awesome review of an awesome bike. Its good to see Pinarello unapologetically making a bike that is specific for what its intended to do. As you say "its an old school XC race bike" & now one that has won both Olympic gold medals this week. If that isn't verification enough, then nothing will be.
I had the opportunity to demo this bike at Sea Otter today. It took a bit to get used to but the more I rode it, the more I liked it. $13,000 is really steep though.
old school bikes winning races ... kinda makes you wonder how modern bike tech has gone ..its not as it seems the correct direction for the style in question ...also great honest review ..us mortals dont need the equipment the pros use .we dont have the skills to get the best from them .... bike manufacturers building bikes for the masses and not listening to the riders ..costs have gone mental and now a lot of these places are gone to the wall ..... time they went back to basics and start to build bikes for the riders who buy them and not just the new tech ,new standards, and price them out of a market that cant afford them
Narrower tyres on their way back. Even Vingegaard won TDF 23 on 24c. I rode 2.4 Aspen on this years Transalp and couldn't keep up with the 2.25 guys on those brutally long climbs. Narrow back, wider front looks the best option.
I’ve got to say, I envy you! Riding one of the most prestigious bicycles in the world and the most beautiful place in the world. My number one mountain biking bucket list destination. Full golden glory!
Looks special and at the same time reminds me of my 2012 cannondale scalpel 2 (yes she's an old girl I know) stretched out race bike that's very overwhelmed on anything too rocky yet at the same time seems to just be fast everywhere, as always mate cracking work 👍
Yeah I'd say apart from reach it's very similar to bikes I remember from that date too. If you can ride something that responsive like you clearly can it's an exhilarating experience
Demo'd this bike at Sea Otter. I'm biased that it's a really awesome bike. Wonder when the mtn biking scene decides to go full internal cable routing like road.
Wouldn't usually spend more than 30 seconds on a review of an XC race bike and don't even think about buying one. But really quite interesting to see you reviewing something special on the extreme XC race side of things. Thanks for that! . . . On the other hand - hoping you're back to the bro bikes soon :D
Really chuffed you enjoyed something outside your normal wheelhouse. It’s definitely an interesting extreme, but you can’t knock its race record so far. Is the Santa Cruz Heckler SL Bro enough for you
Had a yeti ASRc a few years back and it had the same thing of being pretty difficult to get full travel on the rear despite being a 100mm travel, shame both of the frames i had cracked i'd still it own it now otherwise. Was an absolute rocketship!
Solid bike. Not convenient to watch the entire video now, but if they're offering a Canyon(ish) price on this one rather than the ridiculous ,extortionate rates S works and Scott are charging, I'll seriously consider this. Edit: Just checked, It's even more expensive than aforementioned. Sticking with my 7.7kg Cannondale FSI hardtail then, and maybe have another look at the canyon lux world cup. 😂
@@toshman696969 good guess. 13k. I mean I probably spent 10k weight weenieing my hardtail, but that was kind of a one time,novelty thing. Just can't justify forking out 12-15 grand, which is around a 2X for the top of the range bikes compared to several years prior.
The suspension, and the bike in general, seems to be in the same exact category as the new Specialized Epic World Cup line. This seems to be the new thing in cross country racing... basically, very stiff (for lack of better wording) rear suspension designed to only take the edge off rough terrain, but not much beyond that. I guess top cross country racers are supposed to find that faster at the expense of comfort. Unfortunately, the problem with both companies designs seems to be they are ten years behind the curve because one of the biggest complaints among top XC racers the last few years is the race courses are being designed way too rough. Its a diffetent event now, and not in a good way. XC racing has turned into hard core rough terrain trail racing (its barely even xc racing anymore), and this type of suspension was really designed for the smoother XC courses seen a decade ago. Still, this is my lottery winnings bike if that ever happens. One Mason Exposure for gravel, and this Pinny for XC riding.
That'd be an awesome pairing for sure. It's definitely been interesting seeing more extreme 'built for athletes' bikes appearing rather than as you say what are essentially lightweight trail bikes. Seeing as they're definitely getting the results it'll be interesting to see if we see more appear from other brands soon.
