Today Cannondale announces a new 2025 Cannondale Topstone Carbon with the updates we all wanted. Although the bike has changed and morphed from the Cannondale Slate that, arguably, started it all, it just keeps getting better. For this rendition Cannondale is offering more of the good and less of the weird.
Our collection of bike reviews range from the common to the eclectic and Cannondale has often floated from one side to the other. This generation looks like it’s going to be easy to understand and that’s a good thing.
No more Ai dished rear wheel
This little detail is not what Cannondale wants to focus on. The detail is buried at the back of the press release and the brand is quick to remind everyone that “this is now the 2nd generation of Topstone Carbon designed without Ai.” Despite that, it’s worth putting this front and center because it sets the tone for the 2025 Cannondale Topstone Carbon.
Ai dishing was a clever engineering solution to a problem. It solved narrow chainline issues without sacrificing chainstay length but real life isn’t the same as engineering. In real life, Ai dishing was difficult to live with. It’s now gone and it’s a sign of the simplification that pervades the new design. There’s also no mention of SmartSense lighting.
Suspension sticks around
Simplification of the new model doesn’t mean a lack of capability. Suspension continues to be a defining characteristic of the Cannondale Topstone.
At the rear of the bike there’s the KingPin system. This isn’t changed for the new bike but as before “a thru-axle pivot in the seat tube allows the rear triangle and seatpost of the bike to flex vertically, delivering up to 30mm of bump-smoothing travel.”
Then, at the front, there’s still the option of a Lefty Oliver suspension fork. This time there is a change. The most obvious piece of that is the move from 30mm to 40mm of travel but Cannondale also claims a damper upgrade. Along with those changes, what’s new is a major simplification in the geometry.
Unbeknownst to most people, the previous version of the Topstone had two different geometries depending on the model. Instead of using a suspension corrected design then swapping the Lefty in or out, the two models differed. Although I’m sure this was rarely an issue for people, it still seemed unnecessarily complex. Seems Cannondale agrees.
The new version of the bike moves to one unified geometry. The new geometry is largely, though not exactly, a copy and paste from the Lefty suspension models but with a lower bottom bracket. According to Cannondale that’s because the previous model had “the right steering geo on the Lefty bike, but the BB would end up a bit higher compared to the rigid-fork setup. Now the geo is unified around exactly what we intended for a Topstone Carbon, with any fork.”
New sizing for the Cannondale Topstone Carbon
Along with the updated geometry, there’s new sizing. While previous Topstone Carbon models went with t-shirt sizing, the new bike comes inline with much of the rest of the Cannondale portfolio. That means a move from five options XS through XL to six options starting at 47 cm and topping out at 61 cm. Cannondale Proportional Response should also keep the feel of the bike consistent through those sizes with “size-specific construction.”
Tire size is up, there’s no Delta steerer in sight, and there’s frame storage
Sticking with the theme of simplicity, there’s no triangle shaped Delta Steerer. Partly this is possible because of the larger headtube compared to bikes like the SuperX and SuperSix but according to Cannondale, this is also due to the Lefty Oliver. It’s a rare sight but it’s not impossible to purchase an Oliver on its own and add it to any suspension corrected frame. That means a round steerer.
Despite the lack of the Delta Steerer, there’s still through the headset cable routing. In this case Cannondale uses a Acros IS52 ICR headset to facilitate that.
At the rear of the bike the seatpost is also a simple round tube. Size is 27.2mm with a 31.8mm seatpost binder and any internally-routed 27.2mm dropper seatpost fits without issue. As before, there’s still a standard 68mm threaded BSA bottom bracket.
Other details are rather expected but still nice to see. That includes things like a max tire size expansion from 45mm up to “a maximum measured width of up to 52mm for the frame and 56mm for the rigid fork.” Those who prefer suspension do still need to give up a bit of clearance as “Lefty Oliver’s tire clearance is optimized for a 700x47mm tire, with height being the primary limiting factor.”
Also worth filing under nice but expected is the new “StashPort + StashBag.” Which is really just another name for a welcome but unremarkable frame storage system under one of the three bottle cage mounts.
Models and pricing
The one thing that did not get simplified was the model options. The Cannondale Topstone Carbon is available in what seems like a reasonable four levels of build but each option is expansive in the variations.
At the top is the Topstone Carbon LTD Di2 priced at $7,300 / 7.499 €. This model is Shimano GRX Di2 only setup as a 2x with 48/31 upfront and 12-speed 11-34 out back. Wheels use a Reserve 40/44 GR rim with a variable 40/44 mm depth and 27.4/27mm internal width front/rear respectively plus a DT Swiss 240 hub. Included tires are tubeless ready Vittoria Terreno Dry sized at 700x45c.
Finishing this build you’ll find a Easton EC90 AX Carbon handlebar mated to a -6° Cannondale C1 Conceal Alloy stem at the front. The saddle is a Fizik Terra Argo X3 and it’s sitting on top of a SAVE carbon seatpost.
