As a previous owner of a lefty personally I can’t recommend it. While it is a really fun and responsive fork the big caveat is that it’s a proprietary product that is incompatible with loads if standardised bike parts. I sold mine because there was absolutely no way to have my lefty fork serviced where I live which makes it pretty much unusable in the long term. It’s a great piece of technology but it’s proprietary nature makes the fork a big liability in my point of view.
The servicing issue certainly confines the Cannondale Lefty to a limited audience. I'm quite excited about the new Motion suspension strut (and similar designs that come from it) due to the lack of servicing.
Thank you for giving the Lauf a bit of coverage. Have had one on my gravel bike for ~6 months now, love it. Certainly does not handle big hits on the singletrack but rocky roads at speed, does great. Have it paired with an eesilk+ seatpost. Sometimes I think its not doing too much then I go ride my previous, full rigid gravel bike. Ouch, yeah... I'll keep the Lauf.
With each new video, I'm always fascinated to find out what has been on your exhaustive mind since the last. I'm old and slow to catch on. So I'm still exploring head tube suspension. But you've given me some new and fascinating things to mull. Thanks, and all the best.
I adore my Lefty Oliver on the Slate, the very same model you rode in your video. I got a cobblestone street right where I live - with the Slate, I can virtually fly over it. And I share your thoughts on the Lefty being just as stiff as a normal fork on tarmac. I just leave it open 95% of my rides., regardless of the terrain.
The Slate was so ahead of its time. I rode it in fast bunch rides and then went out and completed multiple 1000km long off-road trails on it - the Oliver made all the difference. If the XL wasn't a bit too small for me, I would've kept it.
Got a Slate too, great bike. I was lucky perhaps to get mine after Cannondale had worked out what to do with it. Gone was the 2-by at the front, the 2019 model had a single at the front and a cassette with a good range. Perfect for gravel.
I’ve long been fascinated by lefty, it’s just the kind of technological innovation we’d need more around the bikes. Having said that if I’d ever have a mtb again, it’d be a Cannondale with headshok and the blue Volvo paintjob for aesthetics.
The HiRide fork reminds me of my 2004 Ultra Fatty HeadShok on my 2004 Bad Boy Gargoyle edition. I ride it almost exclusively on gravel trails and the ride is harsh [aluminium frame] when locked out but smooth as anything when open. The shock is at the junction of the head tube with a flexible collar. I lubricate the needle bearings and just pump it up in spring going on 19 years. I put 650b wheels and 2.3 inch tires on it, stock wheels are ridiculously thin 700C with 25mm tires.
Great video. Unfortunately, as long as these design won't be copied by larger scale manufacturers into cheaper consumer products, I doubt they will leave their niche market anytime soon.
Nice little mention of the Motion fork. As an owner of 2 Motion E18's I have to say they're absolutely incredible. My only gripe is that that they're not in production anymore and I can't get stiffer leafs to better suit my fat ass. :)
First time I saw this it made me wonder if you could do similar for the rear wheel. That could get rid of the issue that belt drives have where you currently have to have a specific frame for it.
The number of people that assumed mine was somehow unsafe, was wild. I think it's just too different for people unfortunately. I loved mine and was shocked at how normal forks bind under load after using a Lefty.
Headshok, Lefty, Futureshock, Pacific Reach mini Trailing Link, Lauf fork, Motion France, Pantour Hub, Stem Suspension, loopwheels. All uses small travel, light weight and design to take out vibration / bumps when tyres could not. But never heard of "Hiride Sterra"
You made no mention of Cannondales use of headtube mounted shock forks way back at the start in the pre-lefty 90s. A sound idea ready to be rediscovered.
For mediocre roads (but not rough gravel), you might enjoy riding a Moulton NS. It uses rubber in torsion to provde ~30mm travel with zero stiction, and excellent high frequency damping (at least, by my wrists' estimation). It also is basically maintenance-free aside from wipe-downs and keeping bolts torqued (LocTite red fixes that). The one trouble you'll have is finding one to try that is set up for a very tall person.
I saw something the other day that looked like the Lauf. I'd never seen anything like it before and crazy that this video was just recommended to me by TH-cam!
I still have an old Cannondale Prophet from 2006 with a Lefty. I never had a problem with the fork. I road that bike down plenty of black and double black diamond terrain for nearly 15 years. There is a professional shock service center near where I live where I was able to have it serviced. However I switched to an Ibis Ripmo 3 years ago and now the old Prophet bike with the 140 Lefty is only a backup / extra bike for me. I would say the Lefty can be a reliable high performer but it definitely isn't as good as my modern Fox setup. But maybe a modern lefty could compete? I never see the fork being used any more.
I'd rather have a slightly heavy bike with a suspension fork and seatpost at least than a full rigid bicycle. Great video presentation.🚴So very informative👌
I've just bought the Evisid shock observing handlebar stem witch comes with 4 interchangeable shock springs from soft to head and to my surprise work really well on roads and gravel to go on my BMX Electric Zooz bike 👏🏽👍🏼😊
Unless I can buy one for 30€ like a normal fork, no. Serviceability and affordability is a big advantage of bicycles over other modes of transportation. Expensive parts are missing the point of bicycles.
Good luck finding a suspension fork for 30€. The only ones I've seen were used trash forks removed from budget bikes that the previous owner replaced with a proper fork. And if you're buying new, even those trash forks cost 120-150 at least.
Excellent video! Super informative. I found your comparison of different technology especially helpful. I was quite surprised by your comparison of the open rigid fork with the Lauf. I ride an open wide so glad to hear I have such a compliant fork.
It is noted that car wheels are also suspended from one side only However, the second "fork" arm on a bike is very easy to make, with a superb addition to the stiffness of the axle. Any design for a lefty one arm fork can easily be improved by a second arm on the other side, with a gain in weight as a result. It looks cool though.
Suspension forks use bushings for a reason! Achieving a tight tolerance and mirror finish on two shafts (and a few sets of bushings) is relatively easy and cheap too. In comparison, it's very challenging (or rather cost-prohibitive) to run sets of needle bearings on two keyed stanchions. This is due to the alignment between both legs which needs to be near-perfect in multiple axes, with very tight manufacturing tolerance. If the manufacturer doesn't get this right, the product can end up with additional friction and potential binding. I can't imagine we'll ditch bushings in suspension forks anytime soon.
