#!markdown
Hi Brian,
Thanks. You'll need to get one of the German magazines to do a laboratory test
to prove how much stiffer a Lefty is; out on the trail I certainly didn't
notice an appreciable difference dropping into steep technical terrain hard on
the brakes. I'm also not convinced that max-stiffness is the end-all/be-all
but that a bike needs to be looked at as a package
(frame/fork/wheels/stem/bar). For example, the new Fox 40 was intentionally
made less stiff than the previous models to improve the ride quality at the
request of World Cup level athletes.
I'm ~185lbs and the trails around here are pretty steep, so if either fork was
not torsionally stiff enough I would have noticed/mentioned it.
I don't understand how the Lefty or Pike impacted the 29'er experiment since
it was done with a totally different fork (X-Fusion).
Re. Axle-To-Crown. Definitely sometimes having a shorter axle-to-crown is an
advantage. It is one of the features I like about my personal Lefty --
although secondary compared to the fork's stiffness compared to other 100mm
29'er forks (night and day), how well the air system/damper work, and the fact
it doesn't creak. In the case of the Jekyll I think I was fairly clear why I
preferred the Pike re. geometry?
I don't really understand why the global Lefty fan club is so sensitive. Ride
what works best for you -- even if you have to hear "hey did you know half
your fork is missing?", "that thing must be flexy", and "I don't understand it
so it must suck" every time you hit the trail. Really who gives a shit.
Anyways, I don't disagree that a long term test on the Lefty itself wouldn't
have been interesting. Specifically with a Project 321 steerer and riding it
on bikes that aren't Cannondales, and more specifically on bikes where the
geometry is such that a 160mm Lefty would be a perfect compliment. It wasn't
in the cards this go around.
If I had lowered the Pike to the same A-to-C as the Lefty I have no doubt the
Jekyll would have ridden better with the Lefty simply because the additional
initial compression damping has the Lefty run higher into its sag (so the
Geometry feels better). Likewise if there was a 180mm Lefty I'm certain it
would have been the perfect compliment to this bike. Maybe that's more on the
point you're making?
Anyways, thanks again for reading and engaging. I appreciate it!
May 31, 2016, 3:27 p.m. - DrewM
#!markdown Hi Brian, Thanks. You'll need to get one of the German magazines to do a laboratory test to prove how much stiffer a Lefty is; out on the trail I certainly didn't notice an appreciable difference dropping into steep technical terrain hard on the brakes. I'm also not convinced that max-stiffness is the end-all/be-all but that a bike needs to be looked at as a package (frame/fork/wheels/stem/bar). For example, the new Fox 40 was intentionally made less stiff than the previous models to improve the ride quality at the request of World Cup level athletes. I'm ~185lbs and the trails around here are pretty steep, so if either fork was not torsionally stiff enough I would have noticed/mentioned it. I don't understand how the Lefty or Pike impacted the 29'er experiment since it was done with a totally different fork (X-Fusion). Re. Axle-To-Crown. Definitely sometimes having a shorter axle-to-crown is an advantage. It is one of the features I like about my personal Lefty -- although secondary compared to the fork's stiffness compared to other 100mm 29'er forks (night and day), how well the air system/damper work, and the fact it doesn't creak. In the case of the Jekyll I think I was fairly clear why I preferred the Pike re. geometry? I don't really understand why the global Lefty fan club is so sensitive. Ride what works best for you -- even if you have to hear "hey did you know half your fork is missing?", "that thing must be flexy", and "I don't understand it so it must suck" every time you hit the trail. Really who gives a shit. Anyways, I don't disagree that a long term test on the Lefty itself wouldn't have been interesting. Specifically with a Project 321 steerer and riding it on bikes that aren't Cannondales, and more specifically on bikes where the geometry is such that a 160mm Lefty would be a perfect compliment. It wasn't in the cards this go around. If I had lowered the Pike to the same A-to-C as the Lefty I have no doubt the Jekyll would have ridden better with the Lefty simply because the additional initial compression damping has the Lefty run higher into its sag (so the Geometry feels better). Likewise if there was a 180mm Lefty I'm certain it would have been the perfect compliment to this bike. Maybe that's more on the point you're making? Anyways, thanks again for reading and engaging. I appreciate it!