And today I did......
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old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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Re: Re:
So Am no tae bother answering then?
Aye, right.
Andy, Leftys work really well, they are lighter and stiffer than normal forks. I've never had disc rub on pads due to it flexing unlike several normal disc forks I've had on bikes.
They ride like a better version of a normal fork. The only downside is that they need regular cleaning, lubing but if this is done they will outlast their competitors as all the bits, seals, dampers, bearings etc are fully replaceable in a rebuild. Once the stanchions wear on a normal fork that's it. My Lefty is from 2000 and it's still working fine.
I have another from 1999 which is on a F800 hardtail I'm building but not taken the damper out yet to check it due to it needing a different damper removal tool than the 2000 one. This is par for the course with Leftys and Headshoks. :facepalm:
You can work on them yourself, especially the older ones, but the tools required are expensive and in some cases with older Leftys, near impossible to get now. You also really need to know what you are doing or otherwise you will end up with an expensive pile of junk.
Steven has a modern Lefty which, he'll correct me if I'm talking bollocks, are less owner serviceable and have to be done by Cannondale. This may require you leaving/sending the Lefty with/to a Cannondale service centre. That's a bummer if you want to be out riding on it.
RobMac":1wmlb9l3 said:Andy ask Clubby
So Am no tae bother answering then?
Aye, right.
Andy, Leftys work really well, they are lighter and stiffer than normal forks. I've never had disc rub on pads due to it flexing unlike several normal disc forks I've had on bikes.
They ride like a better version of a normal fork. The only downside is that they need regular cleaning, lubing but if this is done they will outlast their competitors as all the bits, seals, dampers, bearings etc are fully replaceable in a rebuild. Once the stanchions wear on a normal fork that's it. My Lefty is from 2000 and it's still working fine.
I have another from 1999 which is on a F800 hardtail I'm building but not taken the damper out yet to check it due to it needing a different damper removal tool than the 2000 one. This is par for the course with Leftys and Headshoks. :facepalm:
You can work on them yourself, especially the older ones, but the tools required are expensive and in some cases with older Leftys, near impossible to get now. You also really need to know what you are doing or otherwise you will end up with an expensive pile of junk.
Steven has a modern Lefty which, he'll correct me if I'm talking bollocks, are less owner serviceable and have to be done by Cannondale. This may require you leaving/sending the Lefty with/to a Cannondale service centre. That's a bummer if you want to be out riding on it.
old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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Re: Re:
How are you gonnae buy a Lefty?
Ye've spent aw yer money on wall tae wall bike tat.
RobMac":qox0uhvf said:
How are you gonnae buy a Lefty?
Ye've spent aw yer money on wall tae wall bike tat.
I'm on my second bike with a lefty and really like them. Not done a huge mileage on my current one but feels good so far. Smooth, stiff, light with really effective hydraulic lockout.
Downsides are as OCP stated, you can't really work on them yourself, which means a £150 service. Standard Cannondale quirks are that for a lot of it you're stuck with Cannondale replacements, with little choice. That's fine if you buy into the Cannondale ethos, but for some people it's not for them. Velo put it best when he said that Cannondale is the bike equivalent of Apple, you either get it or you don't.
I had one of the alloy Flash 29ers for 3 years and it as a fanatic bike, but I do wonder if it's really suitable for what you've mentioned your needs are. If you like the Cannondale thing, have a look at their urban Bad Boy range. They even do ones with a rigid lefty!
Downsides are as OCP stated, you can't really work on them yourself, which means a £150 service. Standard Cannondale quirks are that for a lot of it you're stuck with Cannondale replacements, with little choice. That's fine if you buy into the Cannondale ethos, but for some people it's not for them. Velo put it best when he said that Cannondale is the bike equivalent of Apple, you either get it or you don't.
I had one of the alloy Flash 29ers for 3 years and it as a fanatic bike, but I do wonder if it's really suitable for what you've mentioned your needs are. If you like the Cannondale thing, have a look at their urban Bad Boy range. They even do ones with a rigid lefty!
