In September I was in Italy for the launch of the Pinarello Dogma X, the brand's new performance endurance bike.
Whilst there, we were lucky enough to be offered a visit to the Pinarello headquarters and flagship store - situated opposite - just north of Treviso. Photography was allowed, so I snapped away and have finally found the time to put the images into a gallery for you. The pictures are in order of flagship store first, then onto the factory and finally some shots of a very special collection at the end.
I'll explain more in the image captions below, but the Flagship store - as well as being filled with all the latest Pinarello bikes, cycling kit and accessories - houses some very special ex-pro and heritage bikes. My mouth was open pretty much as soon as I walked in the door and there was an awful lot to ogle at.
A standout moment for me in the store was a brief talk from Fausto Pinarello on his father Giovanni Pinarello's black jersey, or Maglia Nera, from the Giro d'Italia which sits framed on the wall. It's one of the best-looking cycling jerseys I've ever seen, with its black wool, simple white logos and retro pointed collar. He explained that though his father wore the jersey of the last man in the race, he vowed to produce bikes bearing his name that would win it one day. His wish came true, and more...
The factory tour involved seeing most of the different assembly, paint and R&D stations on-site. As the Dogma X was launching, there were stacks of them lined up ready for shipping and for a retailer ride that was taking place the next day.
Toward the end of the tour, we were asked if we were interested in seeing Fausto's personal collection of bikes. "Err, yes please". Upstairs, on the mezzanine level of the Pinarello Factory, behind rows and rows of new boxed bikes and equipment in a kind of narrow corridor created by the bike boxes themselves is a hooked rack filled with some of the most iconic bikes in our sport from the last several decades.
We had about five minutes for a quick look before the factory finished en masse for lunch. I snapped what I could in the time I had, but I could have spent all day up there. I walked back downstairs in a bit of a daze, feeling very lucky to have seen them. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Straight into the door of the flagship store and to your immediate left is Óscar Pereiro's magnesium alloy Pinarello Dogma from the Illes Balears team. It's easy to forget quite how long the Dogma has been around sometimes.
Pereiro's name sticker is featured on the lower seat stay. Campagnolo Record 10-speed and Hyperon Ultra wheels with carbon hubshells just ooze classic style.
The Selle Italia SLR saddle was very popular in the mid to late 2000's. Pereiro's was well-worn.
It wore a Deda Newton stem and classic-drop handlebars at the front. It also sported the Elite Patao bottle cages which were also used a lot at the time.
Up next is the Pinarello Parigina time trial bike. This one was infamously ridden, and then tossed aside, by Bjarne Riis at the 1997 Tour de France.
Time trial cockpits really have come a long way. This bike, however, still went very fast.
A Campagnolo chainset here and 55 tooth large chainring for Riis
Next, Miguel Indurain's 1994 Hour Record breaking Pinarello Espada. Name a more eye-catching paint job.
The Espada broke the hour record but marked a nearing of the end for wild bike design as the UCI rolled out its Lugano Charter in 1996, which consigned lots of groundbreaking frame designs to the history books.
Campagnolo Pista track chainsets still look similar today
This time trial machine on the upstairs level of the flagship store features a Campagnolo Record 9-speed titanium derailleur, though I make the cassette or freewheel to be 7-speed.
Next we moved across the road into the factory, where we were lucky enough to be granted access to the R&D room. First up was this stealthy-looking track frame, next to a mountain bike frame that looks destined for a certain someone.
A rack of Dogma XC mountain bike frames was on the left-hand side of the room, one in Tom Pidcock custom livery.
Start winning Olympic and World titles and it seems you're going to get given some pretty flash custom paint jobs.
The Pinarello R&D frame testing jig. I didn't get any specific details on this, but assume some sort of fatigue testing amongst other things takes place.
New Dogma X bikes out on the main floor. The RRP for my Dura-Ace Dogma X was £13,000. You do the maths...
Next, we moved into the paint room which was one of the busiest areas. Lots of sanding and frame preparation was going on.
A range of paints, as you might imagine. Pinarello offers a custom paint program and we learned some of the paint options are very expensive, in part due to the cost of the paint itself.
Painted frames are racked up together; these ones haven't had all of their logos applied yet.
Painted Dogma frames ready for assembly.
Painted forks are racked, ready to be installed and built up. Note the opening for the front brake hose on the steerer tube
More Dogmas in a range of colours, these ones are sitting next to their painted forks
Forks have been installed on these bikes, though the steerer tubes are still uncut at this point.
Into the assembly area where a range of screws, headset bungs and assembly pieces await each frame.
A frame in a workstand awaiting assembly. I liked the drill on the bottom right kept neatly in a bottle cage
The following pictures are from the private collection bikes upstairs at the back of the mezzanine.
Many were a little dusty, others (deliberately) still covered in mud from their last race, legendary names adorned top tubes as well as a collection of most of the grand tour-winning bikes from the last decade or so. They sit quietly underneath plastic sheeting up on the mezzanine, they aren't on display in a brightly lit showroom or museum. Somehow this seemed to add more gravity to things.
The first bike I saw as I entered the space, was Bradley Wiggins' Hour Record-breaking track bike.
A flash of Tour de France yellow under bubble wrap was next. I think this is Geraint Thomas' bike from the final stage of his 2018 Tour de France GC win.
Think of the efforts these bikes represent. The Dogma has won an awful lot in various guises, and here lie the F8, F10 and F12 models all racked up together.
There was more - spot Michał Kwiatkowski Strade Bianche winning Dogma covered in Tuscan dirt, and Chris Froome's 'Rhino' bike.
I was in a bit of a state by this point. A road-going version of the Espada for Miguel Indurain was next. Campagnolo Shamals have surely got to be some of the best-looking wheels ever. Spot an Italian national team track bike under plastic sheeting behind.
Next was a line of Team Telekom Pinarellos. I think the bike at the very back is a Pinarello Paragina ridden by Andrea Collinelli on the track.
One of Jan Ullrich's bikes sits amongst the collection. This is possibly his 1997 Tour de France-winning bike.
A Pinarello Prologo from 1988 complete with the five-spoke rear wheel, ridden by Franco Chioccioli at the Giro d'Italia.
And finally, a collection of Fassa Bortolo Pinarello Dogmas including Alessandro Petacchi's. It's an iconic-looking bike with its white and blue paintwork, Mavic Cosmic wheels and Campagnolo Record groupset.
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