On steep gravel climbs you’ll really notice the extra traction and power transfer. Hitting gravel is a different story. (L)Learn More More Images. It’s quite firm and there’s very little unwanted movement when grinding up climbs with the fork fully open. I’ve created several loops from my front door that link together bike paths, roads, gravel, and singletrack. Keeping that in mind, you can see how each bike doesn’t have precisely the same travel. The Smartform C2 alloy frame has smooth welds and hydroformed tubes. Even if you opt to run a narrower tire, the additional mud clearance in these frames is a godsend in many situations. Get the latest road bike reviews, news, race results, and much more by signing up for the Roadbikereview Newsletter. Many of this year’s gravel bikes can fit 700 x 50mm tires or true 27.5 x 2.0-2.25 mountain bike tires. Thanks! The Oliver is offered in a version with a carbon chassis with a claimed weight of 1,350g, as well as an alloy version that comes spec’d on more budget-friendly builds. And while Trek says the Checkpoint will take a 700x45mm tire out back, that’s only with the adjustable dropouts set to their longest 440mm chainstay length. And in a nod toward looking fast and going fast, the Topstone boasts an integrated SAVE stem and carbon SAVE handlebar with aero styling and an integrated computer mount. The hidden seatpost binder looks neat, but it isn’t sealed very well and is prone to creaking. It rolls on WTB ST i23 Light wheels with 40mm WTB Nano tyres, and the shallow rim’s generous width expands the tyres to 42mm, which still leaves decent frame clearance — although there’s not room for much more. This helps not just keep weight down, but ensure that steering is a bit more direct and precise. Not every ride or race will call for tires this large, but many do. Like the bottom bracket and seatpost, that issue can be fixed, but I shouldn’t be the one to have to do that, and neither should you. Sure, the creaking can be fixed, but new buyers shouldn’t have to deal with it, either. It’s built around a new single-crown version of the Oliver that takes design cues from Cannondale’s cross-country fork, the Ocho. The Topstone Carbon Lefty 1 is more capable than the rigid version, but more tire clearance would be a great addition. There’s a good reason for the unusual profile, though. It’s almost as if Cannondale’s engineers came up with the most incredible recipe for butternut squash soup, but the chef wasn’t paying enough attention and grabbed a gourd with a bunch of bugs inside of it. The seat tube has a deep cutout on the backside for extra tire clearance. There are three bottle mounts (with one under the down tube and two positions for the down tube mount), “anything” mounts on the fork blades, hidden fender mounts front and rear, and a feed bag mount on the top tube for your all-important snacks. This one-sided slider is light, stiff, and supple when needed without undue movement when the road doesn’t require it. Support is awful. Overall, I came away with a mixed impression of the Topstone Carbon Lefty. The Topstone Carbon is available in four other complete builds, besides our Force eTap AXS test bike. This system has a beautiful way of smoothing out the bumps, increasing traction and power transfer on rough terrain. It’s an incredibly effective system in terms of how well it erases road and trail chatter, but especially for larger and/or heavier riders, or riders that run more saddle setback and have jerkier pedal strokes, IsoSpeed can also be prone to unwanted movement even when the road surface is perfectly smooth. Tricky climbs that I usually clean on other gravel bikes, I cleaned on the Topstone; and likewise, ones that frequently elude me eluded me just the same. It’s quite firm and there’s very little unwanted movement when grinding up climbs with the fork fully open. The front derailleur mount can be removed if you want to run a 1x setup. Topstone’s SmartForm C2 Alloy construction showcases our decades of expertise in aluminum craftsmanship. It’s a bike that can handle any kind of gravel grinder, function as a daily rider, and also work quite well when your ride stays entirely on the straight and narrow. $3K Endurance Bike Shootout: Meet the combatants, Riding the Cannondale Slate: What you need to know, 2016 Lost and Found Gravel Grinder race report. By submitting your comment you agree to our Privacy Policy. The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 1 has a premium build and features the all new Lefty Oliver suspension fork. Measuring at just 415mm, the Topstone’s chainstays are 15-20mm shorter than many of its competitors. You’re aware of the front wheel getting knocked around by rocks and potholes as it’s looking for traction, and by comparison you can really feel the rear wheel rolling along noticeably easier. After a while you get used to the fact that half your suspension fork is missing…. A trail of only 58mm is also much closer to what you might find on a road bike than a heavy-duty gravel bike. Despite this, it went on to claim the men’s victory at the 2016 Dirty Kanza (with a little bit of help from Ted King, of course). In thinking about the times we live in right now, riding close to home is often the best option. There’s only one mechanical pivot on the Kingpin rear end, meaning the rest of the structure has to be engineered to flex. I appreciated this feeling on many of my test rides that linked sections of singletrack with gravel roads. The alloy Oliver has a claimed weight of 1,610g. Thank you for the honest and candid review, and also comparison with another similar bike yet with the same tires & wheels. Attaching a dropper post reportedly limited minimum seat heights. Don’t miss out on MBUK – get your next 3 issues for just £5, Get the next 3 issues of the UK’s number one cycling magazine for just £5, A well-rounded package if you want to head off-road and have some fun, GBP £1,800.00 RRP As a long time Lefty Dale rider I have to agree with David. The wide range SRAM 10-50t cassette does exacerbate this to an extent. The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 1 has a premium build and features the all new Lefty Oliver suspension fork. The Topstone Carbon fills that gap.

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