It feels like not even a week goes by without another gravel bike being launched at the moment. This time, it’s Cannondale‘s turn.
Named after a favorite dirt road section near Cannondale’s global headquarters, apparently the Topstone is “a capable and highly versatile gravel road rig” (we would like it absolutely clear that it is Cannondale describing it as a rig, it’ll always just be a bike to us).
Cannondale says that the Topstone is built for smashing out big miles on the roughest of gravel roads, combining a confident rider position, nimble handling and grippy high-volume tyres – which should make it an ideal weekend tourer, an all-weather commuter, or simply a comfortable all-around road bike.
Living the gravel dream, eh? Fancy some deets about the bike? Well, it uses Cannondale’s SmartForm C2 Alloy for the frame, with a full carbon fork. The frameset offers plenty of clearance for 700c tyres up to 42mm wide (although we’ve heard that it should be possible to squeeze in something a little chunkier).
For a comfortably sporty riding position, the Topstone features similar stack and reach measurements to Cannondale’s endurance road bike, the Synapse. It also has Cannondale’s OutFront Geometry, which pairs a slack head angle with a 55mm fork offset, to deliver a confidence-inspiring combination of high-speed stability and quick-handling agility —perfect for tackling mixed terrain and rough road surfaces.
Add in internal cable routing for a dropper seatpost, mounts for top tube storage, and multiple mounts for carrying three bottles or large frame bags, the Topstone definitely does look ready for adventure.
The new Topstone line-up will feature three budget friendly models, SRAM APEX 1 equipped with a dropper post with 55mm of travel (£1799), Shimano 105 (£1499) and Shimano Sora (£899).
Bikes are available now.
