Pinarello Dogma F12 Team INEOS Edition in review

Pinarello Dogma F12 – there can hardly be another model that makes the heart of die-hard road fans beat faster. But how does this super bike compare to the rest of our diverse test field? Can hobbyists actually make full use of the potential of this racer? We’ll answer all your questions here.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best road bike of 2020 – 13 high-carat road bikes in review

The exclusive Team Ineos Edition of the Pinarello Dogma F12 forms part of an intimidating lineage. After all, its predecessor, the Pinarello Dogma F10, was the most successful bike of the 2018 season and was ridden to four Grand Tour wins by Team Sky. Thanks to its triumph at the Tour de France 2019, the Dogma F12 is poised to become a fitting successor.

The Pinarello Dogma F12 Team INEOS Edition in detail

The carbon monocoque frame of the F12 is available in thirteen different sizes, both disc and rim brake versions and is compatible with mechanical and electronic groupsets. Compared to the F10, there has been a particular focus on improving aerodynamics. That means cables have been routed internally as far as possible, the carbon fork has been redesigned and the Most Talon Ultra cockpit, available in sixteen sizes, has been further refined. The changes made to the Dogma F12 are claimed to save 8 Watts at 40 km/h over the F10. While you’ll have to decide for yourself how significant this is for your purposes, one thing is clear: the aggressive and complex design language of the F12 draws a lot of attention. Our test bike is equipped with a 2×11 Shimano DURA-ACE Di2 R9100 groupset, Shimano DURA-ACE C40 tubular wheels and 700 x 25C Continental Competition Pro Ltd Tubular tires. It weighs in at a slight 7.11 kg in size 56 and can be bought for € 11,500. Definite F1 technology then! So why is this particular bike in the group test? It’s important for us to present you with the most up-to-date and important road bike options available and in that context, this iconic bike can’t be ignored

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The geometry of the Pinarello

Size	42	44	46,5	47	50	51,5	53	54	55	56	57,5	59,5	62
Seat tube	415 mm	435 mm	455 mm	455 mm	480 mm	495 mm	510 mm	520 mm	530 mm	540 mm	555 mm	575 mm	615 mm
Top tube	498 mm	503 mm	515 mm	525 mm	525 mm	535 mm	545 mm	550 mm	557 mm	565 mm	575 mm	587 mm	620 mm
Head tube	94 mm	99 mm	104 mm	114 mm	109 mm	114 mm	123 mm	131 mm	142 mm	150 mm	163 mm	199 mm	239 mm
Head angle	69.2°	70.0°	70.5°	71.4°	71.4°	72.0°	72.5°	72.8°	72.8°	73.2°	73.7°	73.4°	73.4°
Seat angle	74.4°	74.4°	74.4°	74.0°	74.0°	73.7°	73.7°	73.4°	73.4°	73.0°	73.0°	72.4°	72.0°
Chainstays	406 mm	406 mm	406 mm	406 mm	406 mm	406 mm	406 mm	406 mm	408 mm	408 mm	408 mm	408 mm	411 mm
BB Drop	67 mm	67 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	67 mm	67 mm
Reach	349 mm	354 mm	365 mm	371 mm	372 mm	378 mm	383 mm	385 mm	389 mm	391 mm	397 mm	393 mm	410 mm
Stack	498 mm	506 mm	518 mm	530 mm	525 mm	532 mm	542 mm	551 mm	562 mm	570 mm	585 mm	613 mm	652 mm

It’s almost a struggle to ride this bike slowly!

The Pinarello Dogma F12 Team INEOS Edition Test in review

The acceleration of the Dogma F12 is looking for its equal in our test. Regardless of the situation you’re in, the bike willingly and quickly generates speed and reveals itself as the speed demon of our test. No other bike demanded or encouraged our testers as much to push to their (lactate-) threshold and beyond. In dry conditions, the direct-mount rim brakes are easy to control but can’t be modulated as effectively as disc brakes nor keep up with their braking performance in the wet. In terms of handling, the Pinarello is agile, but rather than being playful, feels aggressively direct. Without either over- or understeering, it shines with its balanced handling. The high degree of precision and direct ride makes it possible to hit the perfect line even at high speeds. The moderate drop of flat top of the cockpit offers good ergonomics. But how is its overall comfort? There’s no question that the F12 is stiff and direct. However, we see this as healthy ‘racing stiffness’ rather than a bone-shattering hardness. The frameset offers a degree of vibration damping but the comfort is mostly a result of the Shimano wheelset. The riding position is aggressive but not overly long. Our testers didn’t feel too stretched though the platform is undoubtedly a purebred road bike. So really, the question is about whether this can be a road bike for everyone. Our simple answer is no. This machine is a dedicated competition bike that is focussed solely on getting you from A to B as quickly as possible. As a result, relaxed cruising or social rides aren’t a comfortable affair.

Tuning tips: The bike offers a coherent package as is. Take it or leave it.

Conclusion

The Pinarello Dogma F12 is all about the Tour de France feeling. Ambitious riders who know what they’re letting themselves in for will be rewarded with a first-class, prestigious race machine without any compromises. If our test was all about speed, this bike would win. However, due to its limited comfort and as a result, its more limited all-round qualities, it doesn’t offer enough versatility to secure the win.

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For more info head to pinarello.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best road bike of 2020 – 13 high-carat road bikes in review

All bikes in test: Argon 18 Krypton Pro (Click for review) | Bianchi Infinito CV Disc (Click for review) | BMC Roadmachine 01 ONE (Click for review) | Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Disc Dura Ace (Click for review) | Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc (Click for review) | FOCUS IZALCO MAX DISC 9.9 (Click for review) | LOOK 795 BLADE RS DISC (Click for review) | OPEN U.P.P.E.R. (Click for review) | Pinarello Dogma F12 Team INEOS Edition | ROSE REVEAL SIX Dura Ace Di2 Custom (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Roubaix (Click for review) | Trek Domane SLR 9 eTap (Click for review) | VOTEC VRC PRO (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl