Topstone is pure gravel goodness. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty review. That’s not to say that Cannondale is lying, mind you, but rather that any effect simply wasn’t perceptible by me. More give, more go. Topstone Ultegra | Gravel Bikes | Cannondale And as with the Checkpoint, there’s also the issue of disparate ride quality between the front and rear ends. Cannondale offers the Topstone in three different models, all of which share an alloy frame and carbon fork. The Cannondale Topstone Al Ultegra 2020 Gravel Bike is named after a favourite dirt road loop near the Cannondale headquarters in Connecticut. Copyright © Dennis Publishing Limited 2020. To get us a closer look, Cannondale and REI teamed up to send Man Makes Fire a review unit. There’s a necked-down portion of the axle that passes through a similarly-sized slot in the dropout, and there’s no need to remove the axle entirely. With a carbon cyclocross bike in the SuperX that has proven capable of winning the Dirty Kanza 200 gravel race, Cannondale has been a bit slower in releasing a dedicated carbon gravel race bike than many other bike companies.. The dramatically dropped seatstays require the rear brake caliper to be mounted up high, instead of on the chainstays. The stiff carbon fork keeps the rotor from rubbing on the pads in hard corners. But the fact that a mere wash had that effect raised other concerns in my mind regarding sealing in general. In the last year, the amount of all-road models on the market has increased drastically, which is great for the consumer! 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. The ultralight Cannondale Hollowgram hollow bonded aluminum crankarms are fitted with a 46/30T one-piece machined Spidering chainring, which is matched to a Shimano 11-34T cassette. The extended lower range from the 46 tooth large ring meant that I was able to use this comfortably over undulating terrain off road, making for swifter progress than if I’d had to swap to and from the small ring. It uses the brand’s SmartForm welding process, designed to keep the weight down while maintaining the frame’s strength. Similar to the Topstone 105, the Diverge Comp E5 features Shimano’s 2 x 11 105 drivetrain, comfortable geometry, and mounts for racks and fenders. On the flagship Topstone Carbon model I rode at the bike’s debut in Vermont, it wasn’t quite as much of an issue. Speaking of creaks, it was only after I applied a healthy dose of grease and carbon paste to various parts of the internal wedge-type seatpost binder that that area managed to stay quiet. The Ultegra spec is the fanciest alloy Topstone, in a range that starts with the £950 Sora version. That road bike-like feel extends to how the Topstone Carbon behaves under power, too. If you’re looking for a comfortable and quick bike that sits between the all-road and gravel categories, the Topstone is a well-considered package with innovative features. Cannondale Topstone Ultegra Disc Gravel Road Bike 2020. Cable routing is internal through the front triangle, but everything exits at the bottom bracket. The most off-road capable and on-road comfortable bike Cannondale have made, the Cannondale Topstone Ultegra RX 2 delivers an incredible performance everytime. All rights reserved. There are two frame options in the Topstone range: the alloy frameset tested sits below the Topstone Carbon. It was hard to find a disc road bike or all-road that had hydraulic brakes, clearance for 42mm tires, and extra bottle bosses for under $3,000. The entire drivetrain is offset 6mm to the driveside. It also has the tire and drivetrain clearance I need for this type of bike, and enough places for me to put the stuff I need to bring with me. Q-factor is noticeably wider with the 83mm-wide bottom bracket. 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. The front derailleur mount can be removed if you want to run a 1x setup. Cannondale was one of the first manufacturers to jump on the gravel bandwagon a few years ago with the Slate model. 14/05/2020. That’s useful on hillier terrain. However, not everyone is going to be willing to put up with some of its idiosyncrasies in order to get there. Close Home Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. ... For comparison, the Topstone Carbon is 280mm and the Cannondale SuperSix EVO is 271mm on a … This bike is built around a lightweight SmartForm C2 aluminum frame coupled with a full carbon fork. The full tech story on this bike is in our launch coverage post. To remove a wheel, all you have to do is undo the thru-axle enough so that the threads are disengaged, and then drop the wheel out. 