So I'm researching which forks to get for a new 29er build & thought I'd look at Lefty prices & specs (just so I don't leave any stone unturned), but I'm really struggling to find anything. There's some limited info on Canondale's website, but I am assuming the forks are available separately rather than just on full Canondale bike builds..? If so, where the heck do you get them, or even just find prices & compare models? Cheers.

Why would you want them, they are crap!

buy em direct from cracknfail i expect .. but beware — they COST!

A couple of years back I remember them being about £8-900 when I enquired

Why would you want them, they are crap!

Bearings instead of bushings seems genius to me. Should be more sensitive (thus more traction) than any fork on the market. Plus they are supposedly stiffer and lighter.

I was looking at getting the 26" version, but the price (£1k +) put me off a bit!

Cannondales presence in the UK is pretty shyte at the moment. Three years ago they did a great Lefty trade in program. There as been a big drop in their support of UK dealers in the last 2-24 months. The Euro office is staffed by spaced out guys who are next to useless. Dealers are really struggling to get spares and accessories at the moment.

However, things are looking up with TF Tuned being appointed as the UK service agent.

They are supposed to be launching the Lefty for All marketing campaign this year. allegedly.

However, our friends in Europe are much better served.

Oh and it's worth it, they are a fantastic "fork". Light, stiff and plush.

Google Dr Cannondale. All Lefty's are available and priced. loads of other stuff as well.

If you are fitting a Lefty to a non-cannondale frame do a Google for Project 321. They offer the bits to do this.

Matt Cotty if you are reading this pull your effin finger out.

Awesome, thanks Pete

Your welcome.

Email in profile if you have any further questions.

i picked a 29er one up off fleabay for a reasonable price (non carbon one tho.) with an 1 1/8 steerer

still have my eye out for another 29er one if anyone see's one

also worth checking frame compatability as a lot of manufacturers dont recommend using them with their frames.

where's a good place for a lefty service while we are all here ?

Try any of the following for servicing

Noahs Ark

Thumbprint Tuning

TF Tuned

Had one on a Jeykll and thought it was a great fork.

While we're talking about it, what kind of reliability record do Lefty's have? Do they need servicing every week or can they mud plug for months on end with little or no attention?

they do need a bit of tinkering and plus the plates in the lower leg are steel and (IME) prone to rusting up pretty good in the UK climate

Cannondale are now being handled in the UK by CSG (the same people behind Hotwheels.
I think theve been doing it for a few months now so expect the service to improve, I went for an interview there (didn't get the job 😥 ) but was mighty impresssed by the setup.

It's since these guys took over the supply of spares etc has really dried up.

Seems strange as Dorel is behind both CSG and Cannondale, being the parent company.

Do they need servicing every week or can they mud plug for months on end with little or no attention?

You're meant to reset the bearings (which is easy enough – basically, you take the top cap off & slide the fork up & down a few times) every 25h as the travel reduces slightly if you don't. You're also meant to wash the air filter at the same time, & grease the stanchion every other time. That's about it until the damper oil change is due.

I don't know how this compares with other air forks, but it doesn't seem too onerous.

Andy

You can usually find a lefty fork in the skip round the back of most bike shops……

Defo try ebay – they go for v reasonable prices – I think I sold a carbon dlr2 for around £300, which is a terrific price for what is basically the boss fork of XC riding.

I've ridden leftys for years and not found them to be especially sensitive – being a black spring type of guy I'm not sure I'd find any fork sensitive. It's more their stiffness – unmatched IMO.

I've got a lefty max on mine and after 5 years still going smooth with only two services. Each to there own.

They're not lighter, they're not stiffer, they're harder to get serviced and get spares for, you need special hubs for them and you have to service them more often. Why would you want to buy your way into all that hassle and those compaibility problems, especially at that price?

No brainer.

I'm surprised to read such negative comments.
Over here in Belgium they are pretty popular. Personally don't own a C-dale but having ridden a few times with friends bikes I thought it was equally capable as my Rockshox forks. (Reba or SID WC).
Regards weight they are surely lighter? 1100g or so for a DLR SL no?

Service wise perhaps poor market presence in the UK breeds poor dealer coverage?

they are great. I was just asking Chelmyer cycles about prices to fit a carbon one to my Anthem Advanced(I have an old alloy DLR on my F800 hardtail and love it). The price in the UK will mean it is a no-no new though. About £1800 for the carbon DLR and best part of £1000 for the alloy one (26"). Pity, I really fancied another, but I'd have to win the lottery before shelling out that sort of cash.

cannondale = apple

they do the same stuff as other manufacturers, but do it slightly differently and more expensively than the others.
people who believe in them are totally loyal, non-fanbois can't see why.
'they just work' (if you follow the rigorous maintenance schedule)

They're not lighter,

Err… yes they are. Can't comment on the other bits, but they are light.

The lefty-for-all campaign sounds good, but theres two little problems…
No-one stocks them, and theyre hugely expensive.
There was a Morewood in WhatMTB a month or two ago with a lefty on that really whetted my appetite though.

hhhmmmm, does a dual crown fork invalidate the warranty on your lightweight xc frame???????

hhhmmmm, does a dual crown fork invalidate the warranty on your lightweight xc frame???????

depends on the manufacturer

They're relatively popular on Weight Weenies, a few people speccing them on strange things. Ian Leitch has one on an IF Ti Deluxe:

cannondale = apple

Funnily enough, we came to this very conclusion in the pub a few weeks ago. Can't see the problem
myself – you either buy into the SI concept or you don't. Now where can I get two sets of Hollowgram cranks? 😛

Andy

DOI – own an alloy Flash replete with lefty & a Super 6. Oh, and a MacBook Pro…

Cheers guys. If I were to go down this route I would be getting the Lefty from the 'States. No way am I paying UK prices. Considering the price of new Fox forks, the difference isn't enormous.

As far as weight is concerned, yes they most definitely are lighter (check out the weights in this doc). Stiffness, well take a look for yourself (go to approx 1 min 40 secs into the video, where the interesting bit starts)…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfDuAE8HdX4

Be careful importing lefties from the States or Europe.

They have their front brake on the left over there so need to be converted for UK use, which is why they're so expensive, and hard to find here.

Hmm, is there a cable guide issue or something?

Edit, actually that's a dumb question. How can the location of the brake lever make any difference to the fork?

Not sure on BigJohn's advice. They are called lefty as they are, well, a left hand fork. A hose can go to either side from the caliper mount. Or am I missing something, is it a righty in US?

Not sure on BigJohn's advice. They are called lefty as they are, well, a left hand fork. A hose can go to either side from the caliper mount. Or am I missing something, is it a righty in US?

No, he's talking bollocks, probably on purpose to see if anyone rises to the bait 😛

Andy

Lefty For All officially announced. Won't be cheap though…

Now if we could persuade Hope to make a Pro 2 Lefty hub, all would be right with the world.

Andy

Kind of what Project321 have been doing for ages 😀

As this thread has been resurrected, I'll mention that in the end I did go for a Lefty (carbon Ultra SL). It should be with me within a couple of weeks.

isn't psychle getting one?

runs off to check

EDIT: ah no. it's pedalhead 😀

time for me to go to bed then

Xclnt wind up John.

Incidentally, for anyone interested in going down this route, my USA-sourced Lefty will have a full Cannondale warranty in the UK as well.

What's it costing?