Bikeradar team.

tezboy1234

Are there any plans for Bikeradar to do a review of the Pinarello Dogma XC 29'er hardtail?

I was originally set on a full susser for my next bike until i came across this. To me it looks good, and what the company says about it sounds good.

The thing is, i only have the companies word on this bike and my knowledge isn't strong enough to make such an un-informed purchase. Independant reviews would help a lot as there's virtually nothing out there on the net, at least not that i can find.

If there's not going to be a review of this bike, then any thoughts of it would be appreciated.

Thank you.

tezboy1234

For a few reasons.

Firstly, i think it looks nice. That has little to do with a bike i suppose, but it's a nice little bonus nevertheless. Then there's some of the things that Pinarello say about it.

There's the fork stopper wich is built in to the frame, wich not only helps to add a little extra protection to frame and fork, but also allows for a better geometry wich has not previously been possible on 29'ers.

There's the carbon frame wich they've put through some kind of clever process wich allows for a lighter, stronger, stiffer and more comfortable frame. It also has something wich helps with impact resistance and the spread of cracks and other damage stuff.

They moved the location of the rear break too, but i can't remember the reason for this, but it's apparently advantageous anyway, lol.

They also changed the way the top tube and seatube (basically the the rear of the bike) is all connected together using some kind of a-symetrical design. This supposedly reduces impacts and vibrations by sending them to other areas of the bike whilst keeping them from reaching the bars and bum areas. I suppose they've given some of the benefits of a full susser to a hardtail.

All what i've mentioned is just what they say though, from what i can remember. Ideally i'm after the thoughts of more knowledgeable people than me, i don't want to just take there word for it. You'd be better off taking a look at what Pinarello say about it though tbh, instead of going by my hazy memory.

Just incase your wondering why i've made this reply to my own post, it's because i originally posted in the general section were i was asked by someone why i thought the bike looked good to me. As i was responding the post was moved and the other persons reply was somehow lost, lol.

supersonic

I haven't seen any availability for it yet, at least not in the UK.

It does seem to have a lot of unique features - though what they ultimately achieve is not unique ie the Cannondale SAVE stays are designed to offer a degree of 'micro suspension':

http://www.cannondale.com/gbr/innovatio ... Technology

The weight is rather middling too - 1050g is some 200g heavier than the top end 29ers from Trek, Spesh and Merida.

But it would be interesting to ride the thing ;-)

tezboy1234

Thanks for the reply.

Your right about about these bikes trying to achieve the same thing but just going about it in different ways, but that's only in regards to comfort, ie, shock absorbtion etc.

The Pinarello seems to have a couple more things in it's favour though, like a higher level of damage resistance and a geometry that's not been possible on a 29'er before. I suspect the reason for the weight difference is down to the fork stopper, but that's a bit of extra weight that's worth it, if of course it actually does what says on the tin.

I did manage to come across one review last night. I can't remember the guys name, but he's either a pro or ex-pro. He said at first he suspected all these features were just marketing hype, but realised soon after that it was anything but. He said the bike was impeccable and perfectly balanced. He then went on about various other things but ended with saying that it was by far the best 29'er he'd ever ridden.

That's just one guys opinion though. I'll wait until there's a few more reviews first, wich should start appearing soon enough.

Your right about availability too, looks like it'll have to be an import. Bit of a worry as i've no idea what size i should get. I've never tried a 29'er so it's hard to judge. I'm an 18" on a 26" bike. I'm guessing a 17" on a 29'er would be ok?

supersonic

I suspect the reason for the weight difference is down to the fork stopper, but that's a bit of extra weight that's worth it, if of course it actually does what says on the tin.

I have to say I am rather dubious! Fork dials and crowns hitting the frame hasn't been a problem for years: Manitou used to make the adjusters very tall, which fouled many frames. In fact many manufacturers used curved sections at the front to improve stiffness and strength, where the by product is masses of clearance.