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I'd already mentioned in a couple of threads that I was looking at a new gravel bike. My old Van Nicholas Amazon has been doing a sterling job but it's really a bit of an old-fashioned tourer.
Criteria were considered* and it came down to about a handful of options. Surprisingly, three of the five on my list were simply not available, with suggested delivery times into 2024. However, I'd been looking at a Cannondale Topstone and discovered that one of my local shops had the model I wanted, in Medium, at a decent discount, albeit at another branch. After a bit of mis-communication, it showed up last week. I've today fitted some VEL+ carbon wheels, changed the tyres to something more appropriate and I'm hoping to get out for a proper ride on it tomorrow.
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I'm still waiting for some shorter cranks. No way 172.5 are appropriate for my height/leg length.
A quick weigh in suggests it's over 2kg lighter than the Amazon, and it felt it on a quick spin around the block.
*
Had to have 650B wheels, based on experience of riding both 650 and 700 on the Amazon.
Had to be 2x. I'm old, weak and will often be carrying luggage.
I considered the Lefty version for it's sheer weirdness but dismissed it as (a) I think the wider, 650 tyres offer enough "suspension" without the added weight and complexity of front suspension (b) future servicing requirements and (c) it was in an awful yellow paint scheme.
PS - I would have cut the grass today but there's been heavy showers on and off and, anyway, I had a bike to work on!
Good logo/valve alignment but let down by the dandelions.
PS – I would have cut the grass today but there’s been heavy showers on and off and, anyway, I had a bike to work on!
Not to worry its dry tomorrow, you can cut the grass then, and the moss at the same time.
Nice bike though, loving the burgundy
Welcome to the Club 🤪
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PS – I would have cut the grass today
Nowt stopping you painting the fence though 🤔
Oh. Nice bike BTW 😁
Really tidy Scotroutes
They do look very nice. Glad you eventually got what you wanted
I should say that, perhaps surprisingly for a Cannondale, there are no daft "standards" involved. BB, headset, cranks, axles are all common fitment. It doesn't even have the assymetric rear triangle and oddly-dished rear wheel of the earlier models.
Nice. Needs more zips and an Onion sticker.
There aren’t enough dandelions.
@scotroutes that’s a really nice bike, great colour scheme and discounted ! Excellent stuff.
edit: no daft standards? You sure it’s really a Cannondale?
That's a lovely looking bike, nicely done.
What were the other bikes on your shortlist as a matter of interest?
Looks nice @scotroutes.
I'm up in Aviemore with the gravel bike in October half term. If you're free, it would be good to schedule a ride!
That’s a classy looking paint job there. Nice bike. Sounds very ordinary for a Cannondale though…
very nice indeed. i do love a new bike day.
( currently waiting patiently for a NBD ).
@dknwhy - shout me up nearer the time if you're ok with riding at old man pace and can put up with a post-ride beer.
@soundninjauk - Orbea, Ribble, Trek, Canyon. Of those, only the Trek was actually available to buy any time soon. Most brands were discounted as it would mean a complete drive train/shifter change.
Hmm, not very shiny is it?
Hope your not planning attaching bags to it and scuffing it all up…🤪
I'm hoping that someone will invent pre-shaped sticky plastic sheets that can applied to the frame, thereby preventing wear of the paint finish.
NBD+1
I'd set up the tyres tubeless yesterday ( first time, track pump only) and they were still ok this afternoon (after I'd cut the grass), so a chance for an inaugural ride.
(a) the fit seems OK, though the bars are a bit wider and have less flare than I'm used to. I'll have to reset the seat height when the new cranks arrive so I'll avoid any adjustments until then.
(b) the freehub is really, really noisy. Proper bee buzzing noise. I might experiment with a slightly heavier lube but it does at least have the advantage of not requiring a bell. One or two seconds of back/no pedalling and anyone ahead of me soon gets the message.
(c) I had some horrid knocking on rough descents. I thought it was perhaps internal cabling but thenit turned into a kind of squeak. Turns out it was just the CO2 cartridge and multi tool in the frame bag knocking together!
(d) the tyres were a bit over-inflated. I'd expected them to lose a couple of psi overnight. Easily corrected before the next ride.
(e) I got four Strava PRs
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A follow-up...
After a couple more rides - and a couple more changes - everything is fitting into place.
