By The Takeaway: The new Topstone Carbon has a groundbreaking leaf-spring suspension system that provides 30mm of travel.
- Kingpin Suspension System relies on engineered flex in the frame instead of linkage systems and a shock.
- SRAM Force eTap AXS 2x12-speed drivetrain
- Mounts for three water bottles, a top-tube accessory, fenders, and a front rack
Price: $6,500
Weight: 19.8 lb. (L)
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The Topstone Carbon is a completely revamped version of the aluminum Topstone Apex1 that was introduced last summer—and this one has rear suspension. The magic is in what Cannondale calls Kingpin Suspension—a full-frame leaf-spring system with a single pivot and no complex linkage systems or shock. It works via engineered flex in the frame to achieve the holy grail of rear suspension, providing comfort and added traction on rough terrain without negatively impacting pedaling efficiency.
topstone carbon Topstone Carbon Force eTap AXS
topstone carbon Topstone Carbon Force eTap AXS
This groundbreaking bike is a gravel/all-road bike that’s both smooth and efficient on pavement, while truly excelling on the fun (read: rough) stuff. Carbon Hollowgram rims add to the light and nimble feel of the bike, and the integrated SAVE handlebar and stem combo have slight aero styling more reminiscent of road bikes than gravel bikes. And why not have a little aero help. Those few watts may come in handy after hours of toiling away at Dirty Kanza.
A 2x drivetrain, courtesy of SRAM’s Force eTap AXS groupset, is a very welcome addition. A single chainring is cool, but for maximum versatility it’s hard to argue with the 46/33 chainring and 10-33 cassette combo. Get yourself a 27.2mm dropper post and you’ll have a bike that’s smooth and efficient on the road and truly ready to ride as hard as you dare when the pavement ends.
Cannondale App
This sensor pairs to smartphones and computers via ANT+ and Bluetooth.
2 x 12 Drivetrain
SRAM Force eTap AXS gives riders a great range of gears for most terrain.
30mm of Travel
Kingpin suspension gives riders 30mm of travel with no linkage or shock.
Integrated Handlebar
The carbon Save handlebar and alloy stem add aero flair to this gravel bike.
Eyelet Mounts
Fork mounts are drilled completely through the fork for more mounting options.
This Gravel Bike Has 30mm of Travel
Building on the popularity of the Topstone that Cannondale introduced last summer, this new Topstone Carbon turns it up to 11 with a lightweight carbon frame and a groundbreaking leaf-spring suspension system that offers 30mm of travel at the saddle. Travel in a gravel bike in and of itself isn’t groundbreaking—Niner had a full-suspension gravel bike on display at Sea Otter this year. What makes this one unique it that it has no shock or linkage system. It utilizes a single pivot and relies on engineered flex in the frame for the travel. With the seatstays attaching so low on the seat tube, the seat tube acts as a giant leaf spring, says Sam Ebert from the Cannondale Product Team. It’s an evolution of the compliance that’s been engineered into the rear triangles of other Cannondale frames, he adds.
When we talk about the travel, in this case it’s important to note where that travel is being measured. The Topstone boasts 30mm of travel at the saddle, 25% of which comes from the axle says Ebert. We don’t have exact numbers because each frame is slightly different, as each size has a drastically different design in order to create the same riding experience across the full range of sizes. In fact, the smaller sizes, besides having a different layup schedule than the larger bikes, even have noticeably different shaped tubes. Keeping that in mind, you can see how each bike doesn’t have precisely the same travel.
Soft in The Saddle, Solid When Standing
The most incredible part of this suspension system is the way it’s far less active when you’re out of the saddle, roughly 70 percent less travel than when you’re seated. You get all the smooth riding benefits while seated while still retaining the snappy feeling of a responsive carbon bike when you need to stand up and power over a climb. To the casual observer, you may not even notice there is any travel at all while out of the saddle. But it’s just enough to take the edge off.
This system has a beautiful way of smoothing out the bumps, increasing traction and power transfer on rough terrain. It’s noticeable right away when you hit the dirt, but is most apparent when trying to haul your ass up a gravel climb in the saddle. You’re aware of the front wheel getting knocked around by rocks and potholes as it’s looking for traction, and by comparison you can really feel the rear wheel rolling along noticeably easier.
Mounts for Everything and Dropper Compatible
Since this is a gravel bike, it packs a lot of the features that have become standard fare on gravel bikes—mounts for three bottles on the main triangle, a top-tube accessory mount, front and rear fender mounts, as well as a mount for a front pannier rack. It’s also worth mentioning that this frame is compatible with 27.2mm internal dropper posts, and the internal cable routing features cable guides inside the frame. No longer will changing cables mean fishing them into the cavernous abyss of the frame and hoping they come out where they are supposed to on the other end.
