We tested the new Cannondale Topstone Carbon 2025: the gravel bike that doesn't give up anything

The Cannondale Topstone is one of the most successful gravel bikes on the market thanks to functional solutions that provide comfort and versatility. It has just been renewed, we have been testing it and here we tell you everything about the third generation of this reference gravel bike.

New Canonndal Topstone Carbon 2025: aesthetic refinement with greater capacity and versatility

At first glance, we can see that the new Cannondale Topstone 2025 has been slightly stylized. We do not see a groundbreaking change in its forms, and that is because a bike as successful and proven in performance and reliability does not need major renovations.

The most striking feature of the Topstone remains the Kingpin suspension system, which, without resorting to bearings or complex joints and based mainly on the flexing capacity of carbon, allows a movement of up to 30mm at the saddle level to absorb vibrations.

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Looking at its frame, we see slightly more stylized lines. The top tube flattens a lot at its meeting with the seat tube, to allow the flexion that the Kingpin system seeks, but it does so more progressively, without the abrupt change of the previous version.

The down tube flattens a lot below the Kingpin joint, but also, now it is seen slightly more curved in its path towards the bottom bracket.

But perhaps the most striking thing about the new Topstone has to do with its adaptation to current trends, which has led it to adopt internal wiring and to integrate a storage space in the diagonal tube that Cannondale calls StashPort.

Starting with the wiring, we have to say that it seems very discreet but not overly complicated. The routing is under the stem, through the headset cap and spacers, but in the case of our test model, without involving the handlebar or stem, so maintenance is not overly complicated. The stem, however, has a shape with recesses on its underside that hide the presence of the cable and, if applicable, the cable housing. The aesthetic result is very good and there is no excessive oversizing in the area.

In this new version of the Topstone, the internal wiring also includes the rear part, both the right chainstay (for mechanical derailleur mounting) and the left chainstay, have internal routing. We only see the cables in a hollow and discreet space under the bottom bracket, which greatly facilitates maintenance.
It should be noted that although no Topstone comes standard with a dropper post, it is prepared for it with the necessary routing.

As for the StashPort, it is a solution that we see more and more in different types of bikes, but if there is one where it makes the most sense, it is in an adventurous gravel bike like the Cannondale Topstone.
For the adoption of this storage space, the shape of the diagonal tube has been slightly modified, which although still has four sides, now the top side is slightly wider to make room for the opening. The anchor points for the bottle cage are on the cap itself, and the opening is very sharp and reliable, operated by a lever. In addition, the contact with the frame is through a rubberized area, ensuring tightness and absence of noise.

The bike comes with a specific bag to place in this space called StashBag.

Another important change is the drastic increase in tire clearance, going from a maximum capacity in the frame for a 45mm tire to being able to accommodate up to a 52mm tire. In the case of the rigid fork, we can mount up to a 56mm tire. The Lefty Oliver fork is slightly more limited, although it also increases slightly in its new version to 47mm.

Furthermore, the frame has been aesthetically refined. An example of this is that, although it still has various threaded inserts for attaching bags and accessories, these are countersunk and have a small screw as a cover, so they are visually very discreet.
Also visually striking is the relocation of the rear brake caliper, now on the chainstay, making it much more integrated.

Of course, the rear dropout is compatible with UDH hanger or direct mount derailleur like the Sram GX AXS that our test model is equipped with. It also continues with the threaded bottom bracket and conventional seatpost clamp, whose reliability is guaranteed.

As for the geometry. One of the most important changes has to do with not altering it depending on whether the Lefty Oliver fork is mounted or not, but it is the same geometry in all models.
It must be said that Cannondale remains faithful to the Proportional Response, both for the frame construction and for the geometry, so depending on the sizes, some measurements may vary, such as bottom bracket height or head angle.

As notable changes, we see that the reach has been slightly shortened in search of a more comfortable position. If in the previous version a size 54 had a reach of 38.3mm, that is exactly the reach we find in the size 56 of the new Topstone. The head angle has also been relaxed to 70.7° in almost all sizes.
These are subtle changes but we see that they are aimed at making the Topstone even more comfortable.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty AXS: more comfort, fewer limitations

The model we have been testing is the only version of the Topstone Carbon that comes equipped with the Lefty Oliver fork, therefore, we are talking about a gravel bike that expands its range of use and allows us to venture into a wider range of terrains.

As we mentioned earlier, mounting the Lefty fork does not alter the geometry of the new Topstone. In addition, for the debut of this new range, a new version of the Lefty Oliver with slightly increased travel from 30mm to 40mm is also introduced.

In the assembly of the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty AXS, a Sram Eagle T-Type transmission stands out, combining Rival AXS shifters and Rival cranks with a 40-tooth chainring, with the rest of the Sram GX T-Type transmission and its 10-52 cassette.

In the components, the Cannondale C1 Conceal stem stands out, which, as we mentioned, plays an important role in the aesthetics of the cable integration, although in this case the cable runs outside of it, it is prepared for internal routing if the handlebar allows it.

The handlebar that this model mounts is an Easton EA70, according to specifications, but our test bike came with a Cannondale handlebar.

The Hollowgram SAVE Carbon seatpost is also a key piece and complements the Kingpin system of the Topstone perfectly. On this post, a Fizik Terra Argo x5 saddle is mounted.

But if there is something that stands out in the assembly of our test bike, it is undoubtedly the wheels, with their spectacular Reserve carbon rims with a generous profile of 44mm in the rear and 40mm in the front. These rims also have an internal width of 27mm, which will influence the behavior of the tire.
These rims are mounted on a DT Swiss 370 rear hub and a Lefty 50 front hub, with Sapim flat spokes.
On these rims, WTB Raddler TCS Light tires with a width of 44mm are mounted.

