It’s been a while coming, but here is a post on my new road bike. I bought it back in March this year for my fiftieth birthday. However, a few things had to be done to get it into a presentable setup.
Where does my desire for the Pinarello come from?
I’ve been cycling since I was 16 years old and have had several bikes. When I turned 40, I decided to get a fantastic bicycle and because I have a great love for Italy and the Italian heritage of cycling it had to be an Italian road bike. Back then, I didn’t like Pinarello’s Dogma series that much, and with the best options between Bianchi, Colnago (this was before the Pogačar-era and Colnago’s were nice, but really not much more than that) and Wilier. I eventually chose the celeste-colored Bianchi Sempre Pro. At that time, disc brakes were quite new and much criticized in the peloton, so I opted for the tried-and-tested normal rim-brake setup. Those safely got professionals up and down the mountains in France and Italy for years, they’d work for me too. Little did I know how fast disc brakes would take over. Over time, I upgraded the bike and ended up with a really nice setup including deep Dutch Scope R5 wheels, which made it look fantastic. It’s been about everywhere with me, but in the past two years I started craving a few changes that were not possible on the Bianchi.
In 2026 my fiftieth birthday was coming up and I started to look around more and more. I still absolutely prefer Italian bikes (unless you have to race, simply choose by heart), and the Pinarello Dogma series has evolved over the years. Maybe I also grew a bit more towards Pinarello. In any case, I wanted a road bike with a modern frame setup. That meant lower seat stays that are not just under the saddle, but lower on the seat tube. This time -of course- disc brakes, and internally routed cables. Not so much for aero gains, but because it looks really clean. This time around, I didn’t like the Bianchi bikes that much, the same for Wilier. Thanks to a certain Pogačar, the better Colnago bikes are too popular and expensive, so those were of the table as well. Pinarello however has evolved the Dogma series and started offering lower-specced models. I was able to find a 2025 Pinarello F5 that won me over immediately.
However a bike with lower specs also comes with cheaper parts. So the wheels that came with the bike were rubbish, the handlebar was uncomfortable and too wide, and the provided seat obviously wasn’t meant for sitting on at all. But as I’ve molded the Bianchi into the bike I loved, I now know how to setup a new bike to my personal likings and this time I’d do it as soon as possible.
I had to look for a good wheelset and for the time being borrowed the set of FFWD wheels that normally sit under my Ridley gravel bike. That gave me good wheels while I could look around for the definitive set. I then changed the saddle for a Selle Italia one that is a better fit for me, and then I had to search for a set of handlebars. That took some browsing and reading, and here ChatGPT came in handy for some broad side-by-side comparisons. Eventually, I went with the Vision Metron aero bars, and they’ve been a fantastic upgrade. With these changes, I’ve been cycling for some time now and I feel the bike is about done. But…
As I mentioned, the FFWD wheels are meant to go on my gravel bike. Although the 45 mm high wheels beat the standard aluminium set that the bike came with, they’re not as sweet-looking as the Scope wheelset I had — and still have — for my Bianchi. And so, since I’ve been upgrading the bike, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what wheels I needed. Is 50 mm enough? Isn’t 70 mm way too high? Yes, it is! How much is too much money for a wheelset for an amateur? I’ve certainly spent enough on it. And how much does it all matter?
Well, in the end, it matters a lot. Maybe only so-so for the results, but it means a lot when looking at the Pinarello and wanting to go out and ride and ride and ride. I want my Pinarello to give me the same feeling that the Bianchi has for years: my perfect road bike and I can’t wait to go out on it!
Here again, ChatGPT was a fantastic tool to discuss ideas. I simply put in all the available data about the bike, its parts and my specific information, and then looked at the characteristics of the bike. That might seem like it’s abit much, but the problem is that there’s not a lot of information available about most wheelsets. When you do find a written review, it’s mainly a promotional piece of text announcing the wheelset. On YouTube, there are loads of reviews, but mainly about other brands or ranges. Brands mostly offor up the best versions for testing and so the ‘cheaper’ models (the ones most people buy) are overlooked or at least not muchg discussed. This is as much true for wheelsets as it is for road bikes.
So what did I end up with? I wasn’t to certain about cheap Asian imports. They get a hyped by a buch of cycling influencers, but lack actual real world testing. The top brands like ZIPP and Enve are outragiously overprices for me. And then…
Then my eyes happend to fall on Miche, an Italian brand that is assembled and partially made in Italy. The idea of having true Italian wheels under an Italian road bike made the fit just that bit more perfect. I chose the Kleos RD 62: Kleos being the type, RD standing for Race Division, and 62 being the depth of the wheels: 62 mm. Miche has supplied the wheels for Groupama-FDJ since 2025. The 50 mm is for the “normal” riders; the 62 mm is for the sprinters.
With that said, do I need 62 mm deep wheels? Absolutely not. Do I want them? Absolutely yes! Like I said earlier, I want my bike to look so good that I want to go out on it again and again. With deep wheels, I have to be careful of crosswinds, but I was already quite used to that on the Bianchi. These are a bit deeper, but after a few more rides, I’ll be fine.
In between other updates have been done as well. I’ve changed the chainrings from 50-34 to 52-36, to match the setup of my Bianchi, I added a Close-The-Gap bell/Garmin mount and I added a Wahoo rear light with radar for more safety. I experimented with TPU inner tubes and found a setup I’m happy with now and I fitted a new saddlebag (I know, quite frowned uppon, but I don’t care) with elctric pump.
So, is the bike now ready? I think yes. Of course, a power meter sounds nice for reading out watts after a ride, but it won’t change how I cycle. It’s about enjoying being outdoors on my bike, out in the fresh air, pushing the pedals and being happy I can do this. And it’s about being proud of the bike I use for that. I feel that, for quite some time, I should be there now!
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