Cannondale Bicycle Corporation 205002 226167566 2008-07-17T03:22:57Z 69.122.75.95 {{Infobox_Company | company_name = Cannondale Bicycle Corporation. | company_logo = [[Image:CannondaleLogo.gif]] | company_type = [[Private company|Private]]| company_slogan = | foundation = 1971 | location = [[Bethel, Connecticut]] | key_people = | industry = [[Bicycles]] | products = Bicycle and Related Components | revenue = undisclosed | num_employees = undisclosed | homepage = [http://www.cannondale.com/ www.cannondale.com] }} The '''Cannondale Bicycle Corporation''' is a major [[United States|American]] [[bicycle]] manufacturer, headquartered in [[Bethel, Connecticut]] USA with manufacturing in [[Bedford, Pennsylvania]] USA. The company was founded in [[1971]] by Joe Montgomery to manufacture backpacks and bags for camping and later bicycle trailers for [[bicycle touring]]. Today, Cannondale produces many different types of high-end bicycles, hand made in USA, specializing in aluminum (rather than steel, titanium or carbon fiber) [[bicycle frame|frames]] , a technology in which they were pioneers. The name of the company was taken from the [[Cannondale (Metro-North station)|Cannondale]] [[Metro North]] train station in [[Wilton, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cannondale.com/passion/cannfacts.html | title=Cannondale Trivia | accessdate=2007-07-27}} </ref> In the late 1990s Cannondale attempted to move into the motorsports business, producing a line of off road [[motorcycles]] and [[all-terrain vehicle]]s. According to an interview with Cannondale Communications Director, Tom Armstrong, the company was unable to drive down the cost of their motor vehicles fast enough. Sales took off when the company was still losing money on each motorbike they shipped. This gap drove the company to seek bankruptcy protection in 2003. However, management was able to quickly sell the company off to the private equity firm [[Pegasus Partners]], which supported the company's renewed focus on bicycle production.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bikemag.com/news/cutting_15/index1.html | title=BIKEMAG.COM News no. 15: Interview with Cannondale Communications Director, Tom Armstrong | accessdate=2006-05-20}} </ref> ==Ownership== Originally founded by Joe Montgomery, Cannondale was a privately held company until a $22 million 1995 IPO.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.conntact.com/archive_index/archive_pages/2724_Business_New_Haven.html | title=CANNONDALE CORP. | accessdate=2006-11-27}} </ref> The business continued as a publicly traded company ({{Nasdaq|BIKEQ}}) until declaring bankruptcy on January 29, 2003.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.secinfo.com/d122g8.272.htm | title=Cannondale Corp · 8-K · For 1/29/03 | accessdate=2006-11-27}} </ref> Cannondale's full assets were then purchased at auction by [http://www.pegasusinvestors.com Pegasus Partners II, L.P.]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bikemag.com/news/cannondale_sold/ | title=Cannondale Sold Off | accessdate=2006-11-27}} </ref>. The motor-sports IP, manufacturing equipment and inventory were quickly sold off as the company returned its focus to bicycle manufacture. In March 2007, Cannondale announced that basketball superstar [[LeBron James]] had become an owner of the company.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cannondalecommunity.com/en/local-press-events/default.asp?item=251416 | title=Lebron James Buys A Stake In Cannondale | accessdate=2007-03-28}} </ref> In February 2008, [[Dorel Industries]], a diversified consumer products company, announced the purchase of Cannondale from Pegasus for approximately $200 million. Dorel already owned several bicycle brands including Pacific, Schwinn and GT. ==Products== ===Bicycle Frames=== Cannondale began manufacturing aluminum racing and touring frames in 1983, with mountain bike frames added later. The earlier models sported oversized aluminum tubes for increased stiffness, resulting in frames that were super-stiff and super-efficient. ===2008 Manufactured Models=== ====Mountain==== =====Full Suspension===== *Judge (Frame only) (Downhill) *Perp (Free Ride) *Gemini (Downhill / Free Ride) *Prophet (All-Mountain) *Rush (XC Race/All-Mountain) *Scalpel (XC Race) *Rize (All-Mountain/2009 Model) *Moto (Enduro/2009 Model) =====Hardtail===== *Taurine (XC Race) *Caffeine (XC) *Caffeine 29er (XC 29er) *Hardtail (Recreation) *1FG 29er (XC 29er Singlespeed) *Chase (Dirt Jumping) Designed by freerider Aaron Chase * F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7 ( All