Canyon announces a solution for new Aeroad handlebars

Two weeks on from Mathieu van der Poel’s infamous broken handlebar and the subsequent “stop riding” notice for the new Aeroad CFR and CF SLX bikes, Canyon has announced an update for customers. 

In an email to Aeroad customers and a subsequent post on the Aeroad CF SLX private Facebook group, Canyon has confirmed it will replace the handlebars on all CFR and CF SLX bikes. 

“To ensure the safety of our customers, we will replace the drop bars on the cockpit with a reinforced version,” read an announcement from the consumer-direct bike company.

The new reinforced CP0018 and CP0015 cockpits will not be available until July, and Canyon reiterated the “stop riding” notice would remain in place until the updated bars are fitted. 

This timeline means Aeroad owners face a minimum of three months with their bikes off the road. To compensate riders for this inconvenience, Canyon will credit €1000 to the bank accounts of all affected model CF SLX owners and €1300 to affected CFR owners. 

Concerning the credit, Canyon said, “The payment is linked to the repair and will be made after the replacement of the drop bars has been carried out and you have received your Aeroad back from us.”

This means new Aeroad owners will face a similar wait for the credit, which theoretically could be useful now for riders to get a bike on the road while their affected machines are off the road. 

However, the last three words of that line may be more worrying, “back from us” suggests there will be no option for riders to fit the new handlebars at home or in a local bike shop, and instead, all bikes will need to be packaged and returned to Canyon. With presumably a vast number of handlebars to replace and current delays in shipping worldwide (especially in Europe), the July timeline could easily stretch into August or September for unlucky riders at the back of the queue. 

While the idea of leaving a new bike in the shed for months will be hellish for some riders, there is even worse news for those who have ordered a new Aeroad but not yet received it. Reports suggest that Canyon informed customers expecting new Aeroad deliveries in the coming weeks that their orders are now delayed until the Autumn and do not qualify for the credit. 

In more disappointing news for Aeroad riders, Canyon also provided an update on the seat post issues that arose before “handlebar-gate”. “While it is not a safety issue, it has been an inconvenience for some of you, and we expect to be able to offer you a suitable solution this Fall that will satisfy you 100%. We are sorry that we cannot give you an earlier date at the moment, but once we have replaced your cockpit, it is safe to ride the bike with the existing seatpost. It is important to us that you are back on your Aeroad as soon as possible and we are doing our best to make that happen.” 

Global tech editor, James Huang, reported last week that Canyon may have a solution for the issue in the form of a redesigned seatpost, unfortunately for Aeroad riders this solution may take some time, no doubt delayed by the aforementioned handlebar issue and associated safety issues.

Do you own a new Aeroad? Are you happy with a credit in return for three months without your new bike? Share your thoughts on these issues and updates in the comments below.

For more information regarding the new Aeroad, Canyon asks that customers contact them here. 

The full statement from Canyon on the reinforced handlebars reads:

As promised, we’ll keep you updated on your Aeroad and we are responding with this update.

As you know, our Alpecin Fenix pro Mathieu van der Poel broke part of the handlebars of his Canyon Aeroad CFR during a bike race at the beginning of March. This potential issue did not show up in any of our industry-standard intensive testing procedures according to ISO4210-5, which we always carry out before launching new products. To ensure the safety of our customers, we will replace the drop bars on the cockpit with a reinforced version.

What does that mean for you?

We will be fitting your bike with the new drop bars, which we expect will be available starting in July. We have asked you not to use your Aeroad until then. To compensate you for the downtime of not being able to ride your Aeroad CF CFR and to thank you for your loyalty and patience, we will give you a credit of 1,300 Euros (or the equivalent amount in your local currency). The payment is linked to the repair and will be made after the replacement of the drop bars has been carried out and you have received your Aeroad back from us. We will contact you in due time about the exact repair and payment procedure.

You are probably also wondering about the status of the seat post. While it is not a safety issue, it has been an inconvenience for some of you, and we expect to be able to offer you a suitable solution this Fall that will satisfy you 100%. We are sorry that we cannot give you an earlier date at the moment, but once we have replaced your cockpit, it is safe to ride the bike with the existing seatpost. It is important to us that you are back on your Aeroad as soon as possible and we are doing our best to make that happen.

If you have any questions regarding your Aeroad, please feel free to contact us via the following link https://www.canyon.com/en-us/contact/.

Best regards,

Your Canyon Team