Cannondale Mountain Bikes?

Q: I'm looking to buy a new mountain bike for $500 to $1000. Cannondale's look great, but I've been out of the biking world for a while. Are they still good bikes?

A: Here's the ugly truth about Cannondale, heretofore a top quality hand-built American bicycle frame builder who stole Gary Klein's original design (but paid for it when they settled the lawsuit). They are now owned by Pacific Bicycles, which is in turn owned by Doral Industries, a toy and home furnishings company. The many Pacific bicycle labels include Schwinn, GT, Murray, Roadmaster, and more. The great majority of their products are low end junk. Cannondale dealers claim that Cannondale will remain a high quality unit of Pacific, but time will tell, especially now that they are owned by a toy company. The frames were already being built in Asia, which is not necessarily a bad thing, because almost all frames are being made there these days anyway, and some of them are top notch. See the link below for an insider's article on where you bicycle is really made. I guess the bottom line is that I wouldn't pay any premium for a Cannondale unless your seller is an exceptional shop that makes the higher price worth something. Almost all comparably equipped hard-tail aluminum mountain bikes are equivalent these days, so if I were in the market like you I would concentrate of price and service (if you need it). If I had your budget and didn't need the support of a local shop I would buy from Bikes Direct. Follow the link to see what you can get there for $1,000 or less. People love to knock them because their prices are so low, but they are a first class operation. Good luck, and welcome back to riding.

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