... but which one should I go for?
It's going on a racy XC hardtail frame so nothing long travel, nor too pricey.
I've no knowledge about the history of the fork, whether there are any lightweight older models... or even ones to avoid? The ELOs always seem to have broken on older forks.
any thoughts?
They are pricy brand new, but I believe the new ones are cheaper.
Contact Lloyd at qwerty cycles if you are looking for a new one.
(note - that I am friends with Lloyd, but a search on here should confirm his good helpful service).
Me - I love 'em!
Just to confirm what monkeyp said....
I've got no connection to [url= http://qwertycycles.co.uk/ ]Qwerty[/url], but they were really great to deal with when I bought a Lefty from them a few months ago.
I ended up with a carbon XLR 100mm fork to go on an XC frame.
There was a similar thread last week [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/cannondale-lefty-where-to-buy ]here[/url].
not sure I can stretch to a new one, hence asking about the older forks, but I'll have a look...
What sort of weight do they come in at? I'm not quite a weenie, but don't like bolting on extremely hefty bits of metal!
errr... 700 quid for a fork is nothing short of mental!
that puts me firmly in the realms of the used marked I think!
so which models are the ones to go for?
I'd really like 80mm travel
Not sure what mine weighs, but Cannondale claim 1250g.
I don't think that would include the Lefty-4-All steerer though.
Hmm, I might have underestimated the cost of having a useable setup, the additional 1"1/8 steerer then the lefty hub/wheel.
Is it really just the carbon XLR that's worth getting? Surely the earlier team XC bikes had useable leftys?
It's certainly not a cheap way of getting front suspension.
I purely went for the carbon as it wasn't much dearer than the alloy version and because I'm a pure bike tart; I thought the carbon looked better.
[STUPID QUESTION] Why don't they make a "righty" fork? [/STUPID QUESTION]
No too sure to be honest.
This is a video demonstrating a Lefty compared to a standard suspension fork....
[STUPID QUESTION] Why don't they make a "righty" fork? [/STUPID QUESTION]
Disc brakes go on the left hand side.
They made a "righty" for a folding road bike once, really no reason other than it allowed the frame to fold smaller as the fork and chainset didn't clash.
Presumably with the older forks with clamps rather than bonded crowns you could switch to the other side?
errr... 700 quid for a fork is nothing short of mental!
Have you seen the price of new Fox forks these days? I agree, but it's where the market's going.
Secondhand is the way to go for Leftys, IMHO
I've been off the bike for nearly 5 years as a consequence of a persistent knee injury. I realise I've been out of the game but sheesh! I'm not sure I like the way the market going.
nope, 2nd hand it is... or organised crime and racketeering.
*wants photoshop skills to mock up a fork reading the guardian and looking socialist*
Ive had 2 leftys but always got them as part of a complete bike. Got the new 90mm fork and its a lovely bit of kit.
amplebrew - MemberNo too sure to be honest.
This is a video demonstrating a Lefty compared to a standard suspension fork....
That is before they changed to using a bushing instead of a bearing, isn't it?
Terrible things I wouldn't bother ........
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I'm just about to order a new carbon lefty 29er 😉
They've got rid of the needle bearings? That was whole point of Lefties, in my view. Funny that most people didn't know they worked fundamentally differently though....
New ones are still square with bearings its just the lower portion that is round for a bush and seal arangement. Theyre still as stiff as a stiff thing.
parkesie - MemberNew ones are still square with bearings its just the lower portion that is round for a bush and seal arangement. Theyre still as stiff as a stiff thing.
Yeah but personally I don't care about the stiffness, a Revelation is already stiff enough. It's the lack of binding and low friction from bearings and lack of seals which appeals to me.
My 'racy XC hardtail' 2012 Cannondale Flash Alloy 29er with 90mm PBR Lefty went up on Ebay yesterday...
A second hand Lefty doesn't seem to save much over a brand spanking new one from Qwerty. You then have the risk of extra pennies on a service and spares etc. In the EU Leftys seems to be selling for around 1300 Euros new in which case second hand would make sense. Unless you can find a complete bargain second hand the Qwerty option does seem like good (relative) value.
Had a lefty max before with the bellows that had excelent small bump sensitivity. Current fork is only 90mm so not really a dirrect comparison but still has that small bump sensitivity al be it reduced, cant say if its due to the seal arangement or the lower travel thought.
