Hi
If I have a lefty
- non std fork (but tf can service)
- non std front wheel (lefty hub. ???? - is it cup/cone or cartridge)
- non std headset (? Part of lefty)
- non std stem ( lefty specific)
Anything else ? And any checks I can do on it
Is a 2014 f29 ok for xc bimbles
Ta
Lefty hub is cartridge bearing two types of hub I think. The lefty max takes a bigger hub. Stem will depend if your using the lefty steerer or a tapered converter. Lefty steerer will need a lefty stem to suit either the a head type or the crazy si one. I used the 90mm lefty as a race and bimbling bike for years.
I have a F29 2014 with a carbon 90mm Lefty Hybrid and can tell you all about these.....there's alot to be aware of.
If you have a rubber boot you have the older version which would be a good thing as they're very durable, if you have a bare stanchion with a front guard you have a newer hybrid model.
TF can service and are very good at it...it does cost more than a regular fork though, 2 stages of service a regular strip down not too bad but this plus damper service around £180.......but at this point you may learn that your anodised stanchion is scored, a common problem..an extra £250ish for a new lower leg, I'm on my third. If you keep running it with scored stanchion the oil bath will soon be dripping down your lower leg every ride, then soon leave the bearing dry.....
Hydraulic remote will fail...PBR (push button on top of fork) is better
Lefty hub is 2 x cartridge bearings and easy to press in and out at home 6805/6902 - they seem to wear rapidly, yearly ...+later Hybrid 2 has a different lefty hub which has different dimensions.
Definitely non-standard headset...depending on frame. If you have a carbon frame it's two identical drop in bearings - HD169....not a common bearing as two vertical faces- i get mine from Qwerty cycles. Mine last a year max in wet conditions as the design leaves the lower cartridge in the firing line from the front wheel with no extra seals...or to be honest they start to go bad on a few very wet rides.
Stem can be either an Opi press in version which is a PITA....there was an recall upgrade device to reinforce the internal steerer column that the stem threads into as can otherwise crack and fail...later versions used a steerer that a more standard stem clamps to and is preferable.
I loved mine before it had all these problems as light and direct...but very hard to recommend over a fox/ rs which can be fitted with the specific conversion headset....maybe mine was just a bad one as some people like them. I had to have parts which add up to the value of the fork during its warranty period....which is a shame as the bike as a whole is a rocketship and very versatile, fast enough to work as a mixed/ gravel bike, handling to ride tricky terrain, + very comfortable.
Up until it was stolen in 2018 I had a 2006 F800 that I rode everywhere. Annual servicing was around £200 at the local chaps in East Bergholt (Sussed Out). Hub bearings were DIY replacement job and regular needle bearing resets kept it sweet.