Cyclists view Pinarello like Formula 1 fans view Ferraris. Pedigree race machines, technical as you like, a winning history and a very Italian heritage. It’s an intoxicating mix, but it doesn’t convey the less than glamorous origins.
Giovanni Pinarello, former Italian pro-rider set, up the company in 1953 - two years after placing last at the Giro d’Italia. Yes - last.
No - It’s not the typical starting point for an elite performance brand. In fact - Pinarello was the last ever winner of the now much storied Maglia Nera - the only jersey awarded at a Grand Tour to the slowest participant to finish within the cut-off time.
Fortunately though, making bikes and riding bikes offered different opportunities to Pinarello. Starting with solid steel offerings emerging from Columbus tubing, it was with the rise of the Banesto team and Miguel Indurain that the name gained an indomitable position at the head of the peloton.
And there it has stayed - From the T-Mobile team of Jan Ullrich to the now famed Team Sky days, the Pinarello has been a staple at the front of the peloton, and under some of the world’s best riders.
But why are riders so enamoured? Part of the attraction to this brand is its almost singular focus on speed and performance. If a bike is worth riding, it’s worth riding fast. It’s an approach that remains a constant - the Nytro E Road Bike is a clear testament to that fact.
Whilst most brands would tend to offer an E-bike with wider tyres for more diverse riding, Pinarello stick close to their roots, and fervently to the road on the Venetian plains near Treviso. Whilst you can certainly depend on it's motor and battery power to get you up an Alp, it's the Pinarello Grevil you'd be looking to if you wanted to keep climbing once the tarmac stops.
Their greatest single addition to the world of bike geometries would have to be their of Dogma christened machines denoted from F8 to F12. Of the last 11 years of cycling, this series of bike has taken home the Tour de France seven times. It's starkest improvement over competitors was the early adoption of aero tubing - making it a stronger and more stable machine on the road.
Whilst this means it isn't the lightest of machines, its reliable balance of aero efficiency versus stiffness wins back some of that deficit - and that often seems to be the case judging by its imperious win record, particularly in the colours of Sky and then later, INEOS.
The latest in this line is of course, the Dogma F Series. Only launched in 2023, this bike looks to have all the trademark signs of a Pinarello winner. Styled more like a concept car than a standard bike, it casts a striking shape - but is yet to prove itself in the peloton.
And so - what about the Pinarello's we offer here at Cycle Exchange? Fortunately for you, we're a Pinarello Outlet for ex-display and demo bikes. That means that Pinarello UK offer us their factory seconds, and store bikes once off the shelf. Once with us, we inspect and re-service the machines to ensure that they're ready for re-homing.
In our latest updated stock, you can check out our collection of Pinarellos landing in store.
