Cannondale Bicycle Corporation

Other notable Cannondale sponsored riders include Olympic Silver medalist (and World Champion) Alison Sydor and Bronze medalist Christoph "Susi" Sauser, "Flyin" Brian Lopes, Cadel Evans, Kashi Leuchs, Libor "The Bouncing Czech" Karas, Lance Trappe, Aaron Chase, Myles Rockwell, Cedric Gracia, Roel Paulissen and Frederik Kessiakoff. Finally, as NOVA is a brand of gasoline sold in Mexico, the largest of all Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, it is clear that this urban legend, while perhaps entertaining, is utterly baseless. In the mountain biking circuit, Cannondale had sponsored the Volvo/Cannondale racing team (including world champions Anne-Caroline Chausson and Missy Giove), the SoBe/Cannondale racing team and various individual 24 hour racers such as Bicycling Hall of Famer and US National 24 hour Champion David "Tinker" Juarez. [1] The word nova exists in Spanish with the same meaning as in English. More recently, the entire Saeco team raced a stage of the 2003 Tour de France wearing a Legalize my Cannondale chaingang cycling kit to protest the UCI's lower bound on bike weight which means that their six13 prototype team bikes were underweight and required the installation of additional weight. In reality, the Spanish no va and nova are as different as the English no table and notable. Cipollini's antics are legendary, including showing up to the stage start at the Tour de France dressed in a Julius Caesar-inspired toga complete with an olive wreath, riding on a carriage pulled by his teammates on bicycles. A popular urban legend asserts that the Nova sold poorly in Latin America because the phrase no va means "no go" in Spanish.

The Saeco team is known for their pranks and antics. In fact, a majority were fitted with inline sixes coupled to a ZF manual transmission. (Saeco International Group, based in Bologna manufactures coffee machines.). prior to the introduction of the 1994 Impala SS. Saeco's Stefano Zanini won the US Pro Championship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA in 2003. Their SS counterparts were both coupes and 4-door sedans, the latter of which was unheard of in the U.S. Cannondale also currently sponsors numerous road racing teams, including the Saeco team (now Lampre-Caffita as of 2005) which has won the Giro d'Italia in 2003 with Gilberto Simoni and 2004 with Damiano Cunego. 1962-67) body styles were sold as the Chevrolet 400; the second-generation body style was produced until 1974.

The image of Mario Cipollini approaching the TV camera right after a win to say, 'Cannondale makes the best bikes!' propelled Cannondale's popularity among road racers. The first- and second-generation (U.S. Cannondale's sponsorship in the Division I road racing circuit started with the sponsorship of Mario Cipollini's Saeco (cycling team) team in the late 1990's, memorable for Cipollini's 4 consecutive stage wins in the 1999 Tour de France. The early third-generation (1968 body style) Nova was marketed in Argentina as the Chevrolet Chevy from late 1969 through 1978. Both of these technologies are just now being utilized by other manufacturers with great acceptance, while they are a decade-old technology for Cannondale. 1988 was the last year for the Nova nameplate on this (or any) platform, which arrived in showrooms as the Geo Prizm the following year. As well as being the only company for years to use a 1.5" headtube diameter. In 1985 the Nova name was applied to a rebadged Toyota Sprinter, an upmarket version of the Toyota Corolla that replaced the Citation and was produced at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, as an historic first joint venture between General Motors and Toyota.

Cannondale was the first to produce a crankset that uses externally mounted bottom bracket bearings. Upon introduction of the downsized GM A-body (later G-body) intermediates in 1978, the X-body and downsized A-platform were similar in dimensions, and the more modern downsized A-bodies outsold their X-body counterparts. The Leftys' are lighter, stronger and steer more precisely than any competitors forks with the same amount of travel. From 1980 onwards, the Nova's original niche in the Chevrolet lineup was filled by front wheel drive compacts including the Citation (1980-1985), and Corsica (1987-1996). It uses the same technology of the Headshok, but wanting more travel led to moving the the telescoping unit off to the side to have enough room for the travel. Production ended on December 22, 1978. The "Lefty" is an unusual looking fork, because it only has a left side or leg. The front end was revised with square headlights and a new grille for the short run.

which is a tightness at the top of the travel that must be overcome to initiate travel, and also reduces overall performance. The Nova's final model year, 1979, saw few changes. This eliminates flexing of the fork legs, and also eliminates "stiction". Most were initially purchased by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in 1976. It uses bearings to reduce the friction for super smooth travel, the bearings telescope inside the steerer tube of the fork. A high-performance police version of the Nova was introduced for the 1975 model year, making it the first compact car certified for police duty in the U.S. It started with the "Headshok" forks. The Nova's X-body was stretched by several inches and fitted with an Oldsmobile fuel-injected V8 to become the Seville for 1975.

