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A return to mountain biking with the Pinarello Dogma XC

  • Ron 

INEOS Grenadiers riders Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Tom Pidcock will be competing on a brand new, full suspension Pinarello Dogma XC development bike at the opening round of the UCI Cross-country World Cup in Nové Město, Czech Republic, on May 11th – 14th.

As part of the Italian brand’s renewed focus on MTB, Pinarello began developing the bike in Autumn 2022 and underwent an intense period of testing with Ferrand-Prévot, Pidcock and the INEOS Grenadiers’ technical team. The result is a bike which performs to the highest level, supporting both riders when they’re out there racing and putting in their best performances during UCI Cross-country World Cups, UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, and ultimately whilst working towards the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Pinarello Dogma XC

Already a proven race winner with Ferrand-Prévot taking victory on the bike’s debut in the recent French Cup and Pidcock claiming victory in last weekend’s Swiss Cup, further testing will take place throughout 2023 with both riders continuing to be heavily involved in its development.

The Dogma XC will be available commercially in March 2024 and there is a second, front suspension frame also being developed to meet the demands of other World Cup circuits.

With the recruitment of a dedicated internal MTB R&D and kinematics team, development on the Dogma XC began with Pinarello analysing Pidcock’s feedback and data from his two previous years of mountain bike testing and competition.

The study highlighted the requirements Pidcock felt were needed to produce a race bike capable of competing at the very highest level and being able to withstand the powerful riding styles both he and Ferrand-Prévot deploy. The requirements were as follows:

  • Extreme stiffness in the rear triangle and bottom bracket to offer maximum reactivity
  • Simple yet progressive kinematics to optimize travel and rebound
  • The ability to match suspension travel to the unique demands of each circuit
  • Lightness paired with exceptional drive and handling capabilities to excel on technical descents

Those findings resulted in Pinarello working the following key elements into the Dogma XC’s innovative design.

Unique bottom bracket area

The unique design of the bottom bracket area optimizes stiffness and accommodates an oversized bearing and pivot point for the rear triangle.

Flex stays

Theoretically, having just three pivot points on the rear triangle typically inhibits rear wheel travel, but the Dogma XC’s unique geometry and integration of flex stays combine to enable travel in a more direct manner. These innovations also save weight, improve stiffness, and deliver an improved connection between rider and rear wheel.

Split rear triangle

The rear triangle comprises two distinct semi-triangles fitted to a main rotation point using a unique design where two pins are moulded to the carbon frame (patent pending). This results in:

  • The elimination of a classic external ‘bridge’ which allows for a reduced chain stay length and delivers improved handling and reactivity
  • The elimination of critical mud accumulation areas
  • The ability to adopt wider tires, providing riders with a greater range of options

Kinematics

The rear suspension kinematics take the integration of flex stays into account to maximize energy transfer while pedalling, deliver optimal compression/rebound on technical descents, and enable maximal rider control.

Friction at each pivot point has also been minimized by utilizing a mixed bearings/bushing system. Bushings have been incorporated at point ‘a’ as they are durable enough to absorb the high impact and low rotational forces placed upon them, whereas bearings have been integrated at point ‘b’ where the opposite forces apply (low impact/high rotation). This results in reduced energy dispersion, increased reactivity of the rear end, and increased durability of the system.

Anti-rise and anti-squat values have also been studied to create a bike which excels on both the steepest climbs and most technical descents.

Adjustable travel

The ability to move the suspension connection point under the top tube allows different rear shock absorbers to be fitted, with different travel, allowing the riders to match their bike to the unique demands of each ride.

Cockpit

The custom designed, fully integrated cockpit saves weight and offers increased driving precision compared with a two-piece alternative. Fully integrated cable routing is also incorporated, as is a specific headset bearing which features an internal stopper at 60° to prevent the handlebar from over-twisting.

Asymmetry

The rear triangle utilizes a patented asymmetric design with the left-hand side being reinforced, allowing the bike to counterbalance the higher forces applied to it on the opposite side of the drivetrain. This results in balancing energy transfer, improved speed and traction.

