zenout

Dont fall for it.....lock out broke and the red plus minus knob up top broke as well....Ill take it into my lbs this week but its out of warranty so i know im screwed.I thought it was the next big thing but ill take a normal rock shock or fox shock any day of the week instead.Stay away from this shock.I wont bore you with the rest.

Daspydyr 

Hang in there and take a wait and see attitude. Canondale has a ton invested in Lefty and will "hopefully' work with you to preserve the reputation. Its been in the field a long time.

Dannihilator

Take a wait and see approach to it.

How often was the fork serviced?
Like all moving parts it needs to be serviced, the lockout could be something as easy as it needs some oil and the top cap is easily replaceable.

Wooden Tiger

No problems with my Lefty fork but I have to admit I question its reliability just because of the design. It's just hard to get over the strange design of it.

As for the performance, I haven't any complaints about it. It's very controlled and responds well.

Sorry you're having problems, but just because you are doesn't make the shock garbage. It's unfair to come out and claim all these shocks are problems just because yours is. Personally, I haven't heard of a lot of issues with the shock or its design. If you think you're going to have some fantastic luck with Fox shocks, I wish you the best of luck. Yes, Fox shocks are very good, but they are also high-maintenance. Personally, I'd go with Rock Shox if you have narrowed down your decision between Fox and Rock Shox.

Also, you have failed to mention as to how often you've maintained your Lefty fork. As for parts just popping off, I'd agree with you that shouldn't be happening.

gunner65

Ive heard a lot of happy people singing the praises. Sorry about your bad run.

Bluechip

Please bore us with the rest. Without the details how can we learn from your experience. Without them it's just a rant.

Wooden Tiger

I'm happy with my Lefty thus far. It works just fine. As for whether it's a great fork, I wouldn't know a great one from a bad one as I'm not a real experienced MTBer. My knowledge of "good forks vs. bad forks" pretty much consists of, "Don't buy a Suntour." My previous MTB (2010 GT Avalanche 1.0) had a Rock Shox Recon while my 2012 Cannondale Flash Alloy 29er 2 uses a Lefty. I'm not sure what the travel is but I think it is a 90mm fork. It's done a fine job thus far.

^ This.

jimc101

The Lefty has been out for 13 years now, and is proven technology, so yours broke, most forks which are used will need work on them, sometimes for components which fail / break, mountain biking breaks stuff, it happens to all manufactures forks, if you don't want the possibility of stuff breaking, don't use it.

Also, you have given no indication of if you have ever had the fork serviced, how much it has been used, or even if you have had it from new, or got it 2nd hand etc.

zenout

It was bought brand new...it was serviced.....It was maintained...But more importantly its junk.Its a gimmick...And cannondale could care less.Its my fault...i saw it and said wow that innovative...Well i now know thats a moronic reason to buy something.There is a reason that 99% of all shocks use a dual shock system..And try getting that shock serviced if your out of town away from your l.b.s........Good luck on that...And did you know you cant trade the shock out for a fox or rock shock?Salesmen should tell me that.But i should have asked ...I guess.

Nakedbabytoes

Bummer, I love mine. And I get a kick out of people that wonder if it is reliable or odd to have a one sided axle fork. Well, pretty much ONLY bikes have wheel axles this way. Most things like cars and tractors and Radio Flyer wagons and strollers and.....all have one sided axle wheels and they do just fine, thank you very much.

Wooden Tiger

Well, it's been around for 13 years so claim it's junk just doesn't hold much weight. Gimmicks don't stick around for 13 years. I'm not saying they're all perfect because they aren't, but just because YOU had problems doesn't make them junk; I'm sure there are plenty of people here who own bikes with Lefty forks and haven't had issues.

As for being unable to put a traditional suspension fork on your bike, I'm not sure who told you it couldn't be done but I'd get a second opinion elsewhere. As for getting it serviced, it's been around for 13 years. Parts are going to be available or unavailable as with any other fork. Do you think that if you owned a traditional fork parts wouldn't have to be ordered?

Bluechip

So it's a rant then. That's fine. Everybody needs to vent sometimes.

And I'm pretty sure you can swap it to a conventional fork. I think it only takes a headset reducer, fork and stem.

Wooden Tiger

A Lefty can be swapped out for a traditional fork. I asked the owner of the LBS here who pretty much does nothing but work on bikes. Prior to buying my Flash I asked him about swapping out the Lefty for a traditional fork and his response was, "Yes, it can be done, but why would you want to?"

