The long wait is over, since 2007 Canyon has been a brand on the radar in the Australian Cycling Forums. In 2008 when Cadel Evans Team Silence-Lotto announced that they were moving to Canyon for the 2009 season, Australian interest grew further and this was cemented by UCI World Championship road race victory by Cadel Evans in 2009 on a Canyon.
Though demand for Canyon bikes in Australia grew following the connection with Cadel, the brand remained elusive. Canyon Bicycles is a German brand, founded in 1985 in Koblenz (130km from Frankfurt) and they made their mark with the customer-direct business model, bypassing bike shops and middle-men. Internet sales propelled brand success and rather than becoming a budget brand, Canyon are positioned in the mid-range and high-end bike segment for road bikes and mountain bikes. In competing against other brands, Canyon bikes has offered excellent value for money and the brand quality confirmed in European cycling media time and time again.
As the wave of Aussie pro-cycling success on the Canyon passed, Australian interest remained but there was no gratification in sight. When I queried Canyon in 2009 and again at Eurobike in Germany in 2010, they recognised the interest from Australians however noted that the legal obligations posed an administrative challenge (with regard to satisfying consumer rights under European law).
Fast forward to 2015, Canyon Germany remained non-committal even when a job vacancy for and Australian Market manager was advertised. But finally in July, Canyon confirmed an Australian launch and announced Darryl Moliere as their Australian manager with plans to start sales of their 2016 bikes late in 2015.
Today marks the official start of Australian and New Zealand sales and from the press release, Darryl Moliere states, “These last few months have been non-stop so now we’re really excited to finally get the show underway. All the feedback we’ve received since we announced Canyon is coming here has been hugely positive. People already know the products, they know how Canyon works and what we offer, and now they cannot wait to get their hands on the bikes. We’ve got a great team here ready to make sure everything runs smoothly for our new customers. It’s going to be a big moment seeing all the new Canyon bikes roll out on the roads and trails over here!”
The currency exchange currently works in favour of Australian customers, as an example example Canyon Ultimate CF SL 9.0 is €3.199 in Germany which is $4,860. Australians however can purchase it for $4,499 and add $199 shipping for a total of $4,698 which means it is better value down under.
The launch of Canyon Bikes in Australia is just in time for Christmas and Darryl Moliere confirmed on the phone that for bikes currently in-stock, the delivery time will be circa one week. Bikes in-stock are called Express Bikes and can be viewed here.
Selection of Canyon Road Express Bikes which are in stock
With 2016 models already available to Europeans, Australians can expect a wait for some of the popular models and sizes, the delivery times are documented on the website and earmarked for February and March 2016.
Availability and ETA displayed online
For buyers, the German brand has with a solid reputation for quality and customer satisfaction. Canyon offer 6 years guarantee and a 30 day right of return.
One challenge for Australian cyclists is sizing and the Canyon team in Australia promise to be at cycling events in Australia to provide the opportunity to test-ride. For sales and after-sales support, the local team provide support via phone, email and online chat.
I also tried their online chat and asked how they help customers with frame sizing, Adrian responded,
1. We ask the customer what geometry their current bike is and compare
2. There is a sizing system on the website called the Perfect Position System which recommends a size based on key sizing data
3. Customers are also able to call us and we can take them through it based on the height, riding style etc. we are all fairly experienced at this having previous bike fitting experience.
Australian customers can visit canyon.com/en-au/ to view the range.
