BEST THING ABOUT THIS BIKE: Absolutely solid ride with great road feel - this bike inspires total confidence.

WORST THING ABOUT THIS BIKE: The ride, which isn't as plush as we'd expected - it's not bad by any stretch, but it's not as lively as other carbon-stay bikes we've tested.

UNDISPUTED PEDIGREE: From 1991 to 1997, a Pinarello carried the maillot jaune to Paris, thanks to Miguel Indurain, Bjarne Riis and wunderkind Jan Ullrich. Pinarello is one of Italy's most storied framebuilders, sponsoring pro teams since 1957, and was the first builder to set up shop in Treviso, near Campagnolo's home town of Vicenza. 

RIDE SCIENCE: The Prince cashes in on the current carbon stay trend, using that black fiber's ride-enhancing qualities for the seatstays and an ultra-stiff aluminum front end for torsional resistance. Beefy, coffin cross-section top and downtubes make this a great choice for big-gear, out-of-the-saddle riders.

THE RIDE: It's plusher than plain aluminum, but the rear end is surprisingly rigid, given the carbon stays - the tall-section chainstays may lack the vertical compliance to take advantage of carbon's vibe-damping properties. 

ALL BUSINESS: This bike wants to win. The extremely rigid fork lets you corner with almost surgical precision, the geometry favors power transfer over comfort and the 74-degree head angle gives you instant steering response. 

BUYER CAVEAT: We don't know who makes Pinarello's integrated headset. Buy a couple of spare ones to safeguard against obsolescence - non-standard parts might be difficult to replace in a few years' time.

WEIGHT: 17.5 lbs. (58cm, w/o pedals); frame weight (with fork): 3.7 lbs. (58cm)

FRAME: TIG-welded Pinarello Extreme aluminum alloy w/ replaceable rear derailleur hanger and carbon-fiber seatstays 

FORK: Vola carbon fiber

BUY IT IF: You want the bragging rights that come with 7 consecutive Tour de France wins.

FORGET IT IF: You want a plush ride, a crisp, razor-sharp feel, or you're a featherweight.

SEVEN WORDS ABOUT THE BIKE: Carbon and aluminum hybrid. Secure handling. Solid.

This page was last edited on 07/17/2004