Pinarello Dogma X Dura Ace Di2

I'll admit I wasn't too enthusiastic when the Pinarello Dogma X Dura-Ace Di2 turned up as I've always preferred racy bikes with aggressive geometry – the endurance bike concept never fully capturing my interest. But the Dogma X surprised me and possibly changed my perception of endurance bikes. Featuring slightly relaxed angles and room for 35mm tyres, the Dogma X is the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden – but by comfortable I do not mean slow. It's fast on the flats, composed on the descents and no slouch when the road points up either. The Dogma X proves fast and fun doesn't necessarily have to come in the raciest of packages.

> Buy now: Pinarello Dogma X Dura-Ace Di2 for £13,300 from Sigma

Looks like a Dogma...

Visually, the Italian company has done well to retain much of the Dogma F's design DNA, which helps keep the premium theme going.

The Dogma X is available in four colour schemes including Xolar Sun (red and orange), Xolar Blue, Xolar Green and our Xolar Black test bike. It has a premium look and the brushed chrome Pinarello and Dogma names and the X logos reinforce that fact.

From a design perspective, I feel the Dogma X is a stunning machine. The X stays will doubtless polarise opinions, but they're exquisitely executed and provide a unique visual element that's also functional.

The X Stays were designed to reinforce lateral stiffness without interfering with vertical compliance. In other words, it provides more side-to-side stiffness without impacting comfort or compromising stiffness at the bottom bracket area.

Whether or not you can actually feel this is up for debate but the bike certainly has a buttery-smooth ride quality.

The frame is constructed from Toray T1100 1K carbon fibre – a light and strong-grade weave that helps the Dogma X tip the scales at an impressive 7.4kg.

According to Pinarello, the frame weighs 950g and the fork 400g. While it's not the lightest bike around, it's not particularly heavy either – instead, it occupies the middle ground between climbing and aero bike.

Specification-wise, the Dogma X is extremely well kitted out – which is exactly what you'd expect in a bike at this stratospheric sort of price. Our model is built around Shimano's top-end Dura-Ace R9200 groupset, though you could go for SRAM Red eTap AXS and Campagnolo Super Record WRL – the choice is yours.

Personally, I feel Shimano – while perhaps not as aesthetically blingy as the other two – is the most refined groupset on the market.

The braking is crisp with class-leading modulation, and the shifting is precise and reliable. It just works. Just make sure you keep an eye on the battery levels.

Other components include a Princeton Grit 4540 wheelset with 32mm Continental GP5000S TR tubeless tyres, though consumer models will be specced with Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 35 rubber.

The cockpit consists of components from Pinarello's in-house brand Most.

This consists of 100/420mm Most Talon Ultra Light stem and bar combo and a Most Lynx Ultrafast Superflow L Carbon saddle on a Pinarello Aero seatpost.

...Rides like one, too

The Dogma X is an eye-opener regarding riding performance and shows that it's not only bikes with aggressive tube angles and super-lightweight frames that deliver a fast ride. It's not often you instantly connect with a bike but, with the Dogma X, everything felt in sync.

The riding position, while slightly more relaxed when compared to the Dogma F and other WorldTour-level race bikes, feels natural and doesn't force your body into a cramped and aggressive position.

This means there's less stress on your wrists, hands, neck and lower back, which results in a slightly more upright and comfortable riding position. A quick look at the numbers reveals the Dogma X's character.

Rated at 54cm, the bike felt a little bigger than the medium bikes I usually ride – the top tube measured 54.4cm (my go-to measurement is between 52.5-54cm).

The seat and head angles are fairly relaxed at 73.7° and 71.5° respectively, which is noticeable when it comes to the handling.

For reference, the 54cm Dogma F I tested last year measured 73° and 73.7° for the same angles.

The 422mm chainstays, near-one-metre wheelbase (997mm) and 379.4mm and 559mm reach and stack numbers reaffirm the Dogma X's endurance theme, though the latter two figures are on the racier end of the endurance spectrum.

Pinarello Dogma X Dura-Ace Di2 wheels

The Princeton Grit 4540 wheels and 32mm Continental GP5000 tyres work a treat on all surfaces. As an endurance bike with all-road tendencies, the fatter rubber means you can venture across mild gravel but the reality is you'll need to tweak the tyre pressures accordingly if you want to keep things swift and enjoyable. I didn't feel too comfortable plodding along on gravel but the bike can hold its own and accommodate any sections of dirt your ride might take in.

