I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time – the chance to properly test a gravel bike with gravel suspension and proper damping. Enter the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 1, equipped with the high-end Oliver suspension fork.
I took it out for a wild ride… but did the fork really deliver that magic carpet feel?
Let’s dive in and find out.
The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty
I recently tested the Cannondale Topstone Carbon with 700C x 38 mm tires and a rigid fork, and was really impressed by the bike’s overall vibration damping, especially the well-balanced comfort between the front and rear ends.
In fact, the front-end compliance was so good, largely thanks to the SAVE flex handlebar, that it had me wondering if front suspension was even necessary.
Well, I finally got to put that question to the test. Cannondale sent me their Topstone Lefty 1, equipped with the Oliver suspension fork, so I could measure the differences in vibration. On paper, at least, this setup promises the most comfort you can get on any gravel bike.
How the Lefty Transforms the Topstone
The Cannondale Topstone Rigid I tested recently was a well-balanced, comfortable, and fast gravel bike with predictable, conventional handling.
But it didn’t exactly invite you to misbehave. It lacked that playful spark, and it didn’t push you to become a gravel hooligan.
The Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast. With its 650B wheels and front suspension fork, it transforms the Topstone from a sensible all-rounder into a trail-ready troublemaker.
The handling feels snappier, the rear end livelier, and the overall ride experience becomes a whole lot more fun, especially when the terrain gets rowdy.
The 650B tires don’t just boost the fun factor; they also enhance comfort and traction by allowing you to run lower pressures, which smooths out rough terrain more effectively.
Cannondale could’ve left it at that, but instead, they went a step further and added a dedicated gravel suspension fork. And that’s where things get a bit complicated.
Sure, the suspension fork delivers a more forgiving ride. But it also comes with some trade-offs: it adds around 1kg (2.2lb) of weight, increases the overall cost, and demands regular maintenance if you want consistent performance over the long haul.
Given all those downsides, the Lefty fork really has to deliver exceptional performance to justify its place – otherwise, what’s the point?
The Role of Suspension Forks
Suspension improves comfort by isolating you from road impacts – but the biggest advantage of a suspension fork isn’t comfort alone.
What really stands out is the boost in front tire traction. Without suspension, your front wheel tends to bounce over larger obstacles, reducing ground contact and making the bike feel less stable. But with suspension, the wheel stays planted more of the time, allowing your tires to grip better and keeping the bike under control.
It also lets you ride faster and longer over rough terrain without feeling like you’ve been through a boxing match.
To be honest, when I first got this bike, traction and stability weren’t even on my radar. My goal was purely to reduce the vibrations reaching my body. But just a few rides on the Topstone Lefty made it crystal clear – improved front-end grip is a game changer.
The combo of wide 650B tires and the Lefty Oliver fork, even with just 30mm of travel, completely changed the way I rode. I found myself bombing down rough roads at speeds I wouldn’t normally consider. And the rougher it got, the better the Topstone Lefty performed.
Topstone Lefty vs Topstone Rigid
The Topstone Lefty really shines when the terrain gets rough, but outside of that, it’s just okay. You especially feel its limitations on tarmac, where the 650B wheels and the added weight of the suspension fork take some of the edge off the fun. Sure, it’s still decently quick on the road, but that’s clearly not where this bike is meant to excel.
By contrast, the Topstone Rigid holds its own in nearly every gravel scenario. You can’t push it quite as hard on rough trails, but it strikes a much better balance between off-road capability and on-road efficiency.
So what about comfort? Does the suspension fork make a big enough difference to justify the added complexity?
I’m someone who’s all-in on comfort-focused bike tech, so a suspension fork has always seemed like the logical upgrade. But after spending time on both the Lauf Grit SL and now the Lefty Oliver, I’m starting to question whether front suspension is truly necessary if your goal is comfort alone.
The Lefty Oliver does have a proper damper, so it avoids the constant bobbing that plagues the Lauf. It feels more composed and controlled on rough surfaces. But even with that refined damping, the improvement in ride comfort was surprisingly subtle.
Bike Setup For The Vibration Test
To isolate the fork’s contribution to comfort, I first tested the Topstone Lefty with the tires inflated to 40 psi – much higher than I’d typically run. Since tires are such a major factor in overall comfort, this high-pressure setup allowed me to better evaluate what the Lefty Oliver was really doing in terms of suspension performance.
For comparison, I then tested the Topstone Lefty against my titanium benchmark bike, which was set up with 25 psi in the tires.
The benchmark bike featured an Open U-Turn carbon fork, a Redshift ShockStop suspension stem, Coefficient Wave handlebar, WTB Byway 700C x 44mm front tire, Rene Herse Barlow Pass 700C x 38mm rear tire, and an Ergon Allroad Pro carbon seatpost.
You can see my vibration measurement procedure & outdoor test courses HERE.
Vibration Test Results
Lefty Fork Test: 40 vs 25 PSI
Interestingly, tire pressure appears to be doing the bulk of the work when it comes to vibration damping.
On my bumpy forest trail test, dropping tire pressure from 40 psi to 25 psi reduced handlebar vibrations by 15 to 18%. In contrast, simply unlocking the Lefty fork reduced vibrations by a more modest 6 to 9% compared to when it was locked out.
The differences were even more pronounced on the fast gravel road. Lowering the tire pressure yielded a 24% reduction in vibrations, while the fork, when active, only managed to cut vibrations by an additional 1 to 1.5% over the locked setting.
This clearly shows that the Lefty fork struggles to filter out the high-frequency buzz typically found on fast gravel surfaces. While it helps on rougher terrain, it’s not the magic bullet for comfort that one might expect, especially at speed.
Cannondale Topstone Lefty vs Enigma Escape
When I compared the Topstone Lefty to my benchmark bike, I actually found it to be slightly less comfortable overall.
On the bumpy forest trail, the difference was minimal – the Lefty delivered just 2% more vibrations to the handlebars, which puts it in the same performance range. But on the fast gravel road, the gap widened: the Lefty Oliver fork transmitted 10% more vibrations to my hands compared to my benchmark setup.
That’s not a knock against the Lefty itself. The Topstone Lefty is still an incredibly comfortable bike straight out of the box. But when it comes to high-frequency vibration damping, it simply can’t match the effectiveness of my custom-tuned combination: an Open U-Turn carbon fork paired with a Redshift ShockStop suspension stem.
Summary
Straight out of the box, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty is an exceptionally comfortable bike. According to my vibration measurements, it comes remarkably close to my highly optimised benchmark setup – a bike I’ve spent years fine-tuning with carefully selected tires, fork, handlebar, tape, stem, seatpost, saddle, and more. That’s seriously impressive.
But it’s important to recognise that the Topstone Lefty is a bit of a one-trick pony. It absolutely thrives on rough, technical gravel. It encourages you to ride harder, faster, and with more confidence. It’s a gravel hooligan through and through. However, it’s not the most versatile option for mixed terrain. For that, the Topstone Rigid with 700C wheels is the more well-rounded, all-surface performer.
If your primary riding involves rough and technical gravel, this bike is going to be a blast. Or think of it as your second gravel bike – the fun-focused, rowdy companion you bring out when the trails get wild.
Now, the big question: should you add the Lefty fork to your current gravel bike?
If you’re considering it purely for comfort, I wouldn’t recommend it. You can achieve similar or better results through tire choices and contact point tuning. But if you’re after a noticeable boost in front-end traction and stability on rough tracks, and you’re okay with the €1600 price tag, then the Lefty fork could be a worthwhile upgrade.
