Canyon Bicycles, a German bike maker, has teamed up with NBA star LeBron James to promote cycling and encourage a new generation to take up the sport.
A video featuring LeBron showing rising mountain rider Olivia Silva the independence, joy, and freedom of cycling was the first release from the partnership.
The athlete has been an investor in Canyon since 2022 and an enthusiast for bicycles from boyhood, so this relationship is a natural progression.
“Serving and working with athletes is part of our DNA as a brand,” said Nicolas de Ros Wallace, CEO of Canyon Bicycles, in an interview with Zag Daily. No matter if it’s on trails, tracks, roads, or with our goods, our athletes and ambassadors always push the limits and challenge expectations.
Cycling is a powerful tool, and LeBron knows it. Our shared goal is to encourage our supporters to push the limits of cycling.
Canyon has a roster of over two hundred and seventy athletes, and they’ve collaborated with legendary cyclists like Jan Frodeno, Mathieu van der Poel, Chloé Dygert, Fabio Wibmer, and Tahnee Seagrave to motivate enthusiastic fans and riders. Brand advocates like LeBron James and Valtteri Bottas, a Finnish racing driver, help the company attract new customers and motivate those who aren’t already big bikers.
Athletes motivate people all around. Whether it’s winning on the grandest stages or just riding every day, we firmly believe in the power of encouraging people to ride,” adds Nicolas.
In an interview, LeBron revealed that cycling had always played an important role in his life. It was my primary mode of transportation when I was a kid, carrying me from one end of the city to the other, to practices, and beyond.
Because of it, I was able to go places and accomplish things that would have been impossible without it. I still get a childish thrill when I ride my bike. Feeling the wind in your hair and the liberation of just riding are feelings like no other.
As part of their partnership to promote cycling, Canyon will also donate bikes to the ‘I Promise’ program run by the LeBron James Family Foundation. This program inspires kids to stay in school, get plenty of exercise, and dream big for their futures. This is in keeping with Canyon’s ‘Ride Responsibly’ initiative, which helps underprivileged communities and individuals while also promoting social and environmental causes.
“We are enthusiastic about these goals and also believe in the ‘I Promise’ philosophy of ‘earned not given,’ which entails giving the bikes to students once they achieve academic success,” Nicolas stated. Supporting children and teenagers in their learning and development is important, but so is sharing a common goal of excelling in all that they do. That is their word for it.