@@Cyclingabout agreed. I'd also add that a standard suspension fork with bushings is considerably cheaper and easier to service. Cannondale came out with the headshock (which was arguably copied from the action-tec proshock released in 1991) released in 1992. The fact is that bushings work good enough for pros to win in the most extreme races in the world under every weather condition. Reliably. They can also be easily serviced at anywhere that works on bike suspension. Most businesses which service mtb suspension can't or don't want to service a lefty (or headshock). Think of all of the little parts to fall and roll into hidden crevices on the other side of the shop under furniture - or with 2 fork legs you can use bushings and it'll work great and avoid the headaches. Also if you really want a super supple suspension air is not what you want - coil is the answer.
My Lefty is the best, I have the the tools, the know how to maintain them and extra dampers which I still haven’t needed. 1150 grams for unmatched stiffness and 110mm travel. These forks are bombproof up to about 2012. When they went hybrid the game was over. Headshoks are killer too!
I wonder if the air suspension seals' friction issue can be solved by using am airtight rubber bellow and eliminating the seals altogether? That's how lorry suspensions do it.
Bought a 9yo XC race bike with a lefty for the 11yo child, who LOVES it! Which is good cos the service is half a grand including shipping, and takes two weeks
With the car u have 2 wheels on both sides. And they are sitting on the axis that is horizontal, not vertical. Totally different design and approach. This suspension works because the bicycle is not so heavy
Yeah the car analogy was very disingenuous. You have a lever arm that pivots 30-40-50cms from the suspension attachment point which is in turn some distance from the wheel. The front suspension linkage of a bike is perhaps twice as tall as a car and perhaps 10% as wide or less. Really really different design criteria.
@@Cyclingabout the analogy is not quite good, but I think you are totally correct when assume that there is more than one possible design. This suspension will suffer from rotational forces and that is why it is more precise product, than simple fork. I think people should stop afraid of something that doesn’t look usual. It is totally normal to try different approaches. Especially in the mechanical engineering.
@@FedorAntony sure. I think there is nothing wrong with such design. The symmetry in the fork design is needed to make it simpler and avoid dealing with consequences with rotational moment with shifting mass center and so on. If you can design in such way that you deal with all consequences and might be add a new features - that is great! The wheel suspension on some motorcycle are also not symmetrical and it works fine. The engineers account all of the consequences and come with a solution.
The latest Leftys use new "StopLock" brake mounts that lets you remove the entire caliper by turning a 5mm hex bolt 180-degrees. It provides perfect alignment when you reinstall the mount. 👍🏻
@@Cyclingabout ok but it's not as simple as a 2 legs fork. Complicated system bring complicated mechanics. Try riding a bike with one arm and you'll understand why the Lefty isn't as good as a normal fork.
Love the lefty coverage and would like to hear your take on long travel lefties. I had one on my old XC bike (80mm) and having moved to Fox 34 Factory I miss it. It was the better fork by fork by far in my opinion. Although, I never maintained it so I cannot speak about maintenance. If I bought the Ocho I would make sure to buy tools and servicing items for the life of the fork up front. Servicing doesn't look like it's very difficult outside of some specialized tools. Cannondale frames are built terribly, they really have earned the "Crack-&-Fail" dig, but I have to say, the lefty is the exception.
Excellent video, well researched and one to watch again. I ❤ the lefty but I can’t bring myself to buy something that’s so difficult to have serviced. The Lauf is an interesting proposition, near zero maintenance and lightweight for a bouncy fork. Does anyone have experience living with a Lauf?
Lauf forks are great for trail buzz and being lightweight. When pushing the bike on rough terrain it's noodly. For my 175lb/80kg weight it didn't feel good cornering in a paved parking lot. Also no lockout. I'd choose a bigger tire on a rigid fork or a more conventional suspension fork for the greater rigidity.
Great depth in your content as usual Alee and well worth listening to. Unlike a car the lefty is not connected by three angular points for stability. A few years ago I asked a Cannondale dealer if they service the Lefty and was told only one official business in Australia services them. A deal breaker for me. On another note If you're not racing, from my experiences, a undamped spring system works well with sensible tyres on most roads and trails. Thank you again.
Thanks! Only one business now?! That's crazy... definitely a deal breaker. Although I like the Oliver so much I think I'd just buy all the tools and do it myself. 😅
Cannondale made that Stera design fork already, they called it the headshock . It came on a road bike and some city bikes too. Another Cannondale product that didn't catch on or maybe Cannondale gave up on it too soon. I think they were trying to make a motorcycle at the same time.
More Lefty's would open up accessibility due to spread and may spike the tricycle and quad piee of the pie, pushing DIY and customized bikes for less (children on board/disabled) and sure everywhere where weight-reduction is of use, whereas the Sterra-principle if it was taken on by the competitors would be perfect for city to gravel, especially due to the lack of "shuddering" (fork moving parallel to the ground forth/back) a regular suspension fork would offer and the lower threshold to go into suspension and the quicker response is also helpful on gravel as well as asphalt or slick stone when turning from 25km/h up.
I remember fitting a lefty DLR 110 to my ATX at the time had to get new wheel and few other things for it to fit! Couldn't just throw anywheel on it like you could throw this newer fork on anybike I only sold it 2 years ago sat in the lockup for year's since 2011ish
Leaf spring mini swingarm front suspensions have been in use for some ~120 years already... just saying.... :) RST offer a head tube suspension fork for 26” and 700c gravel bikes, called the “single shock”
Love the technical breakdown of your bike science videos & confirming my 2018 Specialized Diverge with a future shock!!! 😎 I've learned tons from you over the years. Always informative and interesting bike videos!!
I am not an engineer, but it seems that the 'lefty' would put an uneven loading weight/ pressure on the hub's bearings versus a normal pair of forks...? Also, I noticed that none of the lefties I viewed had a rack available for a pair of front panniers... That is a deal-breaker for me, personally...