Terrain) ====Road==== *Slice ([[Triathlon]]) *SystemSix (Racing) *SuperSix (Racing) *Six13 (Racing) *Capo (Track Racing) *CAAD9 (Racing) *CAAD8 (Racing/Training) *Cyclocross ([[Cyclocross]] Racing) *Synapse (Racing) ====Recreation==== *Road Warrior (Recreation) *Comfort (Recreation) *Adventure (Recreation) *Daytripper (Recreation) ====Urban==== *Street (Recreation) *Bad Boy (Commuting) *Capo (Single Speed) ====Specialty==== *Touring (Multi-day/week Adventures) *Tandem (Built for two people) ==CAAD frames== The first road frame from Cannondale was produced in 1983. It sold for $350 and included the frame and fork. The fork was steel with helical reinforcement ribs inside the steel steering tube. The frame was instantly recognized for the oversized down tube and enlarged head tube. The seat-stays and chain-stays were ovalized to reduce flex. Unlike steel frames, there were no lugs; the aluminum tubes were mitered, hand welded and then heat treated. The first frames were available in two colors; red and white, and painted with DuPont Imron paint. Cannondale achieved the distinction and goal of becoming the first high volume producer of aluminum frames, at a time when only steel frames were mass produced and aluminum was hand made in low volumes. Cannondale marketed subsequent frames with the CAAD designation (for "Cannondale Advanced Aluminum Design"). The CAAD4 model introduced S-bend aluminum seat stays for improved comfort. The Six13 model was introduced in 2004 which uses carbon tubed sections in the main triangle but still uses aluminum rear triangles, contrary to the usual practice of using carbon rear triangles and aluminum fronts. It should also be noted that the [[Union Cycliste Internationale]] has established a 6.8 kg (14.97 lb) minimum weight limit. Cannondale advertised this light weight frameset with the slogan "Legalize my Cannondale". In reality, only the smallest size (50cm) of bike actually approached the 6.8 kg limit. Some in the bicycle industry considered this to be a creative marketing effort because Six13 frames in fact weighed the same as or more than competing frames from other manufacturers.<ref> {{cite web | url=http://www.bikemag.com/news/cutting_071703/index.html | title=Bikemag, July 2003 article on Six13 frame introduction | accessdate=2006-05-20}} </ref> The current generation of Cannondale aluminum frame in the 2007 model year is known as CAAD9. CAAD9 is the continued evolution of Cannondale's welded aluminum frame design. CAAD 9 has reduced weight and increased stiffness over last year's CAAD8 design. Today Cannondale is the leading manufacturer of high-end bicycles, selling more than 80 models in over 70 countries worldwide.{{fact|date=July 2008 }} Cannondale and its handcrafted bicycles have won numerous design awards including the "Publisher's Award for Innovation" from Bicycling magazine, "Technological Development of the Year Award" from VeloNews magazine, ""Best Of What's New" award from Popular Science, "Best New Products of the Year Award" from Business Week, "Design Recognition Award" from ID magazine, "Computer-Aided Design Award" from Design News magazine and a "Design and Engineering Award" from Popular Mechanics. Cannondale mountain bikes have captured 11 World Championships, 17 World Cup Series overall titles, 16 National Championships and two Olympic medals. The company's road racing bikes have won eleven stages at the Tour de France, 27 stages at the Giro d'Italia, two Giro d'Italia overall victories, a Professional World Championship title, and two Italian National Championships. Cannondale sponsors the Siemens mobile/Cannondale and Saeco/Cannondale road racing teams, and selected regional amateur teams. ==Carbon frames== 2004 witnessed the launch of Cannondale's Six13, a composite carbon/alloy frame that featured an alloy head tube, staysets, and bottom bracket junction mechanically and chemically bonded to carbon seat, down, and top tubes. This was the company's first use of structural carbon composite material, and subsequent variants of the Six13 have used one to three carbon tubes depending on the price point of the model and the model year. In 2005, Cannondale announced its first all-carbon frame: the "Synapse." At the time, Cannondale lacked the stateside facilities needed to produce such a frame. This fact, and Cannondale's decision to maintain the Synapse as its value-priced carbon model, ensured that all Synapse frames have been produced for Cannondale by an Asian carbon specialist. Cannondale's SystemSix, which debuted in 2007, represented a more committed embrace of structural