Pinarello Dogma K8-S, suspension of disbelief

My first ride aboard the K8-S was on a late-season charity fondo organized by a local shop, The 11. As the group formed and reformed throughout the rolling 120 km, I found myself riding next to different riders. After the initial “hi,” I would have a variation of the same exchange with every rider, to a man (all men).

“Is that a shock on the back?”

“Yes.”

“Can you feel it when it’s working?”

“No, not really.”

“What do you think? How does it ride?”

“Good so far, but this is only my first ride on it. Can’t give a verdict yet.”

Pinarello has never been afraid to make waves. (See the Onda forks of the Dogma, for example.) The K8-S with its rear suspension continues in that vein. Traditionalists reacted with hostility. While the look of the K8-S’s rear suspension is radical, its effect is subtle.

On my local pockmarked and rutted city pavement, I didn’t feel insulated from the potholes or bumps, and couldn’t tell if the suspension was working initially. Only after I checked the O-ring seal, which had moved from its starting position, could I confirm that the suspension was working. It almost seemed the rapid, high-frequency vibrations on the road would quickly overwhelm the K8-S suspension, which only has 1 cm of travel.

I saw more of what the suspension could do when I hit the dirt. On a beautiful fall day, I turned onto a country road expecting the bike’s performance on gravel would be similar to pavement. But the K8-S surprised me. I didn’t feel more comfortable, but I had more traction, and traction equals speed. It was most apparent on one truck-tire rutted section, where others had to stop pedalling to try to float through the rough. I was able to stay seated and continue pedalling, gapping the group.

On a local climb where I sometimes do hill repeats, there is a manhole cover about halfway up, right in a turn on the ideal line. If you go over it at speed on the way down, it unsettles the rear of the bike, forcing you to adjust. Avoid the manhole cover, and you have to brake earlier to make a slightly awkward turn. On the K8-S, the suspension absorbed just enough of the bumps to keep the bike planted, and allowed me to pick the faster line and carry just a bit more speed. I found this control on other corners. On those turns, stiff race bikes would chatter, but the K8-S sailed through.

Unlike other comfort-enhanced cobble racers, the K8-S does not have the tall head tube, relaxed geometry and thus slightly slower handling common to the bike type. The geometry of the K8-S is mostly derived from the F8 and the Dogmas that preceded it, with only minor tweaks and clearance for wider tires. The new bike is similarly sharp and precise as its fellow Pinarellos.

I love the way the K8-S handles and responds. Going into a corner, I can countersteer at the last moment, and then just shift my hips. The K8-S then drops right into my chosen line. When I get out of the saddle to grind over a roller or to sprint for a town line, there is no noticeable wag from the suspension or the frame. The stout and wide chainstays only flex vertically, ensuring every meagre watt I muster goes to the wheel.

It seems Pinarello has hit its mark of creating suspension that works just enough and only when needed, without any notable compromise. This performance does come at a price though. The K8-S frameset alone is $8,100. Innovation and the Pinarello name come with a hefty premium. Pinarello’s K8-S is a state-of-the-art racer. As the character Ferris Bueller once said about another Italian machine, “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

Pinarello Dogma K8-S (as tested)

Components Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
Wheels Zipp 303 Firecrest clinchers
Sizes (cm) 44, 46.5, 50, 51.5, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57.5, 59.5
Price $8,100 (frame, fork and seatpost only)
Website unoimports.com