SID is not 1537 g as per video @ 3:36. SID SL (32 mm) at 110 mm travel is more like 1350 g, SID (35 mm) at 120 mm travel 1480 g. Rudy Ultimate gravel fork sub 1300 g.
IIRC Giant were offerering a cheapish gravel bike with a lefty fork circa 2019. Was this fork based on the Caannondale design? It couldn't have been expensive on a bike of that price. Anybody know more?
The Future? Been around for 30 years now. And that's about how long it takes to get parts for one. LOL The roller system is cool and all but ti's hands down the most unreliable fork on teh market. It'll spend more time in the shop than being ridden
Car suspension is not the best comparison, as the lateral loads do not run through the strut- macpherson strut suspension has a lower control arm that handles cornering and braking/acceleration forces. That doesn't mean it can't work on a bicycle, but the only real world comparison that makes sense at the moment is light aircraft nose gear. Still not a perfect comparison as most of the weight at rest is supported by the main gear, as are the braking forces for aircraft small enough to not need thrust reversers.
Amazing fork design's,would be interesting to see this on a super light /springy titanium hardtail with belt drive.this theoretically offer's storage functionality possibilities ,,with folding bike concept's ,,going further than folding handle bar's,with the wheel off someone could invent foldable versions of this style of forks
The Lefty, while supported similar to a car; bikes don’t have 4 points of contact and so much weight of the whole vehicle over a single axle. And, metal fatigue is a very real thing in something so small, sprung off-axis, with as much force being exerted on it.
It's a misconception that a suspension fork needs damping. For high-frequency vibrations (above the resonance frequency of the oscillator made up of the spring and bike/rider mass), the best isolation is achieved when the spring can move _uninhibited_ by any damping. Motion seems to exploit that very well. It is only at or around the resonance frequency that damping is useful, but for small amplitudes at the front this isn't really necessary either because (unlike in a car or motorbike) the arms can easily take the role of the damper in that regime. Only for severe, high-speed off-roading is damping needed, and even then it's mostly important on the rear to avoid that bounces buck the bike forwards and possibly cause an OTB. Some bouncing on the front is harmless as long as the rider can anticipate it and doesn't need every bit of traction for winning a downhill race.
I totally agree, and have an anecdote that backs up some of your comments. My friend worked as a suspension technician at a bike park and said the number of people riding on forks with blown dampers was staggering. They would come in for repair days or weeks after their fork had stopped working properly. But when the rear shock was gone, the same people were in the shop immediately!
Advantages of Lefty are mostly due to the design of its internals, not due to it being one legged, right? This means it could potentially have the same benefits and be cheaper with two legs. Am I missing something?
It's actually very challenging (or rather cost-prohibitive) to run sets of needle bearings on two keyed stanchions. This is due to the alignment between both legs which needs to be near-perfect in multiple axes, with very tight manufacturing tolerance. If the manufacturer doesn't get this right, the product can end up with additional friction and potential binding. Achieving a tight tolerance and mirror finish on two shafts and a few sets of bushings is much easier, and significantly cheaper!
@@FredDero-b8q it's a more expensive process to machine the required stuff to make a suspension fork run on needle bearings than a cup on a loose ball hub or to take a pressed in cartridge bearing. Considerably so. In addition making aluminum hard enough to withstand the stresses of a rolling bearing - even a roller is challenging. Aluminum is a great material useful for many tasks across a wide variety of applications. Aluminum is a less than ideal material for rolling a bearing on. Try getting some bearing races, cups or cones for a hub, pedal, bottom bracket or headset and let us know how long it lasts. A bushing has it's drawbacks but it does a great job of cost effectively distributing the load over a large area so that aluminum is able to perform reliably.
My issue with the Lefty is that there are no improvements that it has that can't be implimented on a standard fork. You can reverse your stanchions, you can use needle bearings, you can make all of these machining improvements etc with a dual strut fork. You can even do that with a "Double shoulder/triple tree" extra stiff headtube design, though that adds weight and reduces how far you can turn the bars. You even see some of these implemented on higher end downhill forks. Edit: the steerer fork is just a gravel/road bike cannondale centershock, isnt it? Similar to what you've talked about with the redshift stems and the older ones they made for MTB back in the day.
a bycicle was suposed to be a simple mobility solutin that can be easy to self repair.. now, it is so rare to find ultra simple bycicle with simple smart design.
Having ridden Hossack style motorcycles (and BMW telelever) along with an AMP Research MTB fork, I am continually disappointed we continue to plough R&D into telescopics. The control of the wheel trajectory on compression ('J' shaped on the AMP), anti-dive characteristics, pivots vs stiction sliders and tight integration with rear suspension are all huge opportunities lost. Yes, we had a couple of attempts back in the 90s but frame geometry has changed dramatically since then. Highly evolved they may be, but telescopics are still the 'wrong' technology for suspension (unless you're a Morgan or an aircraft).
Always love your vids! Would be cool to also include longer travel linkage front suspension like that from Structure Cycleworks. Im going to build a frame that has mode decoupled suspension where one shock is for pitch and the other for heave, i already designed and built a system for a university team car that was based on cane creek air shocks.
I've been keeping a close eye on Structure Cycleworks, as I think they are really onto something. Keep me in the loop about your frame/suspension system!
The Lefty is sort of neat engineering but ultimately it's more of a show of engineering prowess than practicality. It solves a bunch of problems that kind of don't exist yet costs an arm and a leg and isn't compatible with anything.
Yeah it's absurd to call something "the future" with only a passive mention of cost. Things that are dramatically more expensive, for only marginal gains at best, will never be "the future" unless there's some reason to believe that the costs will come down over time. Which isn't the case here, as a Lefty design is inherently a greater engineering challenge. If anything looks promising for the future IMO, it's that short-travel option where the suspension is inside the head tube. THAT seems innovative, and not something which will inherently always be more expensive than alternatives.
@@polendri4812 Indeed, in the head tube suspension is much more likely to become widespread. The world is full of "inferior technology" that is much much cheaper/easier to produce and which gets the job done because it is worlds more practical and every bit as functional for the end user.
