Anyone know about Cannondale Leftys?

How do you adjust the headset?
This one’s not mine, giving it a quick once over for a mate. It’s on a 2007(ish) Scalpel 900, not looked at one close up. I did expect a (relatively) normal SFN and top cap. It ain’t got one though – what do I do?

Why do you think you need to adjust the headset?

What problem do you have?

You don’t, if there’s movement the bearings have died. Replace…

[Edited “as” Graham posted below] I think you can move one of the clamps on the ali version [sold mine and now only have a bonded carbon one] about on the forks legs but this isn’t meant to be used as a maintenance option, just how you initially set them up

PS: When disassembling do not loose the headset bearing seal, this is what tensions the whole system, though you may also have a very thin washer sat at the bottom of the headset too. There no cheap bearings, you need the offical c’dale one, so don’t waster time asking bearing supplier (unless they supply aircraft bearings!), check out querty cycles for spares. Prepare the get the mallet out to whack the hell out of the steerer to get it out and the fork off 😯

The headset is adjusted by loosening the bottom pinch bolt, then turning the threaded steerer tube from underneath with a bottom bracket socket.
Like Zippy says though, if there’s any doubt about the condition of the bearings, replace them, or at least the bottom one, otherwise you’ll end up with this problem;
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/grahams-top-tip-for-removing-a-collapsed-head-bearing

MTG, your advice does not apply to Leftys with standard steerer tubes.

If there is play in the bearings, replace them.

I’m not familiar with all the variations of Lefty.
When Pickers said there was no conventional top cap and SFN, I assumed he’d got an OPI, which is adjusted the way I said.
Is there another type?

My advice works if it looks like this…

Earlier Lefties have just a plastic cap, nothing in the steerer at all, and as he stated a 2007 model bike I assumed it’s similar to my Lefty Max setup. The steerer is held on purely using a the bottom flange to pull against and the

Quick search suggests he should have a Cannondale Lefty Speed Bonded DLR2 110mm
Which going by this manual (page 21/22)Suggests it’s different to the Max and the OPI.. brilliant!

This place stocks Lefty Headset Bearings. If you need some.

Home

G

Cheers chaps.
There stem is basically an aheadset type but the steerer looks maybe 1.5″ dia (haven’t measured it). If I pull the plastic top cap off it’s just a tube.
The headset itself feels fine – on a conventional fork it feels as though it would need maybe 1/8th turn on the topcap allen bolt to nip things together; I just can’t see any obvious way to tension the bearings. If I swapped them for new I’d nstill need to tension them. I’ll go and take a couple of pics. It’s a carbon Lefty with the ELO lockout if that’s any help (need to change the battery too).
Glad it’s not my bike TBH, although it rides well enough.