Bicycle frames On January 23, 2014, Dorel Industries announced a restructuring of operations in its recreational/leisure segment. This resulted in the closure of its assembly and testing facility in Bedford, Pennsylvania. The Bedford plant, which at one point produced Cannondale's midrange to high-end aluminum and aluminum/carbon fiber bikes, still handled some assembly, testing, quality control, and customer and technical services. Around 100 people were laid off. The Bedford facility was shuttered in 2015.
CAAD design and manufacturing In 1992 Cannondale introduced the 2.8 series frame based on
CAD (computer aided design) and finite element analysis to make a frame weighing only 2.8 lbs. The 2.8 series featured a tapered large diameter down tube, double-offset bottom-bracket cluster, ovalized top-tube, and double-butted seat tube to achieve the weight reduction. The same year the 1.25" Sub One all aluminum fork was introduced. Cannondale marketed subsequent frames with the CAAD designation (for "Cannondale Advanced Aluminum Design") which first appeared in their mountain bike frame series. In 1997 the CAAD3 road frame was introduced featuring most of the design from the 2.8series. The CAAD4 model introduced S-bend aluminum seat stays for improved comfort. The Six13 model, which was introduced in 2004, used carbon tube sections in the main triangle, and still employs aluminum rear triangles. This arrangement is contrary to the usual industry practice of using carbon stay inserts and aluminum front triangle tubes. 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 (50 cm) 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 weighed the same as, or more than, competing frames from other manufacturers.
Electric bicycles An electric bicycle manufactured by Cannondale Sports Group LLC includes a battery module based on
Toshiba's quick-charging
lithium ion titanite rechargeable battery "
SCiB".
Other 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 (FC-7800). 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 since made this a free international standard known as BB30. In BB30, the diameter of the bottom bracket spindle is increased from the standard 24mm to 30mm. As a result, the inside diameter of the bottom bracket shell is increased to 42mm. This allows a reduction in weight by permitting aluminum to be used as a spindle material instead of the more traditional steel. The larger spindle in addition to the larger bottom bracket shell make for increased stiffness of both the frame and crankset. Perhaps the biggest difference between the BB30 standard and more traditional bottom brackets is the use of pressed-in bearings rather than cartridge or cup bearings. The lack of threads or extra "packaging" creates additional weight savings. Because of the "press fit" needed to hold the bearings, tighter and more precise machining tolerances are needed. A disadvantage of BB30 is the harder-to-service nature presented by pressed-in bearings. 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 oversized headtube. In 2001, the OnePointFive standard emerged using similar headtube dimensions as the Headshok headtube. Less successfully, Cannondale mountain bikes (and briefly, the 2.8 road bike with a SubOne fork) produced in the mid-1990s used the
Gary Fisher "Evolution", or 1" 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" 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" headset, fork and stem.
Notable Cannondale mountain bikes SM-500 (1984) The 1984
SM-500 All-Terrain Bicycle was Cannondale's first mountain bike. The front wheel was 26 inches in diameter whereas the rear wheel was only 24 inches large "to increase traction for climbing in steep, muddy terrain", Cannondale said. The frame was
TIG welded from
6061 aluminium alloy and was fully
heat treated. The same material and treatment Cannondale would use for all welded aluminum frames until the release of frames made from
Alcoa Alcalyte Optimo alloy in 2003. The fork was made from
chrome moly steel. The componentry on the SM-500 was a mixture of parts from
Shimano Deore XT,
Suntour,
Specialized and
Dia-Compe. The bike had a 3x5
drive train offering 15 gears, and
cantilever brakes in the front and
U-brakes in back. The bike retailed for $595 (approximately equivalent to $1640 in 2021–
USD) in the United States.
Beast of the East SE (1991) The
SE was Cannondale's first frame with rear suspension, called
Elevated Suspension Technology (E.S.T), a rear triangle with a high pivot and elevated chain stays. SE models were sold with rigid
Cannondale Pepperoni aluminum forks and
Girvin Flexstem stems. The bikes shipped with Cannondale's
Force 40 system to increase the braking power.
SM 3.0 Delta V (1992) The
Delta V was the first bike to introduce Cannondale's
Delta V (later
Headshok)
suspension fork where the
shock is integrated into the
head tube. The Delta V was sold as a full-suspension bike with the E.S.T rear triangle, or as a "front suspension only" bike with a normal rigid frame (the term "hardtail" had not been invented). The original Delta V fork offered approximately 45–50 mm of travel and used an oil-damped air spring. The telescope of the Delta V fork had a square cross-section and instead of bushings, needle bearings were used to minimize stiction. Delta V forks were stiffer and more responsive than other suspension forks at the time. Since the Delta V fork was taller than normal forks, the top end of head tube of Delta V frames was significantly higher. To not sacrifice stand-over clearance, Cannondale made a "V-style" top tube from two tubes – a very controversial design. Like other Cannondale mountain bike frames, the Delta V frame had a 50.8 mm (2 inches)
down tube. The full-suspension version was discontinued in 1994 in favor of the
Super V. In 1994, the hardtail's rear triangle was updated and was identical to the rear in the
F series frames. The Delta V hardtail was finally retired in 1995 and replaced by the F series. The two-tube top tube design remained in use for the smallest frame size and reappeared in the
Gemini and
Prophet models.
