When the Cannondale Factory Racing Team saddled up for one of the toughest courses on the XC World Cup circuit in Albstadt, Germany this past weekend they had two new aces up their sleeves: the all-new F-Si, the fastest and most capable hardtail Cannondale claims they have 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.
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.
All-new Lefty Ocho
It’s been more than 18 years since the first Lefty suspension fork was unveiled. 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, says Cannondale.
“In order to push performance further with Lefty, we had to start with a clean slate,” said Jeremiah Boobar, Cannondale’s Director of Suspension Technology. “We needed to bring Lefty back to its XC roots, and rethink the entire structure from the crown on down.”
The new single-crown design shaves over 250 grams off the previous Lefty Carbon, making it one of the absolute lightest suspension forks in the world, while still having the best overall stiffness of any ultralight fork.
With its new, three-sided Delta Cage needle-bearing telescope, fewer friction-causing seals and bushings than any other fork, and the supple new Chamber Damper, Ocho is simply the smoothest fork ever made, say Cannondale.
Available in carbon and alloy, Lefty Ocho will accommodate both 27.5 and 29-inch wheels and is available on the new Cannondale F-Si in 5 models.