THE DOGMA SHOOTOUT: CONTENDER No.3 - The K10

The final bike of our Pinarello Dogma comparison test is the K10.  This is the bike that Team Sky uses for the tough Belgian classics, or any event with beat up road surfaces.  It comes in a few styles, one with a damper built into the top of the seat stays, one with disc brakes, but we chose the simplest version, the rim braked hard tail version if you will.  Up till now, this test has been a bit off in that we tested the pure road bike, the F10 during some nice winter storms with high winds, which was just great with the 60mm Bora wheels.  Then, we had torrential downpours with the F10 disc which was nice in that we got to test the disc brakes in their element but not so nice in that we had Zipp 454’s on it.  But now, we’re testing the K10 in nice and sunny weather, with no wind, with the shallowest of wheels, Shimano C24’s (more on that below).  But, we’ve learned some interesting lessons that we’ll get to in the next and final installment of this test two weeks from now.

For now though, onto the build of our Pinarello K10.

The K10 is different from the F series in that it has flattened chain stays and curved seat stays that are said to provide a bit of damping to the ride over less than ideal surfaces.  It also has a slightly different geometry.  The head tube and seat tube are a bit longer, the fork is more raked out at 47mm vs. 43 on the F10 and the head tube angle is slightly more relaxed.  But more importantly, the K10 accepts up to 28mm tires and as we’re about to find out, hopefully up to 30mm tubulars as opposed to 25 on the F10 (though we’re running 27mm tubulars on our disc bike with a little room to spare).  

Admittedly, the Pro Vibe aero bars may not be the best pairing w/ a bike made for the rigors of Paris Roubaix, but we had them and wanted to give them a good go so it’s what’s on it.  These bars are interesting.  They have good ergonomics, for me at least, but I find them lacking in a few areas and if there are any Shimano engineers/designers reading this, here are my .02 cents.  The drops are close to agonizing on long descents.  They narrowed the profile and they are almost pointy and if you are doing a descent where you have to be on the brakes a lot like you are in our area they fatigue the palm of the hands pretty quickly.  I’m not an aerodynamist (is that even a word?) but I can’t see the advantage here.  Just keep it simple and round and we’re all good.  Secondly, the bar flares very close to the stem which makes putting an out front computer mount like even the narrowest K-Edge impossible.  This is why you see the computer mounted on top of the stem on this bike.  Sure, MOST makes a computer mount that attaches to the stem bolts, but with other stems this may not be an option.  Third, the exit hole for the cables on the bar are far too small, they work fine with the Di2 shifting system but are far too small for running mechanical shifting.  It’d be pretty simple to just make the hole a little bigger and there would be no complaints.  Overall though, the bars have a good shape and feel good while climbing, even without bar tape.

The other part that differentiate the K10 from it it’s F10 siblings is the seat post.  The K10’s post tapers off at the top in an effort to reduce the impact of road irregularities to the riders underside.  For the saddle, we’re back to our trusty Fizik Arione saddle.  This is the narrowest in Fizik’s line and works great for me.

The Shimano Di2 system is, in my opinion, the most precise and smoothest electronic shifting system out there.  While not as simple and straight forward as SRAM’s eTap or as fast as Campagnolo’s EPS systems, the Shimano drivetrain is super quiet and very precise, hitting all the shifts, under load or not, effortlessly.  On this bike we use SRM’s newest power meter with Dura-ace 50X34t rings.  Speedplay titanium pedals do the work of pushing the bike forward and Ceramicspeed's derailleur pulleys help smooth it all out.

This is where it gets a little wonky.  Dura-Ace C24 wheels are most likely not the wheels we’d suggest putting on a bike made for taking on the worst road conditions out there, especially shod with Zipp Tangente 24mm tires that measure closer to 22mm.  But here’s the rub, they work amazing well.  On one particular loop we do, we go over our local “mountain” roads that have shitty surfaces at best.  The bike handled the course with no complaints.  Maybe it’s due to the more comfortable stays, but whatever it is, it works.  It was actually eye opening how these wheels made the bike feel, but you’ll have to check in for the final installment of this test to see why.  Sorry.

For those that have read prior reviews or tests of bikes we’ve done will know, we love the older quick release skewers that all the companies made.  Why?  They are so much more secure, and smooth in action that most of the new ones out there.  Yes, they are heavier, but, these are what hold the wheels in the frame.  I also feel that the more secure the skewer the stiffer the entire assembly becomes which is a good thing, both for security and for performance.  Such a little piece, but important in it’s own right.  Plus, they just look the part.  These particular skewers are from Shimano’s 7400 Dura-Ace range, some of the best they’ve made.  The only think I think that could be better is if they made thru axles for rim brakes.  That would be cool…

Again, some may ask why we used the super light EE brakes on a bike made for the nastiest of conditions.  Easy, they are the best rim brakes we’ve ever used.  Excellent modulation, very strong, easy to use and adjust with the added benefit that they are super light.  This actual set of brakes have been on numerous other builds that we’ve done and are still working like new.  They are the gen 2 model and have passed the test of time easily.  Our only complaint is that the adjustor arm on these particular brakes can hit the head tube on the Pinarello’s, so be careful not to turn the bars too hard to full lock.

The K10 is a great bike, but how does it stack up the F models on our local roads?  That is coming in two short weeks.  Thanks for reading and give us a shout with any questions in the meantime.