Pinarello Dogma X Red AXS review: the ride made me smile, the price wiped it from my face

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The new-generation Dogma X, Pinarello’s answer to the endurance/all-road category, is an unashamedly high-end bike.  

With prices starting from £12,600 / $15,500, the Dogma X certainly isn’t a bike for the masses, but does it warrant the five-figure price tag in the face of stiff competition? 

On ride quality alone, it simply isn’t a match for the best endurance bikes – the Cannondale Synapse offers a superior ride and much more practicality, Giant’s Defy Advanced SL is lighter and delivers more nimble handling, and the Canyon Endurace CF SLX offers finer handling and bigger clearances, plus more practicality from down-tube storage and fender/mudguard mounts. 

Pinarello Dogma X performance 

The Dogma X frameset is made from the same high-grade Torayca M40X carbon fibre as the pro-tour Dogma F, as ridden by Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello-Q36.5 team and Team Netcompany-Ineos. That means it's both very light and very stiff, yet Pinarello has managed to temper the stiffness in the right areas. It’s also finished superbly, with paint and graphics of the highest standards. 

That's down to the unique 4-point mounting ‘X’ seatstays. They now attach lower down on the seat tube compared to the previous generation, which according to Pinarello brings greater dispersion of vibrations, while minimising the rebound as the carbon flexes.  

It certainly bears out on the road, and the reduction in road buzz is noticeable. That said, the Dogma X feels a firmer ride than noticeably compliant bikes such as the Specialized Roubaix. 

The frameset has seen a raft of aero-shaping introduced, the head tube is deeper yet slimmer from the front, and the long-standing ‘Onda’ curvy fork legs are noticeably narrower head-on, while still being broad-spaced to allow for 35mm of tyre clearance.  

Tyre clearance of 35mm is ample, but rival bikes such as the Canyon Endurace CF SLX and Cannondale Synapse offer more at 38mm and 40mm, respectively. You can also run full mudguards on both of those bikes (with narrower clearance of course), which isn’t something you can do with the Dogma X.  

Pinarello (understandably) might not think mudguards will appeal to its target audience, but I would nevertheless have liked to see some sort of in-frame storage or bento box mounts included, with this bike being aimed at the endurance/all-road market. 

The Dogma X feels swift on the road; on rolling terrain, it has the swiftness of an aero road bike. On climbs, the low weight of 7.34kg (on my 58cm-equivalent size-575 test bike) is a big plus compared to many endurance bikes. Make no mistake, the Dogma X is rapid, especially uphill. 

I like the Talon Ultra Fast one-piece bar. It has a flattened aero top section that’s just deep enough to provide a comfortable hold when you’re cruising along, yet the slight forward sweep and compact drop means when you want to go for it in the drops there is ample wrist clearance, too. The bar does a good job of reducing vibrations, although it can’t quite match the influence of the X Stays at bike's back end. 

It no bad thing to have a softer back end because road vibrations here can sap your energy. The front is firmer, but it isn't buzzy, providing welcome feedback from the road surface and informing you of grip when cornering at speed, for instance. 

The Dogma X’s frame stiffness, especially through the bottom bracket, gives the sensation of a race bike, albeit one with a more accommodating ride position.  

That’s down to the geometry, which is settled at the sporty end of endurance. With my test bike's 601.7mm stack and 390.8mm reach, combined with a 72.8-degree head angle and 73-degree seat angle, it sits between the very sporty Ribble Ultra-Road with its 579mm stack and 393mm reach in an equivalent size, and Cannondale’s Synapse at 610mm and 393mm (size 58cm). 

It all translates to a bike that's a joy to ride fast. Its low weight is a boon on climbs; add in the exemplary stiffness through the bottom bracket and the Dogma X is exactly what I’d want on long rides with plenty of elevation. 

The sharpness of the handling also makes descents a thrill. The front end combines a direct steering response with superb stability.  

It works brilliantly over poorer surfaces, too, with the front end tracking over ruts and cobbles with a secure-feeling stability, so you get feedback but no tooth-loosening chatter. 

The top-grade SRAM Red AXS drivetrain includes the power meter crankset. The bike rolls on a range-topping Zipp 454 NSW wheelset and Continental’s supple and smooth GP5000 S TR tyres in a 32mm size that takes up plenty of the Dogma X’s 35mm clearances. 

As good as the dynamics and spec of the Dogma X are, though, it doesn’t strike a strong value note.  

Cannondale’s premium Lab71 incarnation of the Synapse is priced at a £1,000 less (SRAM Red AXS) in the UK and the same price as the Dogma X in the USA. Canyon’s Endurace CF SLX 9 with Dura-Ace Di2 is £6,649 / $7,999, and the pro-tour proven CFR AXS with SRAM Red AXS is priced at £8,500 / $10,499. Specialized’s S-Works Roubaix with SRAM Red AXS is £12,000 / $12,499.  

On ride quality alone, I don’t think the Dogma X is better than the latest Canyon CF SLX 8 at £4,299 / $5,699 / €4,499 or Giant’s premium Defy Advanced SL 0 at £9,499 / $13,000. 

This leads me to conclude that Pinarello has, more than ever, positioned itself as a ‘luxury brand’, bearing in mind the asking price – the Dogma X is a desirable bike, certainly, but it doesn't necessarily deliver more functionality than rival options. 

If you opt for the Pinarello Dogma X above the wealth of great endurance bikes available, that’s fine – but just be aware you’re paying a premium for, effectively, the ‘privilege’ of owning a Pinarello. 

Pinarello Dogma X Red AXS bottom line 

The Dogma X is undoubtedly an excellent bike. The handling is sharp and confidence-inspiring, and the ride quality delivers a good balance between stiffness, handling, vibration damping and smoothness. 

While I can appreciate those qualities, the £13,500 price tag is too expensive for me to recommend buying one in the face of some stiff competition.  

I understand the appeal, though. I, for example, own a luxury Swiss watch that cost far more than is necessary, but I coveted it and love it. However, it does the same fundamental job as my Casio G-Shock.

I feel the same about the Dogma X – it's stylish, well finished and unashamedly premium, but not necessarily the ‘best’ at what it does. 

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