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. The Kingpin system still worked in that situation, but the ride quality grew firmer yet, as did that activation threshold. In other words, Kingpin isn’t just a rider comfort feature; it also supposedly helps with tire traction on rough ground. The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX in review In comparison to its competitors, our testers found the Topstone Carbon to be an agile accelerator. Cue the cursing, again. The most off-road capable and on-road comfortable road bike ever made!. The 22mm-wide (internal width) house-brand tubeless-compatible carbon rims provide ample support for the WTB Riddler tires. But there’s a welded mudguard mounting point that protrudes from the left chainstay that would likely collect mud on wintry rides. Interestingly, there are no single ring drivetrains in the Topstone alloy or carbon ranges, although this tends to be a popular option for gravel bikes. That one focuses on the new Lefty-equipped model and fork tech, because the frame itself was launched in summer 2019 and carries over. Cannondale offers the Topstone in three different models, all of which share an alloy frame and carbon fork. Prova della Cannondale Topstone carbon Ultegra RX2 my 2020. Cannondale debuted its new Topstone Carbon gravel bike a little more than two months ago, and the initial impressions were very favorable (if you … Topstone is pure gravel goodness with high-volume tyres, confident rider position and sporty handling, it is ready to smash out big miles on the backroads, explore routes less travelled, or smooth out the chop on your morning commute. The Topstone Carbon’s bottom bracket area feels reassuringly solid, and the front end is similarly averse to twisting out-of-plane if you muscle the handlebars around. A few years ago, the disparity between road bikes, disc road bikes, and all-road bikes was very high. I wouldn’t quite characterize the ride quality up front as harsh — the bike still rides on 37c tires, mind you — but that huge down tube and head tube area flex about as much as you’d expect. Cannondales are often lambasted for exhibiting annoying bottom bracket creaking, and my Topstone Carbon test sample was no different. There’s some special hardware required if you want to run fenders out back, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means. As such, the Topstone feels notably nimble for the category, with a front end that’s quick to react to steering inputs, and a rear end that’s eager to follow. I'm 6'1.5" (187 cm) in height, and according to Cannondale's Topstone sizing chart right in the middle of their "L" sizing bracket (which extends from 5'10"-6'4"). The flared bars allow for a narrow, aero position up top, but more leverage and stability down below. In concept, Kingpin is a lot like Trek’s IsoSpeed system in that it allows the seat tube to flex more over bumps than it otherwise would without some sort of mechanical pivot in place. Cannondale uses its OutFront geometry on the Topstone. A subcompact 46/30 FSA Omega chainset is married to an 11-34 cassette, giving you the sub-1:1 gear ratios that let you spin yourself and any kit you’re carrying up almost any offroad ascent. You can also fit a full mudguard to the rear, although strangely there are no mounting points on the fork legs. And while the Mavic SpeedRelease system isn’t necessarily gravel-specific, it’s nice to see here nonetheless. But with careful route planning, the Cannondale Topstone gravel bike has taken me along some less-used bridlepaths through the Chiltern hills, where I’ve met relatively few walkers, cyclists or horse riders from whom I’ve needed to keep my distance. Cannondale’s Topstone line is made with gravel in mind but built for more. And those nifty 22mm-wide carbon rims? But Cannondale has extensive experience with building compliance into its framesets and the alloy Topstone isn’t lacking in the comfort department. Cannondale was able to work that magic with the drivetrain and tire clearance only by resorting to its asymmetrical Ai concept, which pushes the entire drivetrain outward by 6mm. Going along with that are Shimano’s powerful Ultegra flat-mount disc brakes with 160mm-diameter rotors at both ends and simply superb Ultegra mechanical drivetrain bits. Cannondale nailed it with the 46/30T gearing here. There’s plenty of air in the wide tyres to deal with bumps without bottoming out and to provide a bit of cushioning from the trail, while the OutFront geometry is confidence inspiring over even the trickiest terrain and on steep descents. Cannondale Topstone Apex 1 Review: Expect the Expected. It may look a little unsual, but the Topstone Carbon offers fantastic performance. The Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon Lefty 3 was selected for an Editor’s Choice award in 2020. But come on, Cannondale, can we please figure out a way to put some threads in the bottom bracket already? There are mounts for that, too. Was any of that noticeable on the trail? The Topstone was a good companion for trips through the Chilterns, with the grip and stability to tackle root-infested bridlepaths and off-cambers without fuss. The cables run naked under the bottom bracket too - a potential cause of degraded shifting when they get dirty. Home / Blog / Gear / Cannondale Topstone Apex 1 Review: Expect the Expected. Come va nel suo ambiente naturale: il fuoristrada! Now, if you’re hoping to swap wheelsets between the Topstone Carbon and your current disc-equipped road bike … well, that’s another story. More go ... HollowGram 22 Carbon Wheelset / Integrated Cannondale App connectivity; The front end of the Topstone Carbon feels as stout as appearances would suggest. There are two mounting positions for the down tube bottle. Cannondale’s Topstone 105 is a competitively priced and extremely versatile gravel bike. But Cannondale has learnt from the Slate, with the Topstone boasting much wider clearance; you could fit a limited range of quite narrow tyres to the Slate and I found that it was prone to clogging in muddy conditions. This line offers around 20 bikes in total — aluminum and carbon. There are a few more annoyances I noted on the Topstone Carbon, too, but none of them are specifically related to the asymmetrical frame design. Hot on the heels of Cannondale’s recent announcement of the 2020 Topstone Carbon, it’s time to wrap up the review of the 2019 Topstone 105 we’ve been testing since early-May. There are … Cannondale Topstone Review. Overall, the Shimano Ultegra groupset on this test bike was without fault. Condition: New Model: Topstone Carbon. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty review. For the sake of experimentation, I swapped the stock seatpost for a Thomson Elite aluminum one — known to be one of the stiffest available for a given size — and, as expected, the ride quality turned noticeably more firm. After the eye-catching finish, it’s the nicely tapered 56.1cm top tube that you should focus on next, followed quickly by the array of Allen bolts that dot the frame providing a home for three water bottles and a top tube accessory bag. It’s ideal for beginners and first-timers on the gravel. Cannondale Synapse Review … With a carbon cyclocross bike in the SuperX that has proven capable of winning the Dirty Kanza 200 gravel race, Cannondale has been a bit slower in releasing a dedicated carbon gravel race bike than many other bike companies.. The carbon range starts off with the £2100 Shimano 105 spec and heads up to a £4800 24-speed Sram Force eTap AXS option. Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX. We’ve heard for years that Cannondale was playing catchup in the gravel bike scene, all the way to the release of the 2019 Cannondale Topstone. Fe… The WTB Nano tyres have a fairly continuous tread across their crown, so they’re fast rolling on tarmac, but there’s still plenty of side tread to keep you from spinning the wheels on loose surfaces. The down tube is a massive rectangular thing. A gravel bike with real suspension, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX 2 bike is a machine that's equally capable off-road and comfortable on-road. If you like the Topstone but want improved on-road performance, the Specialized Diverge Comp E5 could be a good match. 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. Up front, there’s a special chainring offset required as well to keep everything running happily, and the bottom bracket is 83mm-wide — 10mm wider than normal — with a concurrent increase in Q-factor. Brand: Cannondale, Product: Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX 2. And how about a more rigorous build protocol for the wheels, eh? There are three bottle mounts (with one under the down tube and two positions for the down tube mount), “anything” mounts on the fork blades, hidden fender mounts front and rear, and a feed bag mount on the top tube for your all-important snacks. The Cannondale Topstone Carbon is a superb all-around carbon gravel bike, but it’s not without a few compromises. With its high-volume tires, confident rider position, and sporty handling, it is ready to smash out big miles on the backroads, explore routes less traveled, or smooth out the chop on your morning commute. Today, fans of dust and dirt can enjoy long gravel roads on aluminum and carbon Cannondale Topstone models. I’d say that the alloy Cannondale Topstone provides a good alternative to the pricier Topstone Carbon range, if you’re looking for a gravel bike that won’t break the bank. Categories Bikes Post navigation. It also boasted a carbon Lefty single leg suspension fork. Also nice is the threaded, external bearing BSA bottom bracket. Cannondale also debuted its new app at the Topstone launch. However, my Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX model is equipped with a more conventional forged aluminum stem and aluminum handlebar, and the difference was more pronounced. “As specced with a SAVE post and under the saddle height and loading conditions in our tests, about 60% of the vertical displacement at the saddle is due to the Kingpin features in the frame,” said Cannondale media relations manager Joe Mackey. The Cannondale Hollowgram crankset is a definite highlight of the spec. In the same category, Trek’s Checkpoint ALR 4 ticks many of the same boxes. Cannondale also debuted its new app at the Topstone launch. The four model options are a Force eTap AXS ($6,500), Ultegra RX ($4,000), Ultegra RX 2 ($3,250), 105 ($2,700) and a Women’s Ultegra RX 2 ($3,250). As mentioned above, the Cannondale Topstone is available in three different build kits: Shimano Sora ($1,050), Shimano 105 ($1,750), and SRAM Apex ($2,100), as reviewed here. Nerd Alert Podcast: It’s time for the 2020 CyclingTippy awards! It’s an easier spec to maintain than a pressfit bearing and should help keep maintenance tasks under control. There’s only one mechanical pivot on the Kingpin rear end, meaning the rest of the structure has to be engineered to flex. Well, they may have seemed impressively resistant to breaking, but they also didn’t seem to want to stay true. 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Dropped seatstays require the rear brake hose and rear ends the unusual profile, though of dust dirt!
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