I have a similar Italian race bike, the Wilier Urta SLR 100, 69 head angle and very very stiff ... these bikes are made for athletes but with a good hand we can enjoy them
Definitely the S-Works for me. Feels way more capable with 120mm of travel (that works really well) and the more progressive geometry. Plus lighter and internal storage and a power meter for the same money (in the UK anyway)
Yeah it was a slightly odd mix of trails at the launch. The rougher ones definitely pushed it past its comfort point. The handling is more of an issue than the suspension on steep tech, but the rear suspension is less forgiving even than most race bikes too.
I'm not a huge fan of the knock block headsets. Think the feame designers should just properly clearance for the fork. It's caught me off guard on my yt izzo on tech climbs
On race bikes like this the block isn’t to stop the fork. It’s to stop the shifters etc hitting the top tube when running a really low bar height. I agree it can be a nightmare though, I fell off this bike in the car park when I hit lock. You can generally unbolt the offending parts and remove them though.
I have been wondering this myself. Shimano is a disaster of a company. They never really recovered from the worldwide shortages a few years ago. Groupsets are still extremely difficult to get hold of compared to the past. They seem to be focusing on production only for what is a hot seller only (which seems to be GRX, which is still not easy to get) and certain roadbike groupsets as that is always high demand. Mountain bike seems limited to their lower tier offerings as that is unfortunately what sells most (by far). XT and XTR is real hard to get for years now. Did Guy say there is s new XTR coming? I really hope they do not follow the road groupset path and force electronic shifting only, eventually doing away with most of the mechanical line.
@@alexjohnson6462 New XTR has been on the slate for years, but still no sign of even proto versions on race bikes. It's a real shame as it's a brilliant group (bar the temperamental brakes). As much as I hope they don't go electric only too, I have a mate who's still running XTR Di2 on his latest bike (he's switched it across several rigs) and it never misses a beat.
@@alexjohnson6462 Yeah, it's quite unfortunate. I hope there is something truly good in the works and that they recover with it - even if it does have electronic shifting. By the way, I've also noticed brands switching their entry offerings from Deore build to SRAM SX/NX. That's distasteful, in my opinion. There are direct-to-consumer brands (such as Polygon) that regularly build bikes with Deore 12 speed group sets. Why can't other brands do the same? XTR may be hard to find, but Deore and Deore XT seem plentiful.
Does the Hirth joint even do anything useful? "The steering lock decked me in the car park" yeah I see Pidcock crash off this bike all the time. Not sure why you weren't gettting full travel; the leverage curve is dead flat for this bike.
@@GuyKesTV So they add a lot of metal to avoid using some carbon. Hmm. If I had one I'd weigh the rear triangle next to a competing design. My instinct says gimmick.
awesome review of an awesome bike. Its good to see Pinarello unapologetically making a bike that is specific for what its intended to do. As you say "its an old school XC race bike" & now one that has won both Olympic gold medals this week. If that isn't verification enough, then nothing will be.
1 Olympic gold medal, Pauline was on the HT
@robertvega1551 I was referring to the brand. Both the FS & the HT are designed for one purpose just like all XC bikes were previously.
I had the opportunity to demo this bike at Sea Otter today. It took a bit to get used to but the more I rode it, the more I liked it. $13,000 is really steep though.
That's a very homosexual price indeed.
old school bikes winning races ... kinda makes you wonder how modern bike tech has gone ..its not as it seems the correct direction for the style in question ...also great honest review ..us mortals dont need the equipment the pros use .we dont have the skills to get the best from them .... bike manufacturers building bikes for the masses and not listening to the riders ..costs have gone mental and now a lot of these places are gone to the wall ..... time they went back to basics and start to build bikes for the riders who buy them and not just the new tech ,new standards, and price them out of a market that cant afford them
@@ridgebackdk yeah had a great chat with Isla from IslaBikes about this on Weds
Narrower tyres on their way back. Even Vingegaard won TDF 23 on 24c. I rode 2.4 Aspen on this years Transalp and couldn't keep up with the 2.25 guys on those brutally long climbs. Narrow back, wider front looks the best option.
