As a bunch of former pro racers, mechanics, and lifelong cycling nerds, the inGamba crew has ridden more than its fair share of bikes, but for us, the Pinarello Dogma has always been the right choice, regardless of the occasion.
There might have been contenders who were a little lighter on the scale, or more aero in a wind tunnel, but they invariably fell short in the real world. Pinarello never tried to undercut the competition on paper, they’re more interested in out-performing them on the road, where it matters.
DEDICATED TO THE DOGMA
From the coastline of California to the highest peaks of the Alps and the Dolomites, every generation of the Dogma has gone beyond our expectations and provided the kind of speed, control, feedback (and fun) that can’t be appreciated by looking at stats. To know the Dogma, you need to ride it. And once you do, you’ll never want to ride anything else.
Some like to differentiate between aero bikes and climber’s bikes, but it’s not how we ride in the real world. Aero and weight are both big concerns, but it has to be a balancing act because we can’t swap out our whips midway. There’s inevitably going to be a flat stretch on the way to the day’s big climb or after the descent, and we need a bike that can do both.
It climbs like a mountain goat, descends like it’s on rails, and bosses every sprint. And it does all that while still being comfortable, which is not something you can say about a lot of purebred racing bikes these days. The race to make things stiffer and lighter has too often come at the expense of the rider’s posterior…
But perhaps the best thing you can say about every Pinarello Dogma we’ve ridden is that they have never felt like they’d let us down. We’ve ridden them on all kinds of roads, all over the world, and they have outperformed our expectations, every time.
THE EVOLUTION OF GREATNESS
Considering Egan Bernal rode a Dogma F12 to victory at the Giro d’Italia just months before the launch of the Dogma F, it’s safe to say that there was still a lot of life left in the F12. But innovation is part of Pinarello’s DNA and they were never going to rest on their laurels. The new Dogma F brings some important gains to the table and we cannot wait to put it through its paces.
Interestingly, even though our friends in Treviso told us that weight wasn’t a priority for the R&D team, they have managed to make it lighter by 265g on the complete Dogma F Disc frame kit – that’s a saving of 11%. This has come thanks to some new production methods, in particular 3D-printed titanium componentry like the new seat spider.
A lot of work has gone into improving airflow, from the improved front fork section that cuts through the air to the new rear triangle that channels airflow out the back, the new bike is 4.8% more aerodynamic in the disc version compared to the Dogma F12.
Drag is practically zero until the air has travelled halfway along the frame. And thanks to innovation derived directly from their uber-fast time trial bike, the Bolide, the blades of the new Onda fork actually act as sails that favour forward movement in crosswind conditions – an effect that is amplified as the wind gets stronger.
It’s worth noting too that they’ve continued to offer a rim brake version, which we respect. We’ll be opting for disc brakes, but riders should have a choice and it’s awesome to see a major brand like Pinarello honor that and give equal attention to both options. The new Onda fork has actually been designed twice, once for each braking system, and that shows the level of care that has gone into the new bike’s development.
CONTINUING A PROUD LEGACY
Fit is probably the single biggest performance factor on a bike. It’s the difference between easy speed and a painful slog, and coaches will tell you that dialing it in with the help of a professional bike fit is one of the best things you can do for your cycling.
With so many guests to take care of, we know a thing or two about bike fit, and the range offered by Pinarello has always been one of the things our mechanics appreciated the most about our fleet of Dogmas.
As the company puts it themselves, they will “never use T-shirt sizes to measure bikes,” and we thank them for that. With 11 frame sizes, 16 handlebar sizes, and 2 seat post sizes, the Dogma F has 352 fit options, so you will have no problem getting comfortable. It’s a continuation of Italy’s fine tradition of craftsmanship and we love it because every bike should fit like a finely tailored suit.
The 2022 inGamba fleet has been ordered and we are eagerly awaiting their arrival later this year. We’ll be posting more about them once they land, so be sure to watch this space, and in the meantime, think about a trip or two next year so that you’ll have some quality time to become properly acquainted with the world’s best bike.
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