Chris Froome’s Pinarello Dogma F8 Rhino

Custom paint and weight-saving details for the Tour champ

Nick Legan / Immediate Media

Published: July 8, 2016 at 11:00 pm

Some custom paint schemes are all about personality and flair. Others have special meaning, a message to convey. Such is the case with the paint on Chris Froome’s Pinarello Dogma F8. While the animated rhinoceros on the Team Sky rider’s bike may seem like a reference to his African roots, it is also a sign of Froome’s commitment to raising awareness for the endangered animal.

Conservation initiatives aside, this is also the bike of a two-time Tour de France champion and the favorite to take top honors at this year’s Grand Boucle.

His 56cm F8 frame is almost exactly what Froome has ridden since the bike was introduced in 2014. Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components and wheels handle the going and the stopping. PRO handlebar and stem and a Fizik Antares form the cockpit. Personalized touches include Osymetric chainrings, Nokon brake cable housings, custom Di2 climbing switch and a bespoke 3D printed chain catcher. Froome also has a prototype dual-sided Stages power meter.

Perhaps a strange animal for a rider with such gossamer features?: - Nick Legan / Immediate Media

If all goes well, Froome won’t ride into Paris on this bike though. Surely there is a yellow frameset tucked away in the team truck…

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Froome and company use prototype dual-sided Stages power meters. You can also see that mechanics have filed down the inside edges on the inner chainring to better clear the chainstay: - Nick Legan / Immediate Media