Once upon a time, I used to be a card-carrying highway biker with deeply etched tan traces chopping throughout my quads and extra spandex than a ballet recital. One August morning I even hopped on my highway bike in Boulder, Colorado, and cycled 3,893 miles throughout the nation till my skinny tires touched the ocean exterior of Miami just a few months later. But as I neared the ripe ol’ age of 30, I started racking up bike-car altercations. Eventually, the juice wasn’t definitely worth the squeeze anymore. I switched gears to mountain biking.
I blazed via my 30s on fatter tires, appreciating the softness of the dust however lacking the out-the-door ease of highway biking. It wasn’t till I used to be sidelined with knee surgical procedure in 2018 that I first found gravel biking. Arguably probably the most versatile set of wheels on the market, gravel bikes usually appear like highway bikes with drop bars—these lower-and-curled handlebars. They even have wider tires than highway bikes and a broader vary of gears to deal with various terrain. In brief, gravel bikes can deal with a large number of adventures whether or not on forest roads, fireplace roads or off-trail routes. Think of them because the quintessential journey bikes. (Learn extra on how to decide on a gravel bike.)
Still, I wasn’t satisfied {that a} gravel bike may entice me again from the singletrack—till I examined just a few choices from the Cannondale Topstone line.
Cannondale launched the Topstone bike in 2018, however the collection has grown to incorporate 9 fashions. There are 4 Topstone Alloy (1-4) fashions and 5 Topstone Carbon fashions. There’s additionally an electrical model, the Topstone Neo 5 that gives pedal help as much as 28 mph. So cyclists are positive to discover a trip that most closely fits their wants and value level.
Cannondale Topstone Carbon
Higher-end fashions like the brand new Topstone Carbon 2 L are kitted out with the Shimano GRX 800 groupset together with a 2×11 drivetrain and GRX 800 hydraulic brakes, which is the top-of-the-line on this Shimano grouping. Groupsets embrace the drivetrain, shifters and brakes (in any other case often known as the parts), that make your bike go and cease. And “2×11” means two rings within the entrance and 11 within the rear.
The Carbon 2 L additionally comes with SmartSense, a digital system of lights and radar designed to make you extra seen on the highway by altering blink patterns and brightness and even responding when you’re braking. (The rear-facing radar is non-compulsory on this mannequin.)
However, the spotlight of the Carbon 2 L is the Kingpin, an progressive rear suspension that helps take up bumps and vibrations. The Kingpin provides upwards of 30mm of journey with a thru-axle pivot within the seat tube that higher permits the bike’s carbon body to flex like a leaf spring when it encounters tough terrain—and with no actual extra weight.
It’s a hard-charging bike that rides nicely for cyclists hoping to deal with forest roads and fireplace roads with occasional pavement. But for individuals who need much less bike at a decrease price, Cannondale additionally has the Topstone Alloy collection.
Cannondale Topstone 4
I obtained the prospect to check out the Cannondale Topstone 4, probably the most inexpensive bike within the Topstone lineup. Unlike the Topstones within the carbon collection, the alloy bikes don’t have the Kingpin suspension. Did this have an effect on the terrain selections I made? Of course it did, however extra on that beneath.
The Topstone 4 comes with a microSHIFT Advent X groupset with a 1×10 drivetrain. This is a lesser-known and more-affordable groupset than the Shimano GRX used within the carbon bike above, however it introduced me nothing however pleasure. It is the model’s lightest setup, however I primarily appreciated its minimalism. Nothing concerning the Advent X is difficult. Shifting felt dependable and reliable. Sure, it wasn’t as snappy or sharp throughout the gear transitions because the shifting on the higher-end bike. Still, I’d wager that’s a tradeoff that the majority entry-level cyclists are prepared to make.
Alloy bike frames are extremely inflexible, and the SmartForm C2 Alloy body is not any exception. But it’s paired right here with a full carbon entrance fork that dampened the vibrations every time I ventured off-road. That fork was simply sufficient carbon to permit me to cruise up (and down) a 10-mile county highway in my neighborhood with out my entrance enamel rattling. I’ll depend it as a win.
Most riders think about a gravel bike as a result of they wish to get off the pavement, and the Topstone 4 is basically geared up for off-road capabilities. It doesn’t deal with bumpy terrain in addition to its higher-priced counterparts with the Kingpin suspension. But it does include 37mm tires with room to swap out for wider 40mm tires. The body has three mounts for water bottles. And Cannondale constructed the bike so it’s prepared so that you can set up a dropper put up (which lets you rapidly modify your saddle peak with a lever whereas on the bike).
The Topstone 4 is a flexible gravel bike however it’s not excellent. It comes with mechanical disc brakes which is able to all the time lose to hydraulic disc brakes in a head-to-head battle. Not solely are hydraulic brakes extra highly effective, however they provide higher management and weigh lower than mechanical disc brakes. On steeper descents, I did discover a grainier really feel within the brakes and needed to work a bit extra to get the identical efficiency. But once more, this is among the concessions to maintain the value level as little as it’s. Personally, I nonetheless assume the Topstone 4 is a good deal for the value.
Who is the Cannondale Topstone 4 finest for?
I extremely suggest the Topstone 4 for any bike owner who desires to dip their toe into gravel biking. The entry-level value level makes it extra approachable. It additionally comes with sufficient options that make it off-road prepared while you resolve to show from the pavement to the dust. Even in the event you don’t take to the forest, I nonetheless assume the Topstone 4 is a good choose for city commuters or riders searching for a high-quality bike to assist them get exterior and keep lively.
If you’re an skilled bike owner with increased efficiency expectations and/or who plans on tackling burlier terrain, I’d suggest the Topstone Carbon 2 L or the Topstone Carbon 3 L.