Cannodale

Cannondale has come a long way since its birth in a crowded loft above a pickle factory in 1971, when it introduced the cycling industry's first bicycle trailer. The company grew quickly during its early years, adding cycling apparel and accessory lines along the way while also earning a strong reputation for innovation and quality. That reputation proved invaluable when Cannondale introduced its first bicycle, a touring model, in 1983, followed by a road racing model and a mountain bike model in 1984. Cannondale raised the cycling world's eyebrows by equipping their bicycles with handcrafted aluminum frames that were both lighter and more flex-resistant than the steel models that dominated the industry at the time. Cannondale's reputation encouraged both bike dealers and customers to give the bicycles a try, and widespread industry skepticism quickly gave way to a host of imitators.

Today Cannondale is the leading manufacturer of high-end bicycles, and is widely regarded as the bike industry's leading innovator. Many of the ideas that keep Cannondale products on the cutting edge come from the sponsored athletes on the company's professional racing teams. The mountain bike teams have captured a dozen or more World Championships, World Cup Series overall titles, National Championships and two Olympic medals. The company's road racing bikes have won multiple stages at the Tour de France, more than two dozen stages at the Giro d'Italia, two Giro d'Italia overall victories, a Professional World Championship title, and two Italian National Championships.