blah blah blah
Im not going to try and justify the problems that a brand experienced more than a decade ago. With the speed at which this industry moves, that would just be dumb. About as dumb as thinking their reputation from 10 years ago is relevant today.
Much of the innovation that cannondale presents to the rider is on the XC side of things and this forum doesnt focus on that genre.
I work for a cannondale dealer here in the US as a mechanic at a shop that deals mostly in XC bikes and road bikes. We dont carry bikes with more that 6" of travel at all. Cannondale is a good fit for us.
Many riders have no issues with the lefty, but I can say with no hesitation that it is a more problematic suspension system than any offering from rockshox or fox (which we sell just as much if not more of…). That being said, it offers some pretty sweet features that nobody else offers. We have a VERY close relationship with cannondale since we are a pretty big dealer so we get STELLAR service from them. Blazing fast warranty service, and we nearly always get the benefit of the doubt when something goes wrong. Our customers enjoy the product, and we get repeat visits from customers because of the additional service needed for the lefty. Consumers may not like to hear that, but its the truth. Most of the time, when service is needed, we do it at no charge so the customer doesnt stiffed. High end products that require more service brings customers through our doors more often. And even though we typically dont charge for general maintinence or warranty service on proprietary cannondale stuff (so it costs us a little bit of labor), customers inevitably buy more Gu packets and gloves (high margin items) and all the little things that make us good money. Its a good brand to carry in this area and people love the products.