 |
| The 130th 1986 Cannondale SM500 according to the serial number. |
I have been looking at this bike for years. It just sat at Modern Bike, Des Moines, on the rack with repairs and whatnot as if someone forgot to pick it up. A few years ago, I asked if it was a repair. "No, brand new never sold," was the answer. The bicycle in question is a 1985 Cannondale SM500 ATB or mountain bike as we say now. Never sold. Occasional shop hack. Last week I pulled the trigger and brought it home yesterday.
 |
| This was the original Cannondale head badge/logo. Of all the places to have the only scratch on the frame! |
 |
| The inspiration of the head badge/logo. |
Two things stand out with this bike. The first is that it has 24" wheels instead of 26". Cannondale introduced their ATB line in 1984. The first few years they equipped them with a 26" front wheel and a 24" rear wheel. Their reasoning was that the smaller wheel and shorter chain stays would provide better "traction for climbing in steep, muddy terrain." This particular bike is even odder with 24's on both sides. 16" frames received these wheels to increase stand over height. Not a kids bike. 16" for shorties like me. First impression I had that it was a BMX style cruiser.
 |
| Italian saddle made with leather. Had to place a twig between the rails to get the tag into position. |
The second reason why this bicycle stands out is the components that it has ANCIENT! Although serial number indicates that it was built in late 1985, this was the beginning of the mountain bike craze that swept the world. Dr Shimano made the phone call to get Deore XT created in 1981. Suspension? Hydraulic disc brakes? Electric shifters? Carbon fiber? Hyperglide? STI? A SunTour groupo? No Shimano?? What's SRAM? Campagnola would not release a MTB groupo until 1989 and soon everyone forgot about it. 29 " wheels, 27.5" wheels, 650B, 36" wheels? 10 speed, 11 speed, 12 speed and 13 speed cassettes? Fatbikes? This was a gravel bike. This was the adventure bike. This was the fatbike. We did not call them as such but they were. 29 lb aluminum bicycle. My steel touring bike clocks in at 26 lbs. All of these things were years, decades away. It has been a fascinating period of time to live in and witness the develop and growth of bicycle technology.
This bike has a SunTour Perfect 5 speed freewheel. Now 7 speed is the standard for low end online or department store bicycles. Gears are changed via thumbshifters mounted on the handlebars. Even these look ancient (see photo). Personally, I love thumbshifters. Easy to operate and easy to replace the cables. If I see a pair of upper end Shimano thumbshifters for sale I purchase them. Our touring tandem, originally built as a MTB tandem, uses them. Bulletproof.
The brakes. My bicycle mentor once told me of all the improvements of bike technology braking has been the most significant. Ride any OLD bike and you will see. Most MTB components came from touring groups with those wide cantilever brakes that stick out an inch or two from the stays and forks. Cannondale chose SunTour XC roller cam brakes. My first experience with these were on a 1988 Trek 7000 which had the brakes placed on the bottom of the chainstays, the worst place ever to place brakes, mud, gunk, having to flip over the bike to release the brake to remove the rear wheel. Several manufacturers placed them there and this killed roller cam brakes. A pity because they are powerful. It has been suggested that Cannondale used these brakes because at that time they did not have the technology to create smaller brake bosses on their frames. The bosses for roller cams were therefore stronger and stressed the frame less. Remember, 1986 was their second year in producing mountain bikes. Even more importantly, Cannondale started building and selling bicycles in 1983.
 |
| The front brake. Of note is the fork crown. Also the center ridge to provide a smoother ride on pavement. |
 |
| The rear brake. Look at those old school brake pads! I bet they are easier to adjust than V-Brake pads. |
Everything old is new again, the handlebars. Nitto high rise bars. High rise was popular then flat bars became the rage and now high rise has returned. Long bars were standard and we used to shorten them with hack saws. Look at fatbikes today. They all have extremely long handlebars. Those bars they put on gravel/adventure/heavy road bikes are meant for people superlong arms or those that enjoy riding spread eagle. The 500's bars have the rise and length
 |
| 27" wingspan! |
 |
It has been a busy weekend. It has been a cold windy weekend, too. Wind advisory and gusts up to 50 mph. And the good money says that the offroad trails are verboten due to moisture. I have not been able to ride the SM500 much. Just a test ride on the street and yard. First impression was that tires were mega low on air. SQUISKY SOFTNESS!! This was on the street. They felt fine to a hand squeeze. Too much time on road bikes. In the yard they felt fine. CST 24x2.125. 40 PSI for "off-road", 60 PSI for "on-road." When I called Modern Bike to express my intent to purchase this Made in USA bicycle they informed me that they needed to air the tires and check the bike over. BEFORE I made that call, I checked online to see if quality 24" MTB tires were available. They are and even Schwalbe produces them. I will be replacing the tires soon as I lack faith in a pair of 37 year old skinwall tires.
LINKS
VintageCannondale.com | Vintage Cannondale - Catalogs, Information and Decals
MOMBAT: Cannondale Bicycles History (mombatbicycles.com)
 |
| Before SPD and egg beaters...The sloping top tube seems to be on many bikes in 2022 not just for clearance for mountain bikes but for comfort on road bikes especial for the slower "endurance" bikes of recent years. |
 |
| $550 adjusted for inflation would be $1450 in 2022! |
