Pinarello made the most Pinarello XC bike ever for Pidcock and Ferrand-Prevot

Just months after Pinarello went public with the Dogma XC full squish cross country bike, the Italian brand is following up with a Dogma XC hardtail. Like the full-suspension version, the new Dogma XC is made for Ineos Grenadiers stars, Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot.

Pinarello frames always have a very distinctive style that makes them instantly identifiable as a Pinarello. With the Dogma XC’s, the storied road brand looks to be trying to define its off-road aesthetic. The new hardtail is, even more than the full suspension bike, very distinctive. Asymmetric seat and chainstays, a kinked top tube and the new “power triangle” bottom bracket area make sure this frame will stand out among a sea of nearly interchangeable modern XC hardtails.

Powering towards Paris with Ferrand-Prevot

According to Pinarello, the drive to create a hardtail version of the Dogma XC came primarily from its new French star, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. The multi-time world champion is looking for the perfect bike as she chases Olympic glory at home in Paris next year.

“From the moment Pauline Ferrand-Prévot signed for INEOS Grenadiers, she pushed us to develop a hard tail cross-country frame. It wasn’t in our original plans but we took on the challenge in record time and have designed a frame we are very proud of,” said Fausto Pinarello. “With this, and the full-suspension version of the DOGMA XC, both she and Tom Pidcock now have frames available to them which will allow them to perform at the very highest standard on any type of terrain.”

Ferrand-Prevot quickly rewarded Pinarello for creating the bike for her by winning Thursday’s short track world championships in Scotland, defending the first of her four rainbow jerseys from 2022.

Maximizing efficiency

The Dogma XC hardtail is, like its full-suspension sibling, very focused on race speed. For Pinarello, that means the “Frame focuses on delivering the stiffest frame on the market in the bottom bracket area.” To get a head of the competition, there are some distinctive shapes on the new frame.

The bottom bracket area, like the dual suspension bike, includes an extra, mini triangle to improve pedalling efficiency. The rear triangle is even more creative. The non-drive side is reinforced to balance out the higher forces applied by the drive train, which Pinarello claims improves power transfer, increases speed and adds traction, though they don’t delve into how. The rear triangle of the frame is also, obviously, shaped asymmetrically for the same reasons.

For now, we’ll all have to take Pinarello’s word on all those claims. Pidcock and Ferrand-Prevot currently have exclusive access to the Dogma XC hardtail frames. UCI rules around the Olympics, though, mean Pinarello will have to make the frame commercially available eventually if either racer wants to use it in Paris. Pinarello hasn’t bothered to attach a price to the frame just yet.