Pinarello Dogma F Review

The latest generation of Pinarello’s grand tour conquering Dogma is here, and this time it’s ditching the numerical naming system used for the previous generations. Called the Dogma F, it doesn’t appear on the surface to be much of a departure from the look of previous Dogma models, but under the hood there are many important changes and performance improvements that take this already phenomenal model to another level.

The Dogma continues Pinarello’s long tradition of creating one race bike platform, instead of parsing out duties to a climbing or aero specific bike. “That’s not how people ride in the real world,” notes Pinarello. The Prince and Paris models took this to heart, and so have all the Dogma models seen under various iterations of the Ineos Grenadiers for the past decade-plus of professional racing. It’s an idea other brands have begun to embrace as well, like Specialized with the Tarmac SL7, introduced last summer, which made the aero Venge model obsolete.

Similar look, but some important changes

The Dogma series of bikes has been at the forefront of bike design for quite a while, so it’s not much of a shock that the latest model looks a fair bit like the previous one, including the trademark asymmetrical design, meant to account for the differing forces applied to the drive side. But there are some important updates, some visible and some not so.

The Dogma F is now made with a carbon fiber called TORAYCA T1100 1K with Nanoalloy Technology, which is used in top automotive and aerospace applications. This material helps account for some weight savings—we’ll get to that in a moment—as well as an improvement in stiffness of 12 percent at the bottom bracket.

More visible, though still subtle, are changes to the truncated aero tube shapes which result in aerodynamic improvements. Most notably, the down-tube has been tweaked, allowing air coming off of the fork to channel around both the down-tube and seat-tube bottle cages. The rear triangle has also been redesigned using computational fluid dynamics.

The redesigned ONDA fork has also taken a page out of the Pinarello Bolide TT bike’s playbook, with fork blades that act as sails that actually produce forward movement in crosswinds.

In total, the new Dogma F disc is 4.8 percent more aerodynamic than the F12 disc, and the rim brake version is 3.2 percent more aerodynamic the the previous rim brake version. That translates into 1.3 watts saved at 40 kph and 2.6 watts at 50 kph.

Weight savings throughout

The Dogma F saves grams across the system compared to its predecessor, and it does so with the “marginal gains” ethos of the Ineos Grenadiers team that has won so much on this bike. Analyzing every single part yielded lots of savings. The new seatpost top clamp saves 35 grams, while the seat-tube adds 27 grams to that tally. The headset shaves 25 grams, the ONDA fork another 58 grams, and the thru axles 20 grams. The MOST TALON ULTRA integrated handlebar saves another 40 grams thanks to new materials and construction method.  In total, the disc version frame kit saves 265 grams—11 percent less weight than the Dogma F12.

All said and done, Pinarello claims a full build weight of 6.9 kilograms for a SRAM Red eTap AXS equipped disc model, and 6.8 kilograms for a Dura-Ace Di2 disc build, taking it right to the UCI weight limit. In fact, Pinarello says that unlike past models of the Dogma, there won’t be an “X-Light” model of the Dogma F, because it hits weight targets as is. Our size 53 SRAM Red equipped test bike came in at 7.06 kilograms, a bit over the claimed weight, though that’s with an uncut steerer and stem spacers.

Pinarello has also achieved this weight savings while maintaining a frame weight of 850 grams for a size 53, which the brand cites as the optimal weight for balancing handling with reliability and durability. Pinarello could make the Dogma much lighter if it wanted to, but the extra grams are put to use making the most well-rounded race bike possible.   

Rim brakes are here to stay

Though Pinarello says disc brake bikes now make up the majority of bike sales (a whopping 90 percent), the brand is keeping the rim brake option around on the Dogma F. Pinarello says it wants to give riders the right to choose what is best for them. And if you’re a rim brake diehard, the good news is you’ll save even more weight compared to the disc version, though Pinarello hasn’t said how much.

Made to fit every rider type

While Pinarello can’t offer the same personalized bike fit that a custom builder could, the brand recognizes the importance of getting your fit as close to that as possible. That’s why the Dogma F comes in 11 frame sizes, along with 16 handlebar/stem size combinations and two seatpost setback options. In total that’s 352 possible combinations of the Dogma F. It come in sizes 430, 465, 500, 515, 530, 540, 550, 560, 575, 595 and 620, with each frame’s geometry getting tweaked as necessary to maintain a similar ride quality across the range. 

Pricing

As expected, the Dogma F comes with a high price tag. $6,950 gets you the frame, fork and seatpost. The newly updated MOST TALON ULTRA integrated handlebar costs another $950. Our full build with SRAM Red eTap AXS and DT Swiss ARC 1400 wheels costs $14,500, putting it a price point above even most high end race bikes.

The ride

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that the Dogma F continues the impeccable track record of the Dogma models that have come before. Any type of riding you can throw at it, it handles phenomenally.

The 72.5-degree head-tube angle and 73.7-degree seat-tube angle, coupled with 406mm chainstays make for a true race-tuned geometry that reacts instantaneously to anything. (all dimensions listed are for a size 53, but every size is similarly aggressive). There’s an almost telepathic connection with the bike that becomes especially apparent on technical descents where you can ride the bike past the limits of other race bikes.

The stiffer bottom bracket is noticeable climbing out of the saddle and moments when quick accelerations are needed. But despite the stiffer ride, it never feels harsh—and that’s without the added comfort of tubeless. These days we’re pretty much 28c+ tubeless or bust for tires because of the added comfort without loss of speed, but even with the 26c stock tube tires, the ride was very comfortable.

On flats you can really get going in a fast rhythm. And having a bike that really feels fast is always a confidence boost. It’s a bike that you wouldn’t mind having in a breakaway, climb or crit. It simply does it all.

Our only real gripe comes down to the use of small Torx bolt sizes on the cockpit that you wouldn’t find on any multi-tool, making roadside repairs difficult, should they arise. If you get a Dogma, or any recent Pinarello actually, you will want to invest in a full Torx set for your home workshop.

But overall Pinarello has written another excellent chapter in the book of Dogma. The Dogma F is simply a joy to ride, no matter what the day’s route calls for.

The Spec

7.06 kg (size 53)

$14,500 as built

SRAM Red eTap AXS (46/33T chainrings, 10-33T cassette); DT Swiss ARC 1400 wheelset; Pirelli P-Zero Race 700x26c tires; MOST TALON ULTRA integrated cockpit; Pinarello seatpost; MOST LYNX NS CARBON saddle