Those looking for a solid value road bike in the UK will likely be aware of Pinnacle’s Dolomite range already. Sold on the shop floor of every Evans Cycles in the country, they’ve grown in popularity and seem to offer better value with each year. This particular model is the Dolomite 4, and it fits the bill for those looking for a no-nonsense alloy road ride with discs.
Standout features include Shimano hydraulic stoppers, a Tiagra ten-speed groupset and a carbon thru-axle fork.
Retailing at £1,100, it should still be within reach for those willing to pay a little extra over certain cycle to work schemes, and — on paper at least — this still stacks up nicely among the competition.
Comparisons have to be drawn with last year’s Pinnacle’s Dolomite 5, which arrived at the neat sum of £1,000 and packed a similar frame to this bike, along with similar brakes (non flat-mount versions with RS-505, 105 level levers).
Its components were slightly different though, with a mixture of FSA and Shimano 105 11-speed components making up the drivetrain. There was no thru-axle fork either. Still, that bike was good enough to score 4 out of 5 with our testers.
Since then, the state of the UK’s currency has seen many bikes either lift in price or drop in value for 2017, and we think Evans has done a good job of plugging this sinking ship.
The frame itself is a refinement of a design that’s been around for many years and it’s not hard to recognise certain shapes and features from rim brake versions we were riding years ago.
The brakes are Shimano’s RS-405 hydraulics, which sit at Tiagra level thanks to the 10-speed mechanicals within the shifters
It’s definitely not just last year’s frame though, as different seatstays with flat-mount compatibility give away. Eyelets for guards and racks also remain.
There’s still a quick-release rear end and we hope that Pinnacle has ironed out its wheel slip issue that we encountered with its last generation Dolomite disc. An issue that eventually led to a safety recall of multiple models.
The subtle black graphics are now reflective, boosting your nighttime visibility without looking square in daylight hours.
Pinnacle has also stuck to a threaded bottom bracket and continues to tuck cables and hoses through the front triangle and fork leg. The fork itself is new to the Dolomite, it’s made of carbon, has a tapered steerer and uses a thru-axle that’s turned via a quick-release lever.
Like the frame, the caliper has been designed around Shimano’s flat-mount standard, so the caliper hugs the fork in a way that wasn’t possible with a regular post mount.
The brakes are Shimano’s RS-405 hydraulics, which sit at Tiagra level thanks to the 10-speed mechanicals within the shifters. These share a similar bulbous form to the company’s RS-505 level hoods, which we already know do not agree with all hands.
10-speed Tiagra does a great job of looking and performing like Shimano’s far spendier groups. That’s why it featured in our recent list of quietly brilliant road products. Even those swapping across from 11-speed probably won’t feel too wounded by one less cog.
The wheels match dependable, cyclocross-derived Alex rims with sealed bearing Novatec hubs, while 25mm Continental Grand Sport Race tyres are fitted as standard.
Despite having geometry closer to that of a race bike than a gravel machine, the Dolomite is blessed with ample clearance for wider rubber.
Evans says you’ll get guards around a 28mm tyre on this bike and we don’t doubt that. If you can live without guards then you should be able to get 32mm of tyre in without issue. Though if gravel grinding is your thing then you’ll likely be better off with the Dolomite’s gravel going sister, the Arkose.
With the exception of an FSA compact road bar, the Dolomite raids Pinnacle’s box of own-brand parts, with finishing kit that looks fine to us. Our size medium bike tipped the scales at 9.93kg/21.9lbs without pedals.
We’ve now handed the Dolomite across to our colleagues on Cycling Plus, so stay tuned for the full review.
