German bike brand Canyon Bicycles has launched a cycling initiative with basketball champion LeBron James to inspire a new generation of cyclists and share the benefits of the sport.
The collaboration launched with a video that features LeBron demonstrating the freedom, independence and joy of cycling to up-and-coming mountain biker Olivia Silva.
It builds on Canyon’s partnership with the athlete, who’s been an investor of the brand since 2022 and a bicycle advocate since childhood.
“Serving and working with athletes is part of our DNA as a brand,” Canyon Bicycles CEO Nicolas de Ros Wallace told Zag Daily. “Athletes as well as our ambassadors excel at what they do and we share the same values of pushing boundaries and challenging expectations – whether it’s on trails, tracks or roads or with our products.
“LeBron truly believes in the power of cycling. Together, we aim to inspire our fans to explore what’s possible through cycling.”
Canyon has a portfolio of more than 270 athletes and worked with cycling champions such as Mathieu van der Poel, Chloé Dygert, Fabio Wibmer, Tahnee Seagrave and Jan Frodeno to inspire fans and passionate riders. The brand works with its ambassadors, such as LeBron and Finnish racing driver Valtteri Bottas to reach new audiences and inspire those who aren’t necessarily involved in cycling.
“Athletes inspire everyone. We strongly believe in that power of inspiring people to ride by showing what’s possible with a bike, whether that’s winning on the biggest stages or simply riding every day,” says Nicolas.
“Riding a bike has always been a big part of my life,” LeBron said. “When I was growing up, it was how I got around– from riding with friends across the city to getting to practise and wherever I needed to be.
“It gave me the freedom to not only get to places, but to access things that otherwise would have been out of reach. Even now, riding a bike makes me feel like a kid again. There’s nothing like feeling the air on your face and that freedom to just ride.”
The cycling advocacy collaboration also sees Canyon provide bikes to the the LeBron James Family Foundation’s ‘I Promise’ programme which encourages students to finish school, live healthier and active lives, and aim for a bright future. This is in line with Canyon’s ‘Ride Responsibly’ programme which supports communities and people in need as well as social and environmental programmes.
“We support these aims and also the ‘I Promise’ approach of ‘earned not given’ which means donating the bikes to students after they succeed in school,” Nicolas said. “It is about having access to support for learning and growing as a child and teenager, but it’s also about a shared mindset to be the best they can be in everything they do. That is the promise they give.”
