Yep, these are Duke World Runner Carbon 35R SLS2 650b rims custom made. Loving the look!GainGRX, are those wheels carbon? I really like my Yoeleo carbon 650b, which also have DT Swiss hubs.
Vossy, it's a Redshift suspension stem.
I get the impression that e road/gravel bike may not be selling as well as analog bikes. Most bike stores in Denver have very few analog bikes, but still seem to have a good selection of ebikes.
So, my Topstone Carbon Neo Lefty 3 will be delivered tomorrow... It will come very much stock standard, with a few minor additions of some lights and a bike lock. I'm still thinking about some changes that I'd like to make. At present, I'm looking into fenders (or mudguards as we call them over here in Australia). Has anyone had any experiences worth sharing with mudguards up to now? My thanks for any help you can provide! Cheers!!
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I have a set of SKS Mtb Blade 26-27.5" mudguards on my Lefty 3
I like the rear guard, as it does of decent job of keeping most of the rear clean. There is a bridge that allow a partial rear fender, but I have yet to find a fender that will fit.
The bridge allows the fender to move as the bike's frame moves.
I don't much care for the front fender, though. The problem is not with the fender, but the front shock position, which won't allow the fender to butt-up against the shock tower.
Here's a photo of my bike with the fenders installed. I've made a number of changes to the bike since the photo was taken.
I like the rear guard, as it does of decent job of keeping most of the rear clean. There is a bridge that allow a partial rear fender, but I have yet to find a fender that will fit.
The bridge allows the fender to move as the bike's frame moves.
I don't much care for the front fender, though. The problem is not with the fender, but the front shock position, which won't allow the fender to butt-up against the shock tower.
Here's a photo of my bike with the fenders installed. I've made a number of changes to the bike since the photo was taken.
BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
Glad it isn't a medium
I feel enough envy everytime I poke my head into this thread without knowing there's one available a couple miles away. Such nice looking bikes...
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Sorry but I cannot agree. Don't get me wrong, I like the lefty fork but it is freakish. I call my Neo 3 "Frankenbike". The two is much prettier with its fixed carbon fork, black pearl finish with subtle gray pin striping.
I do like the fact that it came with 650b rims (the 2 hs 700c rims) which allow me to put 47mm WTB Byway tires on the bike for greater comfort. The 77.8mm Topeak Defender TX rear fender works great, not only keeping me dry but also the person riding behind me as well. With its Velcro strapped to the seatube up front and the two stays secured to the integrated fender bosses on the rear dropouts (5 minutes on or off).
There is Large 2 at the Bellingham REI at 20% off due to the fact that is has a class 1 Bosch CX rather than the class 3 Speed motor. A $200 dongle can fix that getting rid of the speed cap. It is one of the very few Bosch powered bikes with a 2x11 22 speed drive train. With a few more carbon components it shaves two pounds off the Neo 3 coming is at 37 lbs. The bike would be a good candidate for the new Kinekt suspension stem.
The fun to ride-machine: Cannondale's Topstone Neo Carbon 2 tested — urbanbike.news
Neither mudguards nor lights, but racing handlebars and off-road tires — Cannondale’s new Gravel e-bike is certainly not an urban bike in the classic sense at first glance. But there are many other qualities to discover that make the bike interesting for a wide range of riders. First and...
urbanbike.news
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BlackHand
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Western WA
Yeah, I get it but to be fair I was referring to the whole Topstone Neo line - I just think Cannondale has done a nice job with the lineup and the bikes are a good match to many of the rides available to us in the PNW.