Wonkey fork 🙂
Older ones pop up on ebay fairly cheap it is possible to renew seals and fluids diy bearings take a bit more patience and skill. I sold my lefty max for 250 with wheel and stem after 5 years of abuse.
urrgghh, this is horrid, so much taunting of lefty goodness....
and just to set the cat amongst the metaphorical pigeons.....
...
are most of them 29ers?
No, leftys are available in 26 inch form upto 160mm travel. 29" forks can, relatively easily, be DIY modified for 26" and vica versa. Also if you buy an older fork you can get the internal kits to convert to later standards, though may be a false economy.
Mines been great. Rides beautifully, really robust with no odd handling characteristics as some think.
I was in the same frame of mine a while ago, I wanted suspension for my inbred 29er. I bought a 110 carbon lefty from here, stripped it and bought the bits to convert it to a 29er.
I ordered all the service bits from Dr. Cannondale and got all the guides on line...I now have an almost 29er lefty to bolt on to my lefty. (Only almost as findi time to work on it is a struggle at the moment).
cyclebiker, may I be grotesque and ask how much you paid for one? ballpark if you don't wish to be specific?
*wants*
Paid around 300 for the fork and so far about 45 pounds on service bits and spacers to make it a 29er. Iran on splitting the two halfs of the fork and looking at the needle bearings this week.
They suck 8)
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Took me 5 minutes to convert it to 29er.
Complete hardtail 29er with Lefty for £1200 from Pauls. Buy that and flog your old bike OP?
Chunky whats the travel on that?
It's a 110mm spaced down to 90mm. Great thing about Lefty's is they use every mm of travel.
Love them...
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I had one on my F800, really enjoyed that bike for around 8 years, the fork served me well and required very little maintenance over that period... (think i only ever serviced every 2 years, however at the time it was my summer bike.
I sold my F800 which was 10 years old at the time for £500 so it was a great investment in the sense I only gave £800 (used) for the bike all them years before...
Anyone know the weight savings of the Carbon vs the alloy forks? Is it huge?
Not a lot. I believe the carbon ones are stiffer.
Anyone know the weight savings of the Carbon vs the alloy forks? Is it huge?
I really depends on the model but of the 2013 forks:
Lefty 26, Alloy PBR, 100mm = 1334g
Lefty 26, Carbon XLR, 100mm = 1250g
I think the XLR adds about 50g over the PBR but there is no option to buy a 2013 Carbon PBR- it would have to be an aftermarket upgrade
Older Carbon forks are as light as 1150g and I believe some of the old alloy forks go in to the 15xx/ 16xx g range. You have to add the weight of a steerer in to that too to compare to conventional forks
I wouldn't buy a Lefty for weight savings (for XC anyway, not sure about the longer travel versions)...comparing my current set up (bought new) to the lightest Lefty (also if bought new) has only minimal weight savings at considerable expense
Magura Durin Race 1353g
American Classic Hub 125g
KCNC Ti QR 18g
= 1496g/ paid new £430
2013 Lefty Carbon XLR 1250g
Leonardi Steerer 125g
KCNC Post to IS adapter & Ti bolts 25g
Tune Cannonball hub and bolt 98g
= 1498g/ cheapest new £1000
An Experimental Prototype or MCFK steerer save 45g for an extra £100 or so, but then so would a Durin SL over the Race. The Cannondale SI stem/ steerer works out about the same weight as the Leonardi Steerer and a 125g stem so not a lighter option either on a Cannondale frame.
Not worth it from a weight point of view but the supposed performance benefits are very, very tempting. Justifying the cost is the tricky bit 😕
Good deal that.
Regarding weight you have to bear in mind that the stiffness you get with a Lefty is more like what you get with a double crown DH fork, so comparing a Lefty to a normal single crown XC/Trail fork is not really comparing like for like.
Regarding weight you have to bear in mind that the stiffness you get with a Lefty is more like what you get with a double crown DH fork, so comparing a Lefty to a normal single crown XC/Trail fork is not really comparing like for like.
Yes, this is the point I was trying to make. In terms of weight there isn't much, if anything, to be saved. Is the stiffness worth around £600 to you in my example above... that is the question 😕
@ChunkyMTB Bit off topic, Hope the OP dont mind - What bars are you running ?
Thanks
Mt zoom carbon flat (super wide)
Buy this and sell the rest of the bits: (Not my ad)
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/never-used2012-cannondale-flash-f1-alloy-m-1000-posted
Thanks - Ill get me some of them 🙂
I would consider the new ones, due to the promise of more serviceability and keeping them going for longer. I think there is a real market for a simply home serviceable fork ala Maverick or USE.
