Team Sky unveil new Pinarello 'cobble bike' with rear suspension

If the news had come a day earlier it might have been dismissed as an April Fool gag: Team Sky have unveiled their secret weapon for the cobbled classics, a new Pinarello Dogma featuring rear suspension to take the sting out of the pavé of Paris-Roubaix and this weekend's Tour of Flanders.

Designed in association with Jaguar, the 900g Pinarello Dogma K8-S frame incorporates a bespoke lightweight suspension system (DSS 1.0, Dogma Suspension System). The team are claining the suspension is a world first, although some commenters have been quick to point out apparent similarities with suspension systems used on early mountain bikes from the 1990s. The new bike also features flexible flat carbon chain stays (FLEXSTAYS™) that, Team Sky claim, create a revolutionary pivot point to provide enhanced rider comfort over rough terrain.

Team Sky's riders, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Ian Stannard, will use the new bike in the Ronde van Vlaanderen this weekend, and again at Paris-Roubaix where Wiggins hopes to mark his final race with Team Sky with a strong showing.

Wiggins hailed the Dogma K8-S's performance benefits as "game-changing" for cycling. "The Pinarello Dogma K8-S looks as good as the Dogma F8, and from the moment you get on it, you realise the difference straight away, especially on the cobbles," commented Wiggins.

Pinarello's priority was to create an innovative frame that could improve rider isolation from the challenging road surfaces and help reduce rider fatigue. The bike's designers drew on the aerodynamics and technology-leading work on the DOGMA F8, the first collaborative project for Jaguar, Pinarello and Team Sky, and Jaguar's engineers are said to have applied their aerodynamics knowledge and experience in ride and vibration analysis, to help create an overall performance increase of 4.6% and 50% improved comfort for the riders over rough terrains from the previous Dogma K model.

Wiggins, the reigning UCI World Time Trial Champion added: "I've never ridden anything like it on cobbles before, which is the most extreme terrain you can ride a bike on. The way it feels, its aerodynamics, stiffness, and improved flex in the rear, is game-changing for cycling.

"This is the first time anyone has gone out there, looked at the demands of the cobbles, and made a bike specifically for that job. It was really noticeable in testing between the guys on the K8-S to the others that weren't. It gives us lots of confidence and a huge advantage on the cobbles.

"The level of innovation and thinking outside the box, largely down to Team Sky and the automotive expertise from Jaguar, is streets ahead of other teams and manufacturers out there."

Fausto Pinarello, CEO of Pinarello, said: "The Dogma K8-S can reshape the world of road racing. The Dogma K8-S absorbs only the necessary shocks of the road to allow you to keep pedalling regularly with optimum power and precision. It is the perfect bike for the cobbles."

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Team Principal, said: "The Classics have been a big goal for us this season and with Ian Stannard's win at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Geraint's win at E3 we've had a great start. Anything can happen in these races, which makes them so exciting, but this bike will give us the best possible chance of continuing our success."

Suspension bikes for Paris-Roubais are not, despite Sky's claims, a new phenomenon - check out this interesting history of outlandish designs from the not-so-distant past - but it will be fascinating to see how the men in black fare on the new bike over the coming nine days.