SRAM Force eTap AXS
The Topstone Carbon Force eTap AXS that’s the subject of this review is outfitted with, predictably, SRAM’s Force eTap AXS 2x12-speed drivetrain. Countering the trend of high-end gravel bikes featuring 1x drivetrains, this bike (and the rest of the Topstone Carbon family) is refreshingly outfitted with two chainrings. Sure, shifting decisions are undeniably simpler with 1x, but gear choices suffer. For a bike that’s intended to be as good on the road as it is on gravel, the expanded range of a 2x drivetrain, as well as the smaller gaps between gears that come with the 10-33 cassette, are a clear winner. And paired with 46/33 chain rings you’ve got just about everything that you could want in terms of gear choices.
Sizes: XS–XL
Style: Gravel/all-road
Material: Carbon
Travel: 30mm
Drivetrain: SRAM Force eTap AXS
Chainrings: 46/33
Cassette: 10-33
Handlebar: SAVE Carbon bar with integrated computer mount
Stem: SAVE alloy
Saddle: Fabric
Wheels: Hollowgram HG22 carbon clincher
Tires: 37mm WTB Riddler
Wheel Size: 700c
Tire clearance: 700cx40mm or 650bx48mm
The bike rolls on carbon Hollowgram clincher rims shod in 37mm WTB Riddler rubber. And in a nod toward looking fast and going fast, the Topstone boasts an integrated SAVE stem and carbon SAVE handlebar with aero styling and an integrated computer mount. Look fast, feel fast, go fast, right?
Topstone Carbon Family
The Topstone Carbon is available in four other complete builds, besides our Force eTap AXS test bike. For $4,000 you can get rolling on the Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX, featuring Shimano’s new gravel-specific groupset. Also boasting the new Shimano gravel groupset is the Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX 2, offered in a men’s and women’s version (women’s version available in XS, S, M) for $3,250. The Topstone Carbon 105 is the lowest-priced model in the line, at $2,700.
Road Bike Feels With Hardcore Gravel Chops
One of the remarkable things about the Topstone is how Cannondale managed to create a bike that’s efficient on rough gravel yet also lively and responsive on pavement. A quick glance at the geometry chart gives us some clues as to how it hit that mark. The first thing that jumps out is 415mm chainstays, which on their own are noteworthy on a gravel bike, where 420-440mm are more typical, but factor in the rear suspension and you do have something remarkable. Keeping that rear wheel tucked up close underneath the rider goes a long way toward creating that nimble and agile feel we expect from road bikes.
A trail of only 58mm is also much closer to what you might find on a road bike than a heavy-duty gravel bike. But that’s part of what makes this bike, that’s such a pleasure to ride on the rough stuff, also very pleasant on normal pavement.
Stack and reach measurements, through the range of sizes, match the Synapse and are very middle-of-the-road for gravel bikes. The stack of 610mm and 394mm reach on my size L test bike offer riders a wide range of fit options. Riders who prefer a more aggressive fit can certainly achieve that, and those who like to be a little more upright can get the handlebar position they desire without having to resort to using loads of spacers under the stem. Cannondale ships the bike with a 25mm top cap, and hidden under that cap is a flat cap for riders who feel the need to slam that stem.
One Gravel Bike To Do It All
Bike manufacturers so often assert their gravel bikes are “fast on pavement” and “versatile and capable off-road” that those phrases are beginning to lose their meaning. Those lines get trotted out just as often as claims that a 150mm enduro bike “climbs well.” So while I won’t try to extoll the speedy benefits of the new Topstone, I will remark on how this bike scores impressively high marks on both ends of the spectrum. On the roughest gravel roads and farm trails, you can feel the Kingpin Suspension System working its magic. On steep gravel climbs you’ll really notice the extra traction and power transfer. Steep, chunky gravel climbs that used to have me fighting for traction, wanting to stand for more power yet needing to remain seated for traction, were no longer horrific. Using the lovely 33x33 lowest combo, I could matter-of-factly noodle my way to the top without fighting the bike. Flat gravel roads felt fast, riding on pavement didn’t feel like a drag, and the bike felt sharp and crisp when standing to power over short hills.
A lot of gravel bikes right now, although truly versatile, still have major shortcomings at either the rugged end or the paved end of the riding spectrum. Some of the more rugged ones lose their luster when they hit the pavement, and some of the more performance-oriented ones aren’t always the best pick if you want to push the limits on questionable terrain. The Topstone Carbon fills that gap. It’s a bike that can handle any kind of gravel grinder, function as a daily rider, and also work quite well when your ride stays entirely on the straight and narrow.
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