Pinarello

Gan RS Ultegra Complete Road Bike - 2016

The cycling industry is a funny place. It's a world where the Gan RS Ultegra Complete Road Bike is considered mid-level in Pinarello's line of racing frames. Pinarello calls it a "less extreme" version of the Dogma F8; we call it a far more extreme frame than the ones that were ridden to grand tour victory over most of the past decade. Think about that: the grade of materials, stiffness-boosting layup, and even the Shimano Ultegra drivetrain spec'd on it are actually better than what guys like Sastre, Schleck, and Evans were riding during their respective Tour wins. So despite not being the current top of the heap, we think the Gan RS may be the best bet for the self-sponsored racer. The way we see it, you can easily double the price of this bike without seeing much improvement in frame construction or drivetrain.

The Gan RS' frame stacks up so well against its more expensive stablemate, the Dogma F8, because it's designed with the same asymmetrical philosophy and a similar layup pattern. The differences are that the frame's asymmetrical elements are slightly more subdued and the material used is of a lower grade — Instead of the Dogma's superlative T11001K carbon fiber, the Gan RS uses T900. This involves a small weight gain and a slight loss of stiffness, but it still represents a step up from the T600 and T800 used in the Gan and Gan S frames, respectively. There may be some cyclists who are strong and savvy enough to note the difference while hammering up an HC climb, but we suggest that they're few and far between.

The Dogma F8's genotype manifests virtually unchanged in the Gan RS' FlatBack tube shaping, which was originally adapted from the 65.1 Dogma, updated for testing on the F8, and then trickled down to the Gan RS. FlatBack is the result of 70 possible frame configurations tested and 300 CFD analysis cycles spent to find the most versatile aerodynamic tube shape. A cross-section of FlatBack tubes reveals an ovalized face paired with an abruptly truncated trailing edge. Pinarello claims that this shape manages the detachment of turbulent lamina at multiple yaw angles, reducing the drag effect of dead air in the tubes' wake.

In two final touches that're indicative of Pinarello's dedication to incorporating only the best frame design elements in its racing bikes, the Gan RS is finished with seamlessly integrated internal routing and a threaded Italian bottom bracket. This is a trend that we're happy to see resurfacing across certain segments in the industry because the CNC machined threading provides a more consistent, solid platform for installation than the creaking, occasionally miss-aligned PressFit models that have become the standard.