The new Topstone in action

There was a desire to see where the new version of the Cannondale Topstone was evolving.
The first thing that clearly stands out is the aesthetic improvement derived from the integration of the wiring and the cleanliness of the lines that hiding all the threads that the frame has for the various accessories gives it. Now the Topstone has more elegant lines, and the discreet colors of our unit increase that perception.

But, at the same time, the Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty has a certain aggressive and spectacular air given, in equal parts, by its striking Lefty Oliver fork and by those profiled rims that stand out a lot, especially for a gravel bike.

Of course, the Topstone went through our scale ritual and showed a weight of 9.9kg. This is a very good figure for a bike designed to be reliable and versatile above all, and also considering that it has front suspension and the Kingpin system at the rear.

After the necessary position adjustments, we set off with a hunger for kilometers, and a bike like the Cannondale Topstone suggests long and adventurous routes to enjoy it to its fullest.

As always, we will first talk about the position we adopt on the bike. We have to say that our test unit was a size 56 and our normal size is usually a 54. Even so, we felt comfortable from the first moment, and as we mentioned before, the reach has been shortened in the new Topstone.
We had some spacers under the stem, which made us ride quite upright, in a position where we feel we can spend several hours without any problem.

We started rolling alternating asphalt with easy tracks, and that upright position we mentioned allowed us to use the lower position of the handlebar a lot without feeling it forced at all. Moreover, with the flare angle of the gravel handlebar, this position is where we felt most comfortable riding and we used it most of the time.

On the asphalt sections, we can appreciate the excellent energy transmission of the Topstone, without the Kingpin system taking away watts with each pedal stroke.

We can maintain high speeds and, although we do not enjoy the fine rolling of a road tire, we do not notice a great penalty in this regard.
Where we do have a great advantage is on broken or poor quality asphalt sections. In these situations, both the 44mm tires and the Kingpin system and the Lefty Oliver make us literally float over these irregularities and we can continue pedaling maintaining our cruising speed.

The climbs do not weigh us down too much with the Topstone because pedaling standing also faithfully transmits our power to the rear wheel, and in the Lefty Oliver, we have a generous and very easy to operate lockout lever, which makes the fork completely rigid. The comfort of its handlebar allows us to even pedal standing holding low with great comfort (more than on a road bike), so in punctual climbs, we enjoy that position that allows us to make the most of our energy.

The bike that does not give up anything

Being a gravel bike equipped with front suspension fork and rear suspension system, we were also eager to venture into slightly rougher and more complicated terrains to see to what extent it is pleasant to ride like this with the Topstone or if it becomes an unnecessary suffering.

The first thing we have to say is that the Lefty Oliver, until impacts of a certain entity arrive, is not very active. It must be taken into account that it is only 40mm of travel and, although in not too rough surfaces the difference between having it locked or open is noticeable, it does not read the terrain like an MTB fork. But when on the road or track there start to be potholes or bumps of a certain entity, it begins to make a very clear difference and allows us to maintain control and prevents us from punishing our wrists.
In the rear, we already knew the Kingpin system very well, and once again, it has demonstrated its functionality.

The new Topstone equipped with Lefty is a gravel bike that hardly limits us in terms of the terrain we intend to tackle.
In this sense, the fact of mounting a mountain Sram Eagle transmission, with a wide range of gears, is also very favorable, allowing us to face considerable slopes and the simplicity of not having a front derailleur, which is appreciated on rough terrain.

The novelty of the StashPort has also convinced us. In a bike like this, it makes a lot of sense. It is true that we have the possibility of anchoring different types of bags to the frame, but for daily outings, we can have a very useful storage space leaving the bike clean of accessories.

Final conclusions

After our tests with the new Topstone we have fallen in love again with this adventurous gravel concept. It is a pure cycling where it is about enjoying every kilometer and we can improvise our route on the fly because virtually all terrains suit this bike and are enjoyed equally.
And within this gravel concept, the Topstone is one of the bikes that we have enjoyed the most and, in this version with Lefty, it reaches, in our opinion, the highest degree of versatility, behaving remarkably in a wide range of terrains.

For those who are looking for a bike for everything or simply understand gravel as cycling without limitations, the Cannondale Topstone is undoubtedly one of the best candidates.

The new Topstone Carbon range is made up of 6 models, although there are only 5 price levels, as the entry-level model, Carbon 3 GRX, is offered in single or double chainring drivetrain at the same price of 3,299€. The top of the range is the Topstone Carbon LTD Di2 at a price of €7,499. Our test version, the Carbon 1 Lefty AXS, is the second in the range and will be available for €6,899.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty AXS: specifications, weight and price

• Frame: Topstone Carbon, KingPin suspension system
• Fork: Lefty Oliver Carbon, 40mm travel, 55mm offset
• Rear derailleur: Sram GX Eagle T-Type
• Shifters: Sram Rival AXS, 12-speed
• Chain: Sram GX Eagle Transmission
• Crank: Sram Rival DUB Wide, 42T
• Cassette: Sram GX XS-1275, 10-52, T-Type, 12-speed
• Brakes: Sram Rival, 160mm discs
• Hubs: Lefty 50 / DT Swiss 370
• Spokes: Sapim CX-Delta J-bend
• Tires: WTB Raddler TCS Light 700x44c, tubeless ready
• Handlebar: Easton EA70 AX
• Stem: Cannondale C1 Conceal, 31,8 -6º
• Saddle: Fizik Terra Argo X5
• Seatpost: Hologram SAVE Carbon
• Weight: 9.90kg
• Price: 6,899€