Beautiful Bicycle: Pinarello Crossista F

Written by Joseph Bonacci, on August 27, 2026

With cyclocross alive and well, we recently built up a fully custom Pinarello Crossista, a frameset built for all-out cyclocross performance. The Crossista is the bike of choice for Tom Pidcock, who rode it to a World Championship and even negotiated the ability to continue racing it while on a non-Pinarello-sponsored team. This Crossista is built with no holds barred, with an eye on all-out performance for a 50-minute race.

Black and gray Pinarello Crossista at an angle in front of concrete stairs.

The Frame

Most brands have stopped making pure cyclocross frames, instead integrating cyclocross into their gravel platforms, but this leads to concessions in the design. Pinarello does the opposite, designing the Crossista to focus on pure cyclocross performance. A cyclocross frame needs to be light, nimble, and have loads of clearance for mud, and the Crossista has all that. The geometry is similar to a race road bike, focusing on being thrown around through 180º corners in soft dirt, mud, and sand. The lightweight frameset enables the complete build to come in at just 17.37 lbs, perfect for shouldering the bike and running over the barriers.

Close-up of top tube with silver lettering that reads "Crossista".

Rear angle view of Onda fork on black and gray Crossista frame.

Black and gray Pinarello Crossista hanging from a scale in a bike stand.

The Drivetrain

To continue the premium build, this Crossista was built up with SRAM RED 1x12, but with the standard 2x rear derailleur. Using the 10-33 cassette is perfect for cross, as you do not need an insane top end, instead prioritizing the ability to stay at the right cadence across an undulating course. Paired to the cassette is a 165mm crankset with a 40t chainring, optimizing pedaling speed with enough of a climbing gear to get through the sand and up the sharp punches.

Close-up of SRAM Red drivetrain on a black Pinarello Crossista bike.

SRAM Red road rear derailleur shot at an angle.

Close-up of 12-speed 10-33t cassette with a rainbow chain.

Front-angle of SRAM Red crankset with a rainbow chain.

Wheels & Tires

Wheels can make or break a bike, and with the ENVE SES 3.4 wheels this bike is ready to take on any cross course. With their moderate rim depth, they balance aerodynamics with low weight to be the best of both worlds for a cross course. Slightly sacrilegiously, this customer opted for Challenge GRIFO Pro 38mm tires. While Challenge tires are the gold standard in cyclocross, the 38mm tire exceeds the width limit, making the bike illegal for UCI-sanctioned events, but perfectly suitable for the local cross series.

Close up of black and yellow Challenge GRIFO Pro tire mounted on an ENVE SES 3.4 wheel.

Top view showing tire tread pattern and tire clearance.

Touch Points

TIME ATAC mountain bike pedals were an easy choice due to their consistent engagement and mud-clearing capability. An S-Works Power saddle keeps the weight down and the comfort up, and a MOST alloy cockpit finishes off the build with a practical choice for a bike designed to be raced hard.

Front view of the cockpit on a black Pinarello Crossista.

Front angle view of black S-Works Power saddle with carbon rails.

Learn More

If this Pinarello Crossista has you dreaming of your own custom bike, we'd love to help make it happen. Reach out via any of the options below and our team will help you bring your unique vision to the tarmac.

📍 Visit: our Salt Lake City or Park City locations
📞 Call: 801-364-0344
📧 Email: info@contenderbicycles.com

Bike Specifications

Frame	Pinarello Crossista F
Groupset	SRAM Red AXS
Cranks	SRAM Red XPLR AXS Power Meter \| 165mm
Chainring	40t
Cassette	SRAM Red 10-33t
Brakes	SRAM Red E1
Wheels	ENVE SES 3.4
Tires	Challenge GRIFO Pro \| 700 x 38mm
Cockpit	MOST JAGUAR XA Aero
Saddle	S-Works Power \| 143
Pedals	TIME ATAC XC
Weight	17.37