Besides, if it were just a beauty contest they'd all lose out to the SuperSix EVO Neo anyways
Besides, if it were just a beauty contest they'd all lose out to the SuperSix EVO Neo anyways
Agree with you about the looks aspect of the lefty 3... I'm more of a function kind of guy and I can't think of many bikes that offer what this bike does. For instance, I was looking for a bike that could be a jack-of-all-trades. Fully suspended. Cope well with the commute. Full power e-bike. Not be as heavy as an R&M delite. I looked at some e-mountain bikes, but they're probably overkill on specs, price (and usually weight) for my needs, which are mostly bike path, gravel and a bit of tarmac too. There are a few models coming out that did interest me, but there really wasn't an easy solution to add a rack for commuting on those rear suspension systems. The Orbea Rise certainly captured me for a while though - gosh that bike had me at hello! With the topstone, I think I'd be able to get a second pair of wheels and this bike should cope reasonably well with some more extended road riding which is another plus. The 1 by gearing might be an issue there possibly... We'll see soon enough! I see what you mean about the looks of the 2 though - definitely a more aesthetically pleasing bike to look at! I'll check out that fender you mention too. Thank you! I'm looking forward to delivery in the next couple of hours. Feeling like a kid hanging out for Christmas morning over here!!Sorry but I cannot agree. Don't get me wrong, I like the lefty fork but it is freakish. I call my Neo 3 "Frankenbike". The two is much prettier with its fixed carbon fork, black pearl finish with subtle gray pin striping. I do like the fact that it came with 650b rims which allow me to put 47mm WTB Byway tires on the bike for greater comfort. The 77.8mm Topeak Defender TX rear fender works great, not only keeping me dry but also the person riding behind me as well. With its Velcro strapped to the seatube up front and the two stays secured to the integrated fender bosses on the rear dropouts (5 minutes on or off).
There is Large 2 at the Bellingham REI at 20% off due to the fact that is has a class 1 Bosch CX rather than the class 3 Speed motor. A $200 dongle can fix that getting rid of the speed cap. It is one of the very few Bosch powered bikes with a 2x11 22 speed drive train. With a few more carbon components it shaves two pounds off the Neo 3 coming is at 37 lbs. The bike would be a good candidate for the new Kinekt suspension stem.
The fun to ride-machine: Cannondale's Topstone Neo Carbon 2 tested — urbanbike.news
Neither mudguards nor lights, but racing handlebars and off-road tires — Cannondale’s new Gravel e-bike is certainly not an urban bike in the classic sense at first glance. But there are many other qualities to discover that make the bike interesting for a wide range of riders. First and...
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Hoping you enjoy your new bike as much as I do mine. As to a good rack solution, I added a Racktime seatpost mounted rack that accepts any of the many different bags. Their Odin trunk bag with zip up/fold down panniers is excellent. My bike came with a carbon seatpost which is not a good candidate for compression loading. I used a 27.2 to 30.9 adapter sleeve on the outside of my seatpost giving the clamp something more solid to hold on to. It fits over top of the fender and goes on and off easily.
ROSE Bikes | Experience Cycling.
We build bikes for your experience. Discover award-winning bikes, functional clothing & selected accessories – online & near you.
www.rosebikes.ie
ROSE Bikes | Experience Cycling.
We build bikes for your experience. Discover award-winning bikes, functional clothing & selected accessories – online & near you.
www.rosebikes.ie
I love the lightweight and aero aspect of the bike with the great range attainable on the 500 watt battery (75-80 miles in turbo on an XL with my 205 lb. bulk on board, averaging 108 watts of human output).
Being able to add fenders, rack and bags when needed is great but so is stripping the bike down to the basics and going on a long, fast ride on a nice day with minimal extraneous gear.
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
I think the Canyon Grail On gives the Supersix Evo a run for the money as to both looks and very much as to specs. However it is mail order only with no dealer support. Still is awesome. gorgeous bike. I almost went for this bike instead of the Topstone Neo Carbon 3 but local support at REI won out and has added substantial added value thus far. I am pleased with the choice but the Canyon is a lot of bike for the money.Yeah, I get it but to be fair I was referring to the whole Topstone Neo line - I just think Cannondale has done a nice job with the lineup and the bikes are a good match to many of the rides available to us in the PNW.
