As you can see, this build comes with the recognizable Lefty Oliver fork that offers 30 mm of travel. That amount of clearance won’t suit more adventure-minded riders who are looking to go really big, but it’s clear from the geometry that that’s not the crowd Cannondale was going for here. Gravel is what Cannondale primarily designed the Topstone Carbon for, though, and the frameset is appropriately equipped with a plethora of accessory mounts that lend the chassis ample versatility. Ultimately, your budget and overall requirements should help you make the right pick. Which is to say, this bike will have its audience, and it’s probably more niche than a typical gravel bike. It is more likely that dirt and grit is getting in between the metal parts from the outside and causing the noise. At 40 lbs, Topstone Neo Carbon 3 Lefty is also decently light for an e-bike, so don’t hesitate to get it if you want to smash gravel courses and get some assistance while doing it. What makes Topstone so versatile and appealing to different groups of cyclists is its balanced riding position. The 650b x 47 mm wide WTB Venture / Byway tires are sufficiently wide to give you all the traction and grip you need when you decide to go fast in the corners. Collet-style hardware in the pivot helps keep this area from creaking. If you want to get the best Cannondale has to offer in the Topstone series, then you don’t have to look past the Lefty 1 model. Level 2 expert It has thirty millimetres of bumpsmoothening suspension… I f you want to be faster than your friends without hurting your ass, this might be the perfect bike for you. Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 2021 - A Carbon Gravel Bike that offers more give and more go. But before you write off Cannondale’s engineers as crazy for going with something that quick, it’s important to note that that quoted figure is a theoretical number when the bike is fitted with road tires. It also takes advantage of the inherent ride quality advantages of dropped seatstays, so in some ways, it’s almost as if Cannondale took the best parts of IsoSpeed and merely improved on it. Bicycle Guider is a registered trademark. Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 3 Lefty is a gravel, carbon, full-suspension, electric bike. Topstone is Cannondale’s newest attempt to do that. You can abuse it on explosive gravel race events or go on a long and steady bikepacking adventure. The front derailleur mount can be removed if you want to run a 1x setup. This model is characterized by a 1×11 Shimano GRX 800 groupset, which is Shimano’s gravel-specific groupset. The Carbon 105 model does not surprise when it comes to the wheels and tires, so you’ll be rolling on WTB ST i23 rims and WTB Riddler 700x37mm tires. If you plan to use this bike for bikepacking adventures, you’ll love the rich combination of fork and frame mounts. When paired with the Cannondale app, it records your rides without needing a dedicated GPS head unit, and can also provide maintenance reminders. Topstone Carbon Lefty comes with 650 x 47c tires for even more off-road ability and on-road comfort. Aero, schmero. I’ve outlined some tips on how to choose and what to buy on my website. Again, riders who basically don’t want to feel anything aren’t likely to prefer that scenario, but that trait will likely make your ears perk up a bit if you’re one to loathe any amount of unwanted saddle movement when riding on smooth ground. The entire drivetrain is offset 6mm to the driveside. Get it if you want to race, train, commute, and travel. There always is one, after all, and the Topstone Carbon is no different. Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 2 is a fantastic bike for riders who plan to tackle hardpacked gravel and paved roads on a fast and capable Class 3 e-bike. For $4,000 you can get rolling on the Topstone Carbon … Well, they may have seemed impressively resistant to breaking, but they also didn’t seem to want to stay true. Gravel-sized tires bring that number up to 62mm, which is still plenty quick for a gravel bike, and more inline with Cervelo’s new Aspero. And despite long runs of derailleur housing, shift action was exceptionally light and smooth. It handles the way I prefer my gravel bikes to handle, offers a comfortable and composed ride without ever feeling too squishy, and it generally behaves like a proper road bike in all the ways I want it to. We’re sure female riders will love it. 2021 Cannondale Topstone 4 : ALP : X-Small quantity. From there, the rear brake hose and rear derailleur housing is zip-tied to the chainstays. The Cannondale Topstone Lefty 3 draws from the best ideas in Cannondale’s history. Yet, Topstone is not too much of anything, which means it’s a well-rounded machine that can still feel racy on the tarmac if you fit it with narrow tires and go in an aero position. But, if this women-specific model is not available, don’t hesitate to get the men’s model — the differences are minimal. The chainstays are quite flat, but also very broad. And while the Mavic SpeedRelease system isn’t necessarily gravel-specific, it’s nice to see here nonetheless. Of course, nobody is perfect, so Topstone does come with some quirks that might bug you more or less, depending on your priorities. What Does 2021 Bring for the Cycling Industry. It is an unprecedented gravel bike with unique suspension. Women’s and men’s models are sized completely the same, so don’t hesitate to get one or the other if you like the appearance and the overall build. I also work with other riders, teaching them how to get better on trickier, technical trails. This bike costs A LOT, but it comes with a SRAM Force / X01 Eagle eTap AXS HRD 12-speed group to justify the price. Tire clearance is very good, but perhaps not incredible depending on how adventurous you want to be. It’s a versatile bike that rips both on and off the beaten path and excels in numerous areas such as geometry, shifting, braking, and suspension. For more than two months, we’ve been testing a top-spec Topstone Carbon Force eTap AXS, riding enough miles on it to nearly wear out the rear tire. And how about a more rigorous build protocol for the wheels, eh? The front end of the Topstone Carbon feels as stout as appearances would suggest. The Shimano Ultegra RX groupset will outfit you with 22 gears ideal for long climbs and fast flats. Cannondale Topstone Carbon – In Review. All Topstone models are very stable on rough gravel roads thanks to Cannondale’s handlebars with a 16-degree flare drop. It’s the most expensive carbon model without the Lefty Oliver fork. Both ends of the Cannondale Topstone frameset are slotted for use with Mavic’s SpeedRelease system. All in all, if you need a bike for rough and loose gravel roads that’s ready to race and complete centuries, Lefty 3 is a safe choice. 