Originally Posted by Walter
Mine is a SR600 so I probably bought it in 86 then. I think I have the owner's manual still but haven't searched. Came in a color called "sea-sprite green" which I still think one of the more distinctive bike colors I've seen. Don't think Cdale has used it much, if at all, since the mid80s.
Didn't Cdale actually begin as a camping supply mfgr? I have a vague memory of them selling conventional tourers (Japanese imports I'd imagine) in camping ads before they became a bike and (nearly catastrophically) a motorcycle company.
I don't claim total recall here at all and could be way off.
Walter, I'm glad you mentioned the Sea Sprite Green colour, because that is what is in the 1985 catalogue for the SR500. It prompted a revisit and a little closer reading indicates that the SR600 was the tubular wheelset version of the SR500. It used Mavic GP4 rims and Wolber Neo Pro tires in place of the Ambrosio Elite rims and Panaracer Tri-Sport tires on the SR500. The tubular option added $30 to the price. The other colour option for that year was plum.
Cannondale's operations started in 1971 out the converted Cannondale train station in Connecticut. Reportedly, founder Joe Montgomery did not have the money for a new sign, so he chose the train station name for his company. The first product was the Bugger bicycle trailer which was originally meant to carry camping gear, groceries and the like. It eventually morphed into a child carrier, at which point I'm suprised they did not change the name! They diversed into bicycle related camping gear such as panniers and sleeping bags prior to manufacturing their aluminum frames. I'm not aware of them having distributed Japanese bicycles, but you may well be right. Your recall seems pretty good to me!