If competing with Fox factory 32 and SID, and the small crop of other race forks, is this fork likely to be in their price range?
When it comes to performance you'd be surprised about serious XC riders just like you would with serious Downhillers. Many of them are clueless but strong, skilled and extremely adaptable. I rode with one of fastest XC dudes in Poland once, he rode on a locked out fork for most of the time, including chunky descents Just air spring set hard as fk.
For crying out loud: these people race without dropper posts, a sport where these things are as useful, if not more useful, than in Enduro So just like RS-1, this thing is It's just hard for companies to reinvent such simple thing like mm fork. Is it a bad thing? Hell no, I'm happy these things exist. Diversity is good. Good question. Hockerz May 23, at This seems like easier ground to cover than a single sided fork.
Drivetrain and brakes on one side? Motorcycle has more room. Only one cog, wider rims. Look up the Millyard Racing DH bike from a few years back Single sided swingarm with a gearbox!!
The Millyard bike was one, but there have been a few over the years It was fully rigid, but to my eyes it was super cool. The biggest advantage touted by the person from the company was that you could change a flat without taking a wheel off. Which back then, was something we worried about every ride.
Can someone explain to me what a Lefty has over any other standard fork? To go through all that trouble to make it. The only thing I can grasp is weight, if that's even that marginally better.
Couldn't you just through roller bearings and 3-sided stanchions onto a regular fork and it become instantly superb to a lefty? Also I feel like bearings in a lefty hub would have a far less life to it then a regular hub. Mngnt May 23, at I believe a roller bearing setup on both sides of a normal fork would be prohibitively heavy. I believe it's what the lefty doesn't have So they continue with the Lefty Does it's performance make it better than a standard fork, because until that happens it's still a novelty and something that's just different for the sake of being different not that it's a bad thing, but i don't think it deserves all the ooohs and ahhhhs.
All will be revealed. Its like getting a diploma. Weight isn't the reason. It's light, sure, but it's within a handful of grams of other expensive XC forks. It' all explained in the article. Why are so many testing photos from these recent articles on the fork done on a Santa Cruz bike? Presumably Cannondale controlled the marketing process here. Why wouldn't they make sure all these release photos of the fork were on a model year Cannondale bike, especially since the fork is only available as OE on Cannondale bikes.
I don't get it. My guess is to show it can be put on other bikes because it is now a standardized tapered steerer. And keep the upper part of the tube less than 80mm above the lower crown race so any handlebar could be slammed on any frame. I have the Blur test bike kicking around still and really enjoy riding it.
It's also an XC race bike, so it suits the Ocho well. There's also a set of titanium Cane Creek cranks on it for testing, an e13 seat post, and some other bits.
And to be honest, I didn't want to test the fork on a mega-light carbon hardtail that I couldn't push as hard as the Blur. I don't like my ankles and back be rattled apart, either. Cannondale was receptive of me putting the Ocho on a different bike, no doubt because it highlights the new fork's compatibility.
Cannondale controlled nothing beyond sending me a fork to review, and being game to let us film their engineers on camera as well. R-trailking-S : That was the difference between the lefty's pre and lefty 2. The upper crown on 2. Total pain in the A for pre bikes. The extra complication of slamming everything into a space below the head tube was completely unnecessary. As an owner of a Slate, good to see that Cannondale are finally seeing the light in making non-proprietary parts and that they're finally stepping up their dampers.
Maybe now someone will actually be able to use a normal stem instead of having to look for a proprietary stem. I'd love to have this fork on my Slate, since a reduced travel version of the Ocho makes a lot of sense for that bike. Would love to know what is the real-world limit in a destructive test.
I think it's not the lefty concept itself what makes the lefty so great but it's the technology that's inside. Image a standard fork with needle bearings. Could be pretty awesome. And heavy. Cannondale tried it before and ditched the concept.
Maybe it would be heavier but not by far. And it wouldn't need to be serviced that often. You can do roller bearings in just one leg and maybe get the weight more competitive with a traditional fork. You would want to do it inverted tho- like the lefty is. Inverted forks allegedly also don't bind when there is torsional stress on them, and the roller bearings would keep it from being flexy. The xfusion Revel does this but with keyways, and supposedly you'll actually be able to buy one this year.
Bold move, Cannondale. Let's see if it pays off. Levy makes me reconsider the idea of full sleeve tattoos. Just don't get it done in prison like I did and you'll be fine. Can't say I know that feeling. Care to explain? Awkward situations where the fork or bike is loaded up, especially on technical, steep trails. Maybe it's just me haha. Fork bind is a real thing. Can someone explain the phenomenon of material binding in this context?
