In recent years I’ve been introduced to a new type of biking – the mixed road and cross-country type spins these days called ‘gravel’. These adventures inevitably mean longer hours in the saddle, on new terrain – and raise the question: what’s the ultimate bike for this kind of riding?
First impression of the Topstone is that on the road it’s super-smooth; less harsh than a conventional road bike – which you’d expect, given its 37c WTB Riddler tyres. At the same time, on rougher going, like cycle tracks or over curbs and potholes, it feels much safer. With higher bars and oversized levers, it offers a greater range of riding positions, which is nice to have, especially on longer spins.
For an off-road adventure in snow I took the Topstone to Ticknock, my local forest recreation area. With a rigid fork, but 30mm of rear wheel travel, the obvious approach to bigger obstacles is to lift the front, and it surprised me just how easy this is, thanks to the Topstone’s geometry.
More Give, More Go
Once the chilling wind had got into me, a quick evacuation from Ticknock was the order of the day, and the descent was made much easier by the Topstone’s crazy-strong but responsive hydraulic brakes. They’re more than enough to deal with any hill.
This is a bike more than capable of dealing with any kind of riding – from road to adventure. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is the bike.
The bike is available in-store or online and can be purchased using FlexiFi Finance. For more information about FlexiFi please click HERE
Highlights
- BallisTec carbon frameset with Kingpin suspension
- SRAM Force eTap AXS 12-speed electronic group / Integrated Cannondale App connectivity
- HollowGram SAVE Systembar handlebar / HollowGram 22 Carbon wheelset
By Andrew Bent
