FUN FACTORY

We were hugely impressed with the go-anywhere capability of Cannondale’s new Topstone Lefty back in issue 369. At the same time as rolling out the tech update of the Oliver single-sided suspension fork on that Topstone, Cannondale also launched an all-new electric version of the bike equipped with the same clever fork and Kingpin suspension rear end. Its other electric drop bar, the SuperSix EVO Neo (see our report in issue 373) has a smaller battery and ebikemotion power driven by a rear hub motor for more emphasis on light weight. With the Topstone Neo, Cannondale has opted to go for a big tank and power in the form of Bosch’s latest Performance Line CX motor (capable of 850W in Turbo mode) mounted within the core of the frame at the bottom bracket, powered by a Bosch PowerTube 500Wh battery. That’s a system more commonly found on high-end e-mountain bikes not drop-barred machines.

The Topstone Neo provides plenty of potential for increases in both power and range over lighter e-assist options, and comes across more as an update to Cannondale’s Synapse Neo (reviewed in issue 354). If Cannondale was being completely honest, the Synapse Neo was much more of an e-gravel bike than its endurance moniker would suggest.

This Neo’s carbon frame follows the same design as the standard Topstone with Kingpin suspension at