carbon. The new bike's entire front triangle, including the oversized asymmetrical head tube, was fabricated from carbon fiber. Furthermore, Cannondale's Pennsylvania factory was upgraded with carbon storage, cutting, and layup equipment in order to prepare the company's workers and physical plant for the SystemSix's more complex carbon assemblies. The new equipment also provided the infrastructure needed to produce a full carbon frame, which debuted as the SuperSix of 2008. As of 2008, Cannondale's carbon/alloy road frames include the Six13 and the SystemSix. The company's full carbon road offerings include several variants of the Synapse and the SuperSix, Cannondale's first U.S. manufactured carbon road model. Cannondale also offers several carbon variants of its hardtail and full suspension mountain bikes. ==Innovations== === Suspension Forks=== [[Image:CannondaleLefty.JPG|thumb|right|Cannondale with 'Lefty' fork racing at Fort William, Scotland]] Cannondale has also developed a suspension [[bicycle fork|fork]] called the Lefty. It started with the "Headshok" forks. It uses 88 bearings to reduce friction for smooth travel with the bearings telescoping inside the steerer tube of the fork. This eliminates flexing of the fork legs and also eliminates [[static friction]], which must be overcome before the fork begins to travel. The "Lefty" is an unusual looking fork because it only has a left side or blade. It uses the same technology as the Headshok, but desire for greater amounts of travel led to the movement of the telescoping unit off to the side to allow room for the travel. The Lefty is now seen on many of Cannondale's high-end models, such as all the Scalpels and the expensive models in F series, both cross-country lines. Continual efforts at weight reduction have provided models with a carbon fiber upper tube and a titanium spindle. The titanium spindle was later replaced with a lighter and stiffer forged aluminum version. The carbon fiber upper continues to be used on the highest end Lefties. To date one of the main drawbacks of the Lefty fork is the price, which is significantly more than traditional design dual stanchion forks. The availability of repair and rebuild components and experienced service technicians for Cannondale forks is much less widespread than Fox, Manitou and Marzocchi designs. This continues to limit the Lefty to mid and high end bikes. Use of a Lefty fork also limits a rider's choice of stem, headset and front wheel, all but forcing them to use Cannondale house brand parts, or Cannondale-specific parts made by another company. Lefty forks are also only compatible with [[Bicycle brake systems#Disc brakes|disc brakes]]. There are four current types of leftys as 2008; Carbon SL--Carbon DLR2--DLR Bondeded--DLR; Listed in order from best to lower end models ===Components=== Cannondale developed a proprietary [[bottom bracket]] and [[crankset]] technology called ''Hollowgram'' which has been featured in its high-end bikes since 2001. The crank and bottom bracket set weigh 80 grams less and are 10% stiffer than Dura-Ace.<ref name="SI">{{cite web | title=SI Crankset | work=Cannondale System Integration| url=http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/cusa/cats/si_crank.html | accessdate=2006-04-07}}</ref> The hollowgram bottom bracket shell can accept standard 68 mm English-threaded bottom bracket cartridges and external bearing cranksets through the use of an adapter. The aluminum Hollowgram crank is a two piece hollow shell that is bonded with aluminum glue. The Hollowgram bottom bracket axle is also hollow aluminum and oversized. Cannondale has brought a few concepts to market that have since become accepted industry standards. Cannondale was the first to produce a [[crankset]] that uses externally mounted [[bottom bracket]] bearings, though they later discontinued this design. External bearings are now the most common type of bottom bracket for mid-level and higher bicycles. In 1992 Cannondale introduced the Headshok and the accompanying over-sized headtube.