Pinarello Dealer Experience 2026

[stompandgo]

Day Two

After a classic European breakfast of fresh Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, a croissant, plus some Americanized goodies like scrambled eggs with Gruyere cheese, sausages, and bacon, we proceeded to the dealer event. Photos were limited, so I only took what was allowed. I was able to get shots of the graphic panels that were set up behind the bike displays. We are working with Pinarello to get some of these for the shop.

First, we heard from Fausto Pinarello, the President and CEO of the company. He stated his vision and future for the company. Next up were presentations from engineers and designers, who discussed the fine details behind the new Dogma X, the decisions they made and why, and then took questions from the audience. At the end of this, the entire company came up on stage to be thanked by Fausto for their great work, 18 months after the start. The one thing I noticed during this event that struck me was how young the average age of the company was. The Chief of Design is a young woman in her 30's. Most of the company was under 40. It was clear, the company was not going to go forward as a stodgy, old bike company content to sit on their considerable laurels. They are going to evolve and drive innovation well into the future.

At the end of the show, engineers were available to answer questions. I took the opportunity to ask one of them about the future of the Nytro. Pinarello is very tight-lipped about products that are under development. This event was focused on the Dogma X which was just released. However, I was able to get a few bits of info from him that was OK to share.

Pinarello will be replacing the TQ HPR50 drive units in the current Nytro bikes with the HPR60 in the near future. All I could get as to when was "soon". My guess is that this is being driven more by TQ than Pinarello, because the HPR60 is a better, more efficient, and more reliable platform than the HPR50. Then I asked if they were going to built a lightweight electric road bike using the HPR40. He was very evasive, but I got the impression that they are looking at the possibility.

After a nice buffet lunch, we went to the garage to pick up our brand new Dogma X bikes for the ride the next day. While it was not required that every dealer purchase the bikes that they rode during the event, we chose to commit to our two. These bikes are in short supply, and fit well into our market. They will be sold quickly. At that time, a bunch of us decided to go on a short 40km ride. We rode around the city, guided by a few that knew the area.

I had not ridden an analog drop bar road bike in well over three years due to medical issues. I recently underwent surgery to address the chronic pain, which was successful. This ride would be a challenge from multiple angles. The bike did not fit me that well, but it wasn't that far off. The pace wasn't crazy until the end, but I was able to stay with the group at the front.

My impressions of the Dogma X was extremely favorable. This is an e-bike forum, so I will be brief. This bike was designed for riders who had ridden full-on race bikes, but wanted something a little more forgiving while having the performance of a race bike. These bikes are UCI approved, and I would not be surprised to see Netcompany/INEOS and Pinarello/Q36.5 riding them next year in the Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix. The bike was fitted with SRAM Red and Zipp 454NSW wheels with 32mm GP5000's. The frame handled well, smooth and predictable, and softened some of the beat up roads in the city. I would learn a lot more about the bike the next day.

After the ride and clean-up, we were bussed to the Piazza Rinaldi for dinner. The walk to the plaza was classic Italy.

The entire plaza was shut down for this event. The menu would be typical of what we would be partaking in throughout the event.

Wine was featured with every course, but I do not drink wine. Once we realized that we had to ask for the beer, all was right in the world. They served a basic Italian lager, I don't remember the name. It was so hot, I was alternating drinking beer and still water. The beer itself was unremarkable, but it was wet.

Earlier in the day, I went to a local mercato (market) and picked up this beer. It was the best beer I had ever had in Italy. If they served this at the event, I would have been loaded onto the bus horizontally.

Back to the hotel for some good sleep, the best I had so far.

 

[stompandgo]

Day Three

After breakfast, we kitted up and rode the bikes to the start of the event at the Piazza Matteoli, about 8km away. We were staged in the 8th group, which were separated by 2 minutes. There were two support vehicles spread out in the groups, and each group was escorted by a motorcycle marshal.

The ride was mainly flat for the first 20km or so. We rode through roundabouts and stop signs, with the motor marshal stopping traffic to let us pass. We stopped at every stop light. Our marshal was very skilled, and never put us in danger. I was sure that he was a UCI licensed marshal. When I spoke with him at the water stop, he was wearing his whistle on a UCI lanyard. Suspicion confirmed. We spoke in broken English for a bit about racing, my experience in UCI races as a Commissaire, and racing in America.

