Pinarello Beautiful Bicycles: Old Vs New

History 

Pinarello made a lot of lugged steel frames from the late 80s through the 90s, and were one of the leading manufacturers of steel frames during this era, even their 105-level (Shimano's third-tier groupset) bikes were high quality. Some people might notice the Stelvio looks very similar to the Pinarello Vuelta as they both use Pinarello's oversized lugged steel and have similar frame geometry. The Vuelta was made before the Stelvio and uses Columbus EL/OS tube set for the frame.

In the early 90s, Pinarello partnered with Dedaccai to manufacture proprietary oversized steel tubes for their frames. The Stelvio, produced from 1992-1997, was the second bike to feature this innovation. Named after the iconic Italian mountain pass, this steel-lugged frame used Dedaccai's (now Deda Elementi) 18MCDV6 steel. The Stelvio has become a classic in Pinarello's history, known for its comfortable ride and impressive climbing ability for a steel bike.

The other bike we are looking at is the Dogma F RED AXS build, the newest Dogma in Pinarello's lineup. Released in June of this year, it represents the epitome of World Tour-level performance. With its aerodynamic design and stiff, responsive frame, this bike stands as the best of the best.

The Dogma line was first introduced in 2010 as Pinarello's top-end race bike, designed for their elite teams. Its signature feature is a fully asymmetric frame, engineered to provide additional stiffness on the drive side to create a more balanced ride. Through eight iterations, the Dogma has evolved to its current version, which showcases the stunning Luxter Blue Glory finish.

Frame Materials 

One of the biggest differences between a modern classic and a vintage racer is the frame materials. When the Stelvio was the pinnacle of frame tech, the choice of material was steel for all race bikes. Steel offers an excellent balance of strength and weight. Its high tensile strength allowed frame builders to create thin-walled, small-diameter tubing, which kept frames light while providing the resilience needed for racing. Steel has a natural springiness, which translates into a smooth and responsive ride that many riders prefer. Steel is also relatively easy to weld and repair, making it a practical choice for racers who often need quick fixes. Steel’s reign eventually diminished as advancements in other materials took place, specifically, carbon.

Carbon fiber made significant manufacturing advances in the early 2000’s and carbon bikes were more viable and even superior in certain aspects like weight and stiffness. A big part of this is weight. A full current model year Dogma frame weighs 840g, and the Stelvio weighs 2kg. A massive 1160g difference! (2.55 lbs in freedom units). 

Despite weighing significantly less, carbon frames deliver superior performance - feeling more responsive when pedaling, handling corners better, while maintaining comfort. This seemingly magical combination stems from carbon fiber's unique construction process, layup.

Engineers have unprecedented control over the frame's characteristics through carbon layup. They can precisely adjust thickness, create aerodynamic shapes impossible with steel, and orient fiber weaves to optimize performance in specific areas. This level of customization allows them to fine-tune every aspect of the ride: thinner top tubes and seat tubes for vibration dampening, while strengthening chainstays and downtubes for maximum power transfer and stiffness.

Geometry 

You can see the differences in geometry and frame shapes right away. Steel bikes from the 90's had steeper head tube angles (73–74°) for quicker handling and longer wheelbases for stability at speed. Modern race bikes flip that — slacker head tube angles for high-speed stability and shorter wheelbases for sharper handling.

Reach has stretched out slightly for a more aero position, and stack is now achieved by lowering the bottom bracket and shortening the head tube. The idea? Less frontal area, better aerodynamics.

With that focus on aerodynamics, modern frames often have higher stacks and shorter stems to keep riders in an aero position with less strain on the back — because comfort matters. Updated geometry reduces drag and allows for internal cable routing, something unheard of on 90's bikes.

Older bikes had longer chainstays for a smoother ride and to manage lateral flex at speed. But with stiffer carbon frames, we’ve been able to shorten the stays without sacrificing stability or stiffness.

Parts And Builds 

The Stelvio featured has a gorgeous deep blue frame, with chrome accents, and blue Duro tires– a combination that really makes the bike come alive. The frame is decked out with Campagnolo Record 9-speed shifting, fully silver, with matching rim brakes. Mavic alloy 700c rim brake wheels keep it rolling. The condition of this bike is super good, something that stands out from a lot of older collector bikes. The ITM Chrome silver bar and quill stem tie the whole bike together.

The Dogma F sports a shiny Luxtor Blur carbon frame, satin black accents, and GP 5000 tires. It’s definitely not as classic — in fact, it looks more alien. But oh boy, does it look fast.

It’s built with full 12-speed SRAM RED AXS wireless shifting, offering all the gear range you’ll ever need, paired with powerful hydraulic disc brakes. Princeton CarbonWorks Peak 4550 wheels and the MOST Talon Fast one-piece carbon handlebar complete this top-end build, no stone left unturned.

One of the craziest things to look at on these bikes is the difference of the gearing. When going from 9 to 12-speed gear cassettes, the ranges on the cassette can get much bigger without sacrificing the small gear jumps due to the amount more you have. This is apparent when looking at the size of the chainrings, and cassette gears. The Stelvio has a 12-28t cassette, paired with 53/39t rings. This is an appose to the Dogma F’s 10-33t cassette paired with a 48/35t chainrings. 

Want to build a modern bike for yourself? Or have any questions about these builds? Let us know! Email us at [email protected] or chat us here on the site.