Canyon has revealed a one-of-a-kind gravel bike built for its shareholder, NBA player LeBron James. The custom 32-inch-wheeled Grizl CF in size 3XL was engineered in Koblenz, Germany, for the 6ft 9in athlete.
Rather than functioning as a prototype or display model, the bike is a fully operational build. With a larger wheel diameter the custom bike is designed to roll over obstacles with less rolling resistance and shock to the rider.
As almost no 32-inch production frames exist and tyre options remain limited, the frame features a bespoke carbon layup developed specifically for the loads applied by a rider of James’ size, with added structural reinforcement throughout. The thru-axles are custom CNC-machined with boost spacing to complement the carbon manufacturing process, and the bike also incorporates a custom seat clamp.
Canyon designed and manufactured the bike in southern Germany alongside specialist partners. The company used the project to evaluate new construction processes intended to reduce development timelines for future products and refine its approach to building equipment for both professional athletes and consumers.
Wolfgang Kohl, Lead Engineer, Gravel at Canyon said “Creating this bike was not merely a case of taking the current frame design and making it bigger. The geometry might land in the right place, but the loads don’t scale the way the dimensions do. Everything needed to get re-engineered or the bike simply wouldn’t function as a responsive system to the rider.”
Kohl added “This was an opportunity to make something genuinely cutting edge and it took a full engineering team to do it. Every part we made for him taught us something we’ll use again. By testing with the fastest or strongest athletes in the world, we get critical feedback on rider feel for those at the more extreme ends of size and power dimensions. That feedback certainly informs and improves what we do for the more typical Canyon rider.”
LeBron James said “On most bikes I’ve ridden, I was aware of the bike, where it didn’t fit me, what I was working around. This is the first one that I didn’t have to think about. That’s what I love most about riding. It’s just you out there and everything else is gone.”
LeBron James grew up riding in Akron, OH, using a bicycle for transport to basketball practice and around his hometown. The athlete has been an investor in Canyon since his LRMR Ventures group acquired an equity stake in 2022. James received the bike in Akron, OH, alongside his former high school basketball teammates.
The custom Grizl CF 3XL build is a one-off item and is not available for commercial sale. The specification details for the custom bike include:
- Drivetrain: SRAM Red AXS XPLR, 38T chainring, 10–46T cassette
- Wheels: DT Swiss XR1700 32-inch
- Tyres: Schwalbe G-ONE RX
- Handlebar: Canyon Gravel Cockpit CP0039, 16-degree flare
- Frame size: 3XL
- The custom frame geometry comprises:
- Seat tube length: 625mm
- Top tube length: 642mm
- Stack height: 680mm
- Reach: 470mm
- Head tube length: 194mm
- Chain stay length: 476mm
- Wheelbase: 1,201mm
- Head tube angle: 71.2 degrees
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