I think I grasp the rough idea, but I can't find a good definition online. DirtBagTim May 23, at Showing their reasons for pursuing Lefty presents a much more powerful message than telling people "trust us, it's better". When they simply tell folk "it's better", some people invalidate it as opinion, or only equal in reasoning to their armchair engineering.
DirtBagTim : so it's problems associated with chassis flex? DirtBagTim Jun 1, at These non-axial loads are generated by braking and steering. If the bushings stop being slippery, the fork stops doing it's job.
In Lefty's, needle bearings are used instead of plain bushings, needle bearings don't get sticky when they're loaded non-axially, so the suspension can move freely when subjected to braking and twisting. If this makes, sense, try watching the linked video again at 1'20". DirtBagTim : makes sense, thank you. Hey Levy: cut off the remote with wire cutter?
Now go soak a clif bar in a used litter box and chug. Fuck, same here. This thing in a - mm package would be killer, I think. We'll see what happens. Gotta respect people sticking to a different path and making it good. Where can I find video of people shredding on this fork?
It looks like he is running the Cane Creek ti cranks. Very ish. Levy, your like the 2. Dude, I am not worthy of being in the same sentence as Ferrentino.
His Grimy Handshake columns were unreal, and the one about his dog, Lena Toast, still gives me goosebumps. I'd love to see him back making words. Sshredder May 23, at For XC and you tested the fork on squamish rock slabs?
I tested the fork on all sorts of terrain, including plenty of rock slabs. They're probably the least technical bits of Squamish's difficult trails. Sshredder May 24, at Is Rupert an XC trail? A Squamish local will probably say yes. The rest of the world may have a different opinion. Is it a trail fork or strictly an XC fork? Sshredder : Good point.
Rupert and LoA which is awesome are pretty XC-ish in my mind, and especially for Squamish, but certainly not the rest of the world. That said, I wouldn't judge the Ocho's performance on a trail like Larvicide or Rigs - it wouldn't really be fair. But having used a 32 and SID on both of those and others, it does provide some good perspective and comparisons.
But yeah, tamer trails for Squamish were the focus given the product's intentions. Plenty of great slab fun on a lot of those, too! MOWtown May 23, at I would love to take the Santa Cruz pictured with the lefty out for a day and form an opinion from there. You could if you were in Squamish. Awesome review.
Never seen Bjork used to describe suspension before Bjork Fork I feel like it was an apt description haha. Say it in the Swedish Chef voice and unlock the full fun factor.
Oxiros May 24, at Compression and rebound adjustment are easy to tweak externally allowing you to tune Ocho to your exact needs.
Smooth, supple, spike-free damping in all conditions. Add another bike to compare. Specifications Brakes Brake Levers Details. Brakes Details. Components Grips Details. Handlebar Details. Saddle Details. Seatpost Details. Stem Details. Connectivity Power Meter Details. Speed Sensor Details. Wheel Sensor Details. Drivetrain Bottom Bracket Details.
Chain Details. Crank Details. Front Derailleur Details. Pedals Details. The Slate came with a gravel-specific version of the Lefty called the Lefty Oliver. It had the same lightweight chassis as the Lefty PBR carbon with the travel reduced to a modest 30mm. The fork was efficient but took the edge off rough and bumpy gravel roads. The Lefty Oliver gravel fork returned, this time based on the sleeker single-crown Lefty Ocho.
The two greatest performance benefits of the Lefty design are greater rigidity and reduced stiction. As explained above, the tube shapes and upside-down design contribute to the greater overall stiffness.
Needle bearings reduce stiction compared to bushings and eliminate bushing bind when bending and twisting forces are applied to the fork. Compared to a conventional fork of the same travel, the stiffer Lefty should provide more precision, control, and active suppleness in rough terrain, or under hard braking and cornering.
The impressive rigidity of the Lefty chassis is clear when the presenter is able to lean his full weight on the fork without substantial flex. Of course, this demo was put on at a Cannondale dealer by a Cannondale representative so it should be taken with a grain of salt. The conditions of the demonstration may be favorable to the Lefty. But the key differences shown in this video are still applicable to forks produced today. It even appears stiffer than several heavier trail forks like the Fox 34 and RockShox Pike.
The stiffness helps Henrique Avancini navigate this gnarly rock garden. Notably, this increased rigidity comes without a significant increase in weight. Through the years, the Lefty has remained competitive with the lightest XC forks. This can make changing tires or performing trail-side puncture repair slightly easier. Conventional forks can take advantage of widely available components like wheels, headsets, and stems, and easier serviceability.
