BalooLightning

...or are they starting with the '09 models?

Since Cannondale makes all kinds of bikes, I thought the general forum was the way to go with this question...

Thanx!!!

DieselDan

Troll alert!

BalooLightning

Don't know where you get trolling from.

I want a PRE-Dorel Cannondale, and I'm wondering if I need to look at older models, or if the '08's are still from before the so-called merger.

BarracksSi

Dorel doesn't make bikes.

Cannondale still makes bikes, most of them here in the Northeast.

Got any more trollish questions?

Wordbiker

Since Dorel bought all of Cannondale, even the backstock...there are no non-Dorel Cannondales.

What difference does corporate ownership make?

BalooLightning

You can't be serious!!! Ask any bike mechanic about the brands Pacific bought up and what happened to the quality of THEIR products!!!

BarracksSi

Yes, we're being serious. Dorel has made their plans for Cannondale very clear. Dorel does not need another cheap brand, but they want to get into the independent shop sector. My LBS dropped Pacific-owned brands several years ago, but they're going to continue carrying Cannondale.

Search for some threads from earlier this year, and go read the statements from both Dorel and Cannondale. We've had this discussion already, so you need to catch up.

BalooLightning

...and I don't believe them.

What you said about your LBS is interesting though.
How long did it take them to drop the "Pacific umbrella" bikes?

BarracksSi

Not long, probably. I remember seeing Schwinns in there in 2001 (back when I moved into DC), and they were gone by 2002.

I'm gonna believe Dorel & Cannondale, though. Dorel knows that they're making money at Wal-Mart, but they also know that the cycling community at large hates what happened with Schwinn, GT, and the others that Pacific bought. They know that Cannondale doesn't suck (besides, who would want to buy a company that has no talent and no future? Cannondale's got both..), and they want to maintain a good relationship with independent bike shops.

If anything, I'll bet that, with Dorel's financial backing, you'll see more R&D and more adventurous product offerings coming out of Bedford.

BalooLightning

I really hope you are right on all points!!!

It would be REALLY nice to see a conglomerate actually rescue {I guess Cannondale actually was in some financial distress} and REVIVE a good company, instead of simply raping it for it's name!!!

Perhaps I need to ride more -- helps pump up your optimism!

BarracksSi

That must've been what happened to me -- I put in a decent 45 miles today.

Wordbiker

I am a mechanic and a shop manager, and am well aware of what happened with Pacific.

All the trade magazines agree that Dorel would be very foolish to trash Cannondale's quality reputation. You don't buy a strong brand and reduce the perceived value.

mlts22 

Dorel knows they have a gem with Cannondale, and there is a snowball's chance in $Religious_bad_place that they will make cheapie bikes with that brand. Nothing is certain, but I'm pretty sure X-Mart bikes won't be showing up with Lefty forks anytime soon.

What Dorel needs to do is a brand reorganization, similar how GM has brands spanning ranges of cars. Dorel should have Cannondale for the high end, Schwinn for midrange "family" bikes (cruisers, hybrids, etc. with decent componentry), then use Pac Bikes for the X-Mart junk. Schwinn still is a name older people remember and are fond of, and Dorel might be able to carve some market if they started making good bikes under that name (Schwinn Homegrowns, which were excellent dual suspension bikes for their time for example)

Maybe Dorel should also do some serious R&D of their own. I still think what is needed is a high quality internal hub like the Rohloff that can take the rough stuff (dropoffs, sand, trails, partial/total immersion), but not have the price premium. This is perhaps wishful thinking, as the Rohloff is knocking on perfection's door, but a good internal hub on a mountain bike (with more than 12 gears) I think would sell, especially for DH/FR bikes.

goldfishin

i wonder if they'll change the manufacturing to overseas? that would suck. what would be the point in buying a cannon then?

BarracksSi

Some of their bikes were already being made overseas -- the O2 series of MTBs, Adventure comfort bikes, and the carbon Synapse frames.

Cannondale upgraded their carbon fiber factory in Bedford in the past year. Somehow I think they'll use it.

BarracksSi

The people who are panicking need to realize this: The ones who manage millions of dollars of assets know more than you do.

halfspeed

Yet they are also capable of being complete idiots. Witness the US banking crisis or closer to this discussion, what Pacific has already done to destroy the brand value of every other bike name they've purchased. Maybe Cannondale will be OK, maybe not. I don't know and neither do you.

AdrianFly

LOL.

+1

mlts22 

I think Dorel is in a good position right now, right atop a bike boom. I just hope they know what they are doing, and don't drop the ball while they have it in their possession.

I can't say what's best for them to do... I'm not an MBA. However, I do think they need to make some generic brand for low end X-Mart bikes (or buy Huffy), pitch Schwinn as the "all-American" bike ride, and then work out product placement for their other brands.

Cannondale is the goose that lays the golden eggs; I think they are aware of this... hopefully.

halfspeed

Why do you find that amusing?

BalooLightning

AMEN to that!!!

AdrianFly

What, me worry?

BalooLightning

Here we are in Sept. and it's time for Cannondale's pre-buyout CEO to wave bye-bye. However, the guy from Dorel who was supposed to replace him has left that position "for family reasons." Family reasons having at least to do with the job requiring too much traveling.

Ok. NOW where do people stand on whether "pre-Dorel" makes a difference?

I have read in recent threads that the "Handmade in the USA" label has already disappeared from frames. One poster suggested that maybe it was removed in an attempt to start downplaying the USA connection, even if the current models without the label WERE made here. Possibly, they were produced before the merger took full effect. Makes sense to me. Are we entering the dreaded "made in China" phase for Cannondale, despite Dorel's springtime promises that they didn't want to mess with a good thing?

BarracksSi

Go look for yourself:
https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/09/cusa/benefits.html

Notable changes:
The new carbon/aluminum Six is from Asia;
The alloy Synapse appears to have been moved to Asia (the carbon version was always Asian-made);
Hardtail Caffeine MTBs have lost their USA flags (the CO2 was already Asian-made);
Recreation bikes in the Adventure, Comfort, and Quick series continue to be Asian-made;
Can't see any USA badging on the Slice. (really?)

Still made in the USA:
Judge,
Perp,
Scalpel,
Rush (alloy and carbon),
Moto (new for '09),
Rize (new for '09),
SuperSix, CAAD9,
cylcocross CAAD9 (incl. the new BB30 option ),
Capo,
Touring,
Tandem,
and Law Enforcement.

birvine

First off, I'm not sure why any of the comments are being labelled as "troll" - what exactly does that mean? I'm finding this discussion rather interesting. I have always been a questioning person so the initial comment seems valid to me.

Second, I, too, have been wondering what would be in store for C'dale. Companies buy companies to make money -- and be it right or wrong, someone sees potential in one way or another (personally, I hope it is to continue with higher-end products -- I have two C'dales and love them). The direction they choose is where they THINK they can do best (again, be it right or wrong).

Third, whether the product is made overseas (aka China) or not, some would say that as long as the product is a good one, what does it matter? When many people are willing to call all over the countryside to save a few dollars rather than buying at the LBS (I am NOT affiliated with ANY LBS, by the way) is this not what the consumer is, in effect, saying? ie I want the SAME product for LESS money. Personally, I wish we would all buy as much as possible to support our own local economies, but now I'm back to dreamworld. Full circle!!

B