I just read an article stating that Cannondale is owned(As of 2009) by the same company that owns "Pacific cycles"(The ones that make Wal-mart bikes). Does anyone else know anything about this? Has Cannondale lost quality and value since the purchase? Any opinions would be nice

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannond...le_Corporation read under ownership.

"In February 2008, Dorel Industries, a Canada based diversified consumer products company, announced the purchase of Cannondale from Pegasus for approximately $200 million. Dorel also owns Pacific Cycle which is a distributor of bicycles made in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China for sale under many historic U.S. cycle brands, including Schwinn, Mongoose, Roadmaster, and GT."

Dorel purchased Cannondale. Dorel owns Pacific Cycle. So they are both under the same ownership as I had stated

That doesn't mean that C'dale's manufacturing has been moved to a marginal Chinese factory -- even though that's exactly what happened to Schwinn and Mongoose. GT is also owned by Pacific (and thus, Dorel), and they have maintained quality.

My understanding is that quality has been maintained though they are no longer made in the USA which was one of their most attractive features. Of course none of the big name brands are made in the USA, so I don't think it impacts quality. Does help me consider a handbuilt bike when I think about upgrading.

so much of the bicycle manufacturing investment went to Taiwan , that the technology,
is also concentrated there , hydroforming, heat treating, and all that ..

and the price remains affordable for the customer .

This is actually the way that the majority of the bike industry has gone. Most bikes are manufactured in the same factories, although at the specs of the individual brand. Even a few of the high dollar Italian companies are now manufactured in Taiwan if you look carefully. It's part of the ever-changing global economy.

CAAD10's are still made in the USA, not sure about the high-end carbon's. But everything else is mass produced in China, since, I really believe that the quality has significantly gone down the drain, not because they are made in China, but because of their shift towards mass production and all that it entails. I would not buy anything from them....

My suspicion is companies make things in Taiwan just so people won't say "Made in China ewwwwww"
My Ultrasones were made there, seems like "nicer" things are made there and then of course the high-end is made in the home country such as Germany. But is there any proof the Chinese couldn't make the same dang thing?.....

1) The North American Bicycle Dealers Association reports that 99.8% of all bikes sold in the USA are imported from Taiwan and China.

2) Cannondale bicycles were never manufactured in the United States. Cannondale frames used to be, though, and then turned into completed bicycles when they were assembled with imported parts.

3) Currently, China can put humans into low earth orbit and the USA cannot. I think anyone should be reluctant to conclude their manufacturing infrastructure is inherently incapable.

4) The Chinese turn out some junk because there's a market for junk in the USA. The junk Huffy bicycles of the 60s, 70s and early 80s were made in America. Be a discerning consumer and don't buy junk no matter where it is made.

BTW, if this ever comes up when you're playing cycling trivia - Pacific Cycle is a completely different outfit from Pacific Cycles.

Can't speak for all Cannondale's but the CAAD8 Tiagra I bought last week is the sweetest ride I've ever had.

To make good quality stuff in factories, you need a culture of quality, an understanding and appreciation of good stuff. It took the Japanese a while to re-learn but it was always part of their culture. This culture is the key to German manufacturing. We used to have it in the UK but it is all but lost. It means being taught by a guy who was taught by a guy who was a master-craftsman.
Chinese have had a poor tradition in recent decades and it will take them a while to re-learn but they will.
Giant has moved manufacturing back and forth between Taiwan and China and come across this issue.

Some of the more expensive ($4k+) carbon Trek bicycles are still manufactured in the USA. Otherwise, with judicious use of non top-level parts, you could probably (or have a shop do it) put together a bike with a frame made in the USA for $2k or so. Much less if you can find something used like an early 90s Trek, Cannondale, or other USAmfg frame. Although manufacturing is now outsourced, Cannondale doesn't do any worse a job with their frames compared to any of the other manufacturers out there. Cannondale purchase and offshoring of manufacturing follows a general manufacturing trend.

With overseas production, you generally get what you pay for. If you want quality, you'll pay more for it and the MSRP will reflect it; if you want junk, there's plenty of that available as well...

The Chinese have all the culture of quality they need to produce what is needed for the markets they serve. You might consider that the Chinese are dominant in flat panel displays and highly competitive in things like integrated circuits and solar panels. These goods are far harder to produce than bicycles.

If bike companies go to China for bikes, they will get the level of quality they're willing to pay for. If they specify that they want product for the lowest possible cost, the factories will produce junk bikes for them. If the company specifies a level of quality typical of $1,000 bikes, they will get that from Chinese factories.

That isn't to say that all bike companies are equally good at identifying and working with Chinese partners to get the level of quality they desire at the price they want. Some companies will be better at playing that game than others. There may also be the equivalent of a bidding process that results in a company moving production back and forth between different factories in different countries.

This thread and many others like it in this forum seem to be so concerned about a bicycle made in Asia that rides (excuse the pun) on fear of quality. I don't have a problem with that as long as the product maintains technological advancements in design, engineering, and performance, which comes from the brand's HQ. You can't paint a broad brush stroke to assume just because something comes from China or anywhere from the Far East has less quality than anywhere else in the world these days. If you believe products sold at Walmart is cheap quality, well guess what... Walmart wanted it that way to keep prices down. The Chinese manufacturer who sells to Walmart is simply making something to meet Walmart' standards based on the price point. Don't expect quality at a cheap price and if you don't like it, then don't buy it.

Just remember the specifications of a bike frame and its components manufactured in Asia is based on the brand's HQ and their specifications and not the Chinese factory that builds it. So if the brand HQ wants to build something of lessor quality, it is NOT the Chinese manufacturer that's building it with less quality but the designer/engineering dept of the company whose put those tolerances into the design to cut corners if they chose to and vice versa. In reality, China probably has more engineers & technicians graduating each year than all of the engineers combined in North America. If you speak of high technology manufacturing, China is miles ahead in processes at a point it's down to an art compared to your typical modern factory in the US or Europe. Just look at how the Giant brand evolved from nothing to suddenly the largest bike manufacturer in the world in a few decades. Have you looked closely to where bike components are made? 85% of the parts/components of so called American/European branded bikes, their carbon fiber material is all made in China/Taiwan. Why stop at bikes.... How's your iPhone/iPad? Do you think the quality is cheap? Has the thought of being made in China stop you from buying an Apple product??

This^

The simple fact is that almost all bikes are made in Taiwan and China and those countries have been in the business of making bikes for a long time now

Not sure about current Cannondale quality but I recently bought a 1990 Cannondale 3.0 (SM400 upgraded). Beautiful bike, American made aluminum heat-treated lightweight frame, Very nice craftsmanship. Compare this frame to today's MB offerings and decide for yourself ...

Right on! Hasn't stopped me from buying another Cannondale. If the bike company promotes and wants to continue selling their product as the "highest quality" then it shouldn't matter where the frame is built. It's the company and their reputation at stake if the product is bad. Cannondale hasn't showed any signs of slowing down in my point of view.

I have a 1996 Cannondale m900 aluminum and from my eye, the welds look so much better and I like how they smoothed it out than the current Cannondale's. That's just my opinion.