Cannondale has also developed a suspension fork called the Lefty. Even Cadillac got into the act. In 2005 Cannondale announced its first all-carbon frame in a model named "Synapse." This is also the first Cannondale road bicycle to be built outside of the United States, in China. The Nova SS continued for 1975 and 1976; when the SS was discontinued, the option code for the SS -- RPO Z26 -- continued as the Nova Rally until 1979. The crank and bottom bracket set weigh 80 grams less than Dura-Ace. This led to civil action against GM. Cannondale also developed a proprietary bottom bracket technology called Hollowgram which is featured in its high-end bikes since 2001. Base V8 motors included a Chevrolet 262 (and 305) and Oldsmobile 260; Pontiac Venturas were not fitted with a Pontiac V8 from the factory after 1975, when Oldsmobile 260s and Buick 350s were installed as optional equipment.

Because of the light weight riders would have to add weight to the bike for it to be permitted for competition use. During the 1977 model year for the Ventura, the GM Iron Duke was the base motor (in response to the Arab Oil Embargo) coupled to a Borg-Warner T-50 transmission (it has no relationship to the T5 found in third-generation GM F-bodies); this is a rare find these days although the motor differed from the six-cylinder based 153 last offered as an option in 1970.) The Ventura was replaced by the Phoenix in the middle of the 1977 model year. Cannondale advertised its light weight frameset with the slogan "Legalize my Cannondale". BOP versions of the Nova had either a Chevrolet inline six or Buick V6 as the base powerplant. It should also be noted that the Union Cycliste Internationale has established a 15 lb (6.8 kg) minimum weight limit. The Apollo was replaced by the sportier Buick Skylark after 1975 (during the 1975 model year, the Apollo nameplate was used for the 4-door sedan, while the coupe was badged as the Skylark), while Pontiac's Ventura became a more luxurious Phoenix during 1978 (the Phoenix was the first X-body fitted with square headlights). The six13 model was introduced in 2004 which uses carbon tubed sections in the main triangle but still uses aluminum rear triangles, contrary to the usual practice of using carbon rear triangles and aluminum fronts. The LN was replaced with the Nova Concours (1976 and 1977; 1977s had a 3-taillight lens scheme much similar to the Impala with a Cadillac-esque front clip.).

Its change in warranty policy has also been criticized. The Nova lineup ranged from the stripped-down "S" model, base, Custom (1975 and 1978/1979, which in later years became the LN and Nova Concours replacement), and the luxury-themed LN (the LN was the first to sport metric displacement badges -- either "4.3 LITRE" or "5.7 LITRE"). Cannondale has recently been criticized for its insistence on using aluminum instead of considering carbon fiber, which is emerging in popularity. The front suspension and subframe assembly was similar to the one used in the second-generation GM F-body (Camaro, Firebird), whereas the rear axle and suspension were carried over from the 1968-74 generation. Interestingly, this change coincided with the transformation of Team Saeco's (a Division 1/ProTour cycling team that rides on Cannondales) from being essentially a lead-out train for uber-sprinter Mario Cipollini to a more balanced team, with grand tour and all-around riders like Gilberto Simoni and Damiano Cunego. Six-cylinder and V8 engines remained the norm through the end of the decade (and the end of the X-body platform.) Rival Chrysler introduced their Plymouth Volare/Dodge Aspen as a competitor to GM's X-body compacts; the GM X-cars outsold their Chrysler counterparts. The CAAD6 and CAAD7 models reversed the oversized aluminum tubing design and instead used better shaping to retain the efficiency and improve comfort. (For the Pontiac Ventura, the side vents were horizontal.).

Later editions of the CAAD series sported S-bend aluminum seat stays introduced in the CAAD3 model for improving comfort. Base coupes including the hatchback had fixed side windows (or the optioned swing-out windows similar to extended-cab pickup trucks) and vertical side vents. It nonetheless gained popularity in the US criterium circuit, helped by its generous warranty policy. A facelifted Nova was introduced in 1975 and continued through 1979. The earlier models sported oversized down tubes for increased stiffness and resulted in frames that are super-stiff and super-efficient, but considered by many to be extremely uncomfortable. This was the final GTO until 2003, when rebadged Holden Monaro coupes were imported from Australia by Pontiac as the 2004 GTO. Cannondale started its foray into aluminum racing frames in the 1980s with their CAAD series frames. Pontiac's final GTO of this era was based on a facelifted 1974 Ventura coupe fitted with a shaker hoodscoop from the Trans Am.

