PeteHski

Cheers Bob, Happy NY to you too!

I agree customer support is key and it looks pretty patchy for Canyon in some countries. Canyon support over in the UK has been generally positive from what I've seen and experienced, but maybe the pandemic is creating a strain at the moment. My new bike is due in early Feb, so I'm hoping for the best.

davethelefty

Pete -- did I read correctly that you have a Canyon on order? That's exciting, what model?

I'm confident that in time Canyon is going to get its **** together. Despite all my whining I'm still a Canyon fan, and I would only advise a potential buyer to be mindful of the times we're in. A Trek LBS advised me that they were having difficulty with warranty issues, unless it was something small/simple that they might have a part for. I asked them how they were surviving (this is a store that does a lot of road and Tri/TT business) and they said they were selling cheap cruisers, and believe it or not, 75 lb. behemoth e-bikes.

I've been riding my hybrid/city bike mostly on paved trails, but also doing some light gravel riding. Now I'm seeing that for light gravel, Canyon is pushing the Endurace -- my model. So when I do get it, I'll road ride it a bit as I do have some road goals (upcoming half-centuries), then consider if I want to mod it for gravel.

PeteHski

That's right I've got an Endurace CF SL8 eTap on order. I'm planning to use it for some big sportive events this year, including the L'Etape du Tour (if it doesn't get cancelled a 3rd time!).

davethelefty

After the 6 month ordeal of getting my cracked steerer tube warranty issue resolved with Canyon, I'm happy to say I have my bike back. Canyon resolved the issue by giving me a matching frameset and fork, which necessitated my sending my bike back to the factory. A Canyon bike builder pulled the components off my bike and put them on the new frame. Here it is (sharp eyes will catch that I don't have the stock Canyon saddle on the bike -- this is after I assembled it, added the saddle and pedals). The color is Islandic Lava -- gray/silver with orange trim. Not a color I'd have chosen over my original Hellfire Red bike, but it works and I like it!!

Some thoughts and lessons learned over the process:

• Be patient -- I think warranty issues take time, regardless of whether you're dealing with direct-to-consumer or through a LBS
• If things aren't moving as quickly or correctly as you think they should be, don't hesitate to use social media. It was a couple of tweets on Twitter that broke things open for me. Having Canyon corporate marketing aware of a potential brand issue communicated on social media seemed to do the trick.
• Think about your N+1 strategy. My 2nd bike is a hybrid/city bike -- a suitable vehicle for getting out on the roads and trails, but missing some factors such as speed, lightness, and responsiveness. Ask yourself what would happen if your most favorite bike was out of commission for 6 months. I know -- being without a favored bike is not the end of the world -- life goes on. But it has made me think I need to add a gravel bike to my stable (or at least that's the excuse I'm using)
• I don't see anything wrong with buying a bike direct-to-consumer, even after learning how things break down. Having said that, my next bike will be from a LBS.

jaxgtr

glad to hear it got resolved. Yep, N+1 is always worth a review. Nothing wrong with N+3 either

PeteHski

Yeah, glad to hear they got there in the end. But seemed like a long-winded, labour intensive process! Probably would have cost them less overall just to have shipped you the new bike they already had built. Maybe their mechanics were sitting around with nothing to do during the pandemic?

davethelefty

The new frame I have was originally built out with Ultegra components and upgraded DT Swiss wheels. If I remember correctly, that bike sold for about $900 more than my model. When I suggested that Canyon just give me that Ultegra-equipped bike, or a new Endurace 7 that they're advertising they now have in stock, they said no. In the end I came out just fine -- new frameset and fork with my 105 components and wheels that only have about 2000 miles on them...

mccombs

I'm glad the OP finally got his bike back. I don't have the patience that the OP had. Kudos Davethelefty...

Recently, my bike mechanic told me it was time for a new bike and the wife approved. Canyon was at the top of my list, but as I started researching the models and customer service, I saw numerous post like this thread, issues dealing with their recent recall, and generally poor customer service. I ended up opting for another brand.

Canyon seems to have good bikes, at good prices, but there are too many stories like this one. Canyon Customer Service is losing sales for Canyon.

PeteHski

So what brand did you choose?

mstateglfr 

Your mechanic told you a new bike is needed? Group check- is that a common thing?
I dont take my bikes in for service unless its something I don have access to, so this may be a common practice and I just dont realize.

