From metal trailers to the digital world. This is how you could roughly summarise Canyon's success story. It all began in 1963, when the brothers Franc and Roman Arnold took over their father's business. Back then, he travelled to bike races with a metal trailer and sold his bike parts directly to his customers. The two brothers took up the idea of direct sales and opened their first shop in Koblenz in 1985 under the name "Rad-Sport-Arnold". As pioneers at the time, they relied on ordering bicycles and accessories by catalogue. To bring the idea into the new millennium, the new name "Canyon Bicycles" was created in 2002. Just one year later, direct sales via the Internet were launched. This sales model has been retained to this day and instead of catalogues, there are now websites and online shops where you can buy the coveted Canyon bikes.
Where does Canyon come from?
The Canyon company comes from Germany. More precisely from Koblenz. Every bike is assembled, checked and tested there in the company's own factory. The development and prototyping of Canyon bikes also takes place at the company headquarters in Koblenz. The company also has its own showroom, where the most successful models of recent years are on display - including those that have made history in road and mountain bike racing. Various current bike models can be tried out here and tested on a test ride before purchase. In the service area with adjoining workshop, bikes can be tinkered with and repaired.
Where does Canyon produce?
Like other bicycle manufacturers, Canyon has parts produced in Asia. More precisely, in China, in the city of Dongguan, part of the Pearl River Delta economic region. The producer is called Quest Composite Technology and manufactures bicycle frames and forks. In addition to Canyon, the manufacturer also produces bicycle parts for the American brand Trek. However, the forks and bicycle frames of the two competing brands are largely produced separately. Quest Composite Technology also manufactures lifestyle and medical products.
Where are Canyon bikes made?
The complete assembly of the bikes themselves is "Made in Germany", although the bike frames and forks are produced in China. The finished Canyon bike is created from the individual parts in a factory not far from Koblenz. The freshly delivered frames are prepared for assembly and reworked as required. The headset is pressed in using a press-fit tool and the wheels are checked, inspected and prepared. The missing bike parts are added in further steps. Around 400 finished bikes roll off the production line at the Canyon Factory every day. The quality control of individual parts, such as carbon frames, forks or carbon handlebars, is carried out on a spot check basis in the in-house X-ray machine. Before the bike is finally dispatched, it is test ridden and then dismantled. The bike is then delivered directly to your home or to one of the selected partners, where the bike is then assembled and can be collected by the buyer.
3D printing for a more sustainable Canyon bike
A lot has happened since the company produced its first mountain bike under the name "Canyon" in 1996. Canyon has repeatedly come up with innovations - such as making inroads into the field of sustainability through the possibility of 3D printing.
As recently as 2022, a prototype bicycle frame was presented that was printed in three different parts in order to minimise material consumption. A first step towards environmentally friendly production on site. The process used to produce the bicycle frame with additive manufacturing is "laser melting". This involves melting a material in powder form using a laser. It then cools and finally solidifies. This creates a solid layer of material, which also forms the basis for the component to be manufactured. The process is then repeated until there is enough material to manufacture the component.
As part of our BIKE Project Ride GreenIn the context of the "Sustainable Bicycle" project, which aimed to build a sustainable bike, Canyon had the idea of using the additive manufacturing process with the help of 3D printing to produce a frame. Although the frame will not initially be marketed, the initial impetus has already been generated. The think tank of innovation at Canyon is therefore running at full speed. And so it is no wonder that the first production bike with the K.I.S system invented by Syntace head Jo Klieber (Keep It Stable), which Canyon Spectral CF 8.0 K.I.S was introduced. The special feature of the system from the manufacturer Syntace is that the unequal forces that arise when steering are equalised. The K.I.S ensures that the front wheel is centred to create a smoother ride.
Update: Canyon gets new headquarters in Koblenz
1200 cycling enthusiasts at Canyon's Koblenz headquarters, which means that the premises have reached their limits. The solution? A new building with 300 fully equipped workstations, 13 large conference rooms and 7 open-plan work areas on 4 floors - right next door.
In the modern and inspiring environment, we can optimally pursue our ambitious future plans and the global sustainable growth of Canyon. The new Canyon.HQ also fulfils our aim of creating attractive working conditions for our employees and promoting an open and inspiring culture at Canyon. - Canyon CEO Nicolas de Ros Wallace
Understanding sustainability as a holistic and company-changing topic
Canyon has applied the latest energy and climate standards in the construction of its new building to fulfil its commitment to holistic sustainability. The heating system utilises air/heat pumps in conjunction with a photovoltaic system to extract heat from the ambient air and feed it into the building. There are three generously dimensioned ventilation systems with a heat exchanger for heat recovery. Canyon is also committed to the highest energy standards at its global sites: All Canyon sites in Germany and the USA are supplied with 100 per cent electricity from renewable sources.
Question: Where are Canyon bikes made?
According to Canyon, around 1,400 employees currently work at the company's locations around Koblenz and Amsterdam (Netherlands), as well as in Carlsbad (USA) and the 14 international partner companies in Europe and worldwide. The new Canyon.HQ is located right next to the Canyon showroom in Koblenz, where visitors can experience Canyon bikes and equipment up close. There is also another showroom in Carlsbad (California, USA) and a factory service location in Belgium.
