Cannondale Topstone Carbon – calling early adopters

I’m seriously considering a Topstone Carbon, despite what Hambini tells us about the potentially bad BB alignment…

I just read this excellent warts and all review: https://cyclingtips.com/2019/08/cannondale-topstone-carbon-long-term-review-a-superb-ride-a-few-quirks/

Any of you got similar tales of BB creaks, cable rattles and poorly-tensioned wheels? Or has your Topstone been running sweet?

And if not the Topstone, what else at around £2,000 (I would get the 105-equipped model) that’s actually currently available (which rules out the excellent-looking Giant Revolt Advanced 2)?

Thanks.

I got the very model you are looking at only a couple of weeks ago and i can only speak positively about it. However, I would expect nothing less after such a short time. That said, three people I ride with have had theirs for between 3 and 10 months and they haven’t had any of the issue you mention.

As for the wheels, I’m putting my Hope 20Five wheels on it as I like Hope products. I had a pair of Formula hubs on Maddux rims that were shite, however, they were on a low spec Caad8 that I used as a winter bike so probably built to a particular budget.

I did consider the Revolt you mention but it wasn’t in stock at my LBS so that option was taken away. I know of one person who did buy one and his rear hub packed in after about 3 months use. Apparently the hub isn’t covered under the warranty so it was either pay for a repair or buy a new pair of wheels. He opted for the latter.

Thanks @gazza100. Don’t forget to get your 20Fives re-dished! 😉

The shop mechanic took care of that for me already. 👍

I’ve a CAADX so not all the same problems, but some.

BB30 creaks as it wears, whereas a normal BB might accept the slight play and carry on another thousand miles, BB30 just creaks IME. If it creaks with new bearings then you need to use more retaining compound. I’ve got a press because I like having the proper tools for everything, and I reckon I could change bearings quicker than a threaded BB (assuming you did the threaded BB properly and cleaned the threads rather than just screwing a new one in). Another upside is bearings are cheap and bearing quality (price) Vs longevity seems marginal at best.

Asymmetric rear ends just make sense, why “boost” the rear hub when what you really need is clearance on one side? Specialized and Merrida did it (still do?) they just don’t give it an acronym so you don’t spot it until your new wheel doesn’t fit. Cannondale’s OEM wheels have always been a bit rubbish, just seems they’re now making carbon ones to the same un-exacting standards. I’ve a symmetrical rear end on my CAADX and its a PITA to build wheels with decent tension for.

I’ve had my Topstone Carbon RX for a few months now and am loving it. My two riding buddies have the Carbon 105 model too. Really nice bikes. No issues with creaking or BB wearing.

thisisnotaspoon, my Caad8 used to eat bearings and the spindle/ shaft on the crank was heavily marked, presumably due to poor alignment. Didn’t have any issues with my supersix though.

So @thisisnotaspoon, if I buy one, buy this at the same time? 🙂

https://www.parktool.com/product/bottom-bracket-bearing-tool-set-bbt-30-4

Looks a really nice bike, but I’m afraid that, like many others, I won’t buy another BB30 bike because it’s such a terrible standard to use with almost no upsides (apart from a marginal weight saving in a part of the bike that noone really cares about saving weight on). I guess it could be converted to a different standard, but I’d be unlikely to buy a new bike on this basis. Might consider a used one in the future, I guess, when it’s cheap enough and could be justified.

The idea of the asymmetric back end is sound, but unless others are doing it, it’s just another level of incompatibility in the garage that I don’t need. I quite often swap wheels between road and gravel bikes if I need a “one size fits all” ride for a given trip away, so having a bike that needs dedicated wheels doesn’t bring me joy I’m afraid.

Interesting long-term review here:

Cannondale Topstone Carbon long-term review: A superb ride, a few quirks

…which mentions creaks and rattles straight out of the box. Sorry, but in 2020, this ain’t good enough :-/

I’ve been very happy with my topstone aluminium which has none of these issues and rattles your teeth out like a gravel bike should 🙂

@daern that’s the same review that I copied into the original post. But yours came out all fancy.

@rhayter My bad, it was indeed, sorry for that!

It’s a good review, incidentally, and by no means a bad bike. It’s just a shame that the bits where it’s pulled up on are areas where the solutions are clear and well understood. They are also areas were I (and am sure a few others here) have suffered on bikes and, sadly, they are real deal-breakers as creaks and rattles will quite literally ruin a perfectly good bike.

i’ve got the 105 carbon, its been a great bike, bought it on c2w last sept to ride a work madrid to london bike challenge so have done 425 miles over 4 days riding in 5 days.

i ran it with 28mm gp4ks and it kept up with the other riders, especially well on climbs as its so low geared. (2×11 105), topspeed on flat or downhill may be an issue as its only 46t/11t.
i seem to ride it in the top gear the majority of the time on flat and down.

since then went tubeless with the 37mm wtb raddler, they are very weak tyres, had a few punctures, fixed with dynaplugs, my sidewall cracked last week.
offroad its a bit shaky upfront but the back end is great and can power down.

love the flared bars and the 105 kit, brakes are great.

BB is crap i’ve had them on other bikes and as soon as they start creaking i’ll get an fsa glue in adaptor.

wheels have been fine. keep on thinking of upgrading, but the redish sounds a ballache.
i’m not keen on the rear thru axle, i manaaged to strip a few threads on the axle..

i got a large and it feels a big bike, my 56cm spec diverge felt really small riding it this week

You looked at the 2020 GT Grade Carbon Expert?

Another review here: https://theradavist.com/2020/05/rebounding-with-the-2020-cannondale-topstone-and-its-all-carbon-lefty-oliver-fork/

@nre I have, but I can’t stand the looks

@daern I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been chasing a creak that comes and goes on my Yeti for the best part of a year. When it’s silent, it’s the bets bike I’ve ever owned. When it creaks, its the worst.

Another review here: https://theradavist.com/2020/05/rebounding-with-the-2020-cannondale-topstone-and-its-all-carbon-lefty-oliver-fork/

That review seems arsebackwards to me – softtail like flex at the backend of a very rigid bike is a great solution for this sort of bike, and putting the most sophisticated, ugly, hard to service fork in all of mountain biking on the front for 30mm travel is ridiculous IMHO.

BB30 or whatever the current incarnation is does give one pause. I have them on a couple of CAADXs and they are fine and don’t even creak particularly IME, I actually like how easy they are to change as no BB bearing stands up to UK cross racing. But that’s on a relatively cheap, rough and tumble bike – spending bigger on something more refined then you have higher expectations. Wouldn’t put me off the bike if I was in love with it, as it might not be a problem in the first place, and it’s an easy solve with an adapter and different chainset. But it’s certainly a negative and might steer you away if you’re weighing up several bikes.