Price: $2,100
Weight: 23lbs
Style: Gravel
Drivetrain: SRAM Apex1
Material: Aluminum
Tire clearance: 42mm
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
Right bike for: Riders who want a highly capable and low-cost drop-bar bike to do it all.
Whether you’re into bike packing, gravel grinding, mixed terrain road riding, or simply commuting by bike, you can’t go wrong with the Cannondale Topstone Apex1. Start with an aluminum frame and a full carbon fork with massive tire clearance, add copious water bottle mounts, rack and fender mounts, and then sprinkle in some wide, plush tires and a dropper post and you’ve got the kind of bike that makes you want to leave work early so you can get outside and play. The SRAM Apex1 drivetrain simplifies gear selection, and with a 40-tooth chain ring and 11-42 11-speed cassette you have good choices at either end of the spectrum. You also get crisp and reliable shifting without paying the premium price tag that comes with top-flight components. Hydraulic disc brakes provide powerful, precise braking under all conditions, and the WTB i23 rims, shod in wide (40mm) WTB Nano TCS tires ride like you’re floating on a cloud and have more than enough bite to handle gnarly gravel and dirt.
Cannondale Topstone Detail Gallery
SRAM Apex1
The SRAM Apex1 drivetrain with 40t chainring and 11-42 cassette gives plenty of gear options.
Internal Cable Routing
Internal routing for cables and brake lines looks clean and protects cables from dirt and grime.
Compact Drop Bars
Compact drop bars have an ergo bend and 16 degree flare for extra control and comfort.
Dropper Seat Post
The Fabric Scoop Radius Sport saddle is perched atop a TranzX 50mm dropper post.
Rack and Fender Mounts
Mounts for front and rear fenders, rear rack, and massive amounts of tire clearance.
Gravel bike with a dropper post
The rock-solid, no-frills aluminum frame has all the features you could want for backcountry and gravel adventures, as well as daily commuting or normal bike rides on varied terrain. Rack and fender mounts make it extremely viable as an all-weather commuter and bike packing machine. Two water bottle mounts in the main triangle, as well as a third under the down tube give ample storage for extra fluid, and the top tube also has mounts for either a 4th bottle cage or a direct mount top tube bag for quick access to food and gear on the fly.
Up to 42mm tire clearance allows you to go even bigger than the stock 40mm WTB Nano TCS tires, and both the tires and the WTB i23 Light rims are tubeless ready. And for adventure riding, you definitely be riding tubeless. The really fun feature on this bike is the TranzX dropper seat post with 50mm of travel. It may raise an eyebrow to see a dropper post on a gravel bike, but a quick dive into some single track, which you can easily tackle thanks to the wide, knobby tires, and you'll love being able to rip through gnarly trails much eas so if pushing the limits of drop-bar bikes is in your wheelhouse, you’ll love having the dropper post.
SRAM Apex1 drivetrain
The SRAM Apex1 11-speed group set makes gear choices simple and the 11-42 cogset is adequate for most terrain, especially on the hillier side. The 40t chainring will leave you wanting more on the fastest downhills, though, as comfortable pedaling tops out around 28 mph in the largest gear.
Cannondale C3 aluminum bars and stem, paired with the full carbon fork, make for a sturdy front end that still takes the edge off the bumps. The compact-drop bars have a slight ergo bend and a 16-degree flare (42cm center to center at the hoods and 50cm center to center at the drops on the size L test bike) for increased stability in the drops.
Topstone family
The Topstone Apex1 sits at the top of the Topstone family. The Topstone 105 ($1,650) may represent the best bargain of the entire lineup because it has the added gear range of a Shimano 105 2x11 speed drivetrain, 105 hydraulic disc brakes, and same tubeless-ready WTB tires and rims as the Topstone Apex1. If you don’t mind missing out on the dropper post and want the extra gearing from the 2X drivetrain, this is a great option.
Next in line is the Topstone Sora, with a Shimano Sora 2 x 9 drivetrain and cable-actuated disc brakes for $1,000. All three models of the Topstone have the same aluminum frame and full carbon fork.
Designed to get rowdy
The Topstone is designed for comfort and stability over the long haul and rough terrain. The long wheel base–my size L test bike is 25.2mm longer than the venerable Salsa Warbird and over 42mm longer than Cannondale’s previous flagship gravel bike, the 650b-wheeled Slate–will inspire confidence riding through loose and rough terrain. The stack height of 610mm is nearly identical to the Warbird (615.8mm). The reach also splits the difference between the Slate and the Warbird. At 394mm, it’s just shorter than the Slate (398mm) but nearly a full centimeter longer than the Warbird (385.8mm).
The Topstone does a nice job of splitting the difference between an aggressive riding position and a more upright one that takes the pressure off your hands, neck and lower back. Riders who prefer a more aggressive position, like I do, can easily put on a longer stem and a short headset cap (it comes with a 2.5cm headset camp) to get into the desired riding position, and riders who prefer a more upright style can easily achieve their desired position without a huge stack of unsightly spacers underneath their stem.
All day fun
Riding the Topstone is like peeling back layers of an onion - just when you think you have a solid grasp on the bike it shows you something else, something subtle, that pulls you in and makes you appreciate it just a little bit more. On pavement the handling is smooth and steady; it's not a quick, nimble bike that begs to dive into the turns but goes where you tell it and inspires confidence with rock-solid tracking in the turns. And because the geometry errs on the aggressive side for gravel bikes, bearing more similarity to Cannondale's Synapse endurance-road bike than a traditional gravel bike, I was able to fit onto the bike in a position that more closely resembles the low and aggressive position I appreciate on a standard road bike, as opposed to the shorter, more upright positions I find myself in on other gravel bikes.
The fat tires, run at lower pressure (35 psi for my 175lbs), eat up all of the bumps and cracks in the road, and together with the slight bounce that comes from the soft tires it gives the impression of floating along on a cloud. It's worth mentioning that, at 23lbs, you're not as light as a cloud and although flat roads and mild inclines aren't an issue, you do become aware of the additional weight when the road tips up. But a day on the Topstone is not a day for speed, rather a day to enjoy the ride, take in the scenery, and go for an adventure - wherever you want to go the bike is capable of taking you there.
Magellan Cyclo 505HC GPS
Garmin Edge 1030
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt
For a commute that involves a mixed bag of terrain and road quality, this bike is a great option. Wide, grippy tires feel great when carrying a heavy bag, and the ability to add fenders is a plus for all-weather commuting.
The beauty in this bike truly is its versatility. You can trim significant weight by changing wheels and tires, and with a larger chain ring you easily have a very capable road bike. Max out the storage capacity and you are ready to head into the back country on a bike packing trip, or simply roll the bike out of the showroom and you're ready to tackle a gravel grinder or your daily commute. Let your imagination and sense of adventure be your guide, and let the Topstone do the rest.
