Hi Guys,
No one mentioned this with all the excitment about SRAM buying Zipp. But from Competitive Cyclists website,

"SRAM/Zipp, aside, though, that’s not even the juiciest piece of gossip. Rather, what blew us away was the chatter of Pacific Cycle buying Cannondale. Perhaps you've never even heard of Pacific. They own Schwinn, GT, and Mongoose. Rumor is that they're buying Cannondale, shutting down the US factory and turning it into a warehouse, and shifting the production of America's best big bike manufacturing company to Asia. It gives Pacific a high-end performance offering in their portfolio of generally dumbed-down (albeit highly recognized & profitable) brands. Sounds like a smart strategic move to us, though it's sad to see America's final sizeable maker of bikes go offshore."

Comments?

If it's true that's a real pity.

My old CAAD5 will be a collectors item before long...

group buy?

buy a CAAD 9 now... it's a modern classic and sadly, if true, the last in the evolutionary line (

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Gravitas est meus Hostilis
Painted Roads Cycling: http://www.paintedroads.com
Words: http://mikesimagination.wordpress.com

A buy out would be truly tragic. As for the CAAD9, I rode mine the other day and I am now really starting to love that bike. I loved my 8 and still prefer the look of it, but the 9 goes like a train!

Long Live Cannondale!

Ed

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09 TCR Advanced SL Team with 303s
09 TCR Advanced 3 with Dura Ace and Ksyriums
09 TCX with Dura Ace
'Dale F1000 Full Wood (Last one after the cracking Super 6 saga!)

Whoa a black day if true.

If it holds true then it surely is sad. I like Cannondales for the same reasons I love the classic Principias. Sadly, it looks like C is going to meet the same fate that befell P.

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- Papa R. Fresh

Don't be so negative. Hard news from some of the guys in the US but good news for welders in Taiwan or China. Cannondale's made some nice frames but if they can be made cheaper abroad, we all get the tech for less money.

It doesn't have to be that the company gets ruined. Previous management did a good job of that already, with the failed motorbike production ventures.

on a purely technical front that is true, but there's also that undefinable element of 'heritage' that is important to many folk, myself included.... call me a tart if you like...!

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Gravitas est meus Hostilis
Painted Roads Cycling: http://www.paintedroads.com
Words: http://mikesimagination.wordpress.com

If they move to Taiwan it is probably not at all bad, as the frames today coming out of Taiwan are impressively well made - just like their sailboats.

But, I too hate to see Cannondale close down their US construction facilities.

Politics and biases aside though, I buy a bike because of the way it's made, not where it's made.

Sad news if its true

You have to question what their future positioning if this is true. Cannondale are sold on being home grown in the US and hand made aluminium. It has been their key marketing message for a long time. Take that away, and they lose not only their USP but also their reason for commanding a premium price. It is difficult to see how they will pitch it. Perhaps it is inevitable with the majority of the high end market moving to carbon that the move has to come. After all, the Synapse, Six13 and SuperSix are all built or part built in Asia, as are the slice fork and the own brand components. If you keep that in mind, then it is no big deal. The trouble is, that Cannondale have pushed this 'Made in the USA' heritage so hard for so long, it is difficult to see how they can now preach that made in Asia is just as good (even though I am 100% sure it is).

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http://worksrider.wordpress.com/

It will just move to Designed in the USA, like most of the rest of the volume bike industry.

BTW I noticed that my latest Assos gear has gone the same way "designed" not "made" in Switzerland.

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"Leave our the friction, the fact is this friction can only be worn by persistence" Neil Peart

Correction, supersix is totally made in the USA as the systemsix also is. Full carbon mtb, Taurine is produced in Asia aswell the cheaper alu mtb models and the Synapse.

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Cannondale for life!

This may be a weird addition to this thread, but I thought (not joking) that NBA star Lebron James had bought a large portion of Cannondale earlier this year, providing them with a huge influx of cash. What happened?

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Wouldn't it be nice if people actually read what you wrote before responding?