Presenting the All-New 2019 Pinarello Prince
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Pinarello is the king of incremental change. When the Dogma F10 was released, it was seen as a minimal update over the class-leading Dogma F8. However, as time as shown, those small changes have kept the Dogma at the front of the pack, proverbially and in the peloton. These small changes translate to the new for 2019 Pinarello Prince road bike, which takes the latest tech from the World Tour-worthy Dogma and brings it to the masses. The 2019 Pinarello Prince essentially replaces the outgoing Gan S and Gan RS in the Pinarello line, two bikes we felt offered performance nearly equal to the Dogma line, at a fraction of the cost. If the Gan line is based off of the outgoing Dogma F8, the Prince follows the playbook of the Pinarello Dogma F10. This newest iteration hasn’t just gone to the Dogma finishing school, but it’s applied it's learnings to its fullest extent.
Upon first glance, the Prince looks just the Dogma. Look a bit closer, and there’s a bit of separation that extends past the Prince name. Prince, Prince Disk, Prince Easy Fit models use Toray T700 carbon throughout, while Prince FX steps up to their Toray T900 grade carbon. While not as advanced as Pinarello’s Toray T1100G carbon found throughout the Dogma line, T700 and T900 can make for a stout frameset that doesn’t sacrifice much weight in the name of maintaining proper ride quality. Weights aren’t too far off either the Dogma, either; the Prince FX frame weighs just 940g, 960g for the Prince frame, and 980g for the Prince Disk. Disk frames receive now-ubiquitous thru axles front and rear. Besides the additional weight, nearly everything the Dogma has, the 2019 Pinarello Prince has as well. Starting from the front, Prince models receive an updated aero headtube design to improve aerodynamics around the brake caliper. The fork maintains the typical Pinarello Onda design, and gains the Fork Flap design, originally on the Dogma and Bolide TT. This design isn’t just distinguishing; on the Bolide TT, Pinarello claim a 10% reduction in drag compared to their standard fork, and here it does a similar job. Out back, the seatstays receive an updated FlatBack design that again improves aerodynamics. These are minute detail to focus on, but once again incremental changes mean obsessing over the details in order for marginal gains in free speed. 
Look even closer at the new for 2019 Prince, and there is more wealth shared. Prince features a concave downtube below the bottle cage mounts designed to shield the downtube and water bottles. On the Dogma F10, the Italian manufacturer claimed that net drag was reduced by 12.6%, but that directional airflow was also vastly improved. We expect similar improvements compared to the previous Pinarello Gan S and RS. Further, the downtube receives Pinarello’s e-link design, which elegantly places a Shimano Di2 junction box in the downtube. The big difference here is a second cutout in the downtube around the front wheel for improved aero. The Prince in both rim and disc brake models also fit a 28 mm tire, something the Dogma F10 doesn't easily do. Small changes again, but much in line with the incremental changes we've seen that keep Pinarello as one of the top brands. We wouldn’t be surprised to see something like this on the next Dogma. 
Now for the big question: how’s it ride? Putting the Prince Disk thru it's paces back-to-back with the Pinarello Dogma F10 Disk reveals how closely related they are. The handling on the Prince perhaps isn't quite as sharp as a Dogma F10 at the limit, but it is certainly sharper-feeling than what you'd find on many other race-ready road bikes. Out of the saddle, you get that typical stiffness that modern Pinarello road bikes are known for, with the Prince Disk model feeling a bit sturdier under load than the Prince rim brake model (not sure about Prince FX). Perhaps the most noticeable difference came in it's weight disadvantage. The Dogma isn't a lightweight bike by any means, but it certainly feels lighter than it actually is. The same goes for Prince: light on it's feet, carries speed like few other bikes, and is a truly sublime descender. 
If you're looking for performance typical of the very best on the market, you could do far worse than the Prince. It’s a fraction of cost of the Dogma F10 and the rest of the line, for nearly all the performance, feel, and technology. Some might call the Prince little more than a bike aimed at the aspirational Dogma owner. We think it's a top-level bicycle in it's own right. Not too shabby for incremental changes. 
The 2019 Pinarello Prince, Prince FX, and Prince Disk are available in eleven sizes to ensure a tailored fit for everyone. Easy Fit geometry is available for Prince and Prince Disk for shorter riders and women. Prices start at just $4150 for a Prince rim brake model with Ultegra. The Prince lineup will start shipping this Fall 2018. Shoot us an email anytime to info@contenderbicycles.com, or give us a call during business hours for any questions.