Pinarello

FP Due/SRAM Rival Complete Bike - 2012

There are three flavors of the Pinarello FP Due Complete Bike. This is the SRAM-infused version; Rival to be specific. The FP Due is smart bike that results in riding joy. After your purchase, you'll congratulate yourself on the smart thinking. But when you get on the bike, you'll experience the joy of having a great ride under your legs.

The first thing to discuss with Pinarello's bikes is the frame, and the complete set of molded tubes is smart on its own. It's a demonstration of how Pinarello forges ahead with the cutting edge and then introduces the breakthroughs to the rest of their line. In naming conventions, this is the successor to the older FP2. But in terms of performance, this owes not only to the 2, but also to the now-absent Pinarello Prince. The frame is molded from plies of 24HM12K carbon-fiber. It's a 24-ton high-modulus cloth with the 12K finish wrap and all, but unlike the older FP2 and closer to the Prince, the Due is asymmetric in the stays and the fork. These asymmetries better fight the single-sided torque of driving the bike from the right side. Both the stays and the fork employ Pinarello's Onda design, aka waves, to add comfort to the ride. The steerer tube is also tapered with a more-dramatic flare for greater lateral stiffness, starting at 1-1/8" at the upper bearing and expanding to 1.5" at the lower. So you get comfort where you need it and stiffness where it helps with the ride and steering stability.

The geometry is racy without being a backbreaker. You'll see a slightly relaxed seat tube angle and slightly taller head tube relative to Pinarello's ProTour-level Dogma2. Pro racing bikes aren't always the most comfortable, and those of you who want a bike that's a little more so will find this geometry perfect.

This version of the Due is built up with a SRAM Rival drivetrain and a selection of MOst components. Rival has all the technology of SRAM's top-shelf Red group, but at a much better price. You'll get Rival DoubleTap levers, crank, derailleurs, and cassette. Pinarello uses their MOst components to fill in the rest -- B-Max Force brakes, Jaguar XA anatomic bars, Tiger Au Painted stem, Jaguar XA seat post, and Ocelot saddle. The MOst components are finished to complement the frame colors, adding a nice custom touch to the bike. The wheels are MOst Wildcat; they're produced by Campagnolo for MOst and employ their 2 to 1 spoke groupings in back to make an incredibly strong 27-spoke rear wheel and a balanced 24-spoke front with 24mm deep rims. Cranks, stem, and bars are sized according to the frame. The cranks are compact with 50/34 rings and the cassette is a wide-range 12-27.

The Pinarello FP Due/Rival Complete Bike comes in Black-on-black, Red, and White/black/silver. There are seven sizes available from 44 to 59cm.

• SRAM Rival shifters and drivetrain are more than capable of taking on season after season of dropping your buddies
  
• Most Wildcat wheels are stiff and strong enough for contention, without feeling like you're dragging an anchor
  
• Compact crankset and gearing give you more big-ring versatility, letting you save the little ring for those huge climbs
  
• MOST seatpost, saddle, and cockpit ensure all-around comfort and perfectly-coordinated Italian panache