Priced below that model is the Topstone 1 Lefty AXS priced at $6,400 / 6.899 €. Given the AXS in the name, you’ll expect a SRAM drivetrain but Cannondale is obviously leaning into this as an adventure build with a mullet configuration. The levers are SRAM Rival AXS with an Rival AXS crank that lacks a power meter. At the rear of the bike is a T-Type SRAM GX Eagle derailleur and gearing is 1×12 with a 42-tooth chainring and 10-52 cassette.
This build is a bit of a hybrid not only in the gearing but also the component quality. Rival AXS isn’t exactly bottom of the barrel but it is farther down than you might expect to find paired with the expense of a suspension fork like the Lefty Oliver. Cannondale then keeps the wheels premium with the same carbon rims, though with different hubs, as the premium build. This time the tires are 700×44 WTB Raddler TCS Light.
The mix continues with an alloy handlebar but rather than the Cannondale branded it’s an Easton EA70 AX. That bar is again mated to a -6° Cannondale C1 Conceal Alloy stem while the saddle moves down to the Fizik Terra Argo X3 again sitting on top of a SAVE carbon seatpost.
From there the models start offering lots of choice. The next level is the Topstone Carbon 2 and it’s offered in 1x with an Apex AXS mullet build, same gearing as the Lefty model, or there are two colors with Shimano GRX 2x. Shimano models use the same 48/31 upfront and 12-speed 11-34 out back as the LTD build.
Different gearing aside, the rest of the builds are the same. Wheels are WTB KOM Team i25 TCS aluminum using Formula hubs. Those wheels get 700x45c WTB Riddler TCS Light and the handlebar drops to the Cannondale 2 ShortDrop 7050 alloy bar with 12 deg flare mated to the same C1 stem. Instead of the Fizik x5 saddle there’s the lower model Fizik x7 and this time the seatpost is a Cannondale 2 Carbon piece.
The models are priced at $4,300 / 4.299 € for SRAM or $4,000 / 3.999 € for Shimano.
The final build level is the Topstone Carbon 3 GRX for $3,400 / 3.299 € and despite only one price there’s a choice of either 1x or 2x Shimano mechanical GRX in four colors.
Both builds are similar and both start with the same wheels as the Carbon 2 build level. From there the handlebars are still alloy though it’s now the Cannondale 3 using 6061 Alloy and sporting a 16 deg flare. The stem hasn’t changed but now there’s a Selle Royal SRX Open saddle with a Cannondale 3 6061 Alloy seatpost. The only differences are in the groupset with either a 40-tooth crank and 12-speed 10-51 cassette or 46/30 crank with a 12-speed 11-36 cassette.
Weight
“All Topstone Carbons are weighed using a size 56 and are weighed with tubes.”
| Topstone Carbon LTD Di2 | 8.9 kg | 19.6 lb |
| Topstone Carbon 1 Lefty AXS | 9.8 kg | 21.7 lb |
| Topstone Carbon 2 AXS 1x | 9.9 kg | 22 lb |
| Topstone Carbon 2 GRX 2x | 9.9 kg | 22 lb |
| Topstone Carbon 3 GRX 1x | 10.3 kg | 22.7 lb |
| Topstone Carbon 3 GRX 2x | 10.2 kg | 22.4 lb |
Geometry
| SIZE (all measurements in cm unless indicated) | 47.0 | 51.0 | 54.0 | 56.0 | 58.0 | 61.0 |
| Seat Tube Length | 41.0 | 44.6 | 48.2 | 51.8 | 55.4 | 59.0 |
| Top Tube Horizontal | 53.2 | 54.3 | 55.4 | 56.4 | 57.6 | 59.3 |
| Top Tube Actual | 51.0 | 52.0 | 53.1 | 54.3 | 55.7 | 57.4 |
| Head Tube Angle | 69.9° | 70.7° | 70.7° | 70.7° | 70.7° | 70.7° |
| Seat Tube Angle | 73.1° | 73.1° | 73.1° | 73.1° | 73.1° | 73.1° |
| Standover | 71.6 | 74.1 | 77.2 | 80.0 | 83.1 | 86.4 |
| Head Tube Length | 9.7 | 10.1 | 12.3 | 14.2 | 16.4 | 19.6 |
| Wheelbase | 100.9 | 101.2 | 102.6 | 103.6 | 105.0 | 106.9 |
| Front Center | 60.1 | 60.5 | 61.7 | 62.8 | 64.1 | 65.9 |
| Chain Stay Length | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 | 42.0 |
| Bottom Bracket Drop | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Bottom Bracket Height | 28.0 | 28.0 | 28.3 | 28.3 | 28.5 | 28.5 |
| Fork Rake | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Trail | 7.3 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| Stack | 55.4 | 56.1 | 57.9 | 59.7 | 61.5 | 64.6 |
| Reach | 36.4 | 37.3 | 37.8 | 38.3 | 38.9 | 39.7 |
| Axle to Crown | 42.9 | 42.9 | 42.9 | 42.9 | 42.9 | 42.9 |
Availability
The 2025 Cannondale Topstone Carbon is available today. For more information visit the Cannondale website.