The wait is nearly over. Bikes from Canyon, the popular, direct-to-consumer German brand, will be available for delivery in the US in the third quarter of 2017. Until now, Canyon has sold throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand, shipping tuned bikes direct to riders' doors. Canyon claims that assembly of its bikes — which are often substantially cheaper than competitors', thanks to the absence of the middle man — takes less than 15 minutes, with tools and instructions provided.
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Canyon's US facility will be located in Southern California where staff will put the final touches on the bikes they warehouse before shipping them out. Canyon US will also handle customer service. Frank Aldorf, Canyon's chief marketing officer, said that it is important to have customer and technical service in the US done by employees who speak the language natively. "From the very first day of operation we want to be certain we provide the best service," Aldorf said.
In 2016, Canyon was aiming to launch in the US in the second quarter of 2017. That target date has now been revised to Q3 (July, August, September).
"We want to be here with 2018 product," Aldorf said. "We want to be here with the latest technology, with the latest product that we can offer. The US customers are the ones who have waited the longest."
Aldorf also mentioned that Canyon knows how vital it is to have a full range of sizes for its most popular bikes ready to go.
US customer's orders will be fulfilled from the SoCal warehouse and should arrive within two weeks of an order being placed. Once delivered, it should only take 15 minutes to assemble the bike, Aldorf said. To simplify the customer's bike-building process, Canyon developed packaging where you only have to put on the handlebars, stem and front wheel. Tools and instructions (including online videos) are provided, plus the bike box itself can be used as a bike stand to ease assembly.
When asked whether Canyon would be working with any mobile bike service shops, Aldorf said the brands has no plans to do so. "A lot of bike shops are welcoming us," he said. "They are open to working on Canyon bikes. It is great for us to see."
Warranty claims will be handled on a case by case basis, perhaps sending a customer a new part when applicable. Regarding fit, Aldorf that "95% of people are totally fine with the stems and bars and cranks provided" and for those needing a different length, customer service will work with them as needed.