1987 Cannondale SM900
In 1987 Cannondale's top-of-the-line mountain bike was the SM900, available with the new Suntour XC 9000 index shifting group and a selection of parts from Dia Compe, Sugino, and Sakae. This particular example was owned by a Cannondale employee and features Charlie Cunningham-designed Suntour roller cam brakes and much older Araya 7X rims. The SM900 model was featured prominently in magazine literature in part because of the bold color scheme and the Dupont Imron paint with the option for air-brushed custom graphics. As a signature, the frame painter would mark their initials on the right-side dropout, in this case indicated by the letters "BS." The bikes had decidedly East Coast geometry, with a 13" high bottom bracket to better clear rocks and technical terrain, and enduro-style geometry with a generous 23 inch toptube and short 80 mm stem. The chainstays of the bikes underwent significant manipulation to increase tire and chainring clearance while the seatstays were flattened to increase vertical compliance. The over-sized aluminum tubes were mated to a steel unicrown fork that looks severely under-sized yet performs surprisingly well. It would be a few more years before Cannondale would introduce the Pepperoni aluminum fork to complete the over-sized look. On the trail the bike is well mannered despite some odd proportions, and in many ways illustrates the wide design window a bike manufacturer has to work with in creating a capable bike.
The Build
Year: 1987
S/N: 200811871-6 Frame: SM900 Fork: Tange Unicrown Stem: Suntour XC Headset: Stronglight Delta w/ XC Headbinder Bottom Bracket: Suntour Cartridge Bearing Handlebar: Sakae MT Shifters: Suntour XC 9000 Index Front Derailleur: Suntour XC 9000 Rear Derailleur: Suntour XC 9000 Brake Levers: Dia Compe 282 Front Brake: Suntour XC Roller Cam Rear Brake: Suntour XC Roller Cam Crankset: Sugino LP Chainrings: SR 26-36-46 Pedals: Suntour XC-II Hubs: Suntour XC Cartridge Bearing Rims: Araya 7X 26 x 1.75 Tires: Fisher Fattrax / Fisher Dusttrax Wheel QR: Bolt-on Seatpost: Suntour XC Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo Seatpost QR: Suntour Grips: Foam Chain: Sachs Cogs: Sachs Freewheel Bottle Cage: Blackburn USA Extras: Hite-Rite |
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