The ride offered two choices, 60km with one climb, and 100km with three. I wanted to ride with my boss, who chose the short ride, and I also did not know what to expect from myself, so we chose the 60km. The climb is called the Montello, of which there are about 30 different Presas, or courses. We chose one that was about 8.5km long, averaging 6%, with sections over 10%. My bike was geared with compact dual chainring (50-34) up front and an 11-32 12 speed cassette. I told my boss that I would ride with him until I couldn't, which meant that I would go ahead on the climbs and wait for him at the summit. I had my Garmin and HRM, no power meter. I set a HR goal at 160bpm, which is something that I can sustain for long periods without hitting the red zone and cooking off. The temps were 95 degrees F at the start, so taking it judiciously was just the smart thing to do. I ended up 10th out of our group of 45 riders. At the rest stop I washed down, drank up, used the rest room, and filled my bottles. My boss finished about 8 minutes behind.

Now, about the bike. It was equipped with SRAM Red, which I am not a big fan of. I don't know how well the bike was set up, but it just did not shift as well as Di2. However, the gearing and shifting were never a problem on the ride. The last time I rode my race bike on a climb, I was able to ride seated up to about a 6% grade, but would have to get out of the saddle above that grade. I was also in much better shape back then. On the Dogma X, I was able to stay seated up until around 8%. The bike was just plain solid. Every pedal stroke moved the bike forward with no wasted effort, both in and out of the saddle. I was never a strong climber, but seated climbing on this bike was actually enjoyable when I was not at my limit. About a mile before the summit, there was a dip with a short switchback descent. The road was open, but I was able to ride flat out between the lines. The bike was planted and eager, ready to take whatever I gave it. I hit about 40mph at the trough before ascending again, and never used much brake. Descending has always been a strength of mine, and this bike was every bit as good a descender as any race bike that I have owned. We left the summit in a small group on our way to the lunch at a local winery. I started off in the lead, just because I happened to get clipped in first. The ride leader was a Men's Elite rider on the Pinarello team. He caught me, and took the lead for the main descent down the back side. I followed his wheel through the turns, which was exhilarating. When we hit a flatter section, he looked back, and we had dropped everyone, so we slowed and let them catch up, and rode the rest of the way to the winery. After we arrived, a mechanic removed my pedals, I took my two new bottles along with my helmet and gloves in a Pinarello bag off to the lunch spot. The bikes would be transported by van back to the hotel.

The scenery was beautiful.

There was a gorgeous Fiat (500?) on display.

Lunch was at a similar level as the dinners. We were outside under a pavilion, with a small band playing, and course after course of great Italian food and draft beer. We boarded the bus, and admired the breathtaking scenery at the base of the Dolomites on the way back. It is just crazy beautiful here.

Back at the hotel, we showered and dressed for dinner. We met at the hotel bar for a first course, then we were bussed to a "mystery location", which turned out to be the Pinarello factory. Outside the building, they were serving Prosecco with lemonade, which I passed on.

Pictures were very limited inside, but I was able to take a shot of one of the paint rooms. Every Pinarello is painted by hand at the facility and inspected before being assembled. This is a primary differentiator with the competition. Here is a drying rack for frames that were recently painted. The stands are custom made.

Dinner was as expected for the event. I sat with some major producers for the brand, shared stories, information, and just plain made new friends. We ordered beers by the handful for the table, because, it was, you know, sweltering inside. A good time was had by all. We arrived back at the hotel around midnight, which had become the norm.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

What an incredible experience you're having! You must be in hog heaven.

Gonna take a lot of sucking up to come back from dropping your boss by 8 minutes.
;^}

 

[stompandgo]

Day Four

Day Four was getaway day, with no events scheduled. We had to leave at 5:30am, so no breakfast at the hotel. One of our new friends took us to the Venice airport so that we could skip the bus. The airport was under construction the last time I visited it, and it was still underway, but the finished section was gorgeous. After a short flight to Frankfurt, I had a bratwurst for lunch and we did some duty free shopping for the families. Getting on board the plane, however, was a completely different experience. I have Global Entry, and there were no lines for it or PreCheck. We were all in one line that stretched from one end of the terminal to the other. We found out in line that we had to "pre-register" for the flight before passport check, so us and our new line mates took turns getting out of that line, and into another line for a kiosk that scanned our passports, took our fingerprints, and a face photo. We were not late for our flight, but our line mates were. They ended up holding their plane for them. After that fiasco, we were checked three more times, including a random particle check, before boarding the plane. These were all EU controls. When we arrived at Customs in Boston, it took 90 seconds to get through Global Entry. The contrast was amazing.

