Cannondale Topstone Carbon 2 L – Chalk

Cannondale claim that “Nothing is Impassable” on their new Topstone Carbon.  It’s a bold claim… but we’re inclined to agree.

So, what makes the Topstone Carbon such a gravel munching machine?  At the core of the bike is its frame and Cannondale has brought a raft of updates with the 2022 model but kept all the important details which make the Topstone such a fantastic bike.  One such carry-over is the Kingpin suspension platform.  This simple and elegant feature provides around 10mm of suspension travel at the rear axle and 30mm at the seatpost, for smoothing out rough tracks, without any compromise to efficiency or ride quality.  It achieves this by joining the seat stays to the seat tube with a pivot, which allows them to flex independently.  There are flex zones engineered into the seat post, top tube, chain stays and seat stays, for vertical movement but lateral stiffness and snappy handling.  Essentially, Kingpin provides extra traction and comfort for next to no weight penalty and it will keep on doing that for years, with its super low-maintenance bush bearings.

Updates from the previous model included greater tyre clearance (up to 700x45mm or 27.5×2.1″) and internally routed dropper post compatibility.  A slacker head tube angle with a shorter fork offset delivers stability at speed but keeps handling snappy.  One of the most significant updates is compatibility with Cannondale’s SmartSense lighting system.  SmartSense monitors traffic behind the bike, alerts you to danger and adjusts the integrated front and rear lights according to traffic and light conditions.  It even causes the rear light to flare when breaking!  The lights and sensor are available to purchase separately but they also come as standard on some Topstone models denoted with the “L” or “RLE” suffixes.  For when you want to leave the tarmac and head off the beaten track, there are mount points all over the place for bikepacking essentials.  Triple bottle bolts on the fork allow the attachment of gear cages and double bolts on the toptupe let you attach bolt-on top tube packs, which have more security than their strap-on cousins.

The Topstone Carbon 2 L is spec’d with Vittoria Terreno Dry 700x38c tyres for fast rolling on hardpack surfaces.  A full Shimano GRX 800 series groupset guarantees excellent performance.  The 46/30 FSA chainset in combination with 11-34 cassette gives a super low bottom gear ratio for steep climbs but still has enough range that you’ll only spin out on the fastest descents. The hydraulic disc brakes provide powerful, consistent performance, no matter how wet or muddy it is.  The 2 L also benefits from SmartSense integrated lighting, with bespoke LED units, made by Lezyne, mounted front and rear.

Whether you want a comfortable bikepacking machine for multi-day adventures or a gravel race bike for everything from tarmac to singletrack, the Topstone fits the bill.