Canyon goes titanium: German bike company begins prototype work with new metal

Canyon Bicycles is looking to produce titanium bikes it seems, after linking up with an American company to produce prototype components and frames made from the metal.

At present, the German company just makes its bikes from carbon or aluminium, but the move suggests that it might switch to another material in the new future.

Canyon has begun working with a titanium manufacturer, Iperion X, which specialises in a recycled and low-carbon process to develop a more sustainable way to produce future titanium components, including bike frames.

It produces titanium metal powders from scrap titanium at a facility in Utah in the United States. Plans are also in place to increase production at a facility in Virginia. Canyon has initially agreed to prototype components that will run until June 2025.

According to a report from Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, it’s widely anticipated that at the end of their current agreement, Canyon and Iperion X are expected to ink a new deal which would see an agreement in place for larger scale production.

On the brands work with Iperion X, Canyon COO Alison Jones said: "Connecting IperionX to our product development and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) teams is allowing us to identify bicycle components that can be produced using their low-cost, low-carbon, fully recycled titanium powders."

"This is a real breakthrough technology for us, and we look forward to deploying this innovative technology in the production of more sustainable titanium for use in Canyon Bicycles."

Titanium is desirable as a frame material due to three qualities. Its strength, weight and resistance to corrosion. Using it as a frame material also eliminates the need for paint as a corrosion inhibitor.

Iperion X CEO Anastasios (Taso) Arima said that the brand “looked forward to progressing the partnership” with Canyon towards further use of titanium in bike production in the future.

"Our partnership with Canyon highlights the importance of fully circular, sustainable materials to customers with leading environmental goals,"  Arima said. “We are very pleased to be applying the patented technologies to create 100% recycled titanium parts for a leading company in a very large addressable market.”

Canyon has a bike partnership with two teams in the WorldTour, Movistar and Alpecin-Deceuninck. 

Riding for the latter, Mathieu van der Poel recently won Milan-San Remo on a prototype Canyon Aeroad model. 

The Dutchman was spotted by Cyclingnews aboard a prototype Canyon race bike at the tail end of 2022, and it appeared that the same model was then painted into team colours ready for the start of his Spring Classics campaign.