@@pbandjosh there are plenty of other options for bike suspension other than needle bearing equipped lefty's which perform good enough to win world championships in enduro, slalom, 4x, xc... under the most adverse conditions. Top of the line suspension forks from rockshox, fox, ohlins... aren't exactly cheap either but cheaper than a lefty - especially when you consider the price of servicing one.
still waiting for a real trailed link fork w/o the flaws of the actual ones. Designed one by myself though. one pole "forks" i'm considering not that smart either.
Front suspension and a by.schulz,makes me drive a bike,after an crash,nearly all of my rips are broke,and a rigide bike is not driveble for me.I Stil ❤cycling
That seems to be either a misquote or a mistake (I should've picked up on it, oops!). It makes more sense that there is ~140% more static friction on a typical suspension fork.
How do these lefties go holding up against a 140kg dude in hard core off road riding? I already wreck upside down motocross style forks on my MTB's, I personally think I would end up bending or snapping something.
A 200mm travel Lefty is simply too difficult in terms of packaging the internal components into one strut. I have fond memories of watching Cedric Gracia ride dirt jumps using Leftys! I even went out and bought the same helmet and sunglasses as Cedric when I was 14 or 15… 😅
@@Cyclingabout No problem of packaging the internal components into one strut. The diameter is just bigger. But you only think with the technology of oil suspensions. Imagine a electromagnetic suspension, no need a lot of space. The main problem is the rigidity and solidity of a one strut, especially at each braking. Cédric GRACIA crash with the lefty in 2004 (Back Flip de Cédric GRACIA aux Mondiaux VTT 2004 aux Gets). And today Cedric don't use the Lefty...
I don't get why so many E-bikes even have suspension. If you're not going faster than 25 km/h, do you really need that? Especially with bigger tires and reduced tyre pressure. But if they have it, a traditional heavy suspension fork is complete overkill. And it doesn't absorb the shorter frequency stuff or the smaller bumps at these relatively low speeds much. A short travel lefty construction might be a viable alternative.
I did something like that in the very early days of mt bike suspension. Had an original RS-1 RockShox fork, it managed big hits ok but had nothing for small stuff. I ran a Proflex/Girvin Flexstem with its elastomer bumper which handled all the small stuff. For its time, I'd say it was a great combo.
If youre handy enought- teach yourself how to service your own lefty fork. Then you have the biggest drawback of owning a lefty nipped in the butt. If youve ever ridden a lefty you'd likely agree that they are unreal forks.
It sounds like most of the benefits of the lefty fork don’t come from it being lefty. I wonder if a regular upside down fork with roller bearings would be even better?
How realistic is it for the bike industry to just eliminate conventional forks and just make all forks lefty, even if they are fixed? Is it actually better for disk brakes? Can the advantage of splay outweigh trying to make each fork blade more compliant, stiff enough for a disk brake, yet light?
Because disc brakes are on the left due to derailleurs being on the right. Yes, they could all be swapped around, but it's more efficient to stick to a single standard configuration. Like homochirality in nature
carbon fiber and glass fiber leaf springs? Did nether of them get the memo that carbon fiber and glass fiber both work really poorly in cyclical loading scenarios? sure they might be a little bit lighter but with how much you need to overbuilt something like that you might well end up with a scenario where a steel leaf spring actually is lighter and as an added benefit don't have a set number of load cycles it can take. If anyone go long distance bike touring in remote areas with one of those I hope they pack an extra leaf spring so they don't get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a spring that shattered
When people ask you why you bought a Lefty, you should just tell them there was a sale, and it was half-off! 🥁😅
Add your best Lefty joke below ⬇⬇⬇
Lol. Brilliant.
with a lefty, nobody will steal your bike.
Someone asked me how communist I was. I told them even my fork is "Lef-T"
I always ask "dude, what happened to your fork?!?! 😁
The V brake for lefty is also half the price
As a previous owner of a lefty personally I can’t recommend it. While it is a really fun and responsive fork the big caveat is that it’s a proprietary product that is incompatible with loads if standardised bike parts. I sold mine because there was absolutely no way to have my lefty fork serviced where I live which makes it pretty much unusable in the long term. It’s a great piece of technology but it’s proprietary nature makes the fork a big liability in my point of view.
Bingo. If I cannot fix it myself, I won't buy it unless it's cheap and easy to replace. I do agree that they feel awesome however.
Agreed so many reasons why they are not the way to go
The servicing issue certainly confines the Cannondale Lefty to a limited audience. I'm quite excited about the new Motion suspension strut (and similar designs that come from it) due to the lack of servicing.
There are multiple places all over the country where they can be sent in and rebuilt ❤
Owning a Cannondale is like owning a Volvo. Great when it’s new, sell it before it’s 2 years old and you have to do significant maintenance
Thank you for giving the Lauf a bit of coverage. Have had one on my gravel bike for ~6 months now, love it. Certainly does not handle big hits on the singletrack but rocky roads at speed, does great. Have it paired with an eesilk+ seatpost. Sometimes I think its not doing too much then I go ride my previous, full rigid gravel bike. Ouch, yeah... I'll keep the Lauf.
With each new video, I'm always fascinated to find out what has been on your exhaustive mind since the last. I'm old and slow to catch on. So I'm still exploring head tube suspension. But you've given me some new and fascinating things to mull. Thanks, and all the best.
I adore my Lefty Oliver on the Slate, the very same model you rode in your video. I got a cobblestone street right where I live - with the Slate, I can virtually fly over it. And I share your thoughts on the Lefty being just as stiff as a normal fork on tarmac. I just leave it open 95% of my rides., regardless of the terrain.
The Slate was so ahead of its time. I rode it in fast bunch rides and then went out and completed multiple 1000km long off-road trails on it - the Oliver made all the difference. If the XL wasn't a bit too small for me, I would've kept it.
Got a Slate too, great bike. I was lucky perhaps to get mine after Cannondale had worked out what to do with it. Gone was the 2-by at the front, the 2019 model had a single at the front and a cassette with a good range. Perfect for gravel.
I’ve long been fascinated by lefty, it’s just the kind of technological innovation we’d need more around the bikes. Having said that if I’d ever have a mtb again, it’d be a Cannondale with headshok and the blue Volvo paintjob for aesthetics.
