Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American based bike company that was founded in 1971, initially to make backpacks and bags for camping and later bicycle trailers and complete bikes.
Cannondale was in the vanguard of aluminium bikes in the 1980s and 90s until a disastrous attempt to break into motorcycles and quad bikes brought the company close to bankruptcy in 2003.
Over the years Cannondale has sponsored many professional teams including Mario Cipollini's Saeco team in the late 1990s, and the Liquigas team of Danilo Di Luca and Ivan Basso. The company currently sponsors the Cannondale-Garmin team that includes 2012 Tour of Italy winner Ryder Hesjedel.