Cannondale  Topstone 1 Alloy Bike

After deciding to take up cycling (did months on my old steel bike) I was referred to Cannondale by friends. Local bike shops who were Cannondale dealers would not build one for me. I went to REI and the staff was awesome and I ordered online and within a week my bike was ready. The bike shop took their time in adjusting the seat, explaining the gears, etc. I even brought in my pedals from my previous bike and they installed them for me. The bike handles excellent, going up hills is incredible and it is also lightweight. Feel that the price was well worth it and am enjoying the ride. I am 5’11” and the Medium bike was a perfect size.

Got this bike after a long wait, but definitely worth it ! My previous bike was a low end hybrid, and this bike is a huge step up. The frame feels well balanced and the wheels roll surprisingly fast. And not to mention the hydraulic brakes are real good. Although I have to stress that because the tires are tubeless ready, they're impossibly difficult to take off the wheel or put it back on without a compressor. So, I'd recommend converting to tubeless, (the rim comes with the tubeless rim tape and valves) to avoid messing with the inner tube every time you have a small puncture. I'm a 5'6.5" and a size small is just right.

This bike has been an absolute blast to ride. Recently converted from MTB to Road/gravel and am not disappointed. It is lightweight yet easy to control without being aggressive, yet stable enough not to create over steering. The stock wheels are a great fit for those who ride on trails that are both paved and loose gravel. They are gripy enough for hard fast downhill turns, while smooth enough to roll quick and freely. Shifting is smooth and the high range cassette gives lots of options for your climbs. So far I have had no issues with the saddle and I have ridden almost every day since pick-up. You will want to add a few extra miles each ride.

I've been riding my older classic steel Italian road bike several times a week but as an aging baby boomer its lowest gear is no longer enough for the longest and steepest climbs I do. In addition many of our back roads are VERY rough and poorly maintained so I was regularly getting beat up on 25mm tires. This bike addresses both of these issues beautifully and the disc brakes are a great improvement also. The top gear is a bit taller than my old bike so fast descents are no problem. Like another reviewer my bike came equipped with foldable Vittoria Terreno tires that are NOT tubeless compatible but being that I'm sticking with tubes for now that can actually be an advantage since they are much easier to mount than tubeless ready tires...though as was said if you want to go tubeless that would require a new set of tires for about $100. I went with a large size frame and the bike fits me well and is very comfortable.

Great gravel bike so far! Its very comfortable with solid components and handles quite well over any terrain. I normally ride a 56 but read that the Topstones run big. After comparing the geometry to a 56, I decided to order a medium which was the absolute right choice. The fit for me is spot on! Super disappointed though that the bike came equipped with Terreno Zero tires and not the WTB Riddlers as advertised. My main issue with this swap is that the Zeros are not tubeless ready while the Ridders are. So, now I have to spend another $100 for tubeless ready tires. I get that supply for components changes but at least swap for another tubeless ready tire rather than a tube only.

I loved this bike right from the start. Something worth noting right up front is that the bike sizes lean toward being large. I'm 6'2" and have purchased XL frames from Cannondale before, but this L frame was just right, and even feels a bit large. There's definitely lots of room for a taller person on my bike. The L size frame is for people 5'11" to 6"4", but I'd guess if you're under 6', you might want to check out the M frame as well. They definitely run a bit large. That being said, this is a great ride. I tend to ride a good mix of gravel and some pavement, usually around 75% gravel and trail, to 25% paved (which is mostly to get out of town to the gravel). This bike handles very well, and has a strong, beefy feel to the ride. I've been on some gravel bikes that feel like road bikes with fatter tires, but this feels a lot more sturdy and perfect for doing what it was designed for. The local country roads around here run from well-maintained to very rough, and this bike handled everything well. It comes with 37mm Riddlers, but I switched it to 40mm WTB Nano tires, and they eat up the road vibration very nicely, while providing plenty of traction on hard, fast turns. Like most Cannondale alloy frames, they're super stiff when you get out of the saddle, and accelerate with a jump. It's trimmed out very well, and it seems made more for adventure than racing, and is set up to carry a load if you desire. This was my first time using the GRX group, and I loved the thick, heavy feel to the shifters, and the clean and crisp shifting of the GRX derailleur group. Overall, I'm really pleased with this bike. It's a winner, and was worth the weight. I was going to get the 105 model, but when I saw Cannondale introduce this GRX-equipped bike for just $200 more, It was a no-brainer. Totally happy customer...

The Topstone 1 Aluminum comes equipped with components that make many of the rivals cry. GRX groupset, carbon fiber fork, and a wide gear range make this bike a pleasure to ride on almost any trail, save for the most demanding technical trails where a true mountain bike with suspension is needed. If you're looking for a true to heart gravel grinder, commuter, or do-it-all bike that gets as close as possible to fulfilling the 1-bike quiver fantasy, then it'd be hard to go wrong with the Topstone line from Cannondale. The only downside, as mentioned by another review, is that the bike came not with the spec'd tubeless-ready WTB Riddlers, but instead came with tires which were not tubeless ready. As the other review also mentioned, it would have been nice to at least have tubless ready tires substituted so that I didn't have to spend another $100-$150 getting what should have been on the bike already. To add insult to injury, REI had the WTB Riddlers in stock, and tried to sell them to me at the time I picked up the bike.

I ordered this bike online, had it delivered to my home and had my local bike shop complete the final assembly for a reasonable price. This bike simply excelled my expectations - it is nicely balanced, has an excellent ride quality for an alloy frame, brakes confidently and is a shear joy to ride on pavement, gravel or rails to trails paths.

I researched for almost a year and am absolutely thrilled that I made the decision on this bike. Sure there are other mid-range bikes out there that you could get but you'll pay a little more for the name and get lesser components. The components are very smooth and quiet in transition; I never miss a beat. The handlebars come with a very spongy grip tape and a perfect out flare for stability when dropped down. The breaks have a perfect pivot point where I can get enough leverage with single finger breaking while on holding the bars up top. I'm not a racer so a full carbon frame and dialing in the least amount of weight I could possibly get isn't a big interest for me. I cross train and ride up to centuries on this bike and it's absolutely perfect for what I need it to do. Plenty of storage opportunities for gear that I could want to add if I were to do a multi day trip. This bike is sleek, fast, light, and stable. I have some 37 WTB on the wheels now and probably have clearance for about 42. The color of the bike is really nice in person, looks even better with some mud and dust on it.

Had it for a short time, only two short rides on it (~20mi each). Mich more cmfortable than the cyclocross bike I was riding previously. Relaxed geometry, but not too relaxed. Shifting is smooth and quick, but I am having to learn the nuance of the trim control since is is a little different than the SRAM setup I had before. Mostly taken on slightly rolling rail trails, but it eats up the vibrations well. Flared handle bars help with varied hand positioning and control in squirrelly patches like muck and slush. Overall very happy,but I've just started riding it. Hoping it last me a long time and I'm counting on the Cannondale name for quality. Sizing does seem to run large, but the chart is accurate. For.other brands I'm a 52cm or M, but the size S was the right choice here.