The conclusion in our last Suspension fork comparison test in BIKE 4/21 was clear: models with 120 millimetres of travel could perhaps soon replace 100 millimetre forks in the touring and even race segment of mountain bikes. The 120 mm forks have not only slimmed down considerably over the last few years, they are also significantly stiffer and work better than their short-travel counterparts. The product managers at Cannondale and Manitou seem to have realised this at the same time: over the winter, the US companies worked on the new edition of their classic Lefty and R-Seven models with 120 millimetres of suspension travel and sent us both for testing.
On the scales, Cannondale's Lefty pulls right past Fox's 34 SC and Rockshox's Sid. At 1495 grams, the new Lefty Ocho 120 is the lightest 120 mm fork we had in the lab during our tests for the 2021 season. The new Lefty is also one of the best in terms of braking stiffness, which is extremely important for riding behaviour. The Manitou R-Seven is positioned as the antithesis of the "one-legged" Lefty in terms of its key technical data. It costs significantly less, weighs 180 grams more at 1665 grams and shines as the best of its year, especially in terms of torsional rigidity with a value of 28.2 Nm/degree. The data sheets could hardly be more different, but laboratory values alone do not make a test winner. So it was off to the practical test.
The Cannondale Lefty Ocho 120 vs Manitou R-Seven Pro test duel from BIKE 6/2021 with all the information, overview tables and grades can be found as a PDF in the download area below.
The test costs 1.49 euros. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, hundreds of thousands of euros every year.
We pitted these competitors against Cannondale and Manitou:
