Cannondale Topstone Neo Carbon 1 Lefty Review

The Cannondale Topstone Lefty is a fantastic bike to ride - meaning we were pleased when Cannondale launched their electric version of the bike, sharing the same underpinnings at the non-electric version, namely the unique fork and kingpin suspension.

Immediately looking at the specification of this bike, you will notice the big numbers. This is a powerful bike, with a motor capable of churning out 250w in turbo mode. There’s also a 500Wh battery in the form of a Bosch PowerTube. This electric battery setup is commonly found on high-end mountain bikes, so it’s a treat to see it fitted on a drop handlebar bike.

The carbon frame works really well with the Kingpin suspension design, in which the seatstays are attached to the seat tube - the bike chainstays are designed to flex when the bike impacts some rough terrain, such as a pothole - meaning that the whole pivot end moves. There’s 30mm of suspension travel at the front and rear of the bike - with the single-sided lefty forks design looking more complex than it actually is - it works well.

The Topstone Neo range can be run with 650b and 700cc wheel sizes - but this model is delivered with 650b wheels. Familiar mullet spec is found on this bike, with a smaller wheel at the front and a larger wheel at the back. There’s a 12-speed drivetrain, mated to a 42-tooth chainring and a 10-50 cassette.

The bike has four different power modes - there is eco, tour, sport and turbo modes. It’s claimed that the electric assist is good for 114km in an eco setting. This bike rides well both on and off-road - the kingpin suspension works incredibly well with the front fork, meaning that trail riding is very enjoyable.

Overall, this is one of the market's most capable electric gravel bikes.