Cannondale Topstone 3 (2021)

Cannondale Topstone 3

Sporty entry into the world of gravel biking. Gravelbiking has long since established itself as a serious interface between road biking and cross-country mountain biking. With a gravel bike everything is possible: fast training laps on the road, varied tours on gravel and forest trails or bikepacking trips of several days with an adventure factor. What are the characteristics of a gravel bike like the new Cannondale Topstone 3? You sit sporty and comfortable in the saddle, so you can ride longer tours without tiring. 37 mm wide, lightly treaded tires provide off-road grip and dampen vibrations. The seat post also takes over part of the damping work, because with a sloping frame it protrudes relatively far beyond the top tube. The Sora GS entry level group from market leader Shimano offers quick shifting performance with 2 x 9 gears. The disc brakes in this price class are controlled by cables. Tip: An upgrade to hydraulic brakes is possible in principle, but involves an exchange of the shift brake levers. Or take a look at the Topstone 2 model with Shimano GRX 400 group.

Frame construction with a long Cannondale tradition

Cannondale was already one of the first bicycle manufacturers in the nineties to produce frames made of aluminum tubes. So you benefit not only from a long tradition, but above all from the know-how that has been built up over the years. The wall thickness of the tubes changes fluently depending on where stiffness or flexibility is required on the frame. Cannondale is still one of the leading manufacturers of aluminum frames with countless innovations. Even on a beginner's bike like the Topstone 3, you get a superbly crafted frame with many pro features: The special Cannondale OutFront steering geometry ensures agile and razor-sharp steering. Internal cable guides protect against dirt and underline the clean design. The lower frame triangle has three bottle cage positions, one of which is even variable to make room for a frame bag. Additional accessories can be attached to the threaded eyelets on the top tube. Commuters will be happy about threaded eyelets for fenders.

Highlights

• C2 Aluminium frame with carbon fork
• Shimano Sora GS 2 x 9 gears & Promax disc brakes
• FSA 2-fold crank set
• Wheel set with Formula hubs and 12 mm thru axles
• High quality Cannondale parts (cockpit, seat post, saddle)