The HiRide fork reminds me of my 2004 Ultra Fatty HeadShok on my 2004 Bad Boy Gargoyle edition. I ride it almost exclusively on gravel trails and the ride is harsh [aluminium frame] when locked out but smooth as anything when open. The shock is at the junction of the head tube with a flexible collar. I lubricate the needle bearings and just pump it up in spring going on 19 years. I put 650b wheels and 2.3 inch tires on it, stock wheels are ridiculously thin 700C with 25mm tires.
Great video. Unfortunately, as long as these design won't be copied by larger scale manufacturers into cheaper consumer products, I doubt they will leave their niche market anytime soon.
Nice little mention of the Motion fork. As an owner of 2 Motion E18's I have to say they're absolutely incredible. My only gripe is that that they're not in production anymore and I can't get stiffer leafs to better suit my fat ass. :)
As always Mr CyclingAbout, this video presented the information in a way that was a pleasure to learn. Excellent.
First time I saw this it made me wonder if you could do similar for the rear wheel. That could get rid of the issue that belt drives have where you currently have to have a specific frame for it.
some 90s mtbs had suspension in the seat and chain stays...
I’ve always been fascinated by it as well, and never understood why it didn’t catch on.
The number of people that assumed mine was somehow unsafe, was wild. I think it's just too different for people unfortunately. I loved mine and was shocked at how normal forks bind under load after using a Lefty.
Headshok, Lefty, Futureshock, Pacific Reach mini Trailing Link, Lauf fork, Motion France, Pantour Hub, Stem Suspension, loopwheels. All uses small travel, light weight and design to take out vibration / bumps when tyres could not.
But never heard of "Hiride Sterra"
You made no mention of Cannondales use of headtube mounted shock forks way back at the start in the pre-lefty 90s. A sound idea ready to be rediscovered.
For mediocre roads (but not rough gravel), you might enjoy riding a Moulton NS. It uses rubber in torsion to provde ~30mm travel with zero stiction, and excellent high frequency damping (at least, by my wrists' estimation). It also is basically maintenance-free aside from wipe-downs and keeping bolts torqued (LocTite red fixes that). The one trouble you'll have is finding one to try that is set up for a very tall person.
I would love to try a Moulton NS! I had a very close look at the NS Safari at Eurobike... fingers crossed I can test one soon.
I saw something the other day that looked like the Lauf. I'd never seen anything like it before and crazy that this video was just recommended to me by TH-cam!
I still have an old Cannondale Prophet from 2006 with a Lefty. I never had a problem with the fork. I road that bike down plenty of black and double black diamond terrain for nearly 15 years. There is a professional shock service center near where I live where I was able to have it serviced. However I switched to an Ibis Ripmo 3 years ago and now the old Prophet bike with the 140 Lefty is only a backup / extra bike for me. I would say the Lefty can be a reliable high performer but it definitely isn't as good as my modern Fox setup. But maybe a modern lefty could compete? I never see the fork being used any more.
I'd rather have a slightly heavy bike with a suspension fork and seatpost at least than a full rigid bicycle.
Great video presentation.🚴So very informative👌
I've just bought the Evisid shock observing handlebar stem witch comes with 4 interchangeable shock springs from soft to head and to my surprise work really well on roads and gravel to go on my BMX Electric Zooz bike 👏🏽👍🏼😊
I'd really like to try the Evosid stem! It looks like it'd do very well in the CyclingAbout Comfort Lab tests. 😎
Unless I can buy one for 30€ like a normal fork, no. Serviceability and affordability is a big advantage of bicycles over other modes of transportation. Expensive parts are missing the point of bicycles.
30€? No. No, there was never a rule that bikes should only cater to lower class utilitarian needs.
Good luck finding a suspension fork for 30€. The only ones I've seen were used trash forks removed from budget bikes that the previous owner replaced with a proper fork. And if you're buying new, even those trash forks cost 120-150 at least.
Sneed
@@Paksusuoli95 Formerly Chuck's.
@@Paksusuoli95 Nah, dude. Stop being a europoor 😂
Excellent video! Super informative. I found your comparison of different technology especially helpful. I was quite surprised by your comparison of the open rigid fork with the Lauf. I ride an open wide so glad to hear I have such a compliant fork.
It is noted that car wheels are also suspended from one side only
However, the second "fork" arm on a bike is very easy to make, with a superb addition to the stiffness of the axle. Any design for a lefty one arm fork can easily be improved by a second arm on the other side, with a gain in weight as a result.
It looks cool though.
Very well done as always. Bushings on suspension forks are so stupid when we can have needle bearings.
Suspension forks use bushings for a reason! Achieving a tight tolerance and mirror finish on two shafts (and a few sets of bushings) is relatively easy and cheap too.
In comparison, it's very challenging (or rather cost-prohibitive) to run sets of needle bearings on two keyed stanchions. This is due to the alignment between both legs which needs to be near-perfect in multiple axes, with very tight manufacturing tolerance. If the manufacturer doesn't get this right, the product can end up with additional friction and potential binding.
I can't imagine we'll ditch bushings in suspension forks anytime soon.
@@Cyclingabout agreed. I'd also add that a standard suspension fork with bushings is considerably cheaper and easier to service. Cannondale came out with the headshock (which was arguably copied from the action-tec proshock released in 1991) released in 1992. The fact is that bushings work good enough for pros to win in the most extreme races in the world under every weather condition. Reliably. They can also be easily serviced at anywhere that works on bike suspension. Most businesses which service mtb suspension can't or don't want to service a lefty (or headshock). Think of all of the little parts to fall and roll into hidden crevices on the other side of the shop under furniture - or with 2 fork legs you can use bushings and it'll work great and avoid the headaches. Also if you really want a super supple suspension air is not what you want - coil is the answer.
My Topstone Lefty 100% agrees with the content of this video.❤
My Lefty is the best, I have the the tools, the know how to maintain them and extra dampers which I still haven’t needed. 1150 grams for unmatched stiffness and 110mm travel. These forks are bombproof up to about 2012. When they went hybrid the game was over. Headshoks are killer too!
My Slate is my forever bike. Love that lefty
I wonder if the air suspension seals' friction issue can be solved by using am airtight rubber bellow and eliminating the seals altogether? That's how lorry suspensions do it.
