Canyon is more than just a bicycle brand now, with the launch at Eurobike this week of its new Smart Computer, an app-based bike computer.
The Smart Computer, developed in partnership with Sony, utilises Android Wear software which means it can run a range of apps, including Strava, and be synced to a compatible phone, which as well as Android-based smartphones, will eventually include iPhone compatibility.
The Smart Computer has a very smart appearance. It has been designed to be compatible with Canyon’s own range of stems. No rubber bands or zip ties necessary, instead it uses a simple and secure sliding mechanism.
“Our aim in designing the Smart Computer was to find a sleek solution that seamlessly integrates with Canyon form. Gone are the days of rubber bands and bar clamps,” says Canyon.
The computer has a 1.6in trans-reflective LCD capacitive touch screen - we had a hands-on demonstration and can confirm the screen is very sharp with good clarity, more smartphone than traditional cycle computer. Using Android Wear technology, the same as you’d find in a device like the Samsung Gear smart watch, means the Canyon Smart Computer can be used with quite a large number of apps.
That means everything from navigating, using Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions, to tracking speed and distance using the popular Strava app, is possible with the computer.
There are internal sensors including GPS so it can be used as a standalone computer, without pairing with a smartphone. It uses Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ so it can be synced with heart rate, speed, cadence sensors and power meters. It’s waterproof and has a claimed 8-10 hour runtime.
The Canyon Smart Computer is expected to go on sale in February 2016, with a guide price of £200.
Help us to fund our site
We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99.
If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
Anything allows software to be developed independently to hardware will benefit users. There can be reliability issues but by comparison I have never found my Garmin to be reliable either and the software and in that case hardware are developed by the same organisation.
Anything allows software to be developed independently to hardware will benefit users. There can be reliability issues but by comparison I have never found my Garmin to be reliable either and the software and in that case hardware are developed by the same organisation.
This kind of thing will open up choices.
Definitely. I'm only surprised Trek didn't do it first. They've already got some nice integration happening with Duotrap - they've missed a trick here. This kind of integration and flexibility does indeed make another Edge 800 style purchase look pretty ridiculous. The fact that the unit can operate without acting as a phone mirror only makes it all the more attractive. Canyon are, at last, about to start selling here in NZ. I'm due a new roadie in 2016 and the top end Endurace will be getting a serious look...this is indicative of a company very much on the forward looking edge of real wold, rider focused product design.
Maybe crystal ball gazing without the details but how do you reckon this compares to the Edge 520? Was getting (sadly) excited about getting a 520 but this looks rather interesting. For us Luddites without smartphones any reason to go for one over the other?
It'll work without a smartphone - quite well, by the looks of it. What you'll gain with a phone will be stuff like being able to use Google Now to give voice commands on the go to find things or plan new routes, being able to mirror other apps on your phone, etc. The Edge 520 does look really good, and I'm a very heavy FR920XT and Edge 800 user...but if I could have something this clean, relatively cheap, and this well integrated I'm afraid the Garmin loses.
One could fear, that the usb post for the charger is located on the side that slides into the bracket. This would mean, that touring or other long distance cyclists that use a dyno hub generator to charger their gps device at day, would be unable to do so.
Otherwise a great looking computer! I really like the idea of bringing Android into this, the possibilities with 3rd party apps are endless. Still being able to use the Smart Computer as gps tracker without pairing it with a phone is a plus too, so its not just another smartphone mirror.
I cannot imagine Canyon will limit this to their own stems.
If you look, the computer has a specific housing, of which the housing slides into a specific front plate for the stem. I can see Canyon either producing front plates for other companies stems, or perhaps more likely making the sliding mount design open source so other companies can create mounts at their own expense. That's what I would do if I was them anyway. After all, the latter approach means they would not need to push sales of own brand stems. Profits would come from sales of the computer and profit from licensing the design...
That's the slickest looking bike computer I've seen. I imagine the cost of a stem and the computer (which bikeboy76 points out will only be for one bike) might cool my enthusiasm, but for now, it's at the top of my Eurobike released wants.
Add new comment
21 comments
Any news when this is going to be released?
Purchase of a new Garmin now on hold .....
... though perhaps that design does look a bit more prone to 'snapping' off in an 'unpredicted dismount' than something rubber banded to the bars.
that looks lovely, price seems very reasonable as well considering the stated functionality
This is definitely the way forward.
Anything allows software to be developed independently to hardware will benefit users. There can be reliability issues but by comparison I have never found my Garmin to be reliable either and the software and in that case hardware are developed by the same organisation.
This kind of thing will open up choices.
Definitely. I'm only surprised Trek didn't do it first. They've already got some nice integration happening with Duotrap - they've missed a trick here. This kind of integration and flexibility does indeed make another Edge 800 style purchase look pretty ridiculous. The fact that the unit can operate without acting as a phone mirror only makes it all the more attractive. Canyon are, at last, about to start selling here in NZ. I'm due a new roadie in 2016 and the top end Endurace will be getting a serious look...this is indicative of a company very much on the forward looking edge of real wold, rider focused product design.
Maybe crystal ball gazing without the details but how do you reckon this compares to the Edge 520? Was getting (sadly) excited about getting a 520 but this looks rather interesting. For us Luddites without smartphones any reason to go for one over the other?
It'll work without a smartphone - quite well, by the looks of it. What you'll gain with a phone will be stuff like being able to use Google Now to give voice commands on the go to find things or plan new routes, being able to mirror other apps on your phone, etc. The Edge 520 does look really good, and I'm a very heavy FR920XT and Edge 800 user...but if I could have something this clean, relatively cheap, and this well integrated I'm afraid the Garmin loses.
One could fear, that the usb post for the charger is located on the side that slides into the bracket. This would mean, that touring or other long distance cyclists that use a dyno hub generator to charger their gps device at day, would be unable to do so.
Otherwise a great looking computer! I really like the idea of bringing Android into this, the possibilities with 3rd party apps are endless. Still being able to use the Smart Computer as gps tracker without pairing it with a phone is a plus too, so its not just another smartphone mirror.
Looks good, just need Strava now to support ant+ on android devices.
This is quite sexy looking. I am tired of paying excessive amount to Garmin.
£200 sounds like a good deal for this sexy looking gadget.
Looks very good, and nicely thought out.
that looks really swish
I can't believe there are no companies that make a stem faceplate that is a garmin mount.
3T; only for the Integra stem though.
Fizik Barfly, and Enve stem garmin mount. Stem faceplates are just such a huge range of sizes, it's just not worth them making in a lot of cases.
Barfly make a stem faceplate mount for Fizik stems. Stupidly expensive for a piece of plastic, though it does hold a 500/800 below the bar.
I cannot imagine Canyon will limit this to their own stems.
If you look, the computer has a specific housing, of which the housing slides into a specific front plate for the stem. I can see Canyon either producing front plates for other companies stems, or perhaps more likely making the sliding mount design open source so other companies can create mounts at their own expense. That's what I would do if I was them anyway. After all, the latter approach means they would not need to push sales of own brand stems. Profits would come from sales of the computer and profit from licensing the design...
That's the slickest looking bike computer I've seen. I imagine the cost of a stem and the computer (which bikeboy76 points out will only be for one bike) might cool my enthusiasm, but for now, it's at the top of my Eurobike released wants.
Looks great and very desirable, but how would I transfer the unit it to my other bikes......
Some computers are smarterer than others.
Aren't all computers smart?