Topstone or SuperX: The King’s take

We’re arguably living and riding in a golden age of gravel. As the sport goes from strength to strength, it seems to evolve and grow week by week. From more varied and adventurous surfaces, routes and races to faster and faster mind-blowing speeds. And, as gravel grows in popularity, so do the possibilities of what gravel riding can mean.

Luckily, there are also now more options when selecting the best tool for the job to get out there for a dusty dose of Vitamin G. And, luckily for us, we’ve got someone who knows more than a thing or two about riding the rough stuff to give us the lowdown about getting out there and getting our gravel on.

Ted Talk

Ted King is the OG gravel racer. Unbound winner, Gravel Hall of Famer and former Tour Pro, Ted’s two-wheeled experience extends well beyond what most of us consider a big day out on the bike. Having tamed the peanut butter mud of Kansas on numerous occasions, he’s well-qualified to give us some stellar insights into gravel bike selection.

And sure, Cannondale knows a thing or two about gravel as well. Pioneers in taking a turn off the asphalt and letting curiosity get the better of us, the Cannondale Slate was the first bike to bring suspension to gravel with its Lefty Oliver fork. In fact, Ted was piloting a Slate when he won his first Unbound – then called Dirty Kanza – back in ‘16.

But what about now? What’s the best machine to tackle a modern gravel race and cross the finish line with a grubby smile on your face? Enter Topstone and SuperX – our very different but equally awesome race-ready gravel rigs.

Long-Haul Hero

First up is Topstone Carbon. As Ted says, it’s super comfortable in the longer, wilder, ultra distance events and wildly capable and versatile. With massive tire clearance in the rear of the frame (up to 52mm) and - depending on the course and race-day scenario - gives you the option to run a rigid fork (52mm clearance) or our very own Lefty Oliver suspension fork for comfort, combined with 47mm clearance.

Ted chose Topstone as his tool of choice for Unbound XL’s 2025 350-mile mission, knowing that it would be up for the challenge of keeping him clear of the infamous Kansas mud while keeping on keeping on, whatever the course and conditions threw up.

Add in dropper post capability and KingPin suspension in the rear with built-in flex – up to 30mm extra vertical flex to be exact – and it keeps the long-haul, race-it-all Topstone more distance-friendly without any added extra weight.

“KingPin makes a huge difference. Just the right amount of give... It doesn’t matter if it’s gravel, dirt or something a little bit sketchier.” - says Ted.

More comfort naturally brings with it more confidence out there on the wilder routes. Which, in turn ultimately means more speed. So, you can see why Topstone is incredibly capable at getting smooth results out of the gnarliest courses.

Speed Machine

But what about when the pace goes up and the pointy end of the field gets racier? Well, that’s when Ted picks SuperX from his quiver.

“Every year we’re seeing the speeds go higher in gravel races and that is what this bike is designed for.”

Built to ride fast and stay fast as a result of its aero tubing, SuperX takes the full-gas, KOM-claiming DNA of its road-going sibling the SuperSix EVO and then dials up the dirt factor.

Designed for aggressive speed and flat-out racing, Ted chose a LAB71 prototype of SuperX for the UCI Gravel World Champs in Flanders. And with quick handling on more technical courses like that, SuperX excelled.

“One of my favorite things about SuperX is the geometry allows me to run 48mm tires... something that allows a lot of confidence at speed...” says Ted

SuperX is built to cross the finish line first, claim a spot on the podium and do it as fast as possible.

With more and more gravel options presenting themselves to us riders, it’s great to know that there are more bike options to serve how we ride and where we ride.

Check out Ted King giving us his take on these two bikes below. And learn more about which gravel-going ride buddy could be best for you.