<ref> {{cite web | url=http://www.bmxnonstop.com/mtb/history.htm | title=Mountain Biking Non Stop! presents Cycling History | accessdate=2006-05-20}} </ref> In 2001 the OnePointFive standard emerged using similar headtube dimensions as the Headshok headtube. Less successfully, Cannondale MTBs produced in the mid-1990s used the [[Gary Fisher]] "Evolution", or 1 1/4" headset standard, in common with Fisher's own bikes and Santana tandems. Although a larger headset seemed technically sound, the industry standardized instead upon the Tioga "Avenger", or 1 1/8" size, and headsets or stems for these bikes are now hard to find. A solution for cherished machines is to fit reducing rings and convert to a 1 1/8" headset, fork and stem. ==Pro sponsorship== Cannondale's sponsorship of Division 1 road racing teams began with the [[Saeco (cycling team)|Saeco]] team in the late 1990s, highlighted by [[Mario Cipollini]]'s four consecutive stage wins in the [[1999 Tour de France]]. The team notably won the Giro d'Italia three times, in 1997 with [[Ivan Gotti]], in 2003 with [[Gilberto Simoni]] and 2004 with [[Damiano Cunego]]. Saeco became Lampre-Caffita in 2005, and the relationship with Cannondale was severed. In 2007, Cannondale began sponsoring [[Liquigas|Team Liquigas]], and counted a fourth Giro win as [[Danilo Di Luca]] rode to victory on a Cannondale SystemSix road bike. They also sponsored [http://www.barloworld.com Barloworld] in 2007 on the Tour de France. On the [[mountain biking]] circuit, Cannondale is a sponsor for the Cannondale-Vredestien (formerly Volvo/Cannondale) racing team, the Bear Naked/Cannondale racing team (formerly SoBe/Cannondale) and various individual 24-hour racers such as Bicycling Hall of Famer and US National 24 hour Champion [[Tinker Juarez]]. A large number of notable riders have been sponsored by Cannondale at some point in their career, including world champions [[Anne-Caroline Chausson]] and [[Missy Giove]], Olympic Silver medalist (and World Champion) [[Alison Sydor]], Bronze medalist [[Christoph Sauser]], "Flyin" [[Brian Lopes]], [[Cadel Evans]], Kashi Leuchs, Libor "The Bouncing Czech" Karas, Martyn Ashton, Lance Trappe, Aaron Chase, Myles Rockwell, Cedric Gracia, Roel Paulissen and Fredrik Kessiakoff. In triathlon racing, Cannondale has sponsored 2005 Ironman world champion [[Faris Al-Sultan]], [[Dejan Patrčević]], Croatian triathlon champion, as well as [[Sarah Reinertsen]], the first amputee woman to finish the Ironman Triathlon, 2004 Paralympics 200 IM gold medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson.<!-- checked on Cannondale website that these are sponsored athletes; RosinDebow, April 2007 --> ==Cannondale's Team Liquigas== Leading the way for this powerhouse team is the inaugural ProTour overall winner Danilo Di Luca. Danilo returned aboard a Cannondale with the spring classics and continues on through the 2007 Giro d’Italia with a vengeance. Di Luca capped his 2006 season off with an impressive win at the Vuelta d’Espana. Newcomer Filippo Pozzato sets out with the immediate goal of defending his Milan-San Remo title. Pippo joins many of his past teammates at Liquigas, like sprinter Francesco Chicchi and the American-registered Guido Trenti, and places a certain amount of team leadership on his shoulders for the classics and stage victories in the major tours. Former Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Backstedt has his sights set on the cobbled classics. We are eager to soon see the Swedish giant again at the front of the toughest one day races. In addition to these established stars, Team Liquigas features a promising group of young riders including 2005 Italian National Champion Enrico Gasparotto and Vicenzo Nibali, winner of the 2006 GP Ouest-France ProTour event. ==Tour de France Cannondale's Teams== '''Barloworld, South Africa''' First Tour appearance Bike frame: Cannondale Noteable riders: Robert Hunter, Felix Cardenas, Juan Mauricio Soler '''Liquigas, Italy''' Third Tour appearance Bike frame: Cannondale Noteable riders: Filippo Pozzato, Manual Quinziato ==Primary competitors in U.S. market== * [[Specialized Bicycle Components]] (USA) * [[Trek Bicycle Corporation]] (USA) * [[Felt Bicycles]] (USA) * [[Cervélo]] (Canada) * [[Colnago]] (Italy) * [[Bianchi (bicycle manufacturer)|Bianchi]] (Italy) * [[Pacific Cycle]] (USA) * [[Gary Fisher]] Bikes (USA) (owned by Trek Bicycle Corporation since 1993) * [[Giant Manufacturing]] (Taiwan) * [[GT Bicycles]](USA) * [[Fuji Advanced Sports|Fuji Bikes]] (USA&Taiwan) * [[Raleigh Bicycle Company|Raleigh Bikes]] (UK) * [[Santa Cruz Bicycles]] * [[Kona Bicycles]] * [[Seven Cycles]] (USA) * [[Schwinn]] (USA) == See also== * [[Gary Klein]] == References == {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/ Cannondale Corporate site] * [http://www.vintagecannondale.com Vintage Cannondale] [[Category:Cycle manufacturers]] [[Category:Companies established in 1971]] [[Category:Businesses based in Fairfield County, Connecticut]] [[de:Cannondale]] [[es:Cannondale Bicycle Corporation]] [[is:Cannondale]] [[nl:Cannondale]] [[ja:キャノンデール]] [[pl:Cannondale]] [[fi:Cannondale]] [[zh:加能戴爾]]