Canyon Bicycles will cut up to 320 jobs at its German headquarters and Amsterdam hub as part of a restructuring following two years of net losses, German media reported on Tuesday.
First picked up in English-language media by BikeRadar, the reduction represents approximately 20% of Canyon's 1,600-strong global workforce. The cuts are expected to affect all departments, including production, marketing, and development, according to reports in Rhein-Zeitung and Manager Magazin.
The layoffs follow a similar move in April 2025, when Canyon reduced headcount at its Carlsbad, California office as part of what the company described as a "targeted organisational change."
Arnold's return and the journey back to growth
The European cuts come five months after founder Roman Arnold returned to an operational leadership role as Executive Chairman, replacing former Nike executive Nicolas De Ros Wallace.
Arnold, who founded the direct-to-consumer brand in 1996 and retains a 35% stake, has publicly outlined his view of the company's problems.
Velora wrote extensively on Arnold's industry insights at Rouleur Live in London, where he reflected on the pandemic boom and its aftermath: “How crazy can this whole industry be that we all believed the bicycle was the new gold?” – a comment on the collective optimism that led to over-ordering and oversupply
Since returning, Arnold has closed an associated streetwear brand, halved the number of models in Canyon's urban cycling range and begun implementing a strategy to reach €1 billion in sales and a 10% EBITDA margin by 2028.
According to figures published in the Irish Times, Canyon recorded a net loss of €14.4 million in 2023, widening to €37.8 million in 2024. The company attributed much of the 2024 loss to costs associated with a recall of e-mountain bike batteries affecting its Spectral:ON and Torque:ON models. A separate recall of Speedmax CF triathlon bikes followed in early 2025.
On industry positioning, Arnold emphasised Canyon’s relative caution compared with peers during the boom, and placed them in a stronger position: “I would say Canyon was a little bit more cautious than the others in estimations for the future. So we always had double-digit growth but we were not crazy that we then said we want to have a 200% growth.”
Canyon is among several premium bike brands cutting jobs amid high inventory levels and widespread discounting following the pandemic-era surge in cycling demand.
Much industry commentary has focused on demand and supply equalising and returning closer to pre-pandemic levels in 2026, though further restructuring across the sector may still be needed before that stabilisation takes hold.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/ SWPix.com
