Pro bike: Geraint Thomas’ trusty Pinarello Dogma F

It’s hard to remember a time when Geraint Thomas didn’t race atop a Pinarello Dogma bike. You have to head back in time to the 2009 season to find the last time he didn’t, when a then baby-faced Thomas raced for Barloworld-Bianchi atop their Bianchi bikes.

Leap forward a year and the Welshman had switched to Sky Procycling and the Pinarello Dogma; a new partnership that was struck up with lofty ambitions to win the Tour de France. While those ambitions wavered at first, Team Sky soon turned into one of the strongest teams of all time, scooping up seven Tour de France titles in a decade. Thomas was instrumental in nearly all of them, first as a domestique deluxe, before emerging from the shadow of Chris Froome to conquer cycling’s biggest race in 2018.

Riders have changed and the team has taken on new names over the years, but one thing has remained an ever-present throughout its success: the Pinarello Dogma. Its successes have propelled the bike into the upper pantheon of greats, making it instantly recognisable. That’s also been aided by the fact that the bike has largely remained the same over the years as Pinarello has stuck to a familiar formula.

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It’s a formula Pinarello returned to once again for the latest iteration of the bike, the Domga F, which Thomas will once again be competing on in 2024, 14 years after he first started riding Dogma bikes. Here’s a closer look at the bike from the recent Volta ao Algarve.

• Read more: Ineos Grenadiers officially reveal 2024 Pinarello Dogma F in its new livery

Pinarello Dogma: Refined shape but familiar silhouette

Ever since its release, the Pinarello Dogma has always bucked trends through its more eccentric and curved tube shapes.

This took on radical proportions on the original Dogma 60.1, released in 2009, through its mesmerisingly curved seatstays and fork. Things were toned down over the years, especially with the introduction of the Pinarello Dogma F8 in 2014. By this time aerodynamics had taken over the industry and provided the main inspiration for the bike, and its distinctive curves weren’t a part of this modus operandi, so were partly but not wholly sacrificed in favour of more subtle curvature. Along with some other changes to the overall silhouette, Pinarello had settled on a new formula, one that it hasn’t strayed too far from since, even up to the modern Pinarello Dogma F.

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The Pinarello Dogma's sloping top tube

That formula still includes a level of curved tubing which can be seen on the Dogma F’s top tube and fork, although the kinked seatstays are the most radical part of the design.

Same look then, but that doesn’t mean that it delivers the same performance as its F12 predecessor, far from it. According to Pinarello, the bike is more aerodynamic, lighter and stiffer; all things we’ve come to expect of a new bike. That added aerodynamic performance is for both the rim and disc brake versions.

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The fork still curves, but it has been toned down over the years

Yes, you read that right, there is a rim brake version and Ineos Grenadiers stayed partially loyal to it all the way up to the end of 2021, when it finally gave in and tested disc brakes out. Now the team are disc-brake exclusive, but the Dogma F isn’t, which is great news for rim brake aficionados.

Shimano also ever-present

Like Pinarello, Shimano has also been an ever-present in Ineos Grenadiers’ success over the years.

The Japanese brand’s tech has changed significantly since 2010 when it teamed up with the British outfit. Back then the top-tier Dura-Ace had just become Shimano’s first electronic groupset, although it used a wired electronic system. That has since become wireless. In 2021, the groupset also received an extra gear by going 12-speed.

• Read more: Complete guide to road bike groupsets 2024

It’s this groupset that Thomas had specced on his bike, in the form of a 54/40t chainset. This includes an in-built power meter along with Dura-Ace pedals.

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The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset

It was paired with an 11-34t Shimano cassette.

Elsewhere, Thomas’ bike also had Shimano’s Dura-Ace C50 wheels. The team has the option to opt for the deeper profiles of the C60, but they’ll generally be reserved for flat days with little climbing.

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Thomas used the Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheelset

Continental tyres and latex inner tubes

The Shimano wheels were partnered with Continental Grand Prix 5000 tubeless tyres, in a 28mm width. Rather strangely there was also a latex inner tube on the bike, although not in the way you might expect. It was used to secure the transponder to the fork – presumably, it’s a more aerodynamic solution than cable ties.

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Ineos Grenadiers' latex solution for mounting the transponder

Pinarello’s in-house components brand Most supplied the cockpit in the form of the Talon Super Light, which was adorned with Ultragrip EVO bar tape.

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The Most cockpit

Bike Specification