Cycling comfort can mean different things to different riders. While some cyclists simply want a smoother riding bike that still features aggressive geometry, others want even more comfort with a geometry that is far more forgiving.
Regardless of what side of the spectrum you find yourself on, Pinarello now has an option for both with the introduction of two new platforms.
On one side, you have the new Pinarello Dogma X. Pinarello specifically states that they didn’t start with a template designed for WorldTour racers. Instead, they focused on what most riders actually need – speed, comfort, and a geometry in between the Dogma F and the current X1/3. On the other side, there are new additions to the X-Series with all-new Flexi-Stays 2 for even more compliance. Both of these bikes offer massive tire clearance with the ability to run up to 700c x 35mm tires.
Dogma X
The new Dogma X is an interesting bike as it wasn’t designed to be used by Team Ineos, but it’s not your typical comfort road bike either. Technically, Dogma X would be considered an All-Road bike – just one that is designed to be very fast.
X-Stays
Rather than adding a suspension system that could increase the weight, Pinarello focused on the compliance of the seat stays. This is not a new concept in the bike industry, but their X-Stay design is a functional design with a novel approach to blending comfort and performance. The slender seat stays are curved to increase vertical compliance, while the four attachment points to the seat tube and the X cross bracing prevent efficiency loss. Pinarello also claims that by doubling the attachment points to the seat tube over a greater area further reduces the amount of vibration noticeable to the rider.
The design has a bit of dropped-stay look to it, but it’s wildly different than the current Pinarello X endurance bike.
Massive Tire Clearance
How big do you want to go when it comes to tires? 30mm? 32mm? How about 35mm? That’s actually not that extreme when you consider that our 700c x 32mm Specialized S-Works Mondo tires stretched out to 34+mm on modern wide rims. It’s not quite gravel bike territory, but it certainly blurs into the all-road category with the ability to run some tires with a bit of tread for hard-packed gravel & dirt adventures.
Tire clearance was one of the core features built around. Pinarello’s initial testing found that elastomers and other devices weren’t needed for comfort if wider tires were used. Noting that Paris Roubaix has been won on 32mm tubeless tires the last two times, Pinarello started at 32mm and went up to 35mm tire clearance as they found that the tubeless tires in larger sizes showed real improvements in comfort without adding weight to the frame.
Frame Construction
To make the frame as light as possible, Pinarello continues their collaboration with Toray Industries. The Dogma X frame features T1100 1K carbon fiber with a specific layup on the rear triangle for absorbing vibration.
Asymmetry
Pinarello loves their asymmetry, and the Dogma X is no different. They point out that while the rider inputs force on both sides of the crank equally, only the driveside of the frame has to deal with the forces exerted from the chain on the gears. As such, the two halves of the bike are different with a dropped chainstay near the rear brake, and a downtube that’s shifted towards the drive-side near the bottom bracket.
Still Aerodynamic
The Dogma X might be built with an eye toward comfort, but as Pinarello puts it, “aerodynamics always count.” As a result, you’ll find many of the aerodynamic touches found on the Dogma F including the Onda fork with Fork Flaps, their Flatback truncated aerofoil tube profiles, and the TiCR headset system. Pinarello claims the TiCR system alone is worth 5 watts compared to a standard stem & steerer tube setup.
Dogma X Weight
In spite of the bigger tire clearance, the Dogma X is still pretty light. The claimed weight for a 53cm frame is 950g, while the fork is 400g. Perhaps more impressive is the weight of the X-Series. Even with a slightly lower grade carbon, the X9 & X7 frames weigh 960g each, just 10g more. The X5 is also impressive at 990g for the frame. All of the X-Series use a fork that weighs the same 400g as the Dogma X.
Dogma X Geometry
Geometry-wise, the Dogma X maintains an aggressive fit without being quite as aggressive as the Dogma F. With the Dogma F, X, and X-Series geometries side by side, the Dogma X is nearly right in the middle of the two in terms of stack and reach. Officially, the Dogma X has a 3.9mm shorter reach compared to Dogma F and 15.4mm increase in stack height. There a few other changes including a greater BB drop and slightly longer chainstay to fit the bigger tires. There are also 11 different sizes giving riders a lot to choose from.
Pricing, Colors, & Builds
The Dogma X will be offered with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with/without power, SRAM RED AXS, and Campagnolo Super Record Wireless. Depending on the build, the wheels included will be the DT Swiss ERC 1400, Princeton Grit 4540, or Campagnolo Bora WTO 33.
Four different stock colors will be offered including Xolar Black, Xolar Sun, Xolar Green, and Xolar Blue, and you’ll have the ability to customize your finish through the Pinarello MyWay program.
Anything with the word ‘Dogma’ in the title likely won’t come cheap, and the Dogma X is no exception. With pricing starting at $15,500, the $6,950 frameset price almost seems like a bargain.
X-Series
Fortunately for those who can’t stomach a $16k road bike, the new X-Series comes in quite a bit less expensive and still offers a lot of comfort for your money. Using the same tall & short geometry as the existing X 1/3, the new X-Series additions include a new seatstay design for an even higher level of comfort and increased tire clearance as well. Pinarello calls the new X-Series models, “the best bike for the longest rides.”
Flexi Stays 2
At first glance, the Flexi Stays 2 look similar to the X-Stays found on the Dogma X, but they lack the namesake ‘X’ bracing. That should make the rear end of the X-Series even more compliant than the Dogma X, and also more compliant than the existing X 1/3. The design benefits from the same slender stay profile and four attachment points to the seat tube to disperse vibrations.
Tire Clearance
Just like the Dogma X, the X-Series gets a massive boost in tire clearance with room for 35mm rubber – though complete bikes will ship with 32mm tires.
Frame Construction
Another difference for the X-Series is a change in the carbon fiber. Unlike the Dogma X which uses the top-end T1100 1k fiber from Toray, the X7 & X9 will use Toray T900, while the X5 limits use to T700. The higher the number, the higher the modulus and tensile strength, meaning you can achieve greater stiffness with fewer carbon plies, and therefore less weight.
You’ll also find a lot of the same design features on the X-Series as other Pinarellos including their asymmetric design, Onda fork with Fork Flaps, their Flatback profile for aerodynamics, and the TiCR headset system.
Geometry
Essentially, the X-Series uses the same geometry found on the X 1/3 and previously on the Pinarello Paris. There are slight differences to accommodate the bigger tire clearance, but the reach and stack remain the same. Unlike the Dogma X which gets 11 sizes, the X-Series keeps to nine.
Pricing & Builds
If you’re looking at the top X9 build, the pricing is still steep at $11,800, but the X5 gets much more approachable at $6,000. The new X5 through X9 are also in addition to the existing X1/3 which have even lower price points. All of the builds will include Shimano Di2 drivetrains, and either Fulcrum, Most, or Shimano wheels.
