Italian bike-maker Pinarello has dropped the silk sheet on its latest high-performance beast. Say hello to the Dogma X.
The company claims it is the pinnacle of its endurance road bike range and will "reshape" the way you think about performance and speed.
But let’s start with the price, because the most expensive, Campagnolo SR WRL-equipped Dogma X will cost $16,000 (only available in the US), while the UK has to make do with a Shimano Di2 model at £13,300 (or $15,500).
So how does Pinarello justify selling a bicycle that costs almost as much as a brand new Dacia Duster? Well, the Italian marque continues to push its carbon fibre partners, Toray, to create lighter, stiffer and more performance-orientated carbon layups. The T1100 1K used here has the greatest lightness to stiffness ratio around.
Pinarello is also the king of asymmetric design, and that funky frame is deliberately designed to balance the greater torsional forces imparted by the chain, providing riders with a perfectly symmetrical ride. Not an easy thing to achieve and mass produce.
However, rather than prioritising all-out performance, Pinarello says the bike has been created for those who like to spend all day on the saddle. As a result, it has introduced a fresh Endurance geometry to the featherweight 950g frame, as well as what it refers to as "X-STAYS" technology.
This is essentially a re-engineering of the chain stays, making them work harder so they absorb more vibrations and save the rider from discomfort. According to Pinarello, by doubling the attachment points, the top stays disperse forces on two points of the seat tube to further reduce vibration transfer to the cyclist’s back or behind or whatever.
The manufacturer has also factored in tyre clearance of up to 35mm, meaning the owner can fit wider, more pliant rubber for those longer days out. Or, if you’re feeling very brave, the odd bit of gravel riding.
The wheels are taken care of by a pair of beautiful Princeton Carbonworks Grit 5440, while a full Talon Ultra Light cockpit is introduced to complete the package.
Although seeing as it represents the absolute bleeding-edge of what Pinnacle is currently capable of, you won’t find even a basic frameset for under £5,500/$6,950, should you want to try and build something yourself and save some cash.
