In the 1990s, my visits to 'Frenchie’s Cycle World' on Long Island were marked by aimless walks around the sales floor, particularly where the mountain bikes were on display. These excursions, usually with my father, were typically for repairs or to buy quintessentially 90s cycling accessories—like a saddle pouch, an 18-inch frame-mounted pump, or fingerless gloves. Among those visits, the image of a bright yellow Cannondale stands out, notable for its fat rubber boot under the head tube—a feature I later learned is called the HeadShok.
Approximately ten years later, I encountered another Cannondale, this one equipped with the distinctive one-legged 'Lefty' fork. I recall thinking skeptically, "What the hell is the matter with Cannondale? So that head tube thing didn’t pan out?" I was unaware at the time that the Lefty shared much of its internal mechanics with the HeadShok and that both remained among the most responsive suspension forks ever made.
