Last year’s Cannondale Topstone review generated quite the buzz over here, so when Cannondale sent me a Topstone Carbon to review, I was intrigued to see what changed between the lower pricepoint aluminum and this new, fancy carbon model. Turns out, a lot! The biggest being an all-new, BallisTec Carbon, Kingpin suspension system which locks the seat stays together with a thru-axle, allowing for dampening on rough terrain. Read on below for more!

Topstone Ultegra RX

Other additions to the carbon model include what Cannondale is calling a ‘Proportional Response size-specific construction’ which tunes the frame’s geo based on sizing, 650b x 48mm compatibility, internal cable routing, BB30-83 Ai, 142×12 Speed Release thru-axle, flat-mount disc, a removable fender bridge, with multiple gear/bottle mounts, and like the aluminum model, the Topstone Carbon is dropper post compatible.

Right now, the builds are priced out with an ETAP AXS build coming in at $6,500, Ultegra RX at $4,000, an Ultegra RX 2 build coming in at $3,250, and a 105 kit build at $2,700.

We’ve got a full review coming in July, so for now, poke around at Cannondale for more information.