unlikely partnership
What do cycle manufacturer Canyon Bicycles and electronic music group Kraftwerk have in common? They are both German, for starters, as well as being influential and pioneering in their respective fields. Kraftwerk also scored a hit in 1983 with their single ‘Tour de France,’ which used samples of breaths and mechanical noises associated with the sport of cycling. The group also released an album, Tour de France Soundtracks, in 2003, for the 100th anniversary of the bicycle race.
Canyon Bicycles has collaborated with Kraftwerk to produce something unique: the Ultimate CF SLX Kraftwerk. The bike is matte black with a striking white criss-cross pattern of reflective strips conceived by Kraftwerk founder Ralf Hutter. It is a design that looks simple, but is actually the most complex that Canyon has ever produced — each strip is cut and applied by hand, and takes over seven hours for a single frame. Gear shifting is handled by an electronic system, naturally, which is the SRAM wireless eTap groupset, and the wheels are 303 Firecrests from Zipp. The Ultimate CF SLX Kraftwerk was limited to just 21 examples, and all have since been sold for €10,000 (RM48,000) apiece.
