PONCHA SPRINGS, Colorado (April 3, 2024) — by Don Stefanovich — Canfield Bikes, high-end boutique mountain-bike and component manufacturer, announced it has relocated to a new headquarters in Poncha Springs, CO, just outside the booming outdoor destination town of Salida. The new space includes a larger warehouse and connected office space. Future plans include customer-facing retail space and a demo/rental center. The move comes as Canfield Bikes celebrates 25 years in business.
The larger warehouse with additional shipping bays will allow the brand to receive, store and ship a greater volume of product to better serve customers as the brand grows. It also features a fully stocked workshop with multiple workbenches and bike stands to better accommodate not only building bikes, but provide the ability to offer additional services to customers such as pedal rebuilds and linkage bearing replacement.
While not yet open to the public, Canfield will offer mountain-bike demos and rentals out of the new location beginning late spring/early summer 2024.
“We’re surrounded by breathtaking mountains, fantastic trails and an amazing community of mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts.” —Lance Canfield
“For the first time in our history, a full demo fleet will be available at our headquarters,” says Lance Canfield, owner, engineer and designer. “Riding is believing, and this will be a great opportunity for people to try before they buy or just rent a bike while they’re in town and experience the magic of Canfield Bikes for themselves. This area offers access to an unbelievable amount of riding making it a great place for customers to demo and for us to test new designs.”
With hundreds of miles of singletrack, from trails that can be pedaled to from downtown Salida, to the famous multi-thousand foot descents accessed by shuttle on Monarch Crest, to nearby Buena Vista and a host of other high-alpine backcountry rides, the Arkansas River Valley is a mountain-bike destination for riders near and far, most notably from Colorado’s Front Range. It’s also a stop-over for many through-riders along the Colorado Trail and Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR).
Since the brand’s humble beginnings when bike frames were hand-built in a garage in Layton, UT, in 1999, the company has called Victor, ID, and Bellingham, WA, home. Most recently, Canfield was based in Fruita on Colorado’s Western Slope after Lance took sole ownership of the company a little over four years ago.
“We love Fruita,” says Lance. “It was an amazing launchpad when we re-started the brand in 2020 and was instrumental in our growth. There is an incredible variety of trails, from desert flow to demanding technical riding. We will definitely be back to ride.”
“Definitely somber news but we wish Canfield Bikes the best and enjoyed the ride,” says Mike Bennett, city manager of Fruita. “We know we will cross tracks on the trails in the future and continue seeing Canfield bikes on Fruita singletrack.”
During its time in Fruita, Canfield Bikes successfully navigated the past four years of turmoil in the bike industry, including the COVID-19 pandemic boom, supply chain shortages and the inevitable downturn that followed.
“We made it through the last few years thanks in part to support from that community, including local riders, bike shops, the City of Fruita, the Grand Junction Economic Partnership (GJEP) and Mesa County,” says Lance. “We also made smart decisions during that time, and I’m grateful we’re in a position to move the company forward.”
“It has been a rewarding experience working with Canfield over the years,” adds Steve Jozefczyk, deputy director of GJEP. “Their absence in Fruita will be felt.”
While Canfield hadn’t planned on moving, an unexpected offer on the brand’s Fruita property set things in motion. Still unsure of selling, an impromptu riding trip to Salida ended with some property viewings. One residential location serendipitously had an old Canfield bike box sitting in an otherwise empty garage. Then, a commercial property with lots of potential presented itself, offering more space than the Fruita property Canfield was outgrowing.
“Things just sort of clicked,” says Lance.
In an effort to introduce itself to local riders, Canfield Bikes has already stepped up as a Gold Level sponsor of the popular Salida Enduro race series, now in its second year.
“We’re stoked to have Canfield Bikes as a sponsor,” says Mike Franco, race organizer and general manager of Absolute Bikes in Salida. “The brand ethos and culture perfectly complement the vibe of our races. We’re excited to welcome Canfield to the valley and grateful for the support.”
Long term plans also include a retail showroom where customers can pick up bikes in-person as well as purchase components and small parts. In addition to retail, demos and rentals, the brand hopes its new location will be a welcome addition to the local riding community, serving as a gathering spot before and after rides, perhaps even a pickup spot for local shuttle operations.
The new location can be ridden to as riders descend from the Monarch Crest trails, and is close to Elevation Beer Company, a popular post-ride stop in Poncha.
“We’re surrounded by breathtaking mountains, fantastic trails and an amazing community of mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts,” says Lance. “I’m really excited for our company’s next chapter here and what the future holds.”
As Canfield grows, the company will also create local jobs with anticipated roles in admin, sales, marketing and shop/warehouse support. Anyone interested in learning more or getting a resume on file for when positions are announced can email [email protected].