Super V (1993) The
Super V, a full-suspension bike, is arguably Cannondale's most iconic mountain bike. Instead of a
main triangle, Cannondale uses a massively oversized down tube and a mast to hold the seat. The rear wheel is suspended by a banana-shaped aluminum high-pivot
swingarm providing about 75 mm of travel. The front wheel is guided by a Delta V fork. The Super V is one of the most futuristic looking bikes of its time.
Missy Giove won the
1994 downhill world championship on a Super V. In 1995, the welded aluminum banana swingarm was replaced by a carbon-fiber version. This was Cannondale's first carbon-fiber product. In 1996, Cannondale changed the swingarm and lowered the pivot for the "Super V Active" to minimize pedal kickback present high-pivot swingarm designs. Different versions of the Super V Active frame and swingarm were made with travels of 80, 100, or 120 mm. Some models in 2000 and 2001 shipped with a new, bonded aluminum swingarm that was less expensive. The Super V was discontinued in 2003.
V 4000 (1993) The V 4000 was a non-functional full-suspension concept bike that never went into production, yet it caught attention due its futuristic design. The frame and the wheels were machined from aluminum. The highlight of the design was the suspension, two single-sided swingarms. Cannondale's president at the time, Joe Montgomery, said he would eat his hat if the V 4000 wouldn't be in the shops in the next season. Although Cannondale promised additional information later in the year, it was never revealed how the suspension was planned to work. The V 4000 was widely considered a show bike for magazines and trade shows, and Montgomery eventually ate his hat. The V 4000 was the first in a row of concept bikes Cannondale presented.
Killer V (1994) The Killer V was a version of the Delta V without a suspension fork but with a 1.25" rigid
Pepperoni fork. The down tube diameter was increased from 50.8 mm to 58 mm which made the bike very stiff.
F (1995) The F was the front suspension bike line with Cannondale's suspension forks, called "Headshok" since 1994. In contrast to the Delta V frame, the F series had a straight top tube. The frame was available with either a swagged ("2.8 series", later "CAAD 3") or a straight ("3.0 series", later "CAAD 2") down tube. The rear triangle features wishbone
seat stays.
Alison Sydor won 3
cross-country world-championships (1994–1996), and a silver medal at the
1996 Olympic Games on this bike.
Super V DH (1996) Super V Raven (1997) The
Raven was a version of the Super V with a carbon-aluminum frame. It was the first bicycle frame by Cannondale made with
carbon-fiber. Instead of an aluminum
weldment, the main frame of the Raven was made of a
cast and
machined aluminum spine bonded between two carbon-fiber shells. The rear triangle was identical to the aluminum Super V's. The frame was updated in 2000. After a recall in 2001 of all Raven II frames due to failures of the pivot and bottom bracket area, the Raven was discontinued in 2002. The Raven frame was hollow and a large
sound box.
Super V DHF / Fulcrum (1997) Jekyll (2001) The
Jekyll was a full-suspension bike using the same swingarm as the contemporary Super V but with a traditional down tube and top tube design. The rear shock mount in the frame was adjustable such that the head tube and seat tube angles could be changed by the rider. Initially, the Jekyll came with 120 mm rear travel, and 135 mm from 2003 on. The front suspension was typically a Cannondale
Headshok Fatty or a Cannondale
Lefty. The Jekyll was discontinued in 2006.
Scalpel (2002) The
Scalpel was a light-weight full-suspension bike designed for cross-country racing with flexible carbon-fiber chain stays instead of a pivot, providing 63 mm of rear travel and 67 mm from model year 2003 on. In 2008, Cannondale introduced an all-carbon Scalpel, and moved the rear shock to enable 100 mm travel. The 26-inch version was discontinued in 2013 when Cannondale finished to 29-inch wheels for cross-country bikes.
Gemini (2003) Chase (2005) The
Chase was a
dirt-jump bike developed with Cannondale sponsored rider Aaron Chase. The Chase was discontinued in 2010 and it remained the first and only dirt-jump bike made by Cannondale until the introduction of the
Dave in 2021.
Prophet (2005) Rush (2006) Judge (2007) Perp (2007) Taurine (2007) Caffeine (2007) SuperSix Evo (2008) Moto (2009) Rize (2009) Flash (2010) Jekyll (2011) Claymore (2011) Trigger 29 (2013) ==Sponsorships==