Pinarello Dogma F12 Dura Ace Di2 Disc review

Pinarello’s F-series bikes are the most successful in the peloton, propelling Team Ineos (formerly Sky) to seven of the last eight Tour de France titles. So the new F12 has a lot to live up to.

Outwardly, it’s similar to the F10. It’s only when you drill down that you notice subtle yet, according to Pinarello, significant improvements.

The one-piece Most (Pinarello’s component brand) Talon Ultra cockpit supersedes the Talon Aero, integrating the cables and hoses fully internally through the frame. It’s a claimed 5 per cent more aero than the Aero and 40g lighter.

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The headset’s grown to accommodate the internal routing, which also bolsters lateral rigidity upfront.

The fork’s curvy design, seen on the F10, is designed to dissipate road buzz by lengthening the path and offsetting the front axle.

On the F12, it’s deeper below the fork crown to better channel air and reduce the impact of front-wheel turbulence. On tarmac, the front-end retains the F10’s stiff, direct feel, yet doesn’t tip into discomfort.

As you’d expect, slipstreaming tricks are many. The transition between head tube and fork is more aerodynamic than the F10, while the down tube’s Kammtail design is a proven wind-cheater.

Cleverly, the down tube’s concave section shields the bottle cage, while Pinarello’s repositioned the seat-tube water bottle lower than the F10, sheltering it behind the down tube cage.

The bottom bracket shell’s shaped like that seen on Pinarello’s Bolide TT bike, albeit on a smaller scale, resulting in a 7.3 per cent aero gain over the F10.

The asymmetric rear, pioneered by Pinarello in 2009, counteracts drivetrain forces. Disc bikes also need to account for imbalanced braking forces, which is why the fork’s asymmetric, too.

The chainstays are large and almost box sectioned; on the F10 they were curvier. Pinarello says that this has elevated lateral stiffness by more than 10 per cent.

Tyre clearance is also more generous with the F12 now rated to 28c tyres, though in reality the 37.5mm clearance means a 30c tyre should fit with room to spare.

Pinarello Dogma F12 Dura Ace Di2 Disc ride impressions

The bike’s powered by Dura-Ace Di2. The 50/34, 11-30 gearing is a great spread, while the Most Lynx NS saddle’s a superb addition to the short-seat revolution. The carbon hull and rails keep weight to 150g, while the padding’s comfortably compliant without feeling overly soft.

The F12 rolls on Pirelli’s brilliant P-Zero tyres sitting on Fulcrum’s Wind 40 DB wheels. We rate the wheels highly, as arguably we should at £1,099.

At 1,680g a pair they’re reasonably light, roll beautifully, pick up quickly and cope well with crosswinds. But on a bike at this price tag, I’d expect something higher grade and lighter such as Fulcrum’s Speed line with ceramic bearings.

Back to the 865g frame, you can see the Grand Tour heritage because it’s so impressive in every condition imaginable. On the flat, it’s speedy; on ascents, the stiff chassis maximises every ounce of effort; when things turn technical, it reacts quickly but controlled.

The downside is the cost. It’s one of the most expensive superbike propositions around and, for five figures, I’d like every component to be the pinnacle.

That said, I have a feeling that an F12 customer is happy to buy into Pinarello’s story whatever the cost.

Pinarello Dogma F12 Dura Ace Di2 Disc geometry

• Sizes (* tested): 42, 44, 46.5, 47, 50, 51.5, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57.5*, 59.5, 62cm
• Seat angle: 73 degrees
• Head angle: 73.7 degrees
• Chainstay: 40.8cm
• Seat tube: 55.5cm
• Top tube: 57.5cm
• Head tube: 16.3cm
• Bottom bracket drop: 7.2cm
• Stack: 58.48cm
• Reach: 39.67cm