Pinarello Bikes

The Pinarello Dogma F12 frameset successfully builds on what many saw as a near-perfect race machine and made it… more. The Dogma F12 is 10% laterally stiffer, 10% lighter, with a 7.3% reduction in drag totaling an 8-watt improvement over the Dogma F10 at 40 km/h. It still retains the Dogma F10’s generous range of 13 frame sizes and nearly retains the award-winning geometry of the previous bike. The culmination of these efforts is a purposeful race frameset that places efficiency at the forefront to make one of the most well-rounded and efficient bicycles in the world.

The Pinarello Dogma F12 Disk frameset builds on the Dogma’s trademark asymmetric frame design to make the frame stiff where it needs to be, and just compliant enough for longer rides. To accommodate flat mount disc brakes, the Pinarello redesigned their legendary Onda fork design to withstand the loads of discs without losing the trademark aerodynamic fork flaps and other aero gains. This is complemented by 12mm thru axles front and rear, and a front end that is 40% stiffer under braking than the F10 Disk. Despite these changes, claimed frameset weights are nearly the same as those of the rim brake model.

Few bikes are as distinctive as the Pinarello Dogma, and the K10 is no exception. The Pinarello Dogma K10 frameset features slightly shorter reach and taller stack than the exceptionally racy F10, thus better positioning the rider for long days in the saddle. Tire clearance is increased to fit a 28c tire to provide better grip on descents while taking the edge off of choppy pavement. Pinarello slightly increased its wheelbase over the F10, thus making the bike more predictable and less twitchy. Besides that, it retains similar levels of stiffness, as well as the oft-praised Dogma ride quality the Dogma is known for.

If the K10 is a perfect 10 out of 10, then the Pinarello Dogma K10-S Disk frameset proverbially cranks it to 11. What makes this bike unlike anything else on the market today? An elastomer-based suspension system at the back called Dogma Suspension System (DSS).

Simply put, DSS is a small module at the seat stay that allows up to 10mm of shock absorption in the rear triangle to smooth out choppy roads and rough terrain. While relatively simple in design, it’s execution is spot-on and does an excellent job of providing a level of compliance that wouldn’t usually be there. Pinarello offer this in two versions: a standard version, and one with an electronically-adjustable damper called eDSS.

For the real world, the Pinarello Dogma K10 and K10-S are as good as it gets. Combined, they are two of the most advanced, fastest, and best riding superbikes around.

Pinarello took a holistic approach to their new gravel bikes, the Grevil and Grevil + (pronounced “Gree-vell plus”). Anyone can make a gravel bike, but they wanted to make a gravel bike with true Pinarello DNA. Translation? Ensure their new bike has the handling, stability, and responsiveness typical of the brand, regardless of build, tire, or wheel size.

Yes, wheel size. The Grevil and Grevil + fit both 700c and 650b wheels, and tires as big as a 27.5 x 2.1”. Like OPEN and 3T Cycling, Pinarello achieves this variety of tire and wheel sizes with a short 420mm chainstay with a dropped chainstay. Many call it fashion; we say it allows the chainstays to be wide enough for optimal stiffness without compromising wheelbase length or tire options.

The company from Treviso didn’t just call it good with a dropped chainstay. Having touted their Think Asymmetric philosophy for years, Pinarello found that a dropped chainstay substantially changes energy transfer from the wheel to the saddle. So they designed what they’re calling their Twin Arms technology. In short, because the drive side chainstay is dropped, the drive side seat stay ought to be dropped as well to ensure the rear of the bike responds to stress similarly. Small details, but they make all the difference in making a bike that is hollistically cohesive.

Much is shared between the Grevil and vaunted Dogma series. The Grevil receives flourishes such as a concave downtube for improved aero around the water bottles and provides a little opening to integrate a Di2 junction box. The now-ubiquitous Onda fork and Fork Flaps are found here as well, with the non-drive side much bigger to smooth airflow around the disc brake caliper. Pinarello added a third bottle cage under the downtube (where air flow isn’t as important), as well as the comfort-laden seatpost from the Dogma K10. All in, features like these make the Grevil that much more versatile on and off the beaten path.