Besides, if it were just a beauty contest they'd all lose out to the SuperSix EVO Neo anyways
View attachment 93550
Grail:ON CF 8 eTap
On-road or off-road, rough or smooth – this e-gravel bike is an outstanding performer anywhere you point it. With SRAM’s wireless Force eTap AXS 1-by shifting, headlining this build, experience the next level of high-performance adventure.
www.canyon.com
Hoping you enjoy your new bike as much as I do mine. As to a good rack solution, I added a Racktime seatpost mounted rack that accepts any of the many different bags. Their Odin trunk bag with zip up/fold down panniers is excellent. My bike came with a carbon seatpost which is not a good candidate for compression loading. I used a 27.2 to 30.9 adapter sleeve on the outside of my seatpost giving the clamp something more solid to hold on to. It fits over top of the fender and goes on and off easily.
ROSE Bikes | Experience Cycling.
We build bikes for your experience. Discover award-winning bikes, functional clothing & selected accessories – online & near you.ROSE Bikes | Experience Cycling.
We build bikes for your experience. Discover award-winning bikes, functional clothing & selected accessories – online & near you.
I love the lightweight and aero aspect of the bike with the great range attainable on the 500 watt battery (75-80 miles in turbo on an XL with my 205 lb. bulk on board, averaging 108 watts of human output).
Being able to add fenders, rack and bags when needed is great but so is stripping the bike down to the basics and going on a long, fast ride on a nice day with minimal extraneous gear.
Thanks for the suggestions. I imagine I'll get similar range out of mine... I'll be on a medium and I'm around 190 pounds (85kg). Interesting bag the Odin. I'm still looking into solutions for the commute duties. I need to be able to take a pair of shoes, small amount of clothes and a laptop. I might see if there's a distributor here in Melbourne where I can take a look at that bag. The options over here in Australia are sometimes a bit limited, then you buy online and just hope it meets your needs, or risk having to pay quite a bit to ship it back. The other issue we face is that our pricing is often inflated too. I was quite lucky to find my size of the topstone in stock, locally and at quite a discount. They retail here at $9800 AUD, but the shop had it advertised at $7800 AUD (about $5770 USD), which I thought was a relative bargain. It's not as cheap as you guys may be able to find in the states, but I haven't found a better deal over here so far. The other positive is that there's a local company that I am leasing the bike through, where like a car lease, I can use pre-income tax dollars to pay for the bike. It's a great deal as it includes all servicing/maintenance, a bike lock, lights, comprehensive insurance too... It ends up being about the same price as the bike, but with all of that included as well and at the end of the three years I can opt to buy the bike out for a small fee. Essentially, the amount of money I'll save commuting in fuel will pay for the bike. In the meantime, I get happier and healthier riding and I do my bit to take a car off the road for a the two or three days of the work week that I'll ride in. Plus there's a great machine for some weekend trails ready for me as well. It's a total win for me.
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Sounds like the only looser is the petrolum companies
Sounds like the only looser is the petrolum companies
Indeed! I might compound their loss by buying electric when I next replace my car too!!
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Last year we sold two all wheel drive vehicles, a Subary Tribeca and a Mercedes e500 wagon. We then bought a Toyota Highlander Hybrid which we share, so down to one car which uses 60% of the fuel that each of our two cars consumed. This made possible by the fact that I ride my ebike almost three times the amount that I drive. In retirement it has become my preferred means of transport.Indeed! I might compound their loss by buying electric when I next replace my car too!!
There certainly appears to be more people wanting bikes than there are bikes available at the moment. I suppose though, that gravel e-bikes are a bit niche. For me, the lefty 3 is just a great mix. Full power. A bit of suspension. The right mix of being able to cope with gravel and road riding. Change the wheelset and it's a competent road bike too. A good all rounder, for my use case at least. I've only had it for a few days and it's super fun to ride. So much quicker than the Riese and Muller Charger 3 that I was on previously... Mind you, the R and M Charger 3 was an excellent and very comfortable bike. There are a few things I'll need to sort out... Saddle is not super comfy for me... I need to think about an alternative. I'd like some better pedals - thinking a flat one side and SPD the other side pedal, I need to sort out a rack and some bags for commuting... All said though, it's very, very good.
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