Postby nemo57 » Wed Jan 13, 2021 4:50 pm
I picked up a Cannondale Topstone lefty before Xmas, to go with the '76 Hillman roadie. An impulse purchase motivated by a healthy discount and the pleasure of riding unmade roads in the dappled sunshine to the natural sounds of birdsong, babbling creeks, roaring two-strokes and distant firearms.
I'd say it's about 10% slower than the roadie after allowing for different surfaces, tho it runs a WTB Byway rear tyre that has road-smooth centre tread (not so flash on slippery dirt climbs, that one).
It is pretty comfortable in its way: slightly greater reach to the bars, no real difference in stem height (because I run a technomic stem on the Hillman), and - whether by reason of the 47mm tyres, the 30mm travel or both - suspension. But it's not a chalk and cheese comparison with the 44 year old steel-frame on 25mm tyres over much of the same country. What it will do that the Hillman won't is make 1-2inch bumps less unpleasant. Otherwise, it floats where the roadie feels directly connected to the path.
As suggested, a spare pair of road wheels would make it a very good all-rounder unless I were wanting to get that final 11/10ths of speed from my ageing body.
And it's the first bike I've had that stops, although I have found that trailing rear brake descending bends through the loose stuff is a delicate business if you wish to avoid the rear locking up and pitching you into the fence.
Were it me, and I in the market for just one bike, I'd ask Gordon Hill to make me a hard tail steel frame that could accommodate both fat and skinny tyres; while the suspension is nice to have, I'm not fully persuaded that it makes an enormous difference. I would, though, pick steel over aluminium for its ride qualities.
There again, that Wilier looks the goods, Ron!
Last edited by
nemo57 on Wed Jan 13, 2021 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
