Ok this is the start of an archive of helpful fixes and Frequently asked questions that I will build up as and when I find them out

Looking for Cannondales repair/ installation guides? click here

Even better, Check out my Lefty Max 140mm repair guide/walk through on the Howto page

 

 

Cannondale

1) Creaking/ Clicking noises from rear end.

Got a Creaking/ Clicking noise from the frame/ swingarm area of your Cannondale Prophet/ Rush, have you tried all the usual things that may be causing the annoying noise, such as the bottom bracket loose/ worn out, the bolts loose for the front chain rings, Suspension pivot bushes worn out, the Seatpost clamp not tight enough, Seat rail clamps loose? If the answers is Yes and you still have an annoying Creak/ Click then check out the swing arm at the bottom rear (side nearest the tyre) by the pivot, If there is one of the numbers in the table below printed on it you 'May' require a new swingarm. check out this link from Cannondales own tech section for further information and also helpful advice on general noise sources.

This was According the tech note, only on 2005 models But there is also general advice on the tech note for locating/ diagnosing noises on any age Prophet/ Rush or other?

Prophet/ Rush Sources of Noise Tech Notes

Prophet 4X, MX	5DPTSP00
Prophet, Prophet SL	5DPTSJ00
Rush	6DRHSJ00

2) Lefty Max 140 SPV, Top out metallic knock noise.

If you have got a knocking noise as the fork tops out after being compressed, try checking the pressure in the SPV chamber! Chances are that the pressure has dropped over a period of time, 30 PSI is supposed to be the minimum pressure that the chamber can run at but I found that this causes a light metallic top out noise after the fork has compressed and is returning to its full length. I weigh around 11 stone and have the pressure set to approx 50-60 PSI in the SPV chamber and 9 clicks back from fully wound in on the Rebound dial (be VERY cautious not to wind down the Rebound dial too hard when winding it in fully, only light action is req'd to turn the dial and you should stop once resistance is felt, then you should be able to feel light clicks every 8th of a turn or so of the dial) I found that from Min to Max of the rebound dial is approx 14-15 clicks MAX any more in either direction and you will probably have to remove the top cap of the Lefty and unscrew the rebound plastic threaded adjuster then refit the top cap ( here is the Shimano BB hollowtech II tool for the lefty top cap removal). Full Set up and Tech advice for the Lefty MAX 140 can be found by clicking this Cannondale Lefty MAX 140 Owner/Tech note link.

 

Tubeless Tyre Questions

Wondering about Tubeless tyres, whats the deal with them, how much better/ worse are they???????

I have been running tubeless tyres on my Prophet since 2005 and have not had one puncture that I couldn't carry on riding the trail on, one of my tubeless tyres has about 30-40 punctures in it and it takes about 2 days to deflate BUT I just pump it up before the ride and get out there and have a blast! (I did stop once on the Marin Trail to fit a tube because the tyre picked up a severe puncture and I didn't want to keep stopping every 40 mins to re-inflate with a mini pump!)

With proper UST rim such as Mavic 819's (like i have on my Prophet) and proper UST tyres there is no need to use the 'Slime' type sealant in the tyre as the tyre will not go fast if punctured by a thorn or other sharp object. However you can run sealant in the tyre if you want to and it will ensure that the tyre does not go down even with tiny holes in it, BUT I don't bother as I cannot be bothered with all the mess of the sealant, I just check and inflate the tyres if needed with my Track Pump before I set off, it takes a minute Max and costs me nothing!

Think of a Balloon, if you inflate it you stretch the rubber, if you now stick a pin in the balloon the rubber stretches/ rips very fast and lets all the air out very quickly, well an inner tube is the same (apart from the ripping part) BUT a tyre has ply's/cords to give it structural strength to stop the rubber stretching, so even under high pressure the rubber does not stretch quickly and let all the air out, that is why you can just stick another tube in the same tyre and carry on riding! Where UST tyres and Rims come into there own is that the Rims and tyres are made to match each other where the bead contacts the rim and stays firmly in contact with each other and both the rims and tyres are air tight. When an object does puncture the tyres casing, instaed of the tyre stretching letting the air escape quickly, the air just leaks out of the tiny little hole/s over a period of time!

What happens if you do get a puncture? Easy, carry a spare tube! In the unlikely event that you do get a puncture which is severe enough to cause the tyre to deflate over a short period of time, just pop the tyre off the rim on one side only, remove the UST valve and insert a normal inner tube, refit tyre, inflate and off you go!

Can I run the tyres at lower pressures? I do run them slightly lower in pressure during the winter on trails that don't have sharp rocks or big drops but generally I run them at about 35-40 PSI, it depends on the type of tyre, a larger volume tyre will not need as much air pressure in it compared to a smaller/ skinny tyre because the tyre has to be compressed further on a larger volume tyre before it meets the rim. I think the misconception about running tubeless tyres at lower pressures is that people think they don't need to be run at high pressures because the tyres stay on the rims better (this is partly true because Proper UST Tyres and Rims do stay very secure) but I think the real advantage is in rock gardens, with a normal tubed tyre riders tend to over inflate the tyre to avoid getting a 'Snake bite' or pinch flat, which is when the tyre is squashed against the rims and the rim pinches the tube causing it to deflate very quickly leaving two holes next to each other hence the term 'Snake bite' this compromises the rest of the ride because an over inflated tyre does not absorb much of the trail buzz and creates a smaller footprint of tread in contact with the trail! With tubeless the tyres can be inflated to the same pressure as normal without the fear of getting a pinch flat puncture as there is no tube in to get pinched, and the tyres has a much larger footprint of tread in contact with the trail!

Any more questions? drop me an Email and I will 'try' to answer them.

 

Sorry page under construction last update 30/03/2008

I will update soon (ish)

:)