http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/ Engadget Comments for Cannondale's mind-blowing Simon electronic suspension system hands-on http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 12:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
The lefty's make it up in a huge axel though so some people say it is stiffer than a comparable two stanchion fork (SID, F100). But I guess it's like carbon rims where some people just don't trust them even though many love them. Guess it's just personal preference.]]>Jan 9th 2010 5:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/I completely agree that the lefty is a bit of a wonky design. Its a cool idea, but in practice the fork pulls to the right a lot. It's also really irritating to try to pull off the wheel b/c you have to remove the disk caliper, and adding accessories is a pain (large stanchion, and no right side)

This is another example of cannondale mountain trying to throw technology at problems instead of addressing real bikers needs. Lock-out already works fine. Don't they realize that no one liked ELO (electronic lockout where you controlled Lockout from a switch on your bars). And give up the Jekyll geometry. It bobs like a pogo stick and flexes way too much to accommodate heavy riders (which I have become in recent years).

Cannondale makes some great bikes, but this proprietary parts, newfangled technocrap, and the tried and failed frame geometry has to go before their mountain bikes will live up to the reputation that their road bikes enjoy.]]>Jan 10th 2010 1:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 12:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 12:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 6:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 12:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 12:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/But they forget to add dynamo thing - to charge this suspension when you moving your pedals. So you'll work for your bike - not for pleasure.
(i see a little battery icon on the display)]]>Jan 10th 2010 9:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 12:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/I've actually abused the hell out of my Cannondale Prophet, which has a Lefty-based fork. As far as the ride is concerned, they're surprisingly normal.]]>Jan 9th 2010 1:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Probably more like $10,000.]]>Jan 9th 2010 1:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/$3000 is just scratching the surface of the high end full suspension class, this would go for at least $6000 depending on the rest of the components.]]>Jan 9th 2010 6:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
that's cute. you think engadget still covers MP3 players.

no cell radio, no love.

at most: passing dismissal.]]>Jan 9th 2010 6:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
Sorry, what are you getting at?!

I'm pretty sure they still cover MP3 players just like any other technology blog out there: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/07/samsung-myfit-step-counting-pmp-hands-on/]]>Jan 9th 2010 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 1:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
But I'd still request that electronics stay the heck out of mountain biking. Don't mind them showing up in auxiliary systems (e.g., bar mounted gps) but I'd be scared to death to rely on electronics on a mountain bike. One of the things I find attractive about MTBs is that they are purely mechanical.

As far as the lefty goes...don't worry about the structure of single sided suspension. Ran one of these for a while, including a season of DH riding at Big Bear, it held up quite well. At the time mine was made, it had greater rigidity about all axes than comparable high-end two-sided forks. If you look at the design and think it's an engineering abomination, go take a look at the main landing gear on an F/A-18: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FA-18.engines.RAAF.jpg They're single-sided and hold up quite well to some "significant" impacts.]]>Jan 9th 2010 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 5:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
With the invention of Dura Ace di2 road electronic shifting I can see how mt biking would be the perfect application of electric shifting. You could have a completely sealed system that would shift amazingly in any conditions.

Pair that with the programmable front and rear suspension, add GPS mapping and an ant wireless powermeter in the same head unit on a 2-3 in display and the electronic revolution will arrive.

Think of it, riding in the wilderness, knowing right where you are, how hard you are going, not having to get off and adjust the suspension, and flawless shifting.

Just go out and enjoy the ride.

Some purists will not like adding the electrical component as some road cyclists enjoy the whole mechanical continuity, but I would guess mt bikers would be more open to an electro bike.

Of course it would cost $15k but we can all dream. ]]>Jan 9th 2010 5:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
Definitely not Downhill riders, and especially not free riders. There's simply too much to go wrong with electronic systems when you're pushing your machine to the very limit.]]>Jan 9th 2010 6:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 6:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 9th 2010 8:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
]]>Jan 10th 2010 3:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/That was one of the neater features in the video (did you watch it?) - it can have a stiff suspension, but one that instantly softens to absorb potholes and road issues, then stiffening again automatically after the bump. Effectively, it can absorb shock -- and only shock -- without giving bounce.]]>Jan 11th 2010 5:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
We just spoke about this on our sports tech podcast if anyone is interested. http://thesportscircuit.com]]>Jan 13th 2010 11:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/Jan 14th 2010 6:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/09/cannondales-mind-blowing-simon-electronic-suspension-system-han/
http://www.designnews.com/article/443620-Future_Shock.php
]]>Jan 26th 2010 11:16AM