Back in the 80s I worked in a shop in Streamwood Illinois called Action Cyclery. I worked there from 82-89. At the time we were the largest Cannondale dealer in the midwest for the first couple years of the bike brands existance. We sold a few hundred a year. They were unique and innovative. This bicycle belonged to my boss Wayne. He had it since and now I have it. Im so excited to restore and clean this beast. Ill probably get rid of the bio-discrace chainrings and put on some newer rubber. Other than that Im going to keep it as is. Its a very comfortable cruising bike. Very upright.

Sweet! 👍 I was just looking at an early-ish M1000, with one of those cool color stems, lol. Didn't commit yet, looking at an early ST tomorrow. 😎

Early STs, mmmmm, so pretty.

Cool SM there. Biopace fixed to a Sugino AT crankset of all things. Lotta nice pieces there, including the frameset, just need to de-grubby it, which should be very doable. I had a surprise early delivery of a '91 SR800 frameset (was slated for Monday estimated) in Black-to-Hyper Highlight (Blue), which when I discovered it (it's an uncommon color combo) I came to really like it. Ebay pics looked like it was going to be a calmer blue-green variant (Cannondale fluxuated a little, and my rougher '91 SC1000/2000 isn't in the catalog paint color-wise), but nope! Full deal black/blue in great shape! Looks like we both have work to do, but it will be good to do it and the results will be great I'm sure.

...and you're 50th Anniversary Paramount looks on in the background.

What an interesting mix of components! Another sweet find!

Can you post better pictures of the brake calipers? From the oblique angle they look very interesting, but I can't ID them.

They look like Dia Compe 990s.

EDIT: or possibly Shimano BR-MT61 (Deore u-brake). Maybe not either as the side profile looks a bit different.

Interesting mix of parts. Funky details on the frame, too. Early 'Dales are sure weird, even by early MTB standards.

I wouldn't mind tracking down an early cannondale MTB like the OP has.

The early STs are great. I really dig the Cannondale ST 400 I picked up a year ago. I picked it up on a whim as the bike was in fabulous shape and I had never messed around with a Cannondale before.

It has everything I like about a touring bike (plenty of clearance for 32c tires, triple water bottle cage braze ons and rack braze ons) but it handles more like a racing bike. It is a fantastic all around road machine.

Nice find! Keep us up to date with the restoration.

I was watching that one too because of the very unusual color combo. Seller kept dropping the price and it looks like your trigger finger was quicker than mine.

I think you will enjoy the bike! Mine is the 1985 SM 600 that I put together that year when I was working in a Bike Shop in LI NY. It is the 24"/26" version. I made a few changes along the way. When I decided to change the steel fork to SR Litage Aluminum, I had to replace the Suntour Rollercams. I used Pedersen Self-Energizing cantilevers on the front (they later stopped making front versions - as people claimed they were not safe for front-wheel use. Your U-Brake studs will accept Rollercams if you ever want to go that route!

I wanted to go back to the road geometry as I have a few crit geometry Cannondales. It's remarkable how Cannondale didn't mess with their ST geometry at all from 1983 into the early '90s. And their road bike geometry wasn't changed from about 1985 through at least 1991 if not further. Remarkable consistency. Crit geometry is great, don't get me wrong--Cannondale did very well.

The seller packed the frameset very well, if a bit enthusiastically as I had to cut and peel away packing tape over lots of bubble wrap for the better part of 20 minutes. I will happily take that over under-packing! As to the frame's condition and color, I am simply over the moon about it. The gloss is good but there are many fine longitudinal scratches from a scrubbing sponge during cleaning at some point. Nothing that rubbing compound won't remedy. Wax and touch up paint after that. It's going to glow. Can't wait to get home from work tonight!

This is exactly what I say about my ST ('91 ST400). All the accouterments as you mentioned, plus being able to be hustled around like a race bike (especially out of the saddle) with no ill effect.

Bullseye triple and Onza bar ends. Yep, definitely the work of a bike shop nerd with a wholesale discount!

Blast from the Past!! The shop I worked in at the time used one of those as the shop bike. 1984 I think. I did many a lunch run to the local sandwich shop on that Cannondale. It was yellow too! Actually most if not all were, it seemed. It rode like a big BMX bike. Felt a little sluggish on the road, but really came into its own on the dirt.

Memories of my summer yellow 84 SM500 mtb. Sure, it went over dirt trails but what a slug. Rear wheel was a 24 inch and front 26 inch.

Aluminum frame with a rear roller cam brakes that just didn't cut it for any decent braking. Bearing bosses always got contaminated and the L/R balance would be off.

The fork was steel and seemed a remnant of road fork blades. I'm guessing Cannondale sourced them. This bike was not for launching.

The bike handled poorly and although 'they' claimed the 24 inch rear was for climbing, I was never enthusiastic about it. At the time I was into moto-X and I thought Cannondale attempted to follow some of that. Wrong. The tires, if I correctly recall were a gumwall small knobby possibly by Panaracer.

It had a Sugino crank with Suntour round style beartrap pedals (of which I still have and on my funky semi-recumbent Bike-E). Suntour equipped with thumb shifters worked. It had moto-X type brake levers with the curved ball ends... dig.

Its without doubt one of the odd ducks of early MTB.

Yep sir, that about describes it. Handles like a racing bike, even with a big load & oversized front tire. 😁 I just took my first ride, about 5 miles, and instantly fell in love. Still needs some tweaking, but I can definitely feel the good vibes on this one. 😎 I think Bio Space makes me faster, lol. 😁😉