You in point of fact don’t want full-suspension to trip gravel roads, however the all-new Cannondale Topstone Carbon displays that perhaps a suspension fork and easy rear go back and forth can take your gravel rides additional, quicker, or even be extra amusing. This utterly reshaped 2025 Topstone Carbon options extra go back and forth up entrance with a retuned 40mm Lefty Oliver fork. It revamps the 30mm of Kingpin rear wheel go back and forth to be extra plush for a extra balanced trip. And it will get an enormous spice up in tire clearance to can help you challenge even additional off the crushed observe. Plus, all-new in-frame garage means that you can stash all of the spares and snacks you are going to want for the ones large adventures, and sensible cable routing cleans up area round bikepacking baggage…
2025 Cannondale Topstone Carbon is an all-new gravel motorbike
(Pictures/Cory Benson)
To start with look, the 2025 Cannondale Topstone Carbon seems to be so much like the newest 2022 iteration of the motorbike, when it were given upgraded to 700c wheels. However that perceived similarity is in point of fact most effective for the reason that Lefty fork and Kingpin pivot on the best of the seatstays are so hanging that it’s simple to gloss over the numerous different new main points.
If truth be told, whilst the overall platform and general motorbike structure stay the similar, just about in all places you glance you’ll spot key variations with the brand new motorbike.
So what’s new?
All-new Topstone Carbon body layup and Kingpin rear suspension
Cannondale utterly remodeled the Topstone Carbon body itself, each reshaping its tubes and redesigning the carbon layup for progressed convenience. Particularly, the brand new body’s toptube now tapers much more than earlier than, and the seattube will get a extra pronounced curve to ship extra vertical flex, with out sacrificing out-of-the-saddle lateral stiffness and potency for sprinting.
It nonetheless delivers a claimed 30mm of rear wheel go back and forth between the Kingpin 2.0 pivot and seattube/seatpost flex, with easy low-friction bushings and virtually no use for upkeep. However now the rear finish of the motorbike has a lot more of an opulent really feel to stability the trip with the Lefty up entrance.
A large a part of that used to be redesigning the person carbon layup of every body length to ship the similar plushness to riders of all sizes, particularly vital because the rear go back and forth depends on subject material flex in isn’t adjustable. Cannondale calls this Proportional Reaction Building, and it contains converting body tube sections and subject material layup around the large 6-size vary (47-61cm).
40mm Lefty Oliver gravel suspension fork
Matching the now-plush rear finish, the brand new Topstone Carbon now will get an additional 10mm of entrance wheel go back and forth for many who pick out up the gen 3 Lefty Oliver suspension fork. Nonetheless sliding on its vintage needle bearings, the brand new Lefty Oliver is as supple as ever. And it nonetheless has a 100-hour provider period – 2x so long as most traditional suspension forks. Plus, now it additionally will get an up to date damper music inside of to reinforce steadiness with the longer 40mm of go back and forth and massive 700c wheels since we final gave it a more in-depth glance.
Cannondale describes it as “smoother, faster, and ready to tackle the toughest gravel terrain”. After having ridden it on some loopy rocky tracks, I will stand at the back of that. I feel the one factor preserving me again on a Topstone with this new Lefty is concern of shredding no matter gravel tire I mount onto it.
Actually, the brand new Lefty Oliver v3 additionally has room for relatively larger tires, now as much as 700 x 47mm. Apparently, the limitation isn’t tire width, however quite peak at complete fork compression. So be recommended to not get excited and mount a large XC MTB tire on there simply because it seems to be find it irresistible can have compatibility. However there may be area for relatively larger tires than Cannondale specifications.
Larger Tires All Round
(Picture by way of Dan Zoubek)
Whilst the brand new Lefty can have compatibility about 2mm wider (taller) tires than earlier than, the Topstone Carbon body and its inflexible fork get a miles larger spice up in clearance. The brand new body can now have compatibility 700 x 52mm (2.0″) tires and the inflexible carbon fork can have compatibility a whopping 56mm tire (a 29×2.2″ tire) That’s much more than the 45mm of the former era.
