Pinarello X3 105 Di2 2023

The Pinarello X3 105 Di2 is part of the company's new endurance range of bikes, and while its chunky frame looks like it's going to be very firm, it in fact delivers a surprisingly comfortable ride, even on rough sections of roads. With the geometry backed off a touch in terms of aggressiveness, it's also a fun bike to ride at any speed. As always, though, you are paying a premium for the Pinarello, so it's not necessarily what you'd consider the best value for money.

> Buy now: Pinarello X3 105 Di2 for £4,500 from Sigma Sports

Looking for something that's perfect for sportives, audax and mile-munching? Check out our guide to the best endurance bikes.

Ride

Pinarello has released two new ranges recently, the F Series and this X Series (both look quite similar), with the F being performance focused while the X is more about the comfort, something that it does very well. In fact, if you don't race or need a bike that delivers ultimate stiffness then the X is likely to be all the bike you are going to need.

So, let's kick off with the comfort.

The X3 is still a firm bike to be aboard – it's a road bike after all – but considering the size of the tube profiles and the bottom bracket area, there is definitely some compliance that just takes the edge off any harshness. It has a decent ride quality overall, with a good amount of damping from small amounts of flex in the frame. It's not exactly class leading, but it's a pleasurable place to be on UK roads.

From a performance point of view, for all but the most powerful of riders, stiffness and efficiency is good too. When you're out of the saddle, the rear wheel feels planted and the bottom bracket area doesn't hint at any flex either.

It's the same when you are powering along seated too: it feels as though it is delivering the power you are inputting onto the tarmac.

When descending, the front end feels stiff as well, coping well with technical sections and heavy braking. There is no 'dive' from the fork, and no signs of any understeer either.

Sticking with the descents, the handling is competent and has a good feeling of directness to it. The front end isn't quite as steep as a pure race bike, it has a 72.25-degree head angle, so it's not absolutely razor sharp, but its more neutral setup makes it easier to ride at speed for more riders.

The endurance geometry puts you in a slightly more upright position (the X series has 13mm shorter reach, and a 33mm taller stack than a mid-sized F Series) which gives you a slighter higher centre of gravity, so you can't be quite as nippy in the corners, but it does benefit comfort on the flat for those longer rides.

I've mentioned nippy there, and to be honest in a lot of places that is something the X3 never quite manages to feel. At nearly 9kg on our scales it's not that light a bike, especially one with a carbon fibre frameset and a build price of £4,500. The Vitus Venon Evo-RS that I reviewed earlier this year, which costs £4,399.99, is almost a kilo lighter, for instance.

Once up to speed, though, the X3 still feels quick, its weight just noticeable when pulling away from a standing start or when on those long, draggy false flats.

It's a pleasure to ride, whether you are flying along or taking things slightly more sedately. It hides its 'endurance' nature behind a race bike persona well, but for this type of bike the comfort is impressive on the whole.

Frame & Fork

The X Series bikes are created using T600 uni-directional carbon fibre, which Pinarello says has been layered to create a frame and fork that absorb all road vibrations for a pleasurable and comfortable ride. And, as I've mentioned above, this is noticeable.

To put that into some kind of context, Pinarello claims the X Series has 21.1% greater compliance – or has 21.1% less vertical stiffness – compared with the performance-orientated F Series.

Pinarello has always liked a 'swoopy' frame design, and the X Series isn't immune, most notably the Flex Stays. That's what the company calls the seatstays, whose twin radii are designed to promote flex.

It's the same idea at the front, with the similar styling of the Onda fork. A design that has been around since 2000.

Away from those areas the X3 has quite a boxy design, with the majority of the tubes getting a squared-off edge on at least one side. In a world of aero road bikes, it's quite a chunky looking frame, although the fully internal cable and hose routing does at least give it a very clean look.

You do get an integrated aero seatpost, with the clamp being a wedge-style design. Pinarello also hides the Di2 battery inside it.

Being a road bike, mounting points are kept to a minimum, with just a couple of positions for fixing your bottle cages to.