Technical specifications

  • Carbon fibre front and rear triangle, Ergal aluminium hardware
  • Asymmetric frame
  • Split rear triangle design (patent pending)
  • Seatpost diameter: 30.9mm
  • Seatpost compatible with seatpost dropper & internal cable routing
  • Geometry developed for double travel setup:
    • Front: 100mm – Rear 90mm (with 190x45mm rear shock)
    • Front: 120mm – Rear 100mm (with 210 x 50mm rear shock)
  • Standard mount rear shock with 90° inverted fixing points
  • Transmission 1×12 compatible, chainrings 32 T or 40 T
  • Chain line: 55mm
  • Maximum crankset arm length: 175mm
  • Compatible with Stages power meters
  • TiCr internal cable routing
  • TiCr integrated headset with 60° internal stopper
  • Boost Standard, 12mm diameter conical thru axle, compatible with UDH
  • Standard flat mount 160mm, compatible with 180mm (adapter needed)
  • Maximum tyre clearance: 29 x 2.35 inches
  • Two bottle attachments

While both Ferrand-Prévot and Pidcock’s Dogma XCs have the same frame and components, they each have their own custom paint jobs. The gold flourishes on Pidcock’s bike are a tribute to his gold medal-winning performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, while the rainbow stripes on Ferrand-Prévot’s model honour her four World XC Championships victory in Les Gets, France, last August.

With regards to Nové Město, both Pidcock and Ferrand-Prévot have great memories of the race, with Pidcock the defending XC champion having beaten Vlad Dascalu to victory there in 2022, and Ferrand-Prévot a winner on two previous occasions.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot said: “I can’t wait to get out there and race the Dogma XC at Nové Město. To be working with Pinarello on developing the bike is super cool. It was exciting to receive and test the bike, my first impression is they’ve developed a remarkably fast bike. It has a good mix of lightness, responsiveness and rigidity, and allows you to really put the power down. Pinarello’s engineers are constantly asking us for feedback and it’s fun being part of the bike’s progression. I’m looking forward to going on a journey with this bike and it’ll be great to finally get the chance to ride it at the highest level of competition.”

Tom Pidock said: “I’m really looking forward to trying this new Pinarello Dogma XC out at Nové Město. I got my first look at it back in March and my initial impressions were positive. It handles brilliantly, is super-responsive, and ultimately is fast. It’s a bike that’s still in development, and it’s going to be fun working with Pinarello to make it even better. I’ve never really been involved in the development process of a bike before, feeding my thoughts and suggestions back in, but it’s something I’m definitely enjoying and Pinarello’s engineers are committed to producing bikes that help us win races.”

Fausto Pinarello said: “Seeing Tom and Pauline competing on the Dogma XC is going to be a landmark moment for everyone at Pinarello. We’ve worked tirelessly over the last months to build a bike that meets the demands of two of the very best cyclists on the planet, and we can’t wait to see how they ride it at Nové Město.”

Carsten Jeppesen, Head of Technical Partners and Cycling Relations at INEOS Grenadiers said: “Our team has been developing high-performance bikes with Pinarello for over 13 years now. We understand how to get the best out of each other, and we’re delighted to be working with them again on this exciting venture. Our tireless approach to research and development has already started to bear fruit as I believe we’ve got a bike we can be proud of heading into Nové Město. The fact that Tom and Pauline are so involved in the development process has meant from the first testing they were already impressed with the bike’s handling. This is key, as ultimately, the goal is gold at the Paris Olympics, so this bike is being developed to perform at the highest level for them both.”

Tags: Bearings, Bottom bracket, Carsten Jeppesen, compression, custom paint, cycling, Czech Republic, Felt, focus, INEOS Grenadiers, internal cable routing, Look, mountain bike, mountain biking, Olympic, Olympic Games, Olympics, Paris, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Pinarello, Pinarello Dogma XC, speed, Tom Pidcock, UCI, UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, UDH, World Championships, World Cup, XC
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