Good things come in threes… that’s what they say. And, Cannondale’s third-generation Topstone thinks that is absolutely true. With an all-new frame — all wrapped around their Kingpin micro-suspension — Cannondale is outfitting the new Topstone for epic gravel adventures. Let’s dig into the highlights of the all-new Topstone.
KingPin Suspension (30mm travel)
Want a little more comfort on your next gravel ride? Topstone’s KingPin suspension offers 30mm of bump-smoothing travel to help tame even the most demanding routes. The guts are the same as the previous model, but the all-new frame and layup are further optimized for comfort and responsiveness. As I get older, the idea of micro-suspension seems more and more appealing as the drone of gravel chutter can sap your energy.
Lefty Oliver (40mm travel)
Up front, the Lefty Oliver is available on the Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty AXS and it delivers 40mm travel. The way it’s built, there is no sag, so sprinting and standing efforts are supposed to feel like a rigid fork, but the second it hits a bump, the Lefty comes into its own. The new fork now offers 10mm increased travel as well. Using Kingpin and Lefty, the Topstone can conquer the most challenging gravel tracks while still remaining optimized and efficient.
Tire Clearance (52-56mm)
Optimized tire clearance yields up to 52mm frame and a whopping 56mm fork tire clearance. With the Lefty Oliver, the front tire clearance is reduced to 47mm (bummer), due to the tire height and how it can impact the underside of the steerer tube. Still, it gets the Topstone rigid models inline with what we’re seeing from other adventure gravel bikes.
StashPort and StashBag (At the Ready)
With internal downtube storage, the Topstone Carbon allows riders to keep all the essentials locked-and-loaded within the frame. This ensures everything is at-the-ready and out of harm’s way on the ride.
While the new Cannondale SuperX is only offered in three builds, they are offering the Topstone with 5 available models in the US ranging from $7300 to $3400. The Limited Di2 weighs 19.6 lbs and the Topstone 3 is 22.7 lbs. No, they aren’t ultralight, but the Topstone is meant to take you deeper and farther into the most challenging terrain with a smile on your face and stories to tell.
