My first time on a Pinarello
The Pinarello Dogma F10 bike is a true racing bike made in collaboration with Team Sky. The Grand Tour winning bike is said to be the most versatile bike, conquering both hectic sprint finals, crosswinds, and mountains in the pursuit of victory. I took it to Spain to test it.
The Pinarello Dogma F10 was first introduced going into the 2017 season taking over for the Pinarello F8. It is based on the design of the Dogma F8 and the Bolide Hour Record bike - all features to make a fast, comfortable and lightweight road bike made for racing.
I have ridden a lot of bikes through the years and I am in the game for a bike made for racing where aerodynamics and stiffness are the priorities. After more than ten years as a cyclist and many of these as an elite rider, I know what I want from my bikes.
Nowadays, many are obsessed about weight going as light as possible. A few hundred grams is not my concern when choosing a bike as long as the stiffness follows too.
When the Pinarello Dogma F10 from Team Sky was assembled, I was curious about the weight, as I know my chosen wheels - the American Classic 40 clincher - are not the lightest wheels on the market. The complete bike, ready to ride, was at just 7310 grams. I was definitely impressed since the Pinarello Dogma F10 wasn't built especially for climbing, but rather to be an all-round bike.
Testing the F10 on Spanish roads
I’ve got the chance to take the bike with me on a training camp in Calpe, Spain. Calpe is primarily known for the warm and stable all-year weather and the Coll de Rates climb. A lot of cyclists, from exercisers to professionals, heading towards this region for the training facilities. It is definitely not unlikely to run into a pro or three.
I decided to go with clincher wheels as I did not bother struggling with eventually punctures on tubular tires.
I was very excited about testing the Pinarello Dogma F10. For years it was the main race machine of Team Sky winning all kinds of races, including Chris Froome winning the 2017 Tour de France. So, it is so good as it sounds? I had to figure this out!
My first impression was that the Pinarello Dogma F10 is a really lightweight bike. When clipped in, the stiffness of the bike comes alive. The bike is extremely fast accelerating, putting all the watts through the bike and into speed. This was really impressive and a good start, so why not push the limits and see what the Pinarello Dogma F10 does best?
Together with some of my pals, I was heading towards some mountains and ascendings to test its climbing performance. Just like when I first clipped in, the bike was super fast reacting to the input given. Every watt put in the pedals were just accelerating the bike to the top, making it a smooth ride just like dancing on the pedals. Some bikes can feel quite heavy or slow accelerating, especially uphill where the speed is low - this is not the case for this speed demon.
The handling of the bike is extremely livid and freely when going at lower speed both straight and cornering, so I thought it would be quite the same when descending. Here I was surprised once again. The handling when descending at high speed was quite different. It was super stable and trusty going straight down, but I felt it was not as responding when cornering. The bike was still super stable, but I expected the same livid and wildness in the handling as when I went with low speed. Through the week I felt more and more comfortable with the handling and I found the perfect spot when cornering at high speed for a fast and secure descending.
When I had the opportunity to test this bad boy for many days, I could not think of a better test than a sprint, and I must say, that sprinting is not my specialty. I’ve always felt sprinting from low speed was a pain in the ass during training at it has always felt like riding through a swamp, you just push on, but nothing happens.
I found a perfectly flat road and started the real test. I have never ridden a bike that fast accelerating and building up the speed as the Pinarello Dogma F10 does. I am pretty sure it is a perfect combination of weight, stiffness, and aerodynamics. At this time I even liked to do sprints, not something I am especially proud to admit but this bike made it cool and a success.
The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset is simply a piece of art. It delivers a super smooth, precise and crisp gear shifting. It perfectly suits up the Pinarello Dogma F10 for a superb high-end racing bike.
My final conclusion
Everything of the Pinarello Dogma F10 impressed me after a week of riding it. I had a blast while pedaling and, of course, enjoyed the beautiful Italian craftsmanship. From the perfectly integrated seat post clamp, the integrated stem and handlebar and to the way the fork integrates with the frame.
The handlebar is compatible with the MOST iTalon outfront for Garmin head units, making a smooth, clean and aerodynamic look. Even the Elite Vico bottle cages are a plus to the bike. The bottle cages may not be giving that much attention, but keeping the bottles firmly in place is quite important. The Vico carbon does the job quite well and not a single downside to mention on these.
I found the Pinarello Dogma F10 to have a perfect balance between aerodynamics, stiffness, weight and comfort. It's worth to notice this isn't a bike made for comfortable rides, its sole purpose of this bike is racing and crossing the finish line first. I have not noticed any issues about comfort, but again, I like a fast and aggressive set up for my bikes. Definitely some will find it way too uncomfortable but I’m convinced most cycling enthusiasts will like the fit and feel of this pure racing bike.
The bike's specifications
Brand: Pinarello
Model: Dogma F10 Team Sky Edition
Frame material: Carbon
Fork material: Carbon
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9000
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150
Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 - 170mm - 53/39 chainrings
Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace PD-9000
Handlebar: MOST Talon Aero 1K Carbon Integrated Handlebar
Seatpost: Pinarello Dogma F10 Aero carbon
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Carbon
Wheelset: American Classic Carbon40 clincher
Front Tyre: 25mm Lifeline Essential
Rear Tyre: 25mm Lifeline Essential
Extras: MOST iTalon Aero out front for Garmins and Elite Vico Carbon bottle cages.
The bike weighs 7.31 kg for a size 53. The wheelset with tires, tubes and QR’s weighs in at 2365 grams. The tires are not especially lightweight nor super fast-rolling, but offers a solid grip and better puncture-protection than lighter tires. With some lighter wheels and tires, the magical 6.8 point which is the UCI minimum weight of a bike to be used for racing is reachable.
A bit info on the rider
I am 179 cm heigh with an inseam of 80 cm. That certainly makes me a short-legged guy. Normally I opt for a size 52/Small because I like an aggressive setup with a high saddle-to-handlebar drop. With this Pinarello Dogma F10, I opted for the size 53. The headtube is a bit higher than general but has a slightly longer top tube.
Height: 179 cm
Inseam: 80 cm
Saddle height: 70,5 cm
Tip of saddle to center steering: 56 cm
Handlebar/stem: 38cm*/120mm
Crankarm length: 170mm
*The MOST Talon Aero 1k handlebar is measured 40cm outer-to-outer which gives a 38cm center-to-center
I hoped you enjoyed reading this post, which I wrote after training during the camp in Calpe. My clothing is from my former team, Team Sync - Giant, where I also work in my spare time as a sports director. The is also sponsored with equipment from ProOwned.
If you are interested in this awesome bike, you can find our Pinarello collection here.