Out on the road, the wheels are impressive and the bike maintains speed well. I did experiment (as shown in the pic below) using a Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheelset shod with Vittoria Corsa Pro 28mm tyres – just to see if this made any difference when it came to speed. In truth, it didn't. If anything, it impacted the ride quality and made the experience more abrasive with lots more vibrations coming through the wheels and frame. After a few weeks of testing this tyre-wheel setup, I reverted to the Princeton wheelset as it supplies a far more cosseting ride quality that doesn't impact on your speed.

As mentioned, our test bike came with a Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 Di2 groupset. The Shimano system is a proven groupset that is close to flawless in operation.

It complements the build well, with a good feel and a high level of refinement.

Apart from when I forgot to charge the battery and limped home with one gear, the groupset performed as expected with special mention to the braking system – which I feel is class-leading.

Pinarello Dogma X Dura-Ace Di2: Ride

Only a few rides are needed to get to grips with what the Dogma X offers. While it's not a pure climber and lacks the responsiveness of a climbing bike, it dismisses hilly terrain with ease, though you'll need to work a little harder owing to the marginally longer wheelbase and the few grams of extra weight when things get steeper.

The upshot of the longer wheelbase and chainstays, however, is a surefooted and composed machine on fast descents. In combination with the powerful braking system, this means you can confidently scythe down descents, picking your line with confidence. It's a matter of getting the braking done before entry, choosing your line, railing the apex and repeating.

Where the Dogma X makes a convincing case for itself is on the UK's choppy and poor road surfaces. It manages to smooth out most imperfections and, while the X Stay scaffolding might have something to do with this, I feel it's more down to the wider rubber.

If you're brave enough to lower your pressure even further – I went as low as 38/40psi front/rear at 62kg – this unlocks even more compliance and speed, as counterintuitive as it might sound. The 32mm tyres are absolutely brilliant and you can even go as wide as 35mm.

A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought of going wider than 28mm with 30mm being a distant thought but, now, 32mm seems to represent the sweet spot in terms of compliance and speed.

During my 1,900km riding the Dogma X, I rode faster and covered more distance per ride with less input on the pedals than the Dogma F I tested last year. Of course, there are faster, lighter machines out there but to compare the Dogma X to WorldTour-level, race-ready bikes is to misunderstand its meaning completely – it's not a dedicated race bike, it's a bike for long distances.

I kept reaching for the Dogma X when heading out on a ride – and that says a lot as someone who enjoys the racier side of cycling.

Value

In terms of rivals, there are few direct threats out there.

The Roubaix is the original endurance bike and in its Specialized S-Works SL8 Di2 version, it has a lot going for it, including Future Shock 3.0 suspension and AfterShock seatpost – both of which provide a smoother ride quality.

At this price and if you can afford either, I suspect the choice will come down to personal preference rather than the spec sheet as there's not a lot between them.

If your pockets aren't quite as deep, models lower down the Roubaix range, such as the £5,500 SL8 Expert, offer a lot of the same qualities, including Future Shock 3.0.

The Giant Defy Advanced SL 0 looks a comparative bargain at 'just' £11,499, which includes a power meter. But Mat was very, very impressed when he put it to the test, and as with the Specialized Roubaix, you can get a lot of the same key features at much lower prices further down the Defy range.

Pinarello also offers its X-Series range of bikes, which borrow some of the design language and technology of the Dogma X but with differences in the carbon layup, components and geometry. The bikes do get the X Stays and should, for the most part, possess similar riding dynamics. The Shimano 105 Di2-equipped X5 and Ultegra Di2-equipped X7 are two such models coming in at £5,700 and £7,000 respectively.

Our best endurance road bikes buyer's guide rounds up more of our favourites at a wide range of prices.

> Buy now: Pinarello Dogma X Dura-Ace Di2 for £13,300 from Sigma

Conclusion

At £13,300, the Pinarello Dogma X represents a significant outlay and will be out of reach for most of us. That said, it's reversed negative perceptions around the endurance concept – well, for me at least. It will suit you if you're looking for a comfortable and fast bike but aren't looking to race, and it should be especially appealing to Dogma F owners who want the same level of prestige but something a little less racy.

Verdict

Superb comfort and overall performance, and the Pinarello name – but that means it all comes at a significant cost