I’ve got to say, I envy you! Riding one of the most prestigious bicycles in the world and the most beautiful place in the world. My number one mountain biking bucket list destination. Full golden glory!
It’s a wonderful spot for sure
Looks special and at the same time reminds me of my 2012 cannondale scalpel 2 (yes she's an old girl I know) stretched out race bike that's very overwhelmed on anything too rocky yet at the same time seems to just be fast everywhere, as always mate cracking work 👍
Yeah I'd say apart from reach it's very similar to bikes I remember from that date too. If you can ride something that responsive like you clearly can it's an exhilarating experience
Demo'd this bike at Sea Otter. I'm biased that it's a really awesome bike. Wonder when the mtn biking scene decides to go full internal cable routing like road.
Wouldn't usually spend more than 30 seconds on a review of an XC race bike and don't even think about buying one. But really quite interesting to see you reviewing something special on the extreme XC race side of things. Thanks for that!
.
.
.
On the other hand - hoping you're back to the bro bikes soon :D
Really chuffed you enjoyed something outside your normal wheelhouse. It’s definitely an interesting extreme, but you can’t knock its race record so far. Is the Santa Cruz Heckler SL Bro enough for you
Cracking bike that deserves a cracking rider like Tom!
Had a yeti ASRc a few years back and it had the same thing of being pretty difficult to get full travel on the rear despite being a 100mm travel, shame both of the frames i had cracked i'd still it own it now otherwise. Was an absolute rocketship!
Loved my ASRc one of the best bikes Ive ever owned. I rode everything on it (except for true DH courses of course 😉) still wish I had it today.
Looks like a very nice bike, I really like the LMX 64 MTN Ebike! It would for me probably be my mnt Ebike of choice!
I just want the new Fox fork to upgrade my 2019 factory sc 👌🏻
Awesome review thank you! I am 175cm tall and asking myself better S or M in frame size...any recommendation? Thxs
@@henningvonposer5107 I’m 180 and rode the large so I’d definitely suggest medium for you
I've never been so nervous watching one of your videos😂
I liked the review - thanks. May I ask how tall you are ? I’m 6’3.5” and was thinking XL, but maybe L would cut it…
@@stevenbridgland3727 cheers Steve, I’m 5:10 so XL is probably the way to go for your height
Solid bike. Not convenient to watch the entire video now, but if they're offering a Canyon(ish) price on this one rather than the ridiculous ,extortionate rates S works and Scott are charging, I'll seriously consider this.
Edit: Just checked, It's even more expensive than aforementioned. Sticking with my 7.7kg Cannondale FSI hardtail then, and maybe have another look at the canyon lux world cup. 😂
It's a pinarello I am afraid to look but imagine over 12k
@@toshman696969 good guess. 13k. I mean I probably spent 10k weight weenieing my hardtail, but that was kind of a one time,novelty thing.
Just can't justify forking out 12-15 grand, which is around a 2X for the top of the range bikes compared to several years prior.
Yup, eye watering price. Least you get a power meter on an S-Works
Checkout the Orbea Oiz also not so expensive
@@Paganiproductions84 yes, got one coming in soon. And the new Decathlon
The suspension, and the bike in general, seems to be in the same exact category as the new Specialized Epic World Cup line. This seems to be the new thing in cross country racing... basically, very stiff (for lack of better wording) rear suspension designed to only take the edge off rough terrain, but not much beyond that. I guess top cross country racers are supposed to find that faster at the expense of comfort.
Unfortunately, the problem with both companies designs seems to be they are ten years behind the curve because one of the biggest complaints among top XC racers the last few years is the race courses are being designed way too rough. Its a diffetent event now, and not in a good way. XC racing has turned into hard core rough terrain trail racing (its barely even xc racing anymore), and this type of suspension was really designed for the smoother XC courses seen a decade ago.
Still, this is my lottery winnings bike if that ever happens. One Mason Exposure for gravel, and this Pinny for XC riding.
That'd be an awesome pairing for sure. It's definitely been interesting seeing more extreme 'built for athletes' bikes appearing rather than as you say what are essentially lightweight trail bikes. Seeing as they're definitely getting the results it'll be interesting to see if we see more appear from other brands soon.