I was giving directions to Traveller! I said "straight over roundabout! Oh, & take the right fork!
Bought a 9yo XC race bike with a lefty for the 11yo child, who LOVES it! Which is good cos the service is half a grand including shipping, and takes two weeks
With the car u have 2 wheels on both sides. And they are sitting on the axis that is horizontal, not vertical. Totally different design and approach. This suspension works because the bicycle is not so heavy
Yeah the car analogy was very disingenuous. You have a lever arm that pivots 30-40-50cms from the suspension attachment point which is in turn some distance from the wheel. The front suspension linkage of a bike is perhaps twice as tall as a car and perhaps 10% as wide or less. Really really different design criteria.
@@pbandjosh My point is that it's not that weird to attach a wheel by one side.
@@Cyclingabout the analogy is not quite good, but I think you are totally correct when assume that there is more than one possible design. This suspension will suffer from rotational forces and that is why it is more precise product, than simple fork. I think people should stop afraid of something that doesn’t look usual. It is totally normal to try different approaches. Especially in the mechanical engineering.
A more fitting analogy can be found in Vespa scooter suspensions and the WW2 era airplane front wheel suspensions they were inspired by.
@@FedorAntony sure. I think there is nothing wrong with such design. The symmetry in the fork design is needed to make it simpler and avoid dealing with consequences with rotational moment with shifting mass center and so on. If you can design in such way that you deal with all consequences and might be add a new features - that is great! The wheel suspension on some motorcycle are also not symmetrical and it works fine. The engineers account all of the consequences and come with a solution.
the big problem with the lefty is that you have to take off the brake to take off the wheel.
The latest Leftys use new "StopLock" brake mounts that lets you remove the entire caliper by turning a 5mm hex bolt 180-degrees. It provides perfect alignment when you reinstall the mount. 👍🏻
@@Cyclingabout ok but it's not as simple as a 2 legs fork. Complicated system bring complicated mechanics. Try riding a bike with one arm and you'll understand why the Lefty isn't as good as a normal fork.
Nice video, @7:30 i see a nice front mudguard. Where can i get one for my left Oliver? TIA
Love the lefty coverage and would like to hear your take on long travel lefties. I had one on my old XC bike (80mm) and having moved to Fox 34 Factory I miss it. It was the better fork by fork by far in my opinion. Although, I never maintained it so I cannot speak about maintenance. If I bought the Ocho I would make sure to buy tools and servicing items for the life of the fork up front. Servicing doesn't look like it's very difficult outside of some specialized tools. Cannondale frames are built terribly, they really have earned the "Crack-&-Fail" dig, but I have to say, the lefty is the exception.
Very interesting topic with excellent analysis Solved many queries for me. Excellent job
Just touring in remote parts of Africa - no problem I'll research and create this crazy informative video...
I've been given way too much time to think... 😅
Excellent video, well researched and one to watch again. I ❤ the lefty but I can’t bring myself to buy something that’s so difficult to have serviced. The Lauf is an interesting proposition, near zero maintenance and lightweight for a bouncy fork. Does anyone have experience living with a Lauf?
Laufs are great. I also have a lefty, and it isn't all rosy.
Lauf forks are great for trail buzz and being lightweight. When pushing the bike on rough terrain it's noodly. For my 175lb/80kg weight it didn't feel good cornering in a paved parking lot. Also no lockout. I'd choose a bigger tire on a rigid fork or a more conventional suspension fork for the greater rigidity.
amazing, super informative video - a must-see
Glad you think so!
Great depth in your content as usual Alee and well worth listening to.
Unlike a car the lefty is not connected by three angular points for stability. A few years ago I asked a Cannondale dealer if they service the Lefty and was told only one official business in Australia services them. A deal breaker for me.
On another note If you're not racing, from my experiences, a undamped spring system works well with sensible tyres on most roads and trails.
Thank you again.
Thanks! Only one business now?! That's crazy... definitely a deal breaker. Although I like the Oliver so much I think I'd just buy all the tools and do it myself. 😅
Cannondale's Headshock and the Action-Tec suspension - inside the headtube designs from the early 1990s - both worked very well.
Cannondale made that Stera design fork already, they called it the headshock . It came on a road bike and some city bikes too. Another Cannondale product that didn't catch on or maybe Cannondale gave up on it too soon. I think they were trying to make a motorcycle at the same time.
More Lefty's would open up accessibility due to spread and may spike the tricycle and quad piee of the pie, pushing DIY and customized bikes for less (children on board/disabled) and sure everywhere where weight-reduction is of use, whereas the Sterra-principle if it was taken on by the competitors would be perfect for city to gravel, especially due to the lack of "shuddering" (fork moving parallel to the ground forth/back) a regular suspension fork would offer and the lower threshold to go into suspension and the quicker response is also helpful on gravel as well as asphalt or slick stone when turning from 25km/h up.
Great. .Add your best jokes about being left-handed below, So cool, I want to buy one to try, 👏 👏 👏
I remember fitting a lefty DLR 110 to my ATX at the time had to get new wheel and few other things for it to fit! Couldn't just throw anywheel on it like you could throw this newer fork on anybike I only sold it 2 years ago sat in the lockup for year's since 2011ish
Just really the same as what cannon had years ago be interested to try that central fork susp to my old xc cannondale with it!
Is that tube mounted shock system compatible with many frames?
Leaf spring mini swingarm front suspensions have been in use for some ~120 years already... just saying.... :)
RST offer a head tube suspension fork for 26” and 700c gravel bikes, called the “single shock”
Love the technical breakdown of your bike science videos & confirming my 2018 Specialized Diverge with a future shock!!! 😎 I've learned tons from you over the years. Always informative and interesting bike videos!!
Hiride Sterra sounds a lot like a more adjustable version of Cannondale's old Headshok setups.
I am not an engineer, but it seems that the 'lefty' would put an uneven loading weight/ pressure on the hub's bearings versus a normal pair of forks...? Also, I noticed that none of the lefties I viewed had a rack available for a pair of front panniers... That is a deal-breaker for me, personally...
The inner and outer bearings are different sizes to compensate for the uneven loading.