Tyre clearance is good for this type of bike, with space to run up to 32mm wide rubber, and the frame is available in this matt black or gloss red finish.

Geometry

The X3 is available in nine sizes, but Pinarello doesn't label them XS, S, M and so on. On test we have the sixth size from the smallest, which has a 525mm seat tube and an effective top tube length of 555mm.

The head tube length is 173mm, which gives that slightly taller front end when paired to the 373mm fork length. As for stack and reach, you are looking at 588.2mm and 376.7mm respectively.

The head angle is 72.25 degrees, while the seat angle is 73.25 degrees.

Groupset

The X3 is available in two builds, SRAM Rival eTap AXS or this Shimano 105 Di2 model. There's also a third model, the X1 (no X2, oddly), which comes with 105 mechanical and shallow alloy wheels.

I've reviewed Shimano's R7100 Di2 groupset, and in terms of performance I really can't criticise it. Nor can I criticise SRAM's Rival eTap AXS, so whichever X3 build you go for you'll be happy. Each has its pros and cons, and you can use our reviews of each to work out which is the best one for you.

Like Rival AXS, 105 Di2 is 12-speed and electronic, which gives you fast, precise shifting all of the time, even under load.

The braking from the hydraulic system is also very good indeed.

Finishing kit

Other than the groupset, you get a plethora of Pinarello's own finishing components. Someone in the design team is obviously a big cat fan because we have the Jaguar XA Aero TiCR handlebar, made from aluminium alloy, and the Tiger Aero Alu TiCR stem, which comes with a computer mount attached.

The handlebar has a flattened wing top design and is very comfortable to use, with channels underneath to run wires and hoses under the bar tape in such a way that you can't feel it. These are then directed into the stem where they can be passed down through the head tube and into the frame or fork.

The seatpost is carbon fibre, while the Most saddle is a short-nosed and very comfortable affair.

Wheels & tyres

Wheels-wise, it's a set of Fulcrum Racing 800s which are OEM, so not available for the public to buy.

Their aluminium rims are 33.7mm deep, with an internal width of just 19mm. Quite narrow from a modern point of view, but does at least make them suitable for narrower tyres – 23mm anyone?

At 1,960g they are chunky, and the main reason for the highish overall weight of this bike. They are fine for general day to day use, but if you want to use the X3 for any kind of performance then you'll want to buy something lighter.

The same can be said for the tyres. I'm a big fan of Pirelli's latest rubber, but the P7s are like the wheels, ideal for day-to-day use with good durability, but definitely not for performance riding.

They have quite a dead feel to them, and while grip is okay in the dry, they don't give you much confidence to risk chucking a four-and-a-half-grand bike into the corners with abandon. Keep them for the winter and buy something stickier and livelier for the warmer months.

Value

Even with today's prices, I still think £4,500 for a bike with 105 Di2 and basic alloy wheels and components is quite steep, though it's not the only bike to cost this sort of money. The Cervelo Soloist that I reviewed a month or so ago is the same price. It does get Shimano Ultegra instead of 105, but of the mechanical persuasion rather than electronic.

Alongside the X3, I've also been reviewing Merida's Scultura Endurance 4000. It's a very similar kind of bike with a performance ride, but geometry-wise things are a bit slacker and easier to live with.

The 4000 is only £2,500, with mechanical Shimano 105, but the Scultura Endurance 8000 is similar money to the X3 (£4,600) and for that you are getting Ultegra Di2, Merida wheels with 45mm-deep carbon fibre rims, and Continental GP 5000 tyres.

The badge might not have the same level of kudos as the Pinarello, but you can't argue that the Merida is a lot of bike for the money.

Conclusion

Overall, I like the ride quality and general way that the X3 behaves. It didn't necessarily blow me away, but it does everything well. I'd say it's the wheels and tyres that hamper the fun, so I'd be looking to upgrade those straight away. The trouble is, after spending £4,500 on a bike, adding another £700 or so to make it lighter and more fun isn't that appealing – especially when you can get carbon wheels and top-end tyres on other bikes for the same money.

Verdict

Very comfortable for a stiff road bike, but deserves lighter wheels and tyres – especially for the money