The shorter cranks arrived and were fitted. I'm much happier with these. It seems to me that they help me acccelerate faster. This is particularly noticeable on rollings ups-and downs, where my accleration in each dip more easily sees me crest the next rise. Of course this might be due to the bike being 2kg lighter than the Amazon (and me being 4kg lighter than the start of the year).
The wider bars feel "right" now other than the minimal flare so I've ordered a replacement, also in 44cm width. I'll also be fitting gel pads and thicker bar tape, just to add a wee bit more comfort at the front. I'm just so used to that setup now.
The saddle seems to be very comfortable. Much better than I'd expected as a random saddle fitted to a bike. I reckon it'll be staying on. The saddle has gone up about 10mm since the first ride, and the bars have stayed the same height, so it's a clightly more "aggressive" riding position than the Amazon.
Garmin tells me I "got air" today and I also got another PR, genuinely not trying to.
Overall, it feels a bit more responsive than the Amazon, both quicker to "go" and snappier to turn. This is good news as I'd have hated to have spent all that money and had just the same handling. I can definitely say that there's a difference between a purpose-built gravel bike and a tourer with knobblies 🙂
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Nice! Still eyeing up the Lefty version. Would be nice to have a proper go on both to see the difference.
I can definitely say that there’s a difference between a purpose-built gravel bike and a tourer with knobblies
Surely that's heresy around here?
@zilog6128 - If I was older and weaker and did all my gravel riding on windfarm tracks I'd likely opt for the Lefty version too. There's also the Redshift and Cane Creek suspension stem options for when I'm too nesh for rigid forks.
@molgrips - calling it as I see it 😀
zilog6128
Full Member
Nice! Still eyeing up the Lefty version. Would be nice to have a proper go on both to see the difference.Posted 4 hours ago
scotroutes
Full Member
@zilog6128 – If I was older and weaker and did all my gravel riding on windfarm tracks I’d likely opt for the Lefty version too
older, no, weaker, yes, windfarm tracks, often, but not always 😁
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The lefty is very versatile, though I find it a bit slower overall than my Diverge, but that is to be expected, as they are for different riding, for me.
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yeah if you're just bimbling about on gravel I can see it not making so much difference! I don't want it for "gravel" (even my road bike can be used for that!!) but as a drop-bar trail bike. The question isn't whether the Lefty is better, it's just [I]how much[/I] better to justify the initial cost (not too fussed about that) and the ongoing maintenance/faff/lack of simplicity.If I was older and weaker and did all my gravel riding on windfarm tracks I’d likely opt for the Lefty version too. There’s also the Redshift and Cane Creek suspension stem options for when I’m too nesh for rigid forks.
@zilog6128 - I'm just taking the piss out of Iain. Based on my riding so far I'm appreciating the weight saving, probably also helps that I've knocked over a kilo off the original weight.
^^^
as a drop-bar trail bike.
that is basically the main purpose of mine, as I also have recently got a Diverge Expert Carbon, which has the Futureshock stem setup. The Lefty is for me at its prime on tame singletrack linked together by gravel trails. On the road it’s absolutely fine if I’m on my own, but when with others it’s hard work keeping up, compared to if I’m on the Diverge. That is as much about my fitness as a late 50’s nimbler as the bike though !
I am selling my 29er HT and using the Topstone as above, with a Levo SL for more MTB terrain.
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Fair enough 😂I’m just taking the piss out of Iain.
^^^ it’s a common occurrence 🤪😁
On the maintenance, faff etc, I treat the fork as any other, with a regular wipe down with Squirt or similar. Removing wheel when required involves undoing a cam clamp that holds the caliper on, probably adds less than 20 seconds to removal or reinstall. I haven’t had it serviced yet, it has about 600 miles or so on it now since new and will be going into LBS in a few weeks, who will strip and send it away, with a cost probably around £100 or so, which for me will be approximately annual, which I don’t mind too much.
until they change the design, no longer produce/stock whatever consumable you need, so you actually have to have all new lowers as well or whatever it was. (This is what happened to me the last time I had the fork on my MTB serviced. The bill was considerably more than £100 😂). All part of the fun of lefty ownership though! 🤪with a cost probably around £100 or so, which for me will be approximately annual, which I don’t mind too much.