All I can say is that if my Lefty fork fails, I'll probably swap to a standard Rock Shox Recon Gold or something. I'm pleased with the way my Lefty fork performs but I just can't overcome the strange design. I guess I just feel more comfortable with a traditional shock; it's one of those things that just "looks" safer.

zenout

You cant switch the shock.....Its a furio 1000 hard tail from canondale of course...Cant just ride into any bike shop with this shock and when you live that reality you realize thats another mistake i made.....i have a great bike with a lousy shock out of warranty that cant handle another shock....And no way im dropping another lefty on.Live and learn..Next time ill go with a shock that everyone can fix or replace.Listen , its my fault.Also , its very easy to blow out the seal when pumping air in the shock as well.yes my fault.

Wooden Tiger

Okay, I've got no clue what a Furio 1000 is but all the Furios I found photos of had some "spring shock" type thing. I didn't see a Furio with a Lefty fork.

So what's the reality? According to the owner of the LBS here the Lefty fork is very easy to rebuild. He said it's all one internal assembly and the fork can be overhauled rather quickly. Again, just because you have a traditional shock doesn't mean a shop is going to have the parts in stock to fix it. I would agree the odds of being able to find parts to a traditional shock on hand are probably better but it's still not guaranteed. Find a shop who sells Cannondale and the odds are they probably do have something for the Lefty.

Also, you're saying the failure of the fork is your own fault, so what are you ranting about? If you screwed it up, that doesn't make the fork garbage, it means you damaged it.

I'm happy with the performance of my Lefty fork thus far but when it comes time to replace it, it's doubtful I'll replace it with another. They're pretty expensive and I feel I can get an equally good fork elsewhere for the same amount of scratch.

Bluechip

Are we talking about a nearly 10yr old bike here? Most Furio's had headshocks but some had lefty's.
https://www.vintagecannondale.com/by-...%20Hard%20Tail

scrublover

Panties, meet wad.

Wooden Tiger

That just sounded...

...never mind.

zenout

10 years?5 years....And why are we going off topic....Many people have had the same issue with the lefty,just google it.Are we arguing?You guys seem more upset them me.I didn't say something bad about your family, i said something bad about a shock.Over react much?Mellow out man..Im just warning people off a product so they dont fall into the same fate as me....Its called looking out for other which in this day and age is met with this nonsense.Imagine if it were your shock,by the looks of things you would have a stroke.Im over it.Not everything in life works out,like a lefty shock.I like canondale bikes,but shock wise never again.Fox or rock shocks from now on and problem is solved.

Daspydyr 

Everyone chill, assumptions were made that weren't right. Its all good, cold beer for everyone over 21! Tom S. is picking up the tab.

Anyone want some nachos?

Seriously, where do you go from here Zen? Fork rebuild? Switch-out to another brand?

Wooden Tiger

I don't wanna play devil's advocate but aren't you overreacting a bit much, too? Aren't you the guy who just posted a big "freak out" about how we should all stay away from Lefty forks like they're the Black Plague? There are a lot of people here who own Cannondales with Lefty forks (present company included) and we've never had issues with them.

I've heard a ton of people scream about Trek frames cracking, Gary Fisher frames cracking, these frames cracking, those frames cracking, these wheels not staying in true, those wheels not staying in true, etc., yet for every person who says they've had a problem, there is a person who hasn't.

Just relax, it's a bicycle part, it's not the Swine Flu.

jimc101

Because you can't be bothered to tell us how old your fork is. Its not of topic, but pretty important info, like any fork, it will evolve and get better over the years.

From the limited info you have supplied, the Furio was produced from 2004-2007 (best info I have found), so a best your fork is 5 years old, possibly 9, either of which is very old in MTB terms.

Wooden Tiger

He also failed to mention how hard he's MTBing. If he's just riding a flat gravel path most of the time then he has every reason to be upset as that's nary a bit of stress on a fork but if he's really pounding the trails, his complaints are, for lack of a better word, obsolete.

I bought my Flash for dual purpose. I spend a lot of time along the C&O Canal which is flat territory with a bump or some light rocks (about as rough as a cobblestone road) with very little MTBing thrown in (not a lot of places nearby). In my case, if my fork failed, I would be burning mad.

zenout

400.00 please!!never again!Boy, was a sucker!Not that they care but ill never buy a thing from them again.Fox shocks here i come the next time i can afford a bike.

jimc101

Why the second thread? thought this has been done thoroughly in the old one?

For Fox, they won't cost any less if you stick to their service schedules, if you want to keep the warranty.