Cannondale Factory Racing are revealing Cannondale’s latest F-Si hardtail racer equipped with an all-new Lefty Ocho fork at the Albstadt World Cup this weekend.
Lefty Highlights:
Cannondale has announced the new Lefty Ocho today. Ocho is Spanish for eight and some sources claim its also slang for cool or a person carrying a gun. Although a weapon of a completely different sort, holding the new Lefty around the crown, there is some gun-like resemblance. My dodgy Spanish research aside, let’s meet the Lefty Ocho.
- The most obvious change is the new single crown design. Doing away with the double crown arrangement sees Cannondale employ a standard 1-1/8” tapered steerer for greater compatibility.
- The simpler structure reduces the leg length and removes the need for brackets, reducing weight by up to 250 grams.
- Internally the Lefty has also undergone changes. There is a new Chamber damper and Delta Cage needle bearing assembly said to improve suppleness and reliability.
- The previous hydraulic dual fork and shock lockout is replaced with a simpler cable operated system.
- There is also a convenient new brake release mechanism that requires a single turn of a hex key and a push of a button to release the front wheel.
F-Si Highlights:
- Reduced frame weight. The range-topping Hi-MOD frame is said to tip the scales at 900 grams, 80 grams lighter than the previous frame.
- Geometry tweaks. The head angle has been slackened slightly to 69 degrees with shorter 427 mm chainstays and clearance for up to 2.35 inch tyres.
- There is additional compliance in the frame for comfort and handling improvements while maintaining stiffness where needed.
For more information on the new Cannondale F-Si and Lefty Ocho take a look at the press release from Cannondale below.
Press Release:
When the Cannondale Factory Racing Team saddles up for one of the toughest courses on the XC World Cup circuit in Albstadt, Germany this weekend they’ll have two new aces up their sleeves: the all-new F-Si, the fastest and most capable hardtail Cannondale has ever made; and the Lefty Ocho, the smoothest, most advanced ultralight XC fork in the world.
All-New F-Si
Introduced in 2015, the original F-Si was a game changer for XC hardtails. It was the first hardtail designed to really handle the challenging new courses of the World Cup.
For the new F-Si, Cannondale has taken everything that made the original great, like OutFront geometry and the agile Ai rear triangle, and pushed it harder and further than ever. The new F- Si is lighter, smoother, more capable and flat-out faster than any other XC race hardtail out there. It’s the ultimate race machine for the ultimate cross-country fanatic.
Faster on the climbs. At just 900 grams, the F-Si Hi-MOD frame is 80 grams lighter than its predecessor and is the lightest mountain bike frame Cannondale has ever made. Even better, its updated Ai offset drivetrain delivers super-short 427mm chainstays for more
climb-winning traction and agility, and clearance for full 2.35” tires.
Faster on the flats. New race-tuned stiffness retains sprint-winning rigidity, but adds significant compliance throughout the frame for reduced fatigue and better control.
Faster on the descents. An even slacker 69° head angle, combined with Lefty’s special extra- long fork offset, creates a version of Cannondale’s OutFront geometry with even more descent-shredding abilities, while maintaining the nimble quickness needed for top-level XC racing. And of course, leading the way is the unrivalled performance of the new Lefty Ocho.
Packed with so much cross-country goodness, the all-new F-Si is tailor made to feed the needs of the XC obsessed.
The Lefty Ocho
It’s been more than 18 years since the first Lefty suspension fork showed the world what kind of performance was possible if you stopped worrying about what was impossible, and the new Lefty Ocho is poised to do it all over again. The disruptive seventh son of the original XC disruptor, it is not only the world’s first single-crown, single-sided suspension fork; it is the most advanced, smoothest, most precise-handling ultralight XC fork ever made.
The all-new Lefty Ocho is for the XC rider who believes in results. The incredibly smooth suspension action that results from the lowest friction of any fork structure out there. The climb-crushing speed that results from having one of the lightest suspension forks in the world. The line- owning precision that results from having best-in-class overall stiffness, tuned for maximum control. And the confidence that results from knowing you’re on the most advanced, ground-breaking, preconceived-notion-destroying, XC- race-winning fork ever created. They’re the kind of results that result in…well… real results.
The first single-crown, single-sided XC suspension fork in the world saves weight in the most obvious way.
With just one crown and one leg, all material is concentrated where needed for strength and stiffness, making it one of the lightest suspension forks in the world — 250 grams lighter than previous Lefty. Less un-sprung mass than traditional forks for better suspension response. And a tapered steerer for lighter weight and total compatibility. One crown makes a king.
Suspension is movement. The smoother it can move, the better it can do its job. Insulating you from impacts. Floating through the chop. Tracking over the things that would throw you off. Delivering you where you want to go. When it comes to smoothness, Ocho stands alone. Fewer friction-causing bushings and seals than any other fork. The supple new Chamber damper. And the new Delta Cage evolution of Lefty’s revolutionary needle bearing telescope assembly. It all adds up to the smoothest fork ever made. No sticking, no binding, no shuddering or hesitation, no matter how hard you push it. Just pure, smooth action always, for ultimate control.
Lefty Ocho has the best overall stiffness of any lightweight XC fork, which is great. But what separates it from the rest is not so much how stiff it is, but rather how it is stiff. Because stiffness, like so many things, is a double-edged sword: Too flexy and you’ve got a noodle that won’t go where it’s told. Too stiff, or stiff in the wrong places, and it wants to ricochet and bounce, instead of float and flow. Ocho’s unique single-crown design, and triangle-in-triangle telescope, give us unprecedented ability to tailor the stiffness of the fork. For the stiffness to go, and the give to flow.
A deeper look at the details.
- The world’s first single crown, single-sided suspension fork, for singularly impressive performance.
- Normal tapered 1-1/2” to 1-1/8” steerer. Lighter. Simpler. Standard.
- Simple, reliable cable remote lever engages lockout on the fork or fork and rear shock.
- Guide Guard. Simple and Strong. Guiding the brake cable smoothly and quietly in any situation.
- With just one leg, Ocho has way fewer seals, for way less friction, for way smoother action.
- SideCar Air Valve. Easier to access. Reduces rotor contamination.
- Rebound Adjust.
Lefty Ocho Features:
Cable Lockout
Simple, reliable cable remote lever engages lockout on the fork or fork and rear shock.
Chamber Damper
All-new self-bleeding, heat compensating, high flow damper, with external compression and rebound adjust. Smooth, supple, spike-free damping in all conditions.
Triangle- in-Triangle
Ocho’s three-sided needle-bearing interface keeps the inner leg from rotating within the outer leg, for uncanny steering precision.
Delta Cage Needle Bearings
Don’t bind. Roll smoother than ever with the new Delta Cage version of Cannondale’s legendary needle-bearing telescope assembly.
Stop Lock Brake Mount
Self-aligning brake mount removes with just one turn of a 5mm hex and the press of a button. Quicker, simpler wheel removal.
Single Crown Structure
The world’s first single crown, single-sided suspension fork, for singularly impressive performance.
