# Why do you ride Cannondale?



## Buck Satan (Nov 21, 2005)

I have ridden them for 20+ years, and it's always been a "bang for the buck" think with me. Plus, I really need/crave the massive stiffness. I just don't really want anything else now. I think their tech is some of, if not the best in the business. I like the fact that they can show me why their frames are better, rather than relying on an old euro name. And I think they're beautiful. 










I'm ordering a CAAD 8 this week.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

Satan:

Ahh, sounds like you're in love with your Cannondale. Here are my reasons:

1. Quality, quality, quality.
2. Innovation. See, e.g., the Six13. How many other bike manufacturers out there came up with the rear aluminum triangle and top and down carbon tubes? I'm a roadie, but I'm sure similar innovation can be said about Cannondale's mountain bike line (e.g., Scalpel, Prophet).
3. Lifetime warranty behind every frame. Many European firms stop after five years.
4. Reasonable pricing. Compare, e.g., Trek, which is more pricey.
5. Cannondale supports high-level professional teams. E.g., Saeco, Lampre-Caffita and now Barloworld and Health Net.
6. Hand made in the USA, baby. Except the Synapse.


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## Friction_Shifter (Feb 8, 2006)

in no particular order

1. my first real bike (back in 86). I've had so many good times while riding that 85 dale.
2 within 1 year of my getting a dale I had 4 friends get Dales. We used to screw around and be "Team Dale"(haul arse down the hill in front of myhouse in tight formation while my dad snapped pictures etc)
3. I love the feel of my dale. When I pedal it accellerates. Its very efficient.
4. I love the stiffness of the dale (and supposed "Harsh" ride others talk of).
5. I love the way it looks - I stripped off all the paint and polished it.
6. It is durable. 20 years later and it rides like day 1 (actually better since I replaced the CrMo fork with an Al Rodriguez fork).
7. It is multipurpose. I used to have a rack & lights on it and use it as a commuter.
8. I like the way the big diameter tubes and seatstays look.
9. Its the Dale, gotta love it.
10. Its the Dale, gotta love it.

My 90 is nearly ready to go. I just need to get brake cables and handlebar griptape. So I will soon have 2 rideable Dales.


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Da Frame.

Beautifully made CAAD5. And the proportions just seem to fit me.


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## MacTechBri (Jan 22, 2006)

*Why I ride Cannondale.*

I was looking to get a road bike two years ago. I wasn't going to go out and buy a new one, since I didn't know if I would stick with it. I was too new to know anything. I picked up a bargain mart and started looking for something, anything that didn't have straight handle bars on it. There were some Treks that were out of my price range and some "10 speeds" from the 80's (Huffy's etc...) A week or two later I came across a Cannondale for $150.I looked at their website before I went. I recall as a child someone riding a Cannondale in my neighborhood, an adult by the way. So I went to look at it. I didn't know the first thing about size. They guy was about my size and the bike felt ok. So I bought it for $120.

The reputation of the company. Important
The warranty they give on their frames. No downside here
The fact that they are made in the USA. The most important reason for my purchase yesterday of my new 2006 R700
And I am pretty brand loyal when I find something really good.

Cannondale would have to send someone to my house and kick me in the nuts with a steel toe boot before I would switch.

MacTechBri


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## topflightpro (Nov 3, 2004)

*First Impression Thing*

I think it was just a first impression thing for me. 

After riding the crap out of my mountain bike, I thought I would look into whether I wanted to get a road bike too. An 04 R700 was the first road bike I ever rode. That 45 second ride was awesome and convinced me I wanted a road bike. I then rode an R5000 for size comparison.

After that, every bike I rode was compared to the Cannondales, and nothing measured up. 

More than a year after that first ride, I ended up getting a Six-13, and it's awesome.


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## jhenry4 (Feb 4, 2006)

*first love*

my first road bike was a used cannondale 2.8...which i'm still riding to this day. recently, having gotten a promotion i thought it was time to upgrade. so i shopped around, tried numerous specialized, orbea, trek and cannondale frames (caad 7, synapse, and six13). i decided on the CAAD7 for the familiar fit, made in USA quality, and the fact that cannondale have the most advance aluminum bikes around. if i had wanted Ti, i'd have probobly gone to lightspeed, Carbon would have led me to specialized or look, but the cost to performance ratio of cannondale aluminum was unbeatable.


