Cannondale History
We’re a passionate bunch. Always have been. Not only passionate about building the best, most innovative and high-performance products, but passionate about doing everything we can to create the best possible cycling experience. Simply put, we care. We care about our products, we care about our customers and we care about each other. This simple but important statement has earned us legions of fans around the world. Four decades in, it still informs everything we do, every day.
Founded in a loft above a pickle factory by Joe Montgomery and crew, Cannondale started as an outdoor gear company. The name came from the Cannondale train station across the road.
Cannondale's first cycling product with wheels was the legendary Bugger, the world's first bicycle-towed trailer. It was the first of many profound cycling innovations.
This bike started a revolution! It was the first production oversized aluminum frame and its light weight and efficient stiffness set a new standard for performance and kick-started the era of aluminum.
The revolutionary HeadShok, an in-headtube, needle bearing suspension fork, sets a new bar for front suspension performance. The patented technology pioneered in these early forks carries on in current HeadShok and Lefty forks.
Never afraid to turns heads, Cannondale introduced the Super V, one of the most original (and most widely imitated) bike designs in history. It won design and engineering awards from publications ranging from Business Week to Popular Mechanics.
The performance of these ultralight, super-stiff hollow cranks blew everything else away and pioneered the external bearing BB design now used by Shimano, FSA, SRAM and others.
Cannondale partnered with Volvo to launch the most influential and successful MTB team in history. 11 World Championships, 17 World Cup titles, 16 National Championships, 89 World Cup wins, 33 NORBA wins, 2 Olympic games and 2 Pan-Am Games Gold medals.
Introduction of the Super V DH downhill specific dual-suspension bike, featuring the Moto 120 inverted dual crown fork. It was named Best Downhill Bike Ever by Mountain Bike Action.
Cannondale made history by becoming the first US bike manufacturer to sponsor a European Pro road team, winning the Giro d’Italia in the first year. The success of the team and sprinter Mario Cipollini proved the superiority of Cannondale aluminum frames and ended the reign of steel in the peloton.
The introduction of the iconic Lefty single-sided front suspension solidified Cannondale’s reputation for fearless innovation. Lighter, Stiffer, Stronger and Smoother than any other fork in the world, the latest versions of Lefty are still turning heads today.
Cannondale revolutionized crank and bottom bracket technology yet again with an ultralight, ultra stiff hollow crank designed around an oversized, 30mm aluminum BB spindle. The specification is released to the industry as an open standard and BB30 is born.
The innovative OverMountain line of bikes debuted. At the flick of a switch the travel, damping and geometry of the bike can be adjusted for climbing or descending, making these bikes ideally suited for the growing Enduro race scene.
Cannondale OverMountain rider, Jérôme Clémentz, made history by winning the first ever Enduro World Championships aboard his Jekyll.
The ultimate Endurance Race Bike. Named “Most Wanted” by Bike Radar in 2013 and “Bike of the Year” by Cycling Plus in 2014.
