Forum menu
Dear lord, hideous!
I tend to think most road bikes are a bit nasty anyway, when they were skinny they looked fragile, now they're just well; purposefully inelegant.
They'll doubtless sell loads to the Rapha crowd
Don’t think a single pinarello from the last decade has been an aesthetic sensation. Across the whole range.
Don’t think a single pinarello from the last decade has been an aesthetic sensation. Across the whole range.
I was going to suggest that the Grevil wasn't too bad but then I looked at pictures to post to support my point and now I've changed my mind.
I think the closest any modern carbon frame comes to elegant is the Specialized Aethos which does a fair job of impersonating steel.
Though I currently find myself lusting after something less esoteric. Like this Mason Definition with 12 speed mechanical 105.
I've never liked the look of Pinarello's but do agree about the Aethos looking great, would consider one for my next road bike if there are any iterations out there that don't cost stupid money
The Aethos starts around £5500 RRP for a non-SWorks model though I have seen ads for around £4000. A friend of mine has one and loves it. He also loves climbing.
Though I currently find myself lusting after something less esoteric. Like this Mason Definition with 12 speed mechanical 105.
Hurray an opportunity to shameless post a picture of my Mason in King Alfred's Way mode last week. Always a great choice of bike.
I've never understood the love for Pinarello, all the wobbly tubes and weird angles. Maybe they have a purpose, but my god they're ugly!
Was going to say the same, Spesh Aethos is my current favourite bike for looks alone.
And options for all budgets (from £6k to £16k).
Really ? my last road bike was £1,300 (ok the wheels were another £1,200)
IMO bikes are designed like that to try and justify sky high prices.
Cannot stand Pinarello's, gopping. I very much like a Mason, here's my Resolution in winter mode.
I think the closest any modern carbon frame comes to elegant is the Specialized Aethos which does a fair job of impersonating steel.
I like the Aethos. I don't think it's the 'steel' look so much as the simple lines and proportions, something we're used to in older steel frames. So yeah, you're right and I also see the same visual appeal in some aluminium bikes, the Kinesis Aithen was similar. And the old Genesis Aether was similar. Wait.. what's with those names.
It's like viewing a nice bike through a heat haze. Bizarre.
TBH, the worst thing about that Pinarello to me is the wheels.
TBH, the worst thing about that Pinarello to me is the wheels.
TBH there's not really anything that's "right" about it at all.
But it is quite amusing they've picked those fugly wheels to go on their fugly bike.
I'm almost tempted to think they're doing it on purpose.
I think they are trying to design in "purposefulness" to justify the price, so the bike tech nerdy owners can point to various parts of the bike and tell their bored, skint friends about how this feature saves 0.58 watts at 40km/h...
(Like they do with the huge spoiler on the back of their Porsche)
How did I know this would be about Pinarello before opening the thread
Pinarello Dogma? Dog-turd would be a better name, looking like that.
Still has the Bates cantiflex forks. Top tube looks bent. Not a fan. Colnago C69, De Rosa or Pegoretti please.
But then I like this (unless it cracks)
That Pinarello looks like it’s been crashed into a wall at speed. All sorts of wrong.
I really like the Spesh Aethos pictured, very nice. I have a not so subtle Acid mint green camo Sworks Tarmac SL6 disc, a Crux Expert (which is basically an Aethos on stilts) and a Mason Def2, all proper looking road bikes with the tubes in the correct places.
I like it*
*but only if every squiggle/lump/bendy/wiggly bit serves a factual purpose in creating speed/managing air flow/stiffness etc.
If it's purely for aesthetics then I'm not interested.
I quite like the look of a nice road bike - particularly with deep ish section carbon wheels.
Not that Pinarello though - it’s gross.
Maybe I’m the odd one out but I don’t like skinny tubed steel road bikes that much.
I quite like a Cannondale System 6 and I quite like my Dolan GXC - but that’s more related to the colour than the tube profile .
Here's a lovely bike that makes me smile. It's a collaboration between The Service Course and Isen Bikes to build a lightweight STEEL hill climb bike. The frame was a shade over 1kg and the entire bike 5.4kg.
There's a video of the whole project too.
Obviously a hard day's work in the Pinarello naming department again.
Wonder if Elon Musk will sue.
Most of their bikes look like the designer modelled it in liquorice then left it next to a radiator overnight. The next day the factory team have come in, picked up the resulting mess and gone "yep, we can make that!".
They’ll doubtless sell loads to the Rapha crowd
I love my Rapha but you would never get me buying that!!😀
Most of their bikes look like the designer modelled it in liquorice then left it next to a radiator overnight. The next day the factory team have come in, picked up the resulting mess and gone “yep, we can make that!”.