Thank you for the reply - much appreciated...!!!@@Cyclingabout
When will the lefty patent end?
I once a had HeadShock which also had roller bearing and it was way more responsive than any other fork
A lot of motor cycles only connect on one side (drivetrain) for the rear wheel, the torque poses no problem there either.
4:47 epic demonstration😂
SID is not 1537 g as per video @ 3:36.
SID SL (32 mm) at 110 mm travel is more like 1350 g, SID (35 mm) at 120 mm travel 1480 g. Rudy Ultimate gravel fork sub 1300 g.
Can we talk abou the "stiffness" demonstration starting at 4:46?
IIRC Giant were offerering a cheapish gravel bike with a lefty fork circa 2019. Was this fork based on the Caannondale design? It couldn't have been expensive on a bike of that price. Anybody know more?
The Future? Been around for 30 years now. And that's about how long it takes to get parts for one. LOL
The roller system is cool and all but ti's hands down the most unreliable fork on teh market. It'll spend more time in the shop than being ridden
Car suspension is not the best comparison, as the lateral loads do not run through the strut- macpherson strut suspension has a lower control arm that handles cornering and braking/acceleration forces. That doesn't mean it can't work on a bicycle, but the only real world comparison that makes sense at the moment is light aircraft nose gear. Still not a perfect comparison as most of the weight at rest is supported by the main gear, as are the braking forces for aircraft small enough to not need thrust reversers.
Do you know of any Dynao Hubs that will work or can be modified to work with a lefty?
There are none that I’m aware of. But you can get dynamo hubs for trikes that attach on one side…
Thank you! Most greatful!
The problem is proprietary parts. That kills it.
How about the added weight?
What's the bike at 15:09?
M55 Terminus
Amazing fork design's,would be interesting to see this on a super light /springy titanium hardtail with belt drive.this theoretically offer's storage functionality possibilities ,,with folding bike concept's ,,going further than folding handle bar's,with the wheel off someone could invent foldable versions of this style of forks
Can you do a video on the cannondale badboy 2
Good video!!
The Lefty, while supported similar to a car; bikes don’t have 4 points of contact and so much weight of the whole vehicle over a single axle. And, metal fatigue is a very real thing in something so small, sprung off-axis, with as much force being exerted on it.
I thought this was going to be gimmicky but was rather super interesting.
I'm glad you found it interesting! 🎉
It's a misconception that a suspension fork needs damping. For high-frequency vibrations (above the resonance frequency of the oscillator made up of the spring and bike/rider mass), the best isolation is achieved when the spring can move _uninhibited_ by any damping. Motion seems to exploit that very well. It is only at or around the resonance frequency that damping is useful, but for small amplitudes at the front this isn't really necessary either because (unlike in a car or motorbike) the arms can easily take the role of the damper in that regime.
Only for severe, high-speed off-roading is damping needed, and even then it's mostly important on the rear to avoid that bounces buck the bike forwards and possibly cause an OTB. Some bouncing on the front is harmless as long as the rider can anticipate it and doesn't need every bit of traction for winning a downhill race.
I totally agree, and have an anecdote that backs up some of your comments. My friend worked as a suspension technician at a bike park and said the number of people riding on forks with blown dampers was staggering. They would come in for repair days or weeks after their fork had stopped working properly. But when the rear shock was gone, the same people were in the shop immediately!
I see a lot of complicated new bike tech, and I always wonder: is it actually noticeably better, or just more expensive and complicated?
Really like the Hiride Sierra, looked up the price and thinking it's not for me 😅
@1:37 "why should a bike use suspension?"
Because a lot of city roads are not well maintained at all. Sounds like a dumb question to me. lol
Advantages of Lefty are mostly due to the design of its internals, not due to it being one legged, right? This means it could potentially have the same benefits and be cheaper with two legs. Am I missing something?
It's actually very challenging (or rather cost-prohibitive) to run sets of needle bearings on two keyed stanchions. This is due to the alignment between both legs which needs to be near-perfect in multiple axes, with very tight manufacturing tolerance. If the manufacturer doesn't get this right, the product can end up with additional friction and potential binding.
Achieving a tight tolerance and mirror finish on two shafts and a few sets of bushings is much easier, and significantly cheaper!
@@Cyclingabout yes but it's the same with the hubs bearing. The tolerances are tight and it must be fine tune.
@@FredDero-b8q it's a more expensive process to machine the required stuff to make a suspension fork run on needle bearings than a cup on a loose ball hub or to take a pressed in cartridge bearing. Considerably so. In addition making aluminum hard enough to withstand the stresses of a rolling bearing - even a roller is challenging. Aluminum is a great material useful for many tasks across a wide variety of applications. Aluminum is a less than ideal material for rolling a bearing on. Try getting some bearing races, cups or cones for a hub, pedal, bottom bracket or headset and let us know how long it lasts. A bushing has it's drawbacks but it does a great job of cost effectively distributing the load over a large area so that aluminum is able to perform reliably.
At 4:45 I know you love the shock but LOL!
My issue with the Lefty is that there are no improvements that it has that can't be implimented on a standard fork. You can reverse your stanchions, you can use needle bearings, you can make all of these machining improvements etc with a dual strut fork. You can even do that with a "Double shoulder/triple tree" extra stiff headtube design, though that adds weight and reduces how far you can turn the bars.
You even see some of these implemented on higher end downhill forks.
Edit: the steerer fork is just a gravel/road bike cannondale centershock, isnt it? Similar to what you've talked about with the redshift stems and the older ones they made for MTB back in the day.
a bycicle was suposed to be a simple mobility solutin that can be easy to self repair..
now, it is so rare to find ultra simple bycicle with simple smart design.
11:20 ¿What's splay?
Go back to 10:29
@@Cyclingabout Oh lol, thanks.
Having ridden Hossack style motorcycles (and BMW telelever) along with an AMP Research MTB fork, I am continually disappointed we continue to plough R&D into telescopics. The control of the wheel trajectory on compression ('J' shaped on the AMP), anti-dive characteristics, pivots vs stiction sliders and tight integration with rear suspension are all huge opportunities lost. Yes, we had a couple of attempts back in the 90s but frame geometry has changed dramatically since then. Highly evolved they may be, but telescopics are still the 'wrong' technology for suspension (unless you're a Morgan or an aircraft).
