bonding agents on bottom brackets etc. There are a few good wrenches here (mostly in very expensive boutique shops) but in truth I find many shops to be slow to adapt to new technology and service to be too hit or miss to trust with the safety of my wife or myself.

Bingo

6 years ago

Reply to onrhodes

Bought my latest bike from a “high-end” boutique shop, a long distance from my home but the closest dealer. Seasoned mechanic had “pro-team” experience. Like all my other bikes, I wanted to put this bike together myself, but the owner insisted that quality and service would be impeccable. Alas, frame was ordered with incorrect dropouts, adding a month to delivery. Wrong front derailleur was ordered, and cable was absurdly routed to “make it work.” Tires were mounted backwards, and when I showed the wrench the directional arrows, he argued with me that he thought that was how they should be mounted. I could go on and on about a lot of details missed on a high-end build. Want something done right, do it yourself. Live and learn, I will not be making that mistake ever again.

Dinger

6 years ago

Reply to onrhodes

Good point but you must know that you’re a niche customer, very similar to a computer savvy enthusiast shopping at Best Buy or the Apple Store. Most customers and riders are not represented in these comments sections. A testament to this fact is how very few super high-end shops there are in the marketplace. Sure, they exist, but usually only a couple in very strong bike markets.

Most shops do a better job than they get credit for.

As for the sky falling, premium bikes have been available customer direct in the US for decades (Excel Sports, Colorado Cyclist, etc.) and Canyon is not the only brand doing consumer direct in Europe, where IBD’s do just fine. It’s going to be ok. It’s just a new brand doing things in a a different way. It has advantages and disadvantages.

D P

6 years ago

Bike shops throw events. Events raise awareness. Awareness raises safety.

Robin

6 years ago

Reply to D P

People can buy a Canyon and still go to their LBS to buy other things. It’s a valid choice and doesn’t imply the doom of the industry.

Crash Bandicoot

6 years ago

Why on earth does it seem there are only Red or Dura-Ace options available in the United States? I figured Canyon would be a good cost play but w/o frameset and Ultegra options they’re a non-starter for me.

Sick Boy

6 years ago

The traditional bike shop was destined to fail and that is irrevalent to why Canyon is here. Shops made zero effort to seek continuing ed on best business practices and birthed a massive movement to convince suppliers and even the end consumer to give them special treatment (buy local, MAP, ‘only’ we can provide service, aledged advocacy, etc), rather than put their pride aside and realize consumer demand now predicts how they run their business.

*The good intentions originated from the fact that a majority of the descision makers in the industry started in those very bike shops and have a hard time wrapping their heads around another business channel. THAT is the issue… NOT Canyon/Amazon/Big brands

Canyon has a massive satisfaction rate with no more issues than any shop’s or bike company’s. They’re a successful business model becaue of ‘you’, the customer. You told them what you wanted and how you wanted to go about getting it… and BAM!

Dinger

6 years ago

Reply to Sick Boy

” You told them what you wanted”

* in German.. We still don’t know how successful this will be in the US. It’s not the same.

Coloradogophercough

6 years ago

No try and buy; return if unused only. Also no ability to change cassette….need more gears in mountains. Wish there was more customization. Also can other comment about cost in US vs EU? Are the bikes same price in US as Europe?

John

6 years ago

Reply to Coloradogophercough

It’s as if Canyon are intentionally sabotaging themselves. No customization on launch? They’re going to competent against high-end take-it-or-leave-it bikes from the LBS with high-end take-it-or-leave-it bikes via mail order?

John

6 years ago

Reply to John

*compete against

Bill

6 years ago

Reply to John

Right. You want narrower or wider bars on your Trek or Specialized from the LBS? Guess what, you’re paying for it. Different gearing? See above. There’s literally no difference here.

Veganpotter

6 years ago

Reply to Bill

Not with Specialized and Trek’s customization programs. If you want, you can but a complete Di2 bike with a $225 wheelset and a 62cm frame with 38cm wide bars

Dan Lind

6 years ago

Above a certain price point, bike shops should not sell bikes at all. They should sell frames and then offer the customer custom build options after a bike fit. That’s what people want, that’s what they should receive. Bike fitting should be a huge revenue stream. The profit margin on individual components is higher than on complete bikes from the manufacturer. Customers feel like they receive a truly customized buying experience. Win-win-win.

Veganpotter

6 years ago

Reply to Dan Lind

Shops wouldn’t do that well. People would be buying all their groupos online. Complete bikes are so much cheaper for the shop to order. And if you do build a bike piece by piece and go through the shop, you can spend thousands more instead of having to swap a bar and stem that a shop will often discount heavily or do for free if they have a takeoff from another build.