Discover the story behind our Kanzo bikes
Canzo, or canso, is a word dating back to the time when troubadours were wandering the world. To tell the story, we have to go back in time to the Middle Ages. Troubadours were singers and poets. They often worked as traders, merchants or fishermen travelling around the world and experiencing all kinds of adventures.
They made songs about these adventures. They created tales about knights and love stories, for example. When they arrived in a village, they would tell these stories. Entire villages hung on their lips – they were that good.
Just like the troubadours, we want to motivate our Ridley cyclists to go further. To discover new roads, or rediscover places you already know. Enjoy the roads and unpaved paths. Cross entire forests with your only purpose being to see what's on the other side. When you return, you can be just like the troubadours: telling stories while everyone is hanging on your lips.
But why Kanzo?
Well, canzo (or canso) was the preferred storytelling genre of the troubadours. Genre? Just like you have hip hop, rap or metal in music today, canzo was a poetic genre. The troubadours used multiple genres to tell their stories: a cryptic genre, a ballad, but the most commonly used was the canzo/canso.
That is why we decided to call our gravel bikes Kanzo. They're the ideal bikes for storytellers. Go out with your bike. Discover new places or rediscover what you thought you knew. Dare to be amazed by what you see. Dare to look back, especially if it is to tell a great story. Because the best adventures are always translated into great stories. Dare to be the storyteller. Ride with the Kanzo.