I wonder why there are so little bikes with single sided rear stays, either rigid or suspended.
Always love your vids!
Would be cool to also include longer travel linkage front suspension like that from Structure Cycleworks.
Im going to build a frame that has mode decoupled suspension where one shock is for pitch and the other for heave, i already designed and built a system for a university team car that was based on cane creek air shocks.
I've been keeping a close eye on Structure Cycleworks, as I think they are really onto something. Keep me in the loop about your frame/suspension system!
Of the products discussed, it looks like Cannondale's Lefty is the only one suited for mountain biking. Too bad half a fork isn't half the price!
The Lefty is sort of neat engineering but ultimately it's more of a show of engineering prowess than practicality. It solves a bunch of problems that kind of don't exist yet costs an arm and a leg and isn't compatible with anything.
Yeah it's absurd to call something "the future" with only a passive mention of cost. Things that are dramatically more expensive, for only marginal gains at best, will never be "the future" unless there's some reason to believe that the costs will come down over time. Which isn't the case here, as a Lefty design is inherently a greater engineering challenge.
If anything looks promising for the future IMO, it's that short-travel option where the suspension is inside the head tube. THAT seems innovative, and not something which will inherently always be more expensive than alternatives.
@@polendri4812 Indeed, in the head tube suspension is much more likely to become widespread. The world is full of "inferior technology" that is much much cheaper/easier to produce and which gets the job done because it is worlds more practical and every bit as functional for the end user.
@@pbandjosh there are plenty of other options for bike suspension other than needle bearing equipped lefty's which perform good enough to win world championships in enduro, slalom, 4x, xc... under the most adverse conditions. Top of the line suspension forks from rockshox, fox, ohlins... aren't exactly cheap either but cheaper than a lefty - especially when you consider the price of servicing one.
I have a 140 mm travel lefty on my trail bike, but not by choice.
I don't have a car and neither should most of us.
still waiting for a real trailed link fork w/o the flaws of the actual ones. Designed one by myself though. one pole "forks" i'm considering not that smart either.
Front suspension and a by.schulz,makes me drive a bike,after an crash,nearly all of my rips are broke,and a rigide bike is not driveble for me.I Stil ❤cycling
140% less friction? It sounds like Cannondale's marketing folks don't understand math...or they do and are being intentionally deceptive.
That seems to be either a misquote or a mistake (I should've picked up on it, oops!). It makes more sense that there is ~140% more static friction on a typical suspension fork.
How do these lefties go holding up against a 140kg dude in hard core off road riding? I already wreck upside down motocross style forks on my MTB's, I personally think I would end up bending or snapping something.
Might be a dumb question, but why left and not right? Genuinely curious
Disc brake calipers have been designed to mount on the left side of a bike due to the drivetrain occupying the right side.
@@Cyclingabout thank you so much, satisfied the itchy part of my brain 😂
"simple and elegant design?" at 8:29
okay then :D
I've never seen a Lefty on a DH bike or a dirt jump bike.
Why ?
A 200mm travel Lefty is simply too difficult in terms of packaging the internal components into one strut.
I have fond memories of watching Cedric Gracia ride dirt jumps using Leftys! I even went out and bought the same helmet and sunglasses as Cedric when I was 14 or 15… 😅
@@Cyclingabout No problem of packaging the internal components into one strut.
The diameter is just bigger.
But you only think with the technology of oil suspensions.
Imagine a electromagnetic suspension, no need a lot of space.
The main problem is the rigidity and solidity of a one strut, especially at each braking.
Cédric GRACIA crash with the lefty in 2004 (Back Flip de Cédric GRACIA aux Mondiaux VTT 2004 aux Gets).
And today Cedric don't use the Lefty...
I don't get why so many E-bikes even have suspension. If you're not going faster than 25 km/h, do you really need that? Especially with bigger tires and reduced tyre pressure. But if they have it, a traditional heavy suspension fork is complete overkill. And it doesn't absorb the shorter frequency stuff or the smaller bumps at these relatively low speeds much. A short travel lefty construction might be a viable alternative.
Could vibration be reduced by using a suspension fork with the Redshift stem?
Yes definitely. Your tyres are another great way to reduce vibration (pressure, compound, sidewall thickness, width).
I did something like that in the very early days of mt bike suspension. Had an original RS-1 RockShox fork, it managed big hits ok but had nothing for small stuff. I ran a Proflex/Girvin Flexstem with its elastomer bumper which handled all the small stuff. For its time, I'd say it was a great combo.
If youre handy enought- teach yourself how to service your own lefty fork. Then you have the biggest drawback of owning a lefty nipped in the butt. If youve ever ridden a lefty you'd likely agree that they are unreal forks.
What does "140% less" mean in any context?
It’s a mistake. I suspect the information I pulled meant 140% more static friction with the traditional fork.
It sounds like most of the benefits of the lefty fork don’t come from it being lefty. I wonder if a regular upside down fork with roller bearings would be even better?
I thought this was gonna be political 😅
It is.
How realistic is it for the bike industry to just eliminate conventional forks and just make all forks lefty, even if they are fixed? Is it actually better for disk brakes? Can the advantage of splay outweigh trying to make each fork blade more compliant, stiff enough for a disk brake, yet light?
Yes compare the wheel suspension of a car with that of a bicycle ?! as long as that makes sense to you
Why not have the strut on the right? Stupid question?
Because disc brakes are on the left due to derailleurs being on the right. Yes, they could all be swapped around, but it's more efficient to stick to a single standard configuration. Like homochirality in nature
carbon fiber and glass fiber leaf springs?
Did nether of them get the memo that carbon fiber and glass fiber both work really poorly in cyclical loading scenarios?
sure they might be a little bit lighter but with how much you need to overbuilt something like that you might well end up with a scenario where a steel leaf spring actually is lighter and as an added benefit don't have a set number of load cycles it can take.
If anyone go long distance bike touring in remote areas with one of those I hope they pack an extra leaf spring so they don't get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a spring that shattered