I’ll steer clear of the thorny take that “bikes are art.” But one pro cycling team rides a rig that may come closest to merit the comparison.
INEOS Grenadiers famously roll on Pinarellos. Even to the untrained eye, there’s no way to mistake one of the Italian frames for any other build on the road circuit. The coiled lines and crouching, animal-like stance have no equals or imitators. (Neither do the iconic race records the bikes have piled up over the years.)
But Pinarellos have almost always belonged on the road or smooth surfaces like it. However, that’s all changing.
Pinarello is Getting Dirty
INEOS Grenadiers riders Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tom Pidcock will plunge into today’s UCI Cross-country World Cup in Nové Město, Czech Republic, on the backs of “development” versions of the Dogma XC — Pinarello’s brand-new full-suspension mountain bike.
A production variant won’t arrive until next year. For now, we can salivate over the “development” rigs under the likes of Pidcock and Ferrand-Prévot. (The most attentive cycling heads will know both riders have been testing Dogma XC concepts for a while now.)
Essentially, a “development” unit is a pre-production version of a bike that a pro rides to influence the development of the final product through their expertise. Bonus points: The pros punish the bikes, testing the concepts against the most demanding conditions.
So mere mortals like you and I won’t be able to mount a Dogma XC yet. But now, there are at least scraps of information we can gnaw at in the interim.
Dogma XC Highlights
With anything Pinarello, the brand goes to extreme lengths to describe its design principles as singular. Here’s a dose of the bluster before we blow by it, pulled from its discussion of kinematics: “The rear suspension kinematics take the integration of flex stays into account to maximize energy transfer while pedaling, deliver optimal compression/rebound on technical descents, and enable maximal rider control.”
Essentially, engineers designed parts of the rear triangle to flex, eliminating the need for more pivots. This efficiently transfers power while still allowing the suspension to work as intended. The GearJunkie verdict? We think it looks pretty cool, especially with the custom embellishments they’re giving it for the pros.
I’m here to tell you the Dogma XC is basically a short- to medium-travel setup that can accept tires up to 29 x 2.35 inches on an asymmetrical frame. As you’d expect, it’s full carbon, with range-topping standards like a fully integrated headset, Boost rear spacing, and compatibility for a universal derailleur hanger.
Pidcock, too, put it in much simpler terms. He’d never been invited to develop a bike before and sounded genuinely excited, as quoted in a press release.
“I got my first look at it back in March, and my initial impressions were positive. It handles brilliantly, is super-responsive, and ultimately is fast,” Pidcock said.
“It’s going to be fun working with Pinarello to make it even better. I’ve never really been involved in the development process of a bike before, feeding my thoughts and suggestions back in, but it’s something I’m definitely enjoying, and Pinarello’s engineers are committed to producing bikes that help us win races.”
Fun — enjoyable — fast. Sound like riding a bike? Yep, same here.
Pinarello says the public can get its paws on the Dogma XC next March. A hardtail will also be available, the brand said. Prices, sizing, and pretty much all other measurement categories are unknown. For now, watch the pros whip it around the UCI World Cup circuit.
Pinarello Dogma XC Mountain Bike Specs
- Carbon fiber front and rear triangle, Ergal aluminum hardware
- Asymmetric frame
- Split rear triangle design (patent pending)
- Seatpost diameter: 30.9 mm
- Seatpost compatible with seat post dropper & internal cable routing
- Geometry developed for double-travel setup:
– Front 100mm, rear 90mm (with 190 x 45mm rear shock)
– Front 120mm, rear 100mm (with 210 x 50mm rear shock) - Standard mount rear shock with 90-degree inverted fixing points
- Transmission 1×12 compatible, chainrings 32 T or 40 T
- Chainline: 55 mm
- Maximum crankset arm length: 175 mm
- Compatible with Stages power meters
- TiCr internal cable routing
- TiCr integrated headset with 60-degree internal stopper
- Boost Standard, 12mm-diameter conical thru-axle, compatible with UDH
- Standard flat mount 160mm, compatible with 180mm (adapter needed)
- Maximum tire clearance: 29″ x 2.35″
- Two bottle attachments