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## Canecreekfreak (Jul 7, 2005)

I just got into road biking last year, after being a mountain biker since 1996. I tried all the bikes I could before making my choice, and I went with a CAAD7 Cannondale R700. #1 reason was fit, but reason 1A was the way it felt. It's super stiff without being overly harsh. It's way quicker than the other bikes I tried. And it handles superbly- it goes exactly where I tell it to. Those were the reasons I chose the R700 over the Lemond that fit me just as well. But I also like that it's made in the USA. For the money, I think I got the bes bike available. I couldn't be happier (without spending another $600).


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## Sledgehammer03 (Mar 7, 2006)

Beautiful crasftmanship on the welds. you definitely tell that they are doing their homework with the multi-dimensional tubing.

Great Value for the $'s, IMO

And

big part of the sale for me is on the seat stays "Handmade in the USA.


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## DieselDan (Sep 14, 2002)

Mine is an older, 2.8, but it is the best bike I've ever owned. The price is why I bought it. I had $300, and I was going to put a Specialized Allez on layaway at the LBS, but there was this older, somewhat better speced Cannondale R500 there for $300. Yes, it was 7-speed and needed tires, but for $300 I could ride now, instead of raising another $395 before I could ride.

That was three years, 4500 miles, and 55 pounds ago. I may have put another $300 into it keeping it going, but it's worth it. I just replaced the chain and cassette, and plan to upgrade the crankset, then maybe the fork.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

first reason is because it's what my father has riden for as long as i can remember and he swears by them and because my first road bike was a hand me down Cannondale 3.0

second i like the fact that they are made in the USA

third i like their technology in the tubing and how laterally stiff they are which translates to their insane responsiveness and speed out of the saddle (doesn't make it harsh either) they are by far the best aluminum bikes on the market

bang for your buck, they always spec out their bikes nicely for what you pay for them 

and lastly because they look great without being flashy and because i too stick with something when i find that it works, loyalty will always pay off in the end!!!


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## ringroadwarrior (Dec 8, 2002)

*Just love it..*

Was all set to build a bike from the frame up. When a friend said, " Ride this and see how you like it." A few weeks later I purchased a Six13. It was by far the best bike I rode. Comfortable given the stiffnes. Light, responsive everything I was looking for in a bike.


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

I was pretty impress with my first Caad 3 R900 roadbike, even with aluminum but the ride was comfortable to climb and fast. Then I upgrade to a Caad 7 and now with Six13 frame and this bike is light, stiff and fast. When it comes to aluminum no one can build a better frame than Cannondale. Quality craftmanship and warrenty.


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## YakuzaSmurf (Sep 15, 2005)

I ordered a CAAD 4 R2000 in 1999. I was in college, and it was the best bike I could afford at the time that fit me well without swapping out the stem, handlebars, etc... After riding it for a year, I couldn't imagine riding anything else. Then, a couple of years ago when the original Six13 came out I was mountain bike shopping and I decided to take one for a test ride. Big mistake on my part! Now I have two road bikes... not that I am complaining. Finally, this spring I got my mountain bike... a Cannondale 1FG. I think I am a full fledged Cannondale junkie now. I just love the way they ride and fit me. The only bike I want that isn't a Cannondale, is a Santa Cruz Blur setup for all mountain riding... but that's probably a long way off and I have not ridden a Rush yet.


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## LetsGoOutside (Dec 2, 2005)

I remember being a 10 year old bmx kid going into my lbs and staring up at the Super V mountain bikes, the original Ravens and the huge tubed road bikes and I automatically knew that I would own a Cannondale one day. 

I was building dirt jumps with my best friend in his backyard one day and we went into his garage to get another shovel, his parents had two Cannondale tri-bikes leaning against the wall. I stood there and stared for a good 15 minutes and his mom even let me ride hers. 

