Cannondale continued to innovate with it's first mountain bike.
Again, the oversized aluminum frame and mix of components including
Shimano Deore XT rear and Sun Tour Le Tech front derailleurs,
Specialized sealed hubs and Brooks Europex saddle. As with the other
early mountain bikes, the SM500 had a super long wheelbase, a very
shallow head tube angle and one piece handlebar/stem. But the most
unusual feature was it's 24" rear wheel and high bottom bracket. This
bike was designed in part by local bike aficionado John Olsen originally
from
Albert Lea, MN.
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