nothing for Cannondale out here eh?

Are you talking about Specialized, Trek or Giant here? I can't tell.

good point. doesn't make much sense to penalize companies just for innovating, esp. when it works. c'dales pull shocks seem to be working and holding up well, and even though no one has copied it, the lefty has obvious benefits, a good track record and lots of fans

though i don't remember any proprietary suspension on giants recently

when was the actual "crack n fail" time period and wasn't it their earliest very stiff ALU frames ?

C-dale could also be said to be way ahead on the use of ALU cuz they have never actualy made a frame from steel and nowadays ALU is everywhere

I seem to remember ALU at one point being more rare than CF is now

The lefty has been around for [HTML_REMOVED] 10years they work well, mine still works like it did when new

when was the actual "crack n fail" time period and wasn't it their earliest very stiff ALU frames ?

C-dale could also be said to be way ahead on the use of ALU cuz they have never actualy made a frame from steel and nowadays ALU is everywhere

I seem to remember ALU at one point being more rare than CF is now

The lefty has been around for [HTML_REMOVED] 10years they work well, mine still works like it did when new

Sounds like someone else had to drink the Kool Aid :D

It was around 1991 when I used to see them snapped in half lying at the side of race courses. They'd been out for a long time by then.

Ahem…

If you have paid any attention to the product knowledge seminars you would know that Cannondale pioneered the use of aluminium in bicycles. Being first has its risks and that is where "crack and fail" came from. All those companies that still made steel bikes had to fight it somehow. Well guess what, they gave up and joined in.

Pioneered? As in eight years behind Gary Klein? EIGHT YEARS! Five years after Charlie Cunningham. By the time the 'CracknFail' period came along Cannondale were positively archaic compared to a Klein Attitude. As for aluminium being this amazing wonder material, I wish I'd kept a tally of how many cracked aluminium frames I've seen over the years. It'd be hundreds (of all makes and types). Ironically, it gained popularity due to being cheap and easy to work with, and now steel is seen as boutique and high end. How the tables have turned. And now carbon is the new aluminium. No I didn't pay any attention to 'product knowledge' (or marketing as it's otherwise known) seminars. Why on earth would I? Aluminium, the door is that way -[HTML_REMOVED]

when was the actual "crack n fail" time period and wasn't it their earliest very stiff ALU frames ?

C-dale could also be said to be way ahead on the use of ALU cuz they have never actualy made a frame from steel and nowadays ALU is everywhere

I seem to remember ALU at one point being more rare than CF is now

The lefty has been around for [HTML_REMOVED] 10years they work well, mine still works like it did when new

i started riding in 92 and they had that name already , i think it was due to them being one of the 1st aluminum designs and they had quality issues . back in those days i only remember a couple brands that where full aluminum , GT and Klein where a couple others i think Gary Fischer had a design as well . most of the other companies where using Moly with some companies like Giant just starting to combine aluminum with a carbon fiber type materials together and those had issues as well .

Pioneered? As in eight years behind Gary Klein? EIGHT YEARS! Five years after Charlie Cunningham. By the time the 'CracknFail' period came along Cannondale were positively archaic compared to a Klein Attitude. As for aluminium being this amazing wonder material, I wish I'd kept a tally of how many cracked aluminium frames I've seen over the years. It'd be hundreds (of all makes and types). Ironically, it gained popularity due to being cheap and easy to work with, and now steel is seen as boutique and high end. How the tables have turned. And now carbon is the new aluminium. No I didn't pay any attention to 'product knowledge' (or marketing as it's otherwise known) seminars. Why on earth would I? Aluminium, the door is that way -[HTML_REMOVED]

This.
My fantasy bike company would have the guy from BCD, Gary Klein and Robert Reisinger designing bikes, assuming they didn't divide by zero and implode the world before bikes rolled off the production line.

And anyway - what relation is Cannondale to the company that made those 'pioneering' frames? None. Just like GT they are a marketing shell to squeeze money out of the bike market for the enrichment of the shareholders and fund managers.

though i don't remember any proprietary suspension on giants recently

I'd call overdrive2 or whatever their 1 1/4" steerer is pretty proprietary.

I'd call overdrive2 or whatever their 1 1/4" steerer is pretty proprietary.

let's try that again

though i don't remember any proprietary suspension on giants recently

but yeah giant with their new steertube "standard" outsmarted themselves off my would-ever-buy/own/recommend list

but yeah giant with their new steertube "standard" outsmarted themselves off my would-ever-buy/own/recommend list

Im in the same boat as you. I like a few of their bikes, especially the value in their road line, but OD2 is an interesting design to say the least. Stem swaps to non-Giant parts will be expensive.

Why wouldn't they have just kept the taper design but with a larger upper HS bearing?

Can't wait for inch and a third head tubes:rolleyes:

If you read the article, the US plant they are talking about is Cannondale.

Dorel to shutter U.S. bike plant, shift work to Asia

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/dorel-to-shutter-us-bike-plant-shift-work-to-asia/article16464626/

remix some of the cfo's statements and you have a truly duh moment

The move follows on Dorel’s decision five years ago to move the bulk of bicycle manufacturing operations in Bedford to Asia.

We have some parts assembled in Bedford, shipped to the Far East, and then shipped back for assembly.

It adds costs and its adds time

and so we finally bid farewell to a world where running two facilities in different countries, and paying for the fuel, logistics and time it takes to ship parts to china and back, is cheaper than manufacturing a bike in one place

This.
My fantasy bike company would have the guy from BCD, Gary Klein and Robert Reisinger designing bikes, assuming they didn't divide by zero and implode the world before bikes rolled off the production line.
.

that's awesome. alex morgan was the guy behind bcd. loved his quirky creations. i'd probably throw him, charlie cunningham, paul brodie, and aaron franklin in a blender and see what strange anachronistic offspring emerges. old school craftsmanship + off the wall blank slate designs = ??

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.

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.

Soooooo, like, completely irrelevant to this thread right?

Soooooo, like, completely irrelevant to this thread right?

If you want me to extract helpful info from my post in colorful crayon on bright construction paper for you id be happy to at a later date. For now though, maybe you should re-read the original question, and read between the lines on my post above. Ill go a step further just for you and post part of the original question that I tried to help answer.

just not on the radar? terrible bikes? doesn't seem likely. bad paint jobs/graphics/funny forks? anyone, Bueller?

Now re-read my post and youll see references to cannondales overall reputation, and specific references to the funny fork. Did I get sidetracked in my post? Yes. Are you slow? Yes. Have you contributed anything to this thread yet? No.