The bike industry has been waiting a long time for the E-MTB entry of the mail-order giant Canyon - with the Spectral On the first product from Koblenz is now available. We spoke to Canyon founder and Managing Director Roman Arnold about the opportunities and risks of going electric. How does Canyon deal with the sensitive issue of service?
BIKE: Canyon launches its first E-MTB on the market in 2018. The competition from Specialized and Co. was a few years earlier. Did they underestimate the potential of e-MTBs in Koblenz?
Roman Arnold: Until recently, e-drives were not yet suitable for what we think of as pure cycling. Keyword geometry, the need for long chainstays, Q-factor or the internal friction and thus practically the physical limitation to 25 km/h. That's not Canyon. Simply jumping on a trend, that's not Canyon.
Canyon stands for pure cycling. How does electric assistance fit into this philosophy?
Our E-MTB is a rider-orientated bike. We have attached great importance to the geometry, handling, utility and weight, so that the Spectral On does not lose the typical MTB riding experience. On our bike, you are the pilot, not the passenger. The drive increases the fun factor, attracts new customers to the sport and enables people with different levels of training to have fun together on the bike. That fits in perfectly with pure cycling!
At first glance, the Spectral On is not very spectacular. The drive comes from the standard Shimano range, there are hardly any surprising details, no carbon, no battery integration. But when it comes to racing bikes and mountain bikes, Canyon is right at the forefront when it comes to innovation. How do you explain this?
Innovation is great when it benefits the customer. You have to ride the Spectral On to feel the benefits. The customer was at the centre of all details: the Shimano drive is currently the best choice for sporty bikers. The 29-inch front wheel concept has noticeable advantages off-road, steering is more precise, the wide rear wheel protects against punctures and provides maximum traction. The semi-integrated battery is easier to charge and change than a fully integrated one, the frame weight is therefore lower and the design also allows frame size XS. This is difficult with integrated batteries! With the compact spare battery from Shimano in your backpack, you simply double the range - and too short a range is the big fun killer on an E-MTB! Every customer benefits from short cranks, powerful brakes, stable wheels and tyres, our unique e-bike saddle and a bottle fits in the frame. Last but not least, the geometry adjustment enables perfect fine-tuning for the terrain. What's more, the Spectral On is up to two kilos lighter than the competition - weight does indeed play a major role in sporty e-biking!
E-MTBs can hardly be compared with conventional bikes in terms of weight and handling. The batteries are dangerous goods that require particularly careful handling. Batteries are even taboo when travelling by air. As a direct seller, this is likely to present Canyon with major challenges. What is the direction of travel here?
We realise that we can't sell e-bikes without a coordinated customer service. This also took the time in development that we talked about at the beginning. We are now very well prepared. We work together with an international logistics service provider who reliably handles everything from e-bike handling to battery transport for us. We have also developed a patented E-Bikeguard transport box to ensure that the bike arrives perfectly at the customer. Nobody else offers that!
Servicing and maintenance work on an E-MTB by post is also likely to be much more time-consuming than with purely muscle-powered bikes. The odd error message is not uncommon. Is there also a concept here?
Our call centres and service workshops in the relevant countries are staffed with advisors and specialists for questions relating to e-bikes. We also want to inform customers about these topics on our website right from the start. Test rides are also possible at numerous events in addition to our showroom in Koblenz. We offer customers a mobile service and stationary contact points in their neighbourhood relatively quickly. By the way: During the development phase, we generally found the Shimano system to be unproblematic.
The Spectral On is surely just the beginning of a larger product range of e-MTBs from Koblenz. Can we expect electric Neurons, Torques or Strives in the future?
For Canyon, the E-MTB is another variant of the mountain bike. We believe that there are different areas of use and requirements for an E-MTB and will soon be offering more models to match.
Shimano, Bosch, Brose - you can expect a lot from the major motor manufacturers in the future. Systems from TQ and Fazua are also very promising. Will Canyon E-MTBs only be available with Shimano in the future or is the choice of drive system open?
The decision in favour of a particular drive depends on the area of application. Currently, each has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on what is required. We generally choose the drive that best suits the concept.
What do you think of minimal assist drives, for example the Fazua drive?
The topic of minimal assist certainly has potential, especially in the road and XC MTB categories. The riding experience that can be developed from this depends on the drive. We will certainly see some new concepts in this area.
Canyon is heavily involved in competition. The Canyon Factory Enduro Team is one of the best in the world. The Enduro World Series will soon be offering an E-MTB classification. Will Canyon be involved in E-MTB competition disciplines?
We are observing what is happening here and certainly have opportunities to take action through our team. At the moment, however, it is not possible to predict which direction the development will take. The racing series and manufacturers would have to sit down together and develop a coherent concept.
Roman, your heart beats for cycling. Would you personally ride an assisted road bike or an assisted MTB?
Of course, I've been riding our E-MTB prototype for a while now. I have to say, it's pure cycling and an assisted road bike also fits in perfectly with Canyon.
What market share of the Canyon product range do you predict for E-MTBs in five years' time?
I can't answer that yet. But it is clear to me that a Canyon will always offer the best pure cycling experience. We are convinced that the non-motorised bike has a future. An e-bike is a nice addition, but it will never completely replace the purely muscle-powered nature experience. Ski lifts have not made ski tourers extinct either!
Roman Arnold, thank you for the interview.
We were able to Canyon Spectral On already tested extensively in the lab and in practice, the results are available in EMTB 1/2018, on sale from 13 March. First things first: in addition to the typical price-performance ratio, the Spectral On also offers exceptional features on the trail and sets new standards in some areas.
