The Pinarello Dogma is iconic.
It is synonymous with success. And not just recently.
Towards the end of the 1990’s, Fausto Pinarello joined forces with Fassa Bortolo. After a successful partnership with Telekom earlier in the decade, this new collaboration not only resulted in more victories, with the FASSA team dominating the scene for 5 years, but also one of the largest technical innovations Fausto ever introduced : the use of Magnesium as a frame material.
And with that technical leap came the genesis of the DOGMA. Three decades later it remains the reference point for absolute high end road bikes.
Since its reintroduction in 2009 and in the most successful partnership in the modern era with Team SKY (now INEOS), the Dogma has undergone multiple revisions and re-imaginings : 60.1, 65.1, F8, F10 and now the new F12.
Compared with many manufacturers producing Pro level frames, this evolution has occurred twice as quickly, partly thanks to huge input from the fastidious Team Sky in their quest for marginal gains.
Now in its fifth modern guise, the Pinarello Dogma remains the quintessential high-performance, all-round road bike that Pros and amateurs alike appreciate.
Since the Dogma is widely lauded for its versatility and impeccable ride characteristics regardless of terrain, Pinarello have chosen to keep the fundamental elements of the F10 that define the Dogma, focussing their development on improving stiffness and - as is the case industry-wide in recent years - enhance the aerodynamics.
To this end there are several obvious roll-over features from the F10; namely the flat backed seat tube, concave downtube and aero fork and frame fairings.
Each plays a critical role in drag reduction. The downtube shape ‘hides’ the DT bottle from the airflow while the fork fairings divert air cleanly around the caliper.
Frame material remains the same too with the F12 constructed from Torayca’s famed T1100 1K Dream Carbon Fibre, developed expressly for Pinarello. This ensures an extremely light at just 820 grams unpainted for the rim brake frame, and 840 grams for the disc.
Though some elements roll over, they have been refined in order to minimise drag. Most notably, the downtube / Bottom Bracket junction features a new shape to allow for a lower position of the seat-tube water bottle.
As alluded to, Aerodynamics were the key focus of the F12 design and in order to achieve the most accurate results, much of the F12’s wind-tunnel testing was completed with a rider aboard for real-world results. Pinarello used their aerodynamic analysis of the Bollide platform as a baseline for aero improvements on the F12 and this study led to a focus on complete cable integration.
Ultimately, Pinarello have reduced cable drag on the F12 by a staggering 85% over the F10 by developing a new integrated Talon Ultra handlebar and new Headset design. Unlike some however, they have also ensured that the cable integration and routing does not adversely affect the quality of gear shifting or braking in mechanical / caliper configurations - something that is regularly the bane of a mechanic’s life on ill-considered systems.
The new integrated handlebar - the Talon Ultra - retains the rider preferred reach and drop of the Talon Aero it replaces, but hides the cables internally rather than with clips and covers. An access plate allows for easy servicing when required. Aesthetically, the obvious revisions are at the rear of the stem which is wider to accommodate not only the fork steerer, but which now houses routing for cabling, in order to feed the cables into the enlarged head tube. By function of this internal routing directly into the frame via the head tube, and in order to guarantee consistent, reliable shift performance, Pinarello have enlarged the upper area of the headtube to utilise a 1.5” bearing (the same as used by many as a lower headset bearing size). This extra size at the head tube has resulted in an improved cross-section and lower drag.
While the F12 will deliver the best performance when used in conjunction with the Talon Ultra, it is not a specific requirement. The Talon Ultra is sold separately from the F12 frame and is available in 16 configurations of width and length to accommodate most. However, Pinarello realise that many will prefer their own choice of bar/stem set-up, most likely a result of specific fit requirements. In order to allow for user preferred configurations, Pinarello have developed a separate top-cap and Gated Spacers (not unlike those of Giant and Cannondale) that allow for the routing of cables through the headtube but by-passing the stem. The spacers allow for 40mm of stack height adjustment without complete disassembly of the cockpit.
Since it is the front of the bike that has the most influence of drag, Pinarello have also increased the lateral surface of the fork while maintaining the Onda (Wave) shape that dissipates vibrations travelling up the fork. This deeper section reduces turbulence behind the fork and has resulted in a drag reduction of 15.7% in the F12 Disc versus the F10 Disc, without compromising the handling and comfort. In fact, the new fork design also reduces torsion by a massive 40% for more confident and direct handling, improving on the Dogma’s already legendary cornering performance.
The Dogma F12 not only benefits from aerodynamic improvements but those of stiffness too. There are resultant headtube and fork stiffness improvements from the aerodynamic design, but Pinarello have delivered a 10% increase in system stiffness over the F10 through more squared chainstays. This ultimately leads to more power direct to the road and more stability and confidence when standing or sprinting.
Available in both Rim and Disc models, more subtle changes are also at play in the Dogma F12. The Rim brake version adopts Direct Mount calipers that not only improve braking efficiency but that, in combination with revised frame clearance, allow more comfortable use of 28mm tyres.
The disc model has been designed for use with flat mount calipers and features 12mm front and rear thru axles, perfect for maintaining precise handling on varied surfaces.
Both the disc and non-disc models are available in 13 size options, ensuring every rider has a bike that fits without compromise. Additionally, both frames are highly versatile, accepting Shimano mechanical and Di2, Sram eTap AXS and Campagnolo EPS groupsets with simple E-Link port adapters that are supplied with the frame.
All-in-all the F12 developments equate to a power saving of 8 Watts at 40kmph / 25mph, which will make a huge difference over long distances.
Aside from all the data, integration, aero and stiffness improvements, Pinarello have also updated the look of the F12. It is always their desire to produce a good looking bike - as with most things Italian, style is requisite! Design realisations of concept art quite often fall shy of the mark, but Pinarello - as usual - get very close with the F12. All without detriment to the aerodynamic performance of the frame.
The F12 is a more angular beast with a kinked toptube and a more racy, aggressive countenance that belies its slightly more accommodating geometries and incredible “All-Round” abilities. The typical Dogma performance that has been the defining characteristic of the ride since the Fassa era; that “Pinarello feeling” synonymous with agility and precision through every corner, remains and will enhance the ride experience of every rider on any route they choose.
The F12 in numbers:
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8 Watts at 40kph F12 Disc vs F10 Disc
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-5% Drag : Talon Ultra vs Talon Aero
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-7.3% Drag : F12 Disc vs F10 Disc
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-10% Torsion
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+10% Stiffness
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208 Frame / Bar Combinations for perfect fit