In summary, it was an unforgettable journey and event. My boss spent thousands on me to get me there. He appreciates my work, and I consider him a friend. I look forward to helping him transform the store once the frenzy calms down later this year.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Day Four

Day Four was getaway day, with no events scheduled. We had to leave at 5:30am, so no breakfast at the hotel. One of our new friends took us to the Venice airport so that we could skip the bus. The airport was under construction the last time I visited it, and it was still underway, but the finished section was gorgeous. After a short flight to Frankfurt, I had a bratwurst for lunch and we did some duty free shopping for the families. Getting on board the plane, however, was a completely different experience. I have Global Entry, and there were no lines for it or PreCheck. We were all in one line that stretched from one end of the terminal to the other. We found out in line that we had to "pre-register" for the flight before passport check, so us and our new line mates took turns getting out of that line, and into another line for a kiosk that scanned our passports, took our fingerprints, and a face photo. We were not late for our flight, but our line mates were. They ended up holding their plane for them. After that fiasco, we were checked three more times, including a random particle check, before boarding the plane. These were all EU controls. When we arrived at Customs in Boston, it took 90 seconds to get through Global Entry. The contrast was amazing.

In summary, it was an unforgettable journey and event. My boss spent thousands on me to get me there. He appreciates my work, and I consider him a friend. I look forward to helping him transform the store once the frenzy calms down later this year.

Spectacular report. Very enjoyable read. Love Italy they do things right. And love your description of the staff and ambition etc. I think it's great to have the giants of Italian road racing Pinarello & Colnago still at the top of their game.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Very interesting report, Chris! I let it read some Polish friends who are important to me. A comment from a person I respect very much: "This park of demo bikes is probably bigger than the number of Pinarellos in Poland!"

 

[stompandgo]

We were trying to figure out how many millions of dollars they represented.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That friend also made a comment like yours "A very expensive event" he said.

 

[Art Deco]

Enjoy!
If you've never been, the simplicity, freshness and flavor of the food will be worth the trip in itself.
Far more than any alcohol.. find an authentic gelato bar. The richness and depth of the flavor without being overly sweet is my Achilles heal when I visit.

Best coffee in Europe.

 

[stompandgo]

That friend also made a comment like yours "A very expensive event" he said.

I'm sure that it was. I spent a total of 95 euros for incidentals. It was, basically, free for me. For the company, it's a sales and marketing expense. The relevance of big, expensive trade shows like Eurobike have faded. Most attendees are industry professionals and press. Even if a day is open to the general public, it's not free. Both of these factors limit exposure and sales leverage. Exhibiting at Sea Otter, where you'll get industry professionals and consumers that attend for free is a better spend. So is inviting your top producers from all over the world to your company HQ and introduce them to your new model in person, surrounded by the designers, and let them ride it. I don't know how many Dogma X bikes that we will sell in the next 12 months, but sales can either start at the customer price point or from the top down. You need to know, embrace, and exhibit the top product. It's like going to a Chevy dealer and not seeing a Corvette on the floor. I think @Jeremy McCreary understands this.

 

[Art Deco]

I have returned from the Pinarello Experience safely and in one piece. I shot a limited number of pictures, due to both respect for the privacy of the attendees, and restrictions set down by Pinarello. In short, it was an unforgettable experience that I was blessed to be a part of. There were long days without a lot of sleep, but it was all worth it. I met some incredible people, learned a ton about the product, and spent some real quality time with my shop owner, which I haven't had a chance to do in the 1 year plus that I have worked there 2 days per week. We solidified changes that will be coming to the shop late this year.

Pinarello offers a Pinarello Experience in Mayorca, Spain. It is a fully supported cycling tour that is open to anyone. This event was not that. This was an invitation only, dealer focused, combination bike show and supported ride, with unprecedented access to company staff and executives, amid luxury acomodations and food. The next few replies should give you an idea of what it was like to be an attendee.

And beautiful bikes ...

 

[stompandgo]

Best coffee in Europe.

I don't drink coffee, but they had very good English tea, and frothed milk from the cappuccino machine. Yum!