Placed an order with Canyon on 2 April. Received an email on Wednesday saying it had been dispatched, with a UPS tracking number, which I’ve been checking like the proverbial watched pot ever since. Then, sometime yesterday morning, after trips through Frankfurt, Cologne and Brussels, the website said it had finally arrived in the UK. Delivery to customer scheduled for Friday (today): just in time for the weekend. Perfect.

So, I wake up at 8:00am, make myself a coffee, and wait for the doorbell. 9:00am passes. Then 10:00am. I decide to check the UPS online tracker, only to find out that delivery has apparently already been attempted, at 9:15am. Erm, no it hadn’t.

I get straight on the phone to UPS, who are very apologetic, but inform me that there’s nothing they can do. Delivery is rescheduled for Monday. No weekend riding for me. 🙁 I leave to head into the office, and on the way out spot a delivery card from UPS, marked up with the wrong bloody flat number. (The driver must have simply misread it – the address on both the Canyon order form and the UPS tracker was correct. The flat it seems they tried to deliver to is vacant.) Grrrarsegrumblegrumblegrumble. 👿

Anyhoo, I come back from work, and to my considerable surprise, find this waiting outside my flat.

I assume the driver must have come back – good work UPS! 😀

(Pics to follow, obviously. Just give me a few minutes to put it together.)

They left a bike box outside?!?!?

Good job nobody helped themselves!

what is it????

if it’s not one of these http://road.cc/content/news/80725-just-canyon-ultimate-cf-slx-2013 I’m not interested

They left a bike box outside?!?!?

Sorry, I should have been clearer – they left it in the hall outside my flat, but inside the block.

what is it????

if it’s not one of these http://road.cc/content/news/80725-just-canyon-ultimate-cf-slx-2013 I’m not interested

Not one of those, sadly.

EDIT: Hang on, so you’re saying you wouldn’t be interested if it was one of these?

It’s not one of those either, but still… 😀

…find this waiting outside my flat.

So on Monday, you ring them again.

“I waited in all day and my delivery hasn’t arrived again”

Free bike !

Not ordered a pair of sram split links off CRC have you?

It could be them that’s in the box… 😉

rOcKeTdOg – Member
if it’s not one of these http://road.cc/content/news/80725-just-canyon-ultimate-cf-slx-2013 I’m not interested

790g for the frame (in size L)… I’ve got tyres that nearly weigh twice as much as that 😆

So on Monday, you ring them again. “I waited in all day and my delivery hasn’t arrived again” Free bike !

I like your thinking. I just checked the online tracking again and apparently it was signed for by ‘Landey’. That’s definitely not any of the other tenants in my block, so it’s either the driver’s name, or he tried to write ‘landing’.

Not ordered a pair of sram split links off CRC have you? It could be them that’s in the box

In a box that small? They’re good, but they can’t cheat physics.

Here it is:

Oh, and in anticipation of a flood of comments, I am already aware that:

1) It is a big frame.
2) The stem is not slammed.
3) The stem is not inverted.
4) The dork disk is still fitted.
5) The bar tape is white.
6) The kitchen needs renovating.

😀

Obviously haven’t had a chance to ride it yet, but the fit feels good and the frame seems nicely made. Feels pretty heavy, but then it is a 62…

do the pans scratch the paint on the wall?

Congratulations feller, it look lovely.

I’d turn the pans the other way round so they don’t get sneezed on

Impressive frying pan collection you’ve got there.

No ones mentioned the oven glove…….. I will get my coat…

Looks nice, canyons road bikes look like great value for money.

Unusual radiator cover there !

Had my first ride on it today. It’s my first ever road bike, so I’m afraid I can’t really give any meaningful feedback for experienced riders, but it felt bloody great to me.

The steering was obviously much sharper than I’m used to and it’s also my first time riding clipped in (I thankfully managed to avoid any embarrassing ‘timber’ moments when trying to unclip), but I was surprised at how natural it felt. The fit is absolutely spot on – in all honesty, it fits me better than my MTB – and I even enjoyed riding in the drops.

It did make me realise how much I take for granted on my MTB, like disc brakes and suspension – going back to rim brakes was quite a shock, and even what looked like perfectly smooth roads felt quite jarring through rigid forks and skinny tyres inflated to 100psi.

As you might expect, I also found the ride a bit twitchy at times – particularly when riding standing up, which is certainly going to take some practice – but my overriding impression was MY GOD THIS THING IS FAST. I know everyone says how much easier it is to pick up and hold speed on a road bike, but I’d never have believed the difference was so great. Compared to my MTB, it felt almost like riding downhill. It was quite an addictive feeling! 😀

So, in summary, I couldn’t be happier. Looking forward to getting some proper miles in over the coming weeks.