May as well be a hardtail. I don't see many dentists out there that will be pining for this one...
Looks fast
I have a similar Italian race bike, the Wilier Urta SLR 100, 69 head angle and very very stiff ... these bikes are made for athletes but with a good hand we can enjoy them
It looks menacing, like the lamborghini of bikes. Guy, money no object, what would you choose between this Dogma and the new epic 8 s-works?
Definitely the S-Works for me. Feels way more capable with 120mm of travel (that works really well) and the more progressive geometry. Plus lighter and internal storage and a power meter for the same money (in the UK anyway)
Doesn't seem to have enough suspension for that trail your riding it on? Looks rough.
Yeah it was a slightly odd mix of trails at the launch. The rougher ones definitely pushed it past its comfort point. The handling is more of an issue than the suspension on steep tech, but the rear suspension is less forgiving even than most race bikes too.
XC bikes should be frightening
When they being released in the uk and what's the price?
12k in the UK, not sure on release date.
I'm not a huge fan of the knock block headsets. Think the feame designers should just properly clearance for the fork. It's caught me off guard on my yt izzo on tech climbs
On race bikes like this the block isn’t to stop the fork. It’s to stop the shifters etc hitting the top tube when running a really low bar height. I agree it can be a nightmare though, I fell off this bike in the car park when I hit lock. You can generally unbolt the offending parts and remove them though.
I'm genuinely curious - how come top end XC bikes aren't commonly specified with Shimano XTR group kit?
Pinarello actually told us they were waiting for the new one but it's been delayed for two years already.
@@GuyKesTV I sure hope Shimano delivers.
I have been wondering this myself. Shimano is a disaster of a company. They never really recovered from the worldwide shortages a few years ago. Groupsets are still extremely difficult to get hold of compared to the past.
They seem to be focusing on production only for what is a hot seller only (which seems to be GRX, which is still not easy to get) and certain roadbike groupsets as that is always high demand. Mountain bike seems limited to their lower tier offerings as that is unfortunately what sells most (by far). XT and XTR is real hard to get for years now.
Did Guy say there is s new XTR coming? I really hope they do not follow the road groupset path and force electronic shifting only, eventually doing away with most of the mechanical line.
@@alexjohnson6462 New XTR has been on the slate for years, but still no sign of even proto versions on race bikes. It's a real shame as it's a brilliant group (bar the temperamental brakes). As much as I hope they don't go electric only too, I have a mate who's still running XTR Di2 on his latest bike (he's switched it across several rigs) and it never misses a beat.
@@alexjohnson6462 Yeah, it's quite unfortunate. I hope there is something truly good in the works and that they recover with it - even if it does have electronic shifting. By the way, I've also noticed brands switching their entry offerings from Deore build to SRAM SX/NX. That's distasteful, in my opinion. There are direct-to-consumer brands (such as Polygon) that regularly build bikes with Deore 12 speed group sets. Why can't other brands do the same? XTR may be hard to find, but Deore and Deore XT seem plentiful.
That new fork looks like it would catch an absolute crap ton of crap does it not?
I’ll try and get one long term to find out.
If the back end is so stiff and isn't really accessing its travel..... 🤔 #itsahardtail
At least the hardtail is relatively light
Does the Hirth joint even do anything useful? "The steering lock decked me in the car park" yeah I see Pidcock crash off this bike all the time. Not sure why you weren't gettting full travel; the leverage curve is dead flat for this bike.
@@trentvlak the Hirth joint is designed to stiffen up the main pivot so they can avoid using a chainstay bridge.
@@GuyKesTV So they add a lot of metal to avoid using some carbon. Hmm. If I had one I'd weigh the rear triangle next to a competing design. My instinct says gimmick.
Nice pair of free socks from Pinarello?
They gave us full kit for the launch. I wouldn't normally go "pro team w@nker' but I thought they might be offended if I didn't
Hard to hear your voice.
Sorry Sam, it was pretty windy.
Looks like it should be riding on wildgripper sprint green 26 tyres 😂
Yep, the semi slick ones 😂