Pinarello & Jaguar Co-engineer Cobble Bike
Jaguar has deepened its Innovation Partnership with Team Sky by co-engineering a bespoke bicycle for challenging terrains with bicycle manufacturing experts, Pinarello.
The Pinarello DOGMA K8-S bicycle, which all eight Team Sky riders debuted at the Tour of Flanders on Easter Sunday, possesses a new lightweight suspension system and flexible flat carbon chain stays to create a suspension pivot in the rear triangle to aid comfort over rough terrains such as cobbles.
According to the brand, Pinarello’s priority was to create an innovative frame that could improve rider isolation from the challenging road surfaces and help reduce rider fatigue.
Team Sky’s Sir Bradley Wiggins, commented: “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.”
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, concluded: “We’ve been able to knit together Pinarello’s world class knowledge in bike design and Jaguar’s industry-leading technological and engineering expertise, with a proven winning team of riders and experts in human performance, to come up with something truly ground-breaking.
“The DOGMA F8 was the first real breakthrough of this partnership, and we’ve now taken it a step further. The DOGMA K8-S is a significant jump in terms of a bike’s impact of performance. It’s rare for one small design innovation to make such a large difference. This is one of those situations.
“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.”
In March, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Christian Knees, tackled the long and regular cobble sectors on the last 130km of the Paris-Roubaix route, where comparative tests were undertaken with the previous DOGMA K frame.
Mark Cameron, global brand experience director at Jaguar Land Rover, added: “Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are renowned for their balance of performance, refinement and comfort. This philosophy has been extended into our partnership with Pinarello and Team Sky for the development of the DOGMA K8-S. With shared ambitions to consistently push the boundaries of high performance, innovation and technology, we’re extremely excited about the DOGMA K8-S.”