Geometry plays a substantial role in dictating the character of a bike, and the designers went to great lengths to ensure that the Grevil and Grevil+ ride like a Pinarello. Reach and stack numbers are similar to what you’d find on the Pinarello Gan K, with just a touch more stack. Pinarello managed to ensure that the wheelbase is only about 2.5% longer than the Gan K despite much greater tire clearances.

The Grevil gravel bike is available in two carbon grades: Grevil with Toray T700, and Grevil+ with Toray T1100 1K found on the Pinarello Dogma. Delivery is expected in March 2019.

The 2019 Prince FX essentially replaces the role that the 2018 and prior Pinarello Gan RS filled; namely, a high-end road bike whose proximity to the Dogma F8 and F10 was underscored by a consistently nondescript paint job. People in the know knew you were riding a Pinarello, but those really in the know knew you were riding what was likely the best bang for the buck in the entire range. The Prince FX continues this trend; it shares the same ultra-luxe Toray T900 carbon as the Gan RS and basic asymmetric frame philosophy, but it pulls plenty from the newest Dogma. At the front is the Pinarello Onda fork, updated with the characteristic fork flaps also found on the F10. The downtube receives an updated Flatback profile to come much closer to the Dogma as well, with the tubes further optimized for aerodynamics around water bottles. The downtube also receives their E-Link design that places Shimano Di2 junction boxes in the downtube to be easily accessible. Unlike the Dogma F10, the Prince FX features a more integrated design with the fork that brings the downtube closer to the front wheel for greater aerodynamics around the fork crown and downtube.

Pinarello’s Prince road bike offers the same features, design, and tech as the Prince FX, but swaps out Toray T900 carbon for T700. Weight goes up a tiny bit, and it loses a tiny percentage of the snappiness you might find from the Prince FX. Is that worth it? Good question. The Prince is an outstanding bicycle in it’s own right, a wheelset swap away from being a World Tour-worthy road bike. We would never hesitate to recommend the bike to the appropriate rider: someone looking for quintessential Pinarello ride and performance without needing to spend for a Dogma.

As for the Prince Disk? Take the riding performance of the Prince rim brake model, and add a touch of stiffness courtesy of thru axles. We can’t say for sure if it changes the ride quality much between the two models, but we can say that there is no dropoff in performance. Tire clearance is improved, as is overall braking ability. It might just be the pick of the litter.

Regardless of what model Prince you might look at, you’re guaranteed some of the very best Pinarello has to offer in outright performance. Few bikes come close to the performance of the Dogma F10, but the Prince comes closer than just about anything else.

Pinarello claims that the demands are the same as a classic road cyclist: lightness, rigidity, and speed are key to a proper-feeling road bike. They achieve this through slick use of the Ebikemotion X35 drive motor. This uses a hub-based motor that offers 40 Nm torque and 250 W power and offers drag-free operation above the 20 mph assist limit. Assist levels are controlled by what the iWoc ONE controller, a single LED-backlit button which is embedded in the top tube. From here, riders can select between three levels of assist, and see where their battery life is mid-ride. Need more information? Ebikemotion offers a companion app that not only offers battery life and power output but GPS navigation and auto-uploading to Strava. Need more battery life? Pinarello will offer a 250 Wh battery pack mountable on the downtube and seat tube.

Accompanying the stealthy motor is a 250 Wh battery that offers strong performance despite its diminutive size (Orbea doesn’t make any claims, but many riders say that the battery gets 60+ miles of range with juice to spare). This keeps weight low (the whole pedal assist system weighs in at 7.7 lbs), and combined with geometry that mimics that of the Pinarello Prince road bike, makes for a bike that surprises in how natural it feels. The hub-based drive motor is drag-free when not offering a helping hand, but when they do offer a helping hand, assist is sneaky and well-disguised. Generally speaking, it’s not until you look at how fast you climbed the mountain that you see that there was a bit of motor-doping going on; it’s that good.

