Hi folks - hoping to pick your collective brains for some advice (as you probably all know more about what's what nowadays in the world of mountain biking than I do!).
I've got an old (2000) cannondale f900sx hardtail with a lefty fork that I need to decide whether to scrap or rebuild. The frame is fine, but everything else needs replacing. Tf tuned say they only service forks post 2006, so as this bike is from 2000 then I would need to replace the fork, but I don't know what would fit. Not sure what brakes are available nowadays, or what would be compatible. Plus wheels / groupset etc. Any advice?
Or has everything in mtb'ing moved on so much now, that if be better of starting again with a newer bike? I've no idea what's "current" in mtb, although it all seems to be 29 or 650b! Looking for a very small (I'm only 5'), very lightweight hardtail for non-tech off-road riding and occasional touring. Any suggestions?
Cheers!
I'd buy a new bike, it'll cost a lot to get it up to scratch and it'd still be a 15 year old frame. Unless you have a massive sentimental attachment, sell it on retrobike and buy new.
Unless you have any particular emotional attachment to the bike , I'd get a new one . Mainly as the cost of rebuilding won't be worth it in my view .
You've not said what your budget is but assuming you're not looking for anything too esoteric I think you'd struggle to 'save' the value of a new frame if you bought all new parts to fit to the 'dale (and that's before you worry about headset etc standards) - buying a complete new bike (of whatever wheel size you fancy) would probably be cheaper and you'd benefit from 15 years of 'progression' in frame design.
Nothing wrong with refreshing the bike, all you'd need is available, BUT it's old geometry and the cost could go a significant way towards buying a brand new bike (worth bearing in mind). Other Lefty tuners will still look at your fork,, try Tony of Thumbprint tuning.. Now part of http://xodusbikeworks.co.uk for a start..
Otherwise assuming you have a 1.5 headstock, any fork will fit with the right headset (though obviously you need 100mm travel or there abouts)
Thumprint Tuning/Xodus cycle works in Exmouth still service and repair the older Lefty models BTW so it's not beyond the realms of repair.
EDIT - as above post says;-)
Otherwise assuming you have a 1.5 headstock, any fork will fit with the right headset (though obviously you need 100mm travel or there abouts)
The BB on those is actually quite low as standard and they will happily accept a 120/130mm fork and end up with pretty decent geometry, mine was ace with a 140mm Lefty on it 🙂
I love those old 'Dales, I still have one, but for the cost of a groupset/wheels/fork service I'd say get soemthign new and shiney and modern geo unless you have a massive sentimental attachment to that bike.
If you do get something new then don't 'scrap' the old thing, stick it on ebay with an honest description, or donate to a local Bike recycling project or something so it can get fixed up and see new trails again 🙂
Ooooooh, if you do go the new bike route then, I might be able to provide a home for it as a parts bin special for my gf (as she's tiny too at 5'1") to ride around various easy trails, how much would you be looking for?
Cannondales were actually fairly up to date geometry wise, even back then. The lefty's had more fork rake than most 26" forks of that era so handling was very fast, and I believe with a 2000 model F900SX, that'd be the CAAD4. Cannondale were of the longer tt/shorter stem advocates then too.
As others have said, the lefty can be serviced. Even if it's seriously in need of TLC it will cost less and perform much better than a cheaper fork, but if you do decide to go down the way of a new fork, the frame will take any type and you could probably get away with 120mm without problem.
Disc mounts are IS, so can be easily adapted to post mount.
The only reason I shifted my old dales on was the rear tyre clearance. You can fit a 2.2 in it, but nothing bigger. The lefty however will take 2.5's easily.
OK, I am going through pretty much exactly the same thing with a F800 from 2002. I always wanted one and when I got it I realised just how nonstandard Cannondale made everything
I have bought a headset adapter as my lefty is a bit knackered too so that allows you to run any fork with the bearings in the headset. It sits in place of the crown race at the bottom and then on top of the existing headset too
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151147250146?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
This then allows you to run wider bars and a shorter stem as they are not lefty specific (the lefty stops you running a stem shorter than 80mm and the number of options is very limited, both new and second hand).
The old wheels are probably 4 hole disk hubs which limit the rotors you can put on and the front will be lefty specific, so I am sticking on some lighter wheels on(the ones on there aren't actually that light). Brake wise I will have new forks which are IS and the rear is also IS so with adapters you can run whatever brakes you want.
Mine is currently 1x9 and about to get rigid carbon forks or some 120mm Rebas instead of the lefty. This is all stuff I have lying about so the only new bit was the headset adapter
What you have is a light frame with some really nice welds. If you sell it, it wont be worth much so I guess it depends how attached to it you are really, and if you have a garage full of spares 😳
When you say scrap, surely you don't mean taking it to the local tip.
If that's the plan, I'd probably take it for a daughters bike build.
Please don't bin it!,,,
Lefty, evans can probably service it. My 2004 model continues to be revived by Robin at their Kendal store but any branch will ship it to and from for free.
Hope this helps, says the cannondale fan! 😆
Hi Sue.
My wife has 2000 F900SL - it's a great, light bike that fits her 5' beatifully.
If you do want rid, I would consider buying from you as the lefty would plug on and replace her (worn out) headshock.
Email in profile.
Some Leftys of that vintage won't hold air and require regular (every 500km) servicing. My F800 is due another £300 service. When it's running it's wonderful
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