This was the first pic. Right after I picked her up. Went to Zimmerman parking light right away. What I noticed immediately:
The Spoke Shop nailed the setup. Even the seat was the perfect height. Been a while since a bike shop did that for me. They are good.
Second thing I noticed: It's a girl.
Third thing I noticed: She's freaky fast. Fast fast fast.
After a few rides, I have a more solid impression. Surprisingly, it's not the lightweight, delicate racing machine it seems at first. She's a brawler. This bike rewards and appreciates a burlier, rowdier riding style than it would seem with the XC racing cred.
The stiffness is off the charts. Front, rear, whole bike this thing does not flex laterally. The Lefty is not only a stiff fork, it's the stiffest fork I've ever ridden. Torsional and lateral deflection are almost non existant. It makes sense when you think about it; it is after all a double crown fork for example, a closer relative of a DH fork than a XC fork in that regard. You feel it. It feels great to toss this bike into turns and over burms. It refuses to flex. I found myself barreling into corners sideways on the Back 9 in Billings like a flattrack racer because I was throwing the bike around trying to get her to flex. Even on the paved bike paths of Billings, no go. Stiff like a road bike.
The Lefty is plush. In the open setting, it's supple and responsive. I've always been untrusting of suspension, and ran it at zero sag, using tons of preset. I'm giving the new generation a chance, and we set sag at a normal 25% or so. So the shock is open and in motion if I'm on the bike. Out of the saddle efforts make this disconcerting. There's remarkable bob when doing so. You can toggle into Pedal Mode easily with the push button Rock Shox Lever, which feels and works great.
Other than that, the trust in the Lefty has been rewarded. It's a great fork. Even wide open, it's relatively efficient, and incredibly plush.
Which brings me to the frame. Between the frame and the seatpost, this bike almost feels suspended. Cannondale claims between the two technologies, you get as much as 20 mm travel. It feels it. It's almost deceptive to the point I have to remind myself when starting DH sections that it's a rigid bike, and not to bomb into landings and such.
More soon, but, so far, I'm in love.