Cannondale was responsible for pioneering aluminium as a bike construction material and it has almost exclusively used aluminium for its products ever since.

In 2004 Cannondale really picked up the pace with its carbon/alloy composite Six13 model, a bike that became popular very quickly and sold plenty of units.

The following year the company launched its first all-carbon effort, the Synapse model. The Cannondale Synapse aims to mix the level of performance that good riders want on the road with the comfort factor needed for distance riding.

Cannondale has a rich history of sponsoring professional road racing teams, starting with the Saeco team in the late 1990s. That team was highly successful and won the Giro d’Italia three times.

In 2007 Cannondale sponsored the Team Liquigas effort, leading to another Giro win through Danilo Di Luca.

Among the most highly rated Cannondale products to leave the factory floor is the CAAD9 project, which was a low cost way of getting a very good road bike.

Cannondale has come a long way since its inception in 1971 and it will hopefully continue to create excellent aluminium road cycling options.