Fashionable Integration
Essentially the most attention-grabbing bit for me here’s the brand new Stash Port garage within the downtube. A primary for any Cannondale motorbike, the brand new Topstone Carbon has a locking door beneath the downtube bottle cage bosses that opens as much as be offering area for spares. Inside of, every body comes with a custom-sized zippered StashBag with room for gear, tubes, and a mini-pump or CO2 inflator.
Cables are actually routed internally for a cleaner cockpit, even if the Lefty assists in keeping its entrance brake line outdoor. Cannondale opted for separate bars & stems with cables hidden however available for cockpit place adjustability. And the body options a typical Acros headset answer with cables that move in the course of the higher bearing to make it paintings with each inflexible and the Lefty suspension fork.
Key Tech Main points
‘Out Front’ steerage with 70.7° head perspective and 55mm of fork offset for a mixture of nimble dealing with and steadiness at velocity
BSA threaded backside bracket
typical 27.2mm spherical seatpost
interior dropper submit routing for many who need it
vintage exterior seatpost binder clamp
standard-dished rear wheel (not more Ai uneven wheels)
large 700c tire clearance: 52mm body, 56mm for the inflexible fork, 47mm for the Lefty Oliver
12x142mm Syntace rear & 12x100mm Syntace entrance (inflexible) thru-ales or vintage Lefty 50 hub
body fender mounts
UDH for common derailleur compatibility
2025 Cannondale Topstone Carbon – Pricing, choices & availability
Cannondale calls the Topstone Carbon “three gravel bikes in one”. Rally, Race, or Roam. That’s just about a do-it-all gravel & path shredder, a gravel race motorbike, or a bikepacking-ready journey motorbike.
Topstone Carbon with Lefty
Essentially the most iconic I feel is the person who I rode. The $6400 / 6900€ off-road-leaning full-suspension Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty AXS, with a SRAM Rival +GX mullet Transmission and carbon Reserve 40/44 GR wheels. It’s the one full-suspension spec of the bunch. That is the motorbike for gravel riders having a look to get a bit of extra rowdy. After which finally end up on tremendous rocky roads and even what the general public would extra describe as mountain motorbike trails.
The opposite motorcycles all get the similar rear finish convenience of the revised Kingpin design. However they go for a brand new inflexible carbon fork that guarantees progressed convenience most commonly from the facility to run an enormous entrance tire and decrease tire pressures. You additionally save round 900g with a inflexible fork vs. the still-light Lefty. Even though the Lefty construct makes up for it with lighter wheels.
Topstone Carbon with inflexible carbon fork
4 inflexible fork Topstone Carbon builds are to be had. They begin at $3400 / 3300€ for the Topstone Carbon 3 GRX with mechanical Shimano GRX 600/800 12sp groupset (1x or 2x) & alloy WTB wheels. The $4000 / 4000€ Topstone Carbon 2 GRX builds improve to a complete GRX 800 12-speed crew. Once more it’s 1x or 2x, plus a nicer alloy bar & carbon seatpost.
The $4300 / 4300€ Topstone Carbon 2 AXS bumps as much as a wi-fi digital 1×12 mullet SRAM Apex + GX T-type Transmission combo.
And the overall $7300 / 7500€ Cannondale Topstone Carbon LTD Di2 is going all in on a Shimano GRX Di2 digital shift 2×12 groupset. Plus, the sunshine Reserve 40/44 GR carbon gravel wheels and fast-rolling 45mm Vittoria Terreno Dry tires.
Pick your favourite setup at your native Cannondale broker, steadily in 1-3 colour schemes relying on spec. They come with: Orange Slice, Smoke Black, Chalk, Deep Teal, Obsidian, Tigershark, Spruce Inexperienced, Jet Black, or Mantis with Caffeine and Quicksand. Cannondale.com