Seat tube angle, top tube measurements, and fork measurements, and wheelbase is the same as the Prince Disk. The difference comes in a 10% taller headtube, which ensures the Dyodo maintains the snappy handling of a Pinarello with bit of comfort mixed in. It also uses the same Toray T700 carbon as what’s found on the Prince Disk.

The Pinarello Gan road bike is, at its core, a performance-oriented road bike. By trading out exotic T1100 Dream Carbon for simpler carbon layups, it retains much of the dreamy ride characteristics stereotypical of Pinarello. The Gan line starts with the Pinarello Gan 105, using Toray T600 carbon fiber, which has a tensile strength nearly as good as the high-end Dogma while being a bit heavier and simpler in layup. The Pinarello Gan S Ultegra then steps it up to a Toray T700 carbon, which doesn’t make a huge difference in ride quality, but cuts frameset weight substantially. Pinarello then steps it up to the top-end Pinarello Gan RS Ultegra, which uses a slightly more compliant T900 carbon that sacrifices a tiny bit of weight and stiffness to the Dogma, but drops the overall cost significantly. Each bike shares the same race road bike geometry, designed to be ridden as quickly as possible all over the road.

The Pinarello Gan K Disk Ultegra is where things start to get a bit more interesting. Seat tube angles and chainstay lengths are the same as the Dogma K8, and it shares asymmetric frame design and FlatBack tube shaping with that bike as well. Flex Stays are used for the seat and chainstays to keep road chatter and vibration at bay while utilizing a FlatBack profile (curved at the bottom and flat at the back) for increased aerodynamics. It also features the Pinarello Onda fork, here tuned for smoothness. In comparison to the standard Gan models, the Gan K Disk flows through corners with aplomb and takes the edge off bumps thanks to its generous tire clearance and endurance road geometry.

While not as exotic as it’s sibling, Pinarello offers a Gan model for nearly every road-centric style of riding.

Pinarello’s reputation is largely founded on racing success and victories. Starting in 1957, Pinarello began sponsoring teams large and small, with the end goal of racing glory. This led to a remarkable Giro d’Italia victory in 1975, further boosting the notoriety of the Pinarello name. Sponsorship of multiple teams over the decades has led to victories with legendary riders like Cipollini, Indurain, Riis, Zabel, Ullrich, Valverde, and Pereiro. Today, Pinarello continue to dominate the pro racing circuit thanks to names like Sir Bradley Wiggins, Nairo Quintana, and Chris Froome. While the rider is most certainly the motor, it is their success that is a testimony to Pinarello’s dedication to building the best bikes possible.

While Giovanni Pinarello started sponsoring racing teams in 1957, it wasn’t until 1961 that the Pinarello name was emblazoned on a bicycle’s downtube. For years, Pinarello specialized in steel tubing, with Columbus Tubi being the predominant supplier. Models like the Pinarello Montello SLX were legendary thanks to their combination of Columbus SLX tubing, race-tuned geometry, and relentless pursuit of superior build quality. They then progressed to the Pinarello Paris in the mid-1990s, which hailed the use of ultralight aluminum and then carbon fiber. Today, the Pinarello Dogma is perhaps the most famous name and silhouette in road bikes today. This is thanks to both a lust-worthy combination of aerodynamic design, top-tier levels of stiffness, and race-ready handling. Make no mistake: Pinarello dominates the racing scene as much now as it did in the past, if not more so today.

Today, Pinarello is led by Giovanni’s son, Fausto. The Pinarello name isn’t just seen on unattainable road bikes; instead, Pinarello offers a greater range of frames and bikes than ever. Models like the Pinarello Nytro e-road bike bring typical Pinarello handling to the e-bike world, making it also one of the lightest e-bike framesets available today. The Pinarello Bolide TT was designed in conjunction with Jaguar to make one of the fastest time-trial bikes on the market today. Not to be forgotten, the Pinarello Treviso Disk brings Pinarello’s dedication to quality to the city bike, to those looking for quality and design in their city bike.

Pinarello has come a long way. While starting as a footnote in Giro d’Italia history, the Pinarello brand is one of the most famous and storied bicycle brands today. Pinarello made the best performing bikes on the market in the past, and continue to do so today.