Bought my first cannondale at 14 years old after saving every penny I made, XR800 with full 105 9 spd. She is my primary bike these days as I am a broke college student who has sold off most of my stuff. But since my first I have had a Caad4 and a Jekyll. One day I will have another full stable of Dales, they make life good.


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## krusty46 (Feb 15, 2005)

LetsGoOutside said:


> I remember being a 10 year old bmx kid going into my lbs and staring up at the Super V mountain bikes, the original Ravens and the huge tubed road bikes and I automatically knew that I would own a Cannondale one day.


Saved me some typing. Thanks.

I'm a poor casual rider, but I have a F300 and a SR500 in my den. I come home after a ride and the bikes come in the house with me. The SR500 spent its 1st 6 months in my bedroom with me until my wife and I came to an agreement.
The quality of the welds are unseen on anything else in my price range. "Handmade in the USA" means something to me.
I know/love their fit.


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## desmo13 (Jun 28, 2006)

In Highschool, 2 of my buddies and I ordered cannondale 2.0's. rode all year, rain, winds (north coast of cali) had such a blast, went off to college, put all dura ace on it, did some small crits. then biking went away....
18 or so yeaqrs later, 36 years old, 65 lbs too heavy, went with what I know, cannondale. picked up a R500 and now ride the heack out of it.

I love cannondale. But I am sad because I don't think my next bike will be one. I really like the six-13, but for the money, I am leaning towards a cervelo soloist team. But I will never stop riding my r500, it changed my life. And now (in another thread) I am wondering what to do with my 2.0 (I still have it and and parts in a sealed tub)


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## craighop1 (Apr 24, 2006)

Still love riding my SR600 a 2.0 frame, I bought it new in '91 and have enjoyed riding it ever since. I have been looking at the R500 this year, but on the family budget getting a new bike is pretty far down on the list.


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## Porcupines93 (Sep 1, 2005)

*Why I ride Cannondale*

First and foremost it is made in the USA.
Second it eats up hills and flies down them
Third you get a frame known for its quality.


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## FB296 (Jul 20, 2004)

*Caad8*

I love the way my new r700 handles, better than anything I tried for the price. 

I also love the 'Handmade in the USA' decals.


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## mzj56j (May 29, 2006)

Well, I bought my first road bike (synapse alloy) just over a month ago. So, why a Cannondale? Because looking at the frame it becomes obvious that they actually put some thought into the design. Oh, and it's a nice ride.


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## crankee (Aug 2, 2003)

*My reasons*

The reasons I bought my Cannondale are fit, comfort, value, warranty, and Cannondale's reputation for building quality bikes.

I had three bikes (now down to two) - my '05 R1000 is far and away the best bike I've owned.

I'm lusting for a Six13, but that's down the road.


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## omniviper (Sep 18, 2004)

same reason as everybody...

also i like the fatness of the tubes. makes the bike more agressive looking. kinda like 18" wheels and lowered cars you know? Not sure how aerodynamically efficient they are though


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## Scuzzo (Jul 21, 2006)

ok i guess its time to kinda ruminate on my dale experience, I bought one used with 14speeds and dt shifters. it was a 3.0 and it was a 56cm frame the group was if i recall exage with elipitical chain rings. and the wheel set was hmm well i dont think mavic. My first road bike. I LOVED THIS BIKE. did my first century on this bike IT WAS STIFF. and it was a lumber wagon. the rear stays were not the least bit damp. but it was FAST it would go. or i would go. red and white with a steel fork. modolo stem and bars. and the FIT was awfull.. but i made it work. long stem extended seat post. (I ride a 60 to a 61cm after a fit kit intervention) with all the goofy cheeze components and Slop wheel set i still found out ITs the ride not so much the bike. since then i went up the scale on road bike stuff not all that high.. but i have some nice DA 10 and DA 9 bikes and a sweet cad3 campy 8 (retired). but i have always ridden dale from the 3.0 to the 2.8 and the CAD3. and have always liked them they seem to be of the road. a really spirited ride. with a good deal of road feedback. and i dont think buzz is that much a four letter word.. but thats me. any how.. I ride dale because i bought a used one and it was a good bike. a great starter and it gave many great miles..

ode to my red and white dale


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