. Buick and Oldsmobile entered the compact car market; both the Apollo and Omega debuted, using the same bodystyles from the Nova lineup. Recent years saw Cannondale attempt to enter the motorcycle business and failing miserably, causing the company to declare bankruptcy to get rid of its motor sports division. A luxury-themed Nova Custom became part of the model lineup. (Regarding the development of aluminum frame bicycles, see also Gary Klein). Nova SS models offered a higher-performance 350 in³ (5.7 L) V8. Today Cannondale produces many different types of bicycles, specializing in aluminum (rather than steel) frames at mass-market prices, a technology in which they were pioneers. By this time, six-cylinder and V8 engines were de rigeur for American compact cars, with the 307 and 350 in³ (5.0 and 5.7 L) V8s becoming fairly common.

The company was founded in 1971 by Joe Montgomery to manufacture backpacks and bags for camping and later bicycle trailers for bicycle touring. The 1973 model year introduced a hatchback bodystyle based on the 2-door coupe. The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation NASDAQ: BIKEQ is a major American bicycle manufacturer, headquartered in Bethel, Connecticut USA and manufacturing in Bedford, Pennsylvania USA. 1973. Giant Manufacturing (Taiwan). Interestingly, the intials of the four model names spelled out the acronym NOVA (Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo.). Pacific Cycle (USA). After 1971, other GM divisions began rebadging the Nova as their new entry-level vehicle, such as the Pontiac Ventura II (once a trim option for full-sized Pontiacs to 1970), Oldsmobile Omega (1973) and the Buick Apollo (mid-1973).

Specialized Bicycle Components (USA). 1971 Novas were similar to the previous year but with the loss of the simulated fender vents and the discontinuation of the 396 motor for the SS with the 350 taking its place. Trek Bicycle Corporation (USA). 1971. A beater coupe is seen in the movie Beverly Hills Cop. Approximately 177 COPO Novas were ordered, with 175 converted by Yenko Chevrolet (the other two were sold in Canada.).

The car took the simpler "Chevrolet Nova" name this year. Final year for the SS396. Basically a carryover from 1969; the side markers and taillight lenses were wider. 1970.

Like other 1969 GM vehicles, locking steering columns were incorporated, along with simulated fender vents underneath the Nova script, which was relocated to the front fender instead of the quarter panel. The Chevy II nameplate was retired, and all models took the name "Chevy Nova". 1969.
The 153 four-cylinder option was offered between 1968-70, then was dropped due to lack of interest.

1968 was the final year that the Chevy II nameplate was used, although all 1968 models were "Chevy II Novas.". Although the front subframe design was a Chevy II-exclusive design, the Camaro introduced a year earlier was the first to incorporate such a design; the redesigned Chevy II was pushed a year back to 1968 instead of 1967. One notable change was the front subframe assembly -- as compared with Ford, Chrysler and AMC, in whose cars the entire front suspension was integrated with the bodyshell, a separate subframe housing the powertrain and front suspension (similar to GM fullsized vehicles) replaced the earlier style. This body style continued (with minor revisions) through 1974.

An extensive restyle came in 1968, when the station wagon and two door hardtop were discontinued. 1968. Engine options still included the basic inline four- and six-cylinder engines but now included the 283 and 327 in³ (4.6 and 5.4 L) V8 engines as well. In general, proportions were squared up but dimensions and features changed little.

1966 Novas saw a significant restyling, based in part on the Super Nova concept car. In 1962 and 1963 the Nova was available in a convertible body style, and a two-door hardtop was added for 1963-65. As mentioned above, Novas could not "officially" have V8 engines at this time -- the standard SS engine was the six-cylinder -- but many ended up with a small-block V8 under the hood. For 1963, the Chevy II Nova Super Sport was released.

The combination of readily available V8 power and light weight made the Nova a popular choice of drag racers. It wasn't long before Chevrolet V8s were offered as dealer-installed options (between 1962 and 1963), up to and including the fuel-injected version available in the Corvette. Although the Nova was not originally available with a V8 option, the engine bay was perfectly proportioned for one. Rival manufacturer Chrysler introduced the Slant Six in their Plymouth Valiant, a Chevy II competitor.

The six was actually the third-generation powerplant, replacing the second-generation Stovebolt. Available powerplants included a four-cylinder and an inline six. . Intended as a low-cost alternative to Chevrolet's rear-engined Corvair and as competition for the Ford Falcon, the Nova ended up outlasting both.

The original Chevy II was of unibody construction, powered by an OHV inline four or six-cylinder engine, and available in two-door and four-door sedan configurations as well as convertible and station wagon versions. The Chevrolet Nova or Chevy II was an American compact car introduced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in 1962. Pontiac Ventura Page. Chevy Nova at Muscle Car Facts — A year-by-year account of the Nova's history from 1962–1976.

Chevrolet Nova Internet Source — The second known Nova site on the Internet; not significantly updated since 1998. Nova listserv — The first and only known public mailing list dedicated to Chevrolet Novas and other X-bodies; in continuous existence since January 1998. Scott Windle's NovaResource.com.