PINARELLO DOGMA 2/SRAM RED TEAM REPLICA COMPLETE BIKE

Even as more and more manufacturers are designing frames with curved top tubes, oversized head tubes, and shapely forks, the Pinarello Dogma 2 remains the most recognizable and sought after road frame money can buy. But the Dogma 2 wasn’t designed with all these curves simply to stand out in the peloton. Rather, the asymmetry at the heart of its shapely design is the result of thousands of hours of testing, both on the tarmac and in the wind tunnel, and every curve, angle, and shape performs a specific function.

In addition to Team Sky and Movistar, the 2012 Competitive Cyclist Racing Team will be aboard the Pinarello Dogma 2 frame. Our Pinarello Dogma 2/SRAM Red Team Replica Complete Bike represents the pinnacle of our Featured Bikes program. We mate the purposeful technology of the Dogma 2 frameset with the unmatched lightness and precision of SRAM's second-generation SRAM Red componentry. The result is a bike sure to strike every chord in you, regardless of whether you're focused on structural design, aesthetics, race pedigree, or (like us) all three.

During the two years in which the original Dogma sat atop the Pinarello family of frames, the company examined and reexamined the forces in action as a rider sprints on the pedals, pulls on the handlebars, and muscles the bike through corners. FEA (finite element analysis) confirmed that the Dogma's asymmetrical design was beneficial in leveling the variances in frame deflection from one side to the other. However, Pinarello knew that they could improve the asymmetrical design on the Dogma 2. One big change is in the top tube of the Dogma 2. It's been moved slightly towards the right side of the bike to further the effort towards equilibrium.

Pinarello engineers didn’t stop with the Dogma 2’s asymmetrical design. They also paid close attention to the aerodynamics and stiffness on the front end of the bike. The new Dogma 2 switches to a 1.5" lower headset bearing, allowing for a larger diameter steerer tube at the fork crown. The result is a front end that is 19% stiffer than the original Dogma. The stiffer front end provides more confident braking and more precise steering. Another aspect of the fork re-design includes smoother, more aerodynamic fork legs and a sculpted crown that integrates seamlessly into the reshaped down tube. The Dogma 2 also loses most of the curvaceous ribbing that swept around the tube junctions on the front triangle and stays of the original Dogma. All of the cables are now routed internally as well. These changes add up to a 6% improvement in the aerodynamic efficiency of the frame.

The Dogma 2 is constructed using the same carbon fiber that was used in the original Dogma. It's called 60HM1K, which means that it's built to withstand 60 tons of force per square centimeter, the strongest carbon ever seen on a Pinarello. This material is manufactured by Torayca—the Japanese composites behemoth with whom Pinarello has had a long, innovative relationship. Stronger carbon, of course, allows for the use of less material as a whole, and less material adds up to fewer grams. Through improvements in frame design, the Dogma 2 is 30 grams lighter than its predecessor.

Any bike is only as good as the sum of its parts, and with this in mind we equipped it with SRAM's new-for-2012 second-generation Red componentry. While it's a full 120g lighter than the first-generation Red, it's not just a story about weight savings. You get vastly improved shifting, especially with the new Yaw front derailleur. Braking power and modulation improve with the completely-redesigned Aerolink brake calipers. And ergonomics take a huge step forward with the all-new shape of the Red ErgoFit shift levers. And no component got as extreme of a makeover as the new Red crankset -- now a fully-hollow structural carbon piece.

Typically, the first thing we do when purchasing a complete bike is swap out the stock bars and stem for our preferred models. Instead of giving the Dogma 2 the typical throwaways, we added 3T Team carbon bars and stem. The riveted Selle San Marco Regale Racing Saddle is secured by a Pinarello Most carbon seatpost. Arundel carbon cages will keep your bottles secure, and to keep things consistent we'll wrap the bars with Arundel Cork tape.

Finally, we rounded out the Dogma2 with Reynolds Assault Carbon Clinchers. We choose to use the 46mm deep rims for their aerodynamic advantages, but refrained from deeper rims in order to maintain the wheels’ all-around functionality. The wheels are wrapped in sticky Vittoria Zaffiro 700 x 23c tires. The front wheel gets 20 radially laced spokes, and 24 rear spokes in a 2x-radial lacing.

The Pinarello Dogma 2/SRAM Red Team Replica Complete Bike is available in the Competitive Cyclist Racing Team color of White/Red, and is available in twelve sizes, from 44cm to 62cm.

Dogma 2/SRAM Red Team Replica Complete Bike Price:  $9999.00