Cannondale is an American bicycle manufacturer that was founded in 1971 by Joe Montgomery in a loft above a pickle factory in Cannondale, Connecticut. The company initially produced outdoor gear and accessories.
In 1983, Cannondale entered the bicycle market with the introduction of the ST-500 touring bike. Cannondale gained recognistion with their pioneering use of aluminum for bicycle frames. In 1984, they produced the first bicycle frame made entirely of aluminum. Cannondale were credited with introducing features like oversized aluminium tubing on their frame manufacturer. Another inovation Cannondale introduced was the “Lefty Fork” in early 2000. This was a unique one sided front suspension fork which was introduced to save weight. Its still used in some Cannondale bikes to this day.
Cannondale have always been active in professional cycle racing and were particularly well known in road racing and mountain biking. They found success in major cycling events such as the Tour De France.
Cannondale now produce a wide range of bikes including road bikes, mountain bikes, cyclocross bikes, and commuter bikes. They also developed technologies like the BB30 bottom bracket standard, which became widely adopted in the cycling industry.
In 2008, Cannondale was acquired by Dorel Industries and to this days is at the forefront of bicycle develeopment.
