Pinarello Bolide F Frameset w/3D Printed Bar

The Pinarello Bolide F Frameset w/3D Printed Bar is the top configuration of Pinarello's time trial and triathlon bike line. It is a disc brake aero frame built for riders who already know the position they want to hold, and it comes with a custom MOST 3D printed cockpit. Pinarello introduced the original Bolide with Team Sky in 2013, and the Bolide HR was the bike Bradley Wiggins used for his Hour Record. This frameset continues that line as a time trial bike you build to your own spec.

Aerodynamics developed with outside partners

Pinarello developed the Bolide F with the University of Adelaide and NablaFlow, and claims a 2.28 percent reduction in CdA compared with the previous Bolide F TT. That figure comes from Pinarello, not from independent testing. The frame uses AeroNodes, a tubercle-style shaping applied to the seat tube and seatpost, and airfoil-shaped tubes at the bottom bracket and hub areas. The goal of these details is to keep airflow attached as it passes the parts of the bike that are hardest to manage, particularly around the wheels and drivetrain.

The frame is made from TorayCa M40X carbon and uses TiCR internal cable routing, which keeps cables and housing inside the frame and out of the airflow. The fork is the Bolide TT Onda with ForkFlap, on a tapered head tube with an integrated headset. A Pinarello Aero Seatpost completes the frameset.

The 3D printed cockpit

The cockpit is the part that sets this version apart. The stem and aerobars are produced as a single custom MOST 3D printed unit, and the process lets the shape be tailored to a rider's setup rather than limited to a standard catalogue of lengths and angles. For a time trialist, that matters: the contact points decide your position, and your position decides how fast you go for a given effort. Pinarello recommends a professional bike fit before ordering, and we agree. A frameset at this level only delivers its aero gains if the rider is set up properly on it.

Geometry and fit

The Bolide F comes in four sizes: 45, 48.5, 52 and 55cm. Seat tube angle is 77 degrees on every size, which puts a rider forward over the bottom bracket in the position a time trial calls for. Head tube angles run from 72 degrees on the 45 to 73 degrees on the 52 and 55. Chainstays are a short 395mm throughout, and stack ranges from 461mm on the 45 to 507mm on the 55, with reach running from 380mm to 430mm. These numbers fit a low, extended position, and they are the starting point for the fit session rather than a replacement for it.

Tire clearance and build requirements

Pinarello lists clearance for tires up to 32mm, up from 28mm on the previous Bolide. Wider tires at lower pressures are increasingly common in time trialing, since a supple tire on rough pavement can roll faster than a narrow, hard one, and the added room gives you the option. The frame is disc brake only and uses 700c wheels.

This is a frameset, so the build is up to you. It includes the fork, the 3D printed cockpit and the aero seatpost. Wheels, drivetrain, cranks, saddle and pedals are not included. You also need to plan around two requirements: the frame uses an Italian bottom bracket and needs a braze-on front derailleur, so check that your crankset and group are compatible before you commit.

Who it is for

The Bolide F with the 3D printed bar is for serious time trialists and triathletes who want a top-tier aero frame and a cockpit made to their dimensions. It is also for collectors who value the story behind the Bolide line. At $34,000 it is a significant purchase, and the aero gains are Pinarello's claims, so it makes the most sense for a rider who will get a proper fit and race on it.