Cannondale Topstone 3 - Turquoise M

I first saw this bike when I was looking at my first bike but decided to get the Cannondale Quick CX 4 to see if I enjoyed cycling in the first place. 2 weeks later I returned that bike and placed an order on this instead.The first thing I noticed is the comparative agility and quickness coming from a plusher hybrid fitness bike in the Quick CX 4 to this “entry-level” gravel bike. The handful of pounds saved makes it much easier to carry and transport in my truck and it is a very enjoyable ride. The “Cannondale 4” drop bar handlebars are very enjoyable and comfortable for long rides. The 10-speed, 1x gearing is sufficient enough to enjoy cruising or bomb down empty roads while being very simple to operate, no comment on how it performs on gravel. My only two ... MoreI first saw this bike when I was looking at my first bike but decided to get the Cannondale Quick CX 4 to see if I enjoyed cycling in the first place. 2 weeks later I returned that bike and placed an order on this instead.The first thing I noticed is the comparative agility and quickness coming from a plusher hybrid fitness bike in the Quick CX 4 to this “entry-level” gravel bike. The handful of pounds saved makes it much easier to carry and transport in my truck and it is a very enjoyable ride. The “Cannondale 4” drop bar handlebars are very enjoyable and comfortable for long rides. The 10-speed, 1x gearing is sufficient enough to enjoy cruising or bomb down empty roads while being very simple to operate, no comment on how it performs on gravel. My only two complaints would be the saddle and brakes. The saddle being very tough on the bum but that was quickly remedied with cycling liners or shorts. The brakes came out the shop squeaking but I’ll check back in at my local REI or Bike Shop and see how that can be fixed, stopping power isn’t an issue though which is more important.I’m very inexperienced with cycling but I have no complaints at all about this bike after 105 miles. Currently I run a top tube bag from REI, a single bottle cage, and a front/rear Bontrager ION100R combo light set for visibility on all my daily rides. Super excited to add hundreds of more miles along with potential upgrades that are available for this platform.P.S.: For pedals since they aren’t included, I bought a set of Bontrager hybrid flat/SPD pedals from a local bike shop to hold me over while I consider stepping into the “clip less” cycling shoe game.

I saw this bike online and went to see it in the store. The sales person said I have your size in a medium that was returned and is almost new and it’s at a discount. Turns out the discount was applicable to this model whether new or not. I put aside my misgivings and paid the new bike price for a used bike. I’m sure it’s a great bike but it wasn’t nearly new judging by how it performed. Loud front brakes are a common problem on this model. Also the shifting wasn’t “new bike” smooth. I took it back and the manager was offended I was returning the used bike I paid the new bike price for. I hate returning anything but in this case I felt it was entirely justified and I’m more than a little perturbed at the treatment I received. I bought a comparable bike from another ... MoreI saw this bike online and went to see it in the store. The sales person said I have your size in a medium that was returned and is almost new and it’s at a discount. Turns out the discount was applicable to this model whether new or not. I put aside my misgivings and paid the new bike price for a used bike. I’m sure it’s a great bike but it wasn’t nearly new judging by how it performed. Loud front brakes are a common problem on this model. Also the shifting wasn’t “new bike” smooth. I took it back and the manager was offended I was returning the used bike I paid the new bike price for. I hate returning anything but in this case I felt it was entirely justified and I’m more than a little perturbed at the treatment I received. I bought a comparable bike from another manufacturer and I’m very pleased I did so.I’ll continue to shop REI but I’ll never by a returned item there again.

I’ve had this bike for 2 months, done quite a lot of social rides with it in most weather conditions. Whilst the bike is sturdy it does come at the cost of weight, this bike easily surpasses 12kg in the Large size.Gearing is good, offers the happy medium between road riding and gravel riding, if you want to do off-road only you would probably need something with a lower gear ratio, I do find the lowest gear tough on 25% gradients and I’m a keen hill specialist on the bike.The tyres are the biggest downfall, they are un-assuringly slippery, any wet surface they offer little, despite having a large tread. On muddy wet trails I would not feel confident, this might be a rider issue, but this won’t allow a novice to hit the trails overnight.Having riden 100milers ... MoreI’ve had this bike for 2 months, done quite a lot of social rides with it in most weather conditions. Whilst the bike is sturdy it does come at the cost of weight, this bike easily surpasses 12kg in the Large size.Gearing is good, offers the happy medium between road riding and gravel riding, if you want to do off-road only you would probably need something with a lower gear ratio, I do find the lowest gear tough on 25% gradients and I’m a keen hill specialist on the bike.The tyres are the biggest downfall, they are un-assuringly slippery, any wet surface they offer little, despite having a large tread. On muddy wet trails I would not feel confident, this might be a rider issue, but this won’t allow a novice to hit the trails overnight.Having riden 100milers on the bike, I can confirm the geometry is perfect, it’s very comfortable and easy handling. When riding solo on the drops, the position is a little wide and stretched out, so it is a tiring after a while. Average pace on the bike will be rider dependent. But if you can hold 18-20mph solo on a road bike you should see 16-17mph on this, so it is a good road option even with the fat tyres on.If you want this for road only (i.e. winter bike) I would recommend swapping the tyres, as they are a drag.Bike has good components, only cheap part they’ve skimped on is the bottom bracket, FSA parts rust after 1 season, so be aware that this will need changing quickly.