2021 Cannondale Topstone 4; 2021 Cannondale Topstone 4 . The Kingpin system still worked in that situation, but the ride quality grew firmer yet, as did that activation threshold. It gives you the same gearing range as you’d get on Lefty 1. Are you a lady looking for a highly-capable gravel bike for racing, commuting, or bikepacking? First of all, the pricing is reasonable and the price range will fit the budget of most riders out there, starting at just $1,250 and reaching $7,500. See all Cannondale Topstone Models on REI. Cue the cursing, again. But the fact that a mere wash had that effect raised other concerns in my mind regarding sealing in general. There’s a good reason for the unusual profile, though. The Brand-New Co-op Cycles Electric CTY Series Is Here, Best Bike Lights for 2020 (Rear, Front & Helmet). We are big fans of the relaxed geometry, but this is not the best choice for race-oriented gravel grinders. Cannondale Topstone carbon 2019 after the launch of the 2020 Lefty variant for many may seem like a bike that is no longer that attractive. It’s an incredibly effective system in terms of how well it erases road and trail chatter, but especially for larger and/or heavier riders, or riders that run more saddle setback and have jerkier pedal strokes, IsoSpeed can also be prone to unwanted movement even when the road surface is perfectly smooth. Home / Gravel Road Bikes / Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 2021 Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 2021 £ 2,799.99. Otherwise, check out some of the other best gravel bikes we wrote about to find your perfect match. Add to compare. $125.00 / month (12 months, 0.00% annual interest) Brand: CANNONDALE; Model: 2021 Topstone 4; Choose one of the following variants: Size. The brake rotors are borrowed from Shimano’s 105 groupset and lack the cooling fins of the Ultegra bits. Still, theoretically, you could expect a longer range due to the lower overall weight of the bike. It’s part of the Topstone Kit as well. After riding it for the last few weeks – about 100 miles – I’ve grown progressively fond of its versatility. Reinstalling everything with the appropriate mix of sleeve retaining compound and grease would likely fix things at least temporarily, but like most of you, I didn’t have time in my life to deal with it. The brakes are also Force eTap AXS — only the best of the best. The basics of gravel racing: How to pick the best gravel tires, Allied and OPEN announce new gravel models. … Cannondale Topstone Neo - In-Depth Review. The newer, adjustable version of IsoSpeed largely addresses all of that, but at least for now, the Checkpoint is still outfitted with the standard non-adjustable design. Definitely get it if you want a solid and modern gravel bike equipped with quality SRAM and Shimano components, that comes with Cannondale’s guarantee of quality. I personally find the IsoSpeed system on the Checkpoint to be more, well, isolating in how well it levels off the ground beneath you, but that’s not necessarily a positive depending on your preferences. Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 Gravel Bike 2021 For riders who enjoy nothing more than spending long days in the saddle, seeking out new routes unbound to the limits of tarmac, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 Gravel Bike is a superb companion. Cannondale began their journey into the gravel grinding world with the revolutionary Slate model. The Competition. This is one of the most capable models of the Carbon series, sporting a race-ready Shimano Ultegra RX groupset, better rims, and more powerful brakes than the 105 model. More Go. It’s evident that the looks are different since the women’s model is painted in an agave green color that looks pretty cool. It could be, though, if you swap the tires for a less-aggressive pair. Now, if you’re hoping to swap wheelsets between the Topstone Carbon and your current disc-equipped road bike … well, that’s another story. Enquire. The formula matters, but so does the execution. The electric components and completely the same. The bikes are all of relatively high quality and have the prices to match, starting at … But, this bike is objectively all you could ask for if you want to get some pedaling assistance on your gravel adventures. 2021 Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 1. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX ride impressions On longer rides, the Topstone showed its mettle on the tarmac, it’s a bike that feels fast, … The slacker head tube angle gives you more stability on rough terrain, which translates to a confident ride even on gnarly roads. Turns out, I was wrong, there are actually many excellent bikes on the market. So far it seems to be a successful one. Both aluminum and carbon Topstone models let you carry all the gear you need and don’t need. Cannondale doesn’t point this out explicitly, but the seatpost certainly contributes a lot to the Topstone Carbon’s comfortable ride. Page 1 of 2Topstone Carbon – Cannondale’s all new gravel bike review. You can legitimately see the seat tube flexing when you push down on the saddle of the Topstone Carbon, but you can also see the seatpost independently flexing rearward a lot, too. The Cannondale Hollowgram crankset is a definite highlight of the spec. This model is more expensive than the previous one, but it also lighter, faster, and better-equipped. Of course, the frame is made from lightweight and stiff carbon with the 30 mm Kingpin rear suspension and the 30 mm Lefty Oliver fork on the front. Finally, the brakes are SRAM Centerline combined with SRAM Force AXS levers, which is a match that will give you uncompromising braking power. Cannondale’s Topstone 105 is a competitively priced and extremely versatile gravel bike.In the same category, Trek’s Checkpoint ALR 4 ticks many of the same boxes. There is nothing about cycling that I don’t like! The rear hub spacing is the same 142mm as usual, but both dropouts are shifted over to the driveside, and the rim has to be specially dished to keep it in the centerline of the bike. 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