Unless the frame or fork is cracked, why is it time for a new bike?

pdlamb

I heard that when I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my front shifting. (Turns out the fder spring was broken, took about 6 weeks to get a new one installed -- I just don't like pfaffing with front derailer adjustment.) I asked my mechanic if they had anything in stock that would fit me? Nope.

I think the "problem" was I really did need some new bar tape.

mccombs

I went with a Specialized. They had one of the bikes on my wishlist in stock. So I didn't have to wait a year. LOL

All brands have their problems, and Specialized isn't perfect. However, I've heard that Specialized is pretty good about their warrantee now. And I live in relatively small town, and we have 2 Specialized dealers so I can get lots of parts and warrantee service done in town.

PeteHski

That makes sense. I've owned both Specialized and Canyon among others. No issues with either brand, although never had to test the warranty.

PeteHski

I wish it was a common thing. I could use it to convince my wife I needed a new bike. She would want recorded evidence though.
Seriously though, I think there are a few situations where you might get this advice. Cracked frame being the obvious one.

mstateglfr 

Yeah I am sure there are situations where it would happen, we mentioned the most obvious one- broken fame/fork. Besides that though, I am really struggling to come up with realistic instance where this would happen in any volume. By the casual post(how I read it), it seemed like this is a common thing- mechanics recommend a new bike.

Bikes arent toothbrushes, they dont need to be swapped out.

'Sir, your rear tire is flat. I recommend a new bike since you are here.'

mccombs

I had typed out a long response to you after typing a reply to another person. The site glitched and asked me to log in again, insteaad of posting my reply. I won't bother typing it all out again.

The short story is that my Trek Madone brakes have always sucked (proprietary Bontrager). I have talked with my mechanic for the last 2 years about "my next bike", sometimes jokingly, and sometimes more seriously depending on how bad the brakes have acted up lately. The brakes fall out of alignment often, and even the Trek store has problems getting them set up correctly. At times they have been outright dangerous. My wife rides also, and she has seen how bad the brakes can get and she was onboard with a new bike. She will get one too, when she is ready.

The last time I had my bike in to the mechanic he told me the hubs were starting to go and that they probably had a year left on them. He said I should either put new hubs, or wheels on order (due to the current parts delays), or consider the "next bike" we had discussed in the past. He is an independant mechanic and doesn't sell bikes, so he doesn't really care if I get a new bike.

Polaris OBark

mccombs If they are rim brakes on that Madone, replacing the calipers should be fairly cheap (even for high-quality brakes) and easy. Replacing hydraulics isn't that much harder. Hubs should also be serviceable and inexpensive. (Stock wheelsets generally aren't the finest, but unless things are really going to hell, they should be adequate.) Neither of those would warrant replacing the bike. But if you want a new bike, I don't want to dissuade you.

Polaris OBark

Our experiences with Canyon warranties were all pre-pandemic. The good news is once you get through the customer service gauntlet, they do honor the warranty. (Why we had to get the bike warrantied three times for three separate frame failure issues is another story.) They really do need to re-vamp how they handle customer service. It is their low point.

mstateglfr 

Yeah, brakes that a Trek store cant set up and an independent mechanic cant set up seems like a pretty legitimate reason to look at a new bike. That is a pretty significant part of a bike's worth.

mccombs

Yes, I'm aware I could have replaced the brakes, but I would still be stuck with the poor Bontrager design. I'm happy with the choice I made.

Let's get back on track to Canyon warrantee though. I hope Canyon steps up their customer service. They do seem to put out nice bikes at a more reasonable cost than most.

PeteHski

It's warranty. Warrantee is the person who you give a warranty to.

2old

Maybe this was the wrong price point, but three of my friends were looking for entry level MTB's ($!K price range), and IMO Trek had a model that was superior to Cnayon's. Why not go LBS from a company with (FME) excellent CS? They're all delighted with their new bikes.

alcjphil

I just received this yesterday. All built up and converted to tubeless. The conversion took about 15 minutes, wheels arrived already taped only had to install tubeless valves and pump the tires back up

shelbyfv

^^^Great color, congrats! Don't forget the sealant.

alcjphil

I added some today. However, the tires didn't lose air overnight, so the sealant is only for puncture protection