It requires a proprietary Lefty hub that mates with the tapered axle. It is forged as a single piece with the stanchion, and the tapered shape creates a strong and rigid structure. Because it requires a special hub, replacing or upgrading wheels can be an added expense.
Riders looking to change their front wheel have limited off-the-shelf options and may need to rely on custom wheelbuilders. Removing the front wheel also requires removing the brake caliper because the wheel is removed horizontally rather than vertically.
The previous generation dual-crown Lefty forks also used a straight 1. That is no longer the case with the new Lefty Ocho, which uses a conventional tapered steerer, but riders interested in Cannondale bikes with the older Lefty forks should be aware that they require stems compatible with 1. Serviceability is the biggest concern a potential Lefty owner might have.
Most conventional forks are easily serviced at most bike shops. However, due to proprietary technology, parts, and tools, Lefty forks need to be serviced by Cannondale dealers or authorized HeadShok service centers. With older Lefty models, if parts fail and need to be replaced, riders could potentially face reduced availability and higher prices. Buyers looking at older discontinued versions of the Lefty essentially everything besides the Lefty Ocho and new Lefty Oliver should carefully consider serviceability and parts availability.
As models like the Lefty Ultra, Supermax, and Hybrid age, parts and people who know how to fix them will be harder to find. Intrepid home mechanics can potentially do the work themselves since service kits and instructions can be found online.
There are good options in the U. Over time, the needle bearing strips can migrate from their original position, reducing the available travel. Resetting the bearings is a quick and easy process. Simply remove the air and firmly bottom the fork out a few times and the bearings will be repositioned. It takes about the same amount of time as putting air in your tires or lubing your chain.
There is one final thing to note: For many Lefty skeptics, the greatest downside is its appearance. Humans are a species drawn to symmetry, and some have become so accustomed to the appearance of conventional forks, that the single-sided Lefty can seem unnatural. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I for one think the Lefty forks look incredibly cool.
And no, Lefty forks don't pull to one side. I finally got a Lefty mountain bike when I picked up a special-edition F-Si hardtail. I wanted to know how the Lefty would perform on technical trails so I tested the bike at Hall Ranch, a local spot known for fast and loose descents and a technical, extended rock garden with rugged features that can overwhelm most lightweight XC bikes.
Though not excessively heavy, I am no featherweight XC rider. I weigh pounds and I can easily exceed pounds with riding gear. Post models have a rubber-sealed leg with bearings further inside and with one plain bearing at the bottom which allows for service intervals as normal forks: Previous models, as some bikers on forums complained, had more linear action: they were easier to bottom than normal forks.
Improve this answer. Michael 3 3 silver badges 17 17 bronze badges. Regarding punctures, with 1-legged fork you can replace the tire without removing wheel. Spot-on answer. I'll just add one or two things: removing the caliper to remove the wheel is not a disadvantage because the most likely reason to do so is to fix a flat tire, which you can do with the wheel in.
You need special hubs for the lefty, but a lot of brands have them, you don't have to buy them from cannondale. And I don't think maintenance on a lefty is harder than other high-end suspensions.
Another con is that you're entirely at the mercy of Cannondale when it comes to spare parts, there's no way to swap the fork for one that's still maintainable. Which is fine if you buy a new bike every couple of years, but if you ride the bike until it wears out, it's likely to be "can't maintain the fork" that means you repleace the bike.
You also forgot to mention that most of the weight savings on the fork are spent on the crown and the overbuilt hub. Lefty forks are often a wash weight wise when you consider the system as a whole. The front wheel being harder to remove is a disadvantage is you need to transport the bike in a case, in a small car trunk or in a car rack that requires the front axle mount to hold the bike.
Show 5 more comments. And one last thing, I've always considered the bike to be "much more of a bike than I am a man". Gidday and welcome to SE Bicycles. Thats a good, relevant answer, and even better that its based on your actual usage.
Keep up the good work. What is special about the 'turn off' thing you mentioned in the first point? I mean, how is that different from the remote lockout existing in others suspensions? Add a comment. Pro: You can run oversize and plus size tyres on a lefty. Mark Rose Mark Rose 51 1 1 silver badge 1 1 bronze badge.
Perhaps taller, but not significantly wider tyres. There is still a fork and a maximum clearance. Good idea - welcome to the site. Doesn't this make the wheel placement assymetric with respect to the frame?
Having damper and spring on the same axle is a good point for the lefty. Pro: There is no "fork," so mud and other hub-bub will not get stuck in the front as much. Adam Adam 39 1 1 bronze badge.
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