Haha.
But they must know how hideous their bikes look. The previous ones were bad enough, but I just can't get my head around them doubling down on the ugliness with this thing.
In that first picture the handlebars are perfectly placed with the model name.
Perhaps it could also have "Shaking" or similar as a prefix.
Someone bent the toptube on that pinarello although I do like the geo of the frame.
God this whole thread is a write off.
Pinarello, obviously.
Those Masons with the bent chainstays and seatstays, hard pass.
The Enigma downtube reminds me of the early-mid 90s shift to aluminium when frames had to be OVERSIZE.
Conversely the fork on the Indy Fab is too slender, the dropouts and headtube are poking out like knobbly knees. Also BDHU.
The Isen, almost, except for that ugly stem ruining the transition to the headtube spacers.
The Service Course and Isen Bikes to build a lightweight STEEL hill climb bike. The frame was a shade over 1kg
How is that possible with steel??
Those Masons with the bent chainstays and seatstays, hard pass.
I thought you were being a bit harsh, but after scrolling back up the thread... yeah I agree.
Personally I quite like the current ubiquitous all-round road frame with dropped stays - like the Tarmac, Supersix etc. Or the TCR with standard stays.
The Aethos looks nice enough, but feels a bit of a "dad bike" IYKWIM.
But my road bike is a Boardman, so judge me as you see fit.
But my road bike is a Boardman, so judge me as you see fit.
Mine is a Grevil 😀
I am currently building up an Epoca R30 though which will be about as classic a build as a carbon frame can get, short of a C60 (except I'm putting SRAM on there, oops).
Mine is a Grevil 😀
Oh mate, those Mason owners might be along soon to lecture you about stones and glass houses.
slender steel tubing ✔
rim brakes ✔
external cable routing ✔
no deep section wheels ✔
“normal” head tube ✔
quick release ✔
Completely out of date ✔
Pain in the arse finding spares/replacement parts ✔
They’ll doubtless sell loads to the Rapha crowd
I think that lazy link died about the same time as the Orange Five / Audi one.
I think Pinarello know their target market and play to it pretty well. They clearly invest quite heavily in Design/Engineering and must use CFD as a design tool (same as F1 teams) to come up with those shapes and profiles. The Dogma bikes are a weapon of choice round here for your typical affluent middle aged roadie - along with anything that says TREK or S-WORKS on the downtube in big letters.
As much as i love Italian & French Road bikes (currently ride a Basso) if i have Pinarello money i'd be looking at Colnago, Time or Look instead.
Those Princeton Carbon wheels though.. i'd be all over that as i love the wavy profile.
if i have Pinarello money i’d be looking at Colnago, Time or Look instead.
Why would you favour these brands over a Giant, Cannondale, Spesh, Canyon etc?
Just the "heritage" and brand identity thing? Or do you think Italian designers do something different?
Completely out of date ✔
Pain in the arse finding spares/replacement parts ✔
Brakes way better in the dry for sure but otherwise in date, out of date, classic Vs modern etc, all subjective stuff.
But what spares/partss for a 90s steel road bike can't you find now?
If I could work out how to post pics I’d post one of my (new to me) 1991 dynatech. A quick ride down the street confirms it’s absolutely horrendous as far as actual ride experience goes, but as an object to look at, it’s a thing of beauty
It’s my 50th birthday in 3 years, my treat to myself will be a colnago world master with full campag. The most beautiful bike ever made.. need to get saving..
^ Colnsgo Master rides rather well imho. Stiff enough but light and steely enough too. Superb handling.
But what spares/partss for a 90s steel road bike can’t you find now?
I rebuilt my 90s steel road bike this year and didn’t have any trouble, though choice was very limited in some cases. Spec includes quill stem, one inch threaded headset, deep drop calipers and a 135mm rear hub. Admittedly, the cost of a replacement Ultegra 6700 chainring did make me wince but that's nothing to do with the frame.
Why would you favour these brands over a Giant, Cannondale, Spesh, Canyon etc?<>Just the “heritage” and brand identity thing? Or do you think Italian designers do something different?
Yeah, 100% Brand identify and heritage i think - and no i don't think Italian designers do anything radically different
I've nothing against the brands you mentioned - I've also got a Giant Defy which i love, and thought the new Defy which hit the media last week looks stunning.
I guess you could draw similar comparisons when buying a sports car - why are Ferrari revered and respected so much more than Nisan? The Skyline is an Epic Sports/GT car..