Road Cycling - Cannondale

Someone at work told me that Cannondale (the company) is in trouble financially and has started to "cheap out" on components. Is there any truth to this rumor or should it be quickly sent to the circular file?

Cannondale filed for bankruptcy due to major cash flow problems caused by the motocycle division. The motocycle unit was closed and all assets were sold. The bicycle group was reorganized as a private company with the prime lender to Cannondale as the principal owner. According to all reports the unit is well financed and is operating in the black. The bicycle unit was always profitable. The products appear to be of the same quality as always. Extremely good!
Hope this helps.

everything mentioned above is correct.
Email Cannondale yourself to find out the truth. Joe Montgomery is abck at the helm and the company has some exciting new products for next year. Their new stuff will be a little later ths year than in previous years but I'm told that both MTB and Road bike lines will feature some new stuff.

Whoever gave you "Cheap Out" and "they're bankrupt" Information is about 4 months out of tune with the rest of the world.

After witnessing many a company file for ch.11 bankruptcy (and quite a few ch.7 too :() since the turn of this century (including one I worked for), I'll have to admit that Cannondale has impressed me with probably one of the quickest and most effective recovery.

All the components on Cannondales are brand name, so you can check it out yourself. To be the best of my knowledge, Shimano only makes one level of 105 or Ultegra or DA. So if that is what it says on the component then that is what you are going to get. The places you may wish to check more closely are the crankset/BB/chain/cassette (Cannondale generally does not put on Shimano on anything but their high-end bikes) and the seatpost, stem, saddle and bars. Cannondale, as do most manufacturers, uses less than great components in these places in order to reduce their costs. Cannondale may have gone down a notch or two with these.

Actually, I found the opposite to be true.

Just picked up a 2004 Cannondale R800 and the frame is made from Optimo Ally, the same material used in the CAAD7 frame. The 2003 R800 uses a CAAD5 frame. Not sure if the 2004 is a CAAD7, but it does use the same material. (it doesn’t designate CAAD number on the frame anymore)

Check out the picture, it just says Optimo on the frame.

Originally posted by ParamountScapin
All the components on Cannondales are brand name, so you can check it out yourself. To be the best of my knowledge, Shimano only makes one level of 105 or Ultegra or DA. So if that is what it says on the component then that is what you are going to get. The places you may wish to check more closely are the crankset/BB/chain/cassette (Cannondale generally does not put on Shimano on anything but their high-end bikes) and the seatpost, stem, saddle and bars. Cannondale, as do most manufacturers, uses less than great components in these places in order to reduce their costs. Cannondale may have gone down a notch or two with these.

Thats not entirely correct. Over the years Cannondale has reduced the number of CODA components on their bikes. Now mostly Shimano and COda branded Stronglight and TA components.
Coda stuu fis only still really prevalent on the bottom of the range bikes and thats still usually better than the OEM equipment of a lot of other companies, Specialized included.

Also with Cannondale you an get a really top notch frame right down at F600 level. Does Giant or Trek offer similar quality frames at that prioce point. I don't think so

Isnt coda stuff pretty middle of the road stuff?Not the best or worst.

Ive heard alot of talk about Cannondale going down hill too. Their bikes look nice as ever to me. That R800 is a sweet bike. You can always change out the seat and stems anyway. If you are getting a strong frame and decent drive components, who cares.

It seems to me that as you get up in the bike range, saddle, stems and pedals should best be left up to the buyer. Perhaps it's actually not a bad practice for bike companies to keep the prices a little lower by spec'ing the cheapest of those components simply so they can be test ridden and then let the buyer know that they're considered replaceable... or better yet, trickle that knowledge to the shops so they can advise their customers on replacement components at the time of purchase. I already notice that some bikes no longer come stock with pedals for this very same reason.

Shokhead,

It reallydepends on what component youtalking about.
The Coda MAgic IS cranks are amongst the best in teh business for stiffness to weight ratio. Remember it has it's own dedicated BB as well.
The Tarantula CX2/3 cranks are also very very good cranks.

The CODA stuff designed for high performance is really good and equal to the best on the market.
The rest is not really CODA components, It's othername branded as CODA to meet lower pricepoints.

The only really bum CODA components were the disc brakes. Great if they worked properly and a nightmare if they did'nt. Everything else is pretty good in the price point they compete in.

I have a CODA stem on my MTB, it's the only thing that will fit and vastly better than a Woodman that fits the Headshok.

Nice to know but did i read they are going away from coda?

Originally posted by cyclefoever
Cannondale filed for bankruptcy due to major cash flow problems caused by the motocycle division. The motocycle unit was closed and all assets were sold. The bicycle group was reorganized as a private company with the prime lender to Cannondale as the principal owner. According to all reports the unit is well financed and is operating in the black. The bicycle unit was always profitable. The products appear to be of the same quality as always. Extremely good!
Hope this helps.

That is what I have heard. This happens a lot in business. A company does one thing well like make bikes and make money at it. But they fill up their niche in the market and decide to expand but where? I know! Lets get into a competitive business that looks similar to bicycle making but isn't and lose our money! This is so common that Peter Lynch even coined the term "diworsification" for this business strategy.

The Van - your bike is most likely NOT a CAAD7 frame since I notice your rear seat stays are not "tear drop" shaped.

Regarding Cannondale "cheaping" out: please take a look at their FRAMES, not the components that are stuck on that frame and then come back and tell me about Cannondale's work. Is there a comparable manufacturer of alu frames? Thought not :D

The Van- every time I look at your Cannondale, I want it.

What is your home address. :D

Hehe:) I'll have to make sure I lock all the doors from now on.

As for the frame being CAAD7 or a CAAD5 (but made with Optimo Alloy), I am unsure.

All the Cannondales have the hour glass seat stays. The CAAD7 differs in that it has a tear drop profile to the tubing where it meets the head tube to save weight.

I looked my frame more closely and the down tube and top tube have the CAAD7 tear drop shape where they meet the the head tube, so who knows. I guess I'll have to wait until they have the 2004 bikes on their webpage. It is kinda hard to see it from the picture.

Simoni's new frame,probably to be named caad8.Carbon-fiber top tube,down tube and seat tube with welded aluminum joints for the front triangle.Seatstays and chainstays are aluminum with cannondales lightweight hollowgram crankset and bottom bracket.Velo News

Simoni's new carbon /alu cannondale will not be called CAAD8. Thats all I'm saying.

Van if your frame is Optimo tubing then it is CAAD7 absolutely.
Only difference between it and the SAECO bikes is the colour scheme, groupset and forks.

Shokhead, Canondale is onl;y moving away from their own brand components at the lower price points. Coda HOLLOWGRAM cranks will feature more prominently in 2004 model range mtb and road