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Interbike: Cannondale debuts Simon suspension concept

The battery and computer head for Cannondale's Simon system reside neatly within the steerer tube.

  • Cannondale's Simon system involves more wires and electronics than usual but even the prototype setup is still reasonably tidy.
  • Cannondale's new Simon system looks like a standard Lefty but the clever electronic internals are anything but standard.
  • The Simon system incorporates just a few main components.
  • This quick-acting stepper motor is the heart of Simon.
  • The battery and computer head for Cannondale's Simon system reside neatly within the steerer tube.
  • The handlebar-mounted joystick controller is very intuitive to use.
  • An accelerometer at the bottom of the fork detects bump forces.
  • Cannondale says the Simon system is heavier than its standard internals but a complete 130mm-travel fork still only weighs about 1.8kg (4.0lb).
  • Though the damper valve is mechanically very simple, the control software around it is remarkably sophisticated.
  • The main screen allows riders to easily swap between five main customizable program maps.
  • Rebound isn't adjusted with an external knob as usual - instead, it's programmed in through the computer interface.
  • Pedal platform can be tuned with the control valve, too, by setting how much free bleed is allowed at the top of the stroke and how quickly the valve opens with a certain bump force.
  • Travel can be adjusted by shutting off the oil flow at specific points in the travel. Not only can the total travel be set but the ride height can be programmed in as well.
  • Bottom out characteristics can be tuned by timing how the port is closed off towards the end of the travel range.
  • Downhill maps also include an adjustment for high speed compression damping.

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The battery and computer head for Cannondale's Simon system reside neatly within the steerer tube.

© James Huang/BikeRadar.com