What's a NEW Pinarello worth?

No, I don't mean how much does it cost. Lordy, that I've discovered. What I mean is, how does the bike, particularly the Prince or Dogma (but I'm also interested in insight on Pinarello's in general) compare with other bikes in it's price range?
I didn't want to bury this question, which is a follow up question, more or less, in my earlier thread about which $5,000 bike to buy (yes, yes, I know what a Dogma costs......so, in for a nickel, in for a dime, no?). But the Pinarello question does flow from the extraordinarily fine commentary I've received from so many of you in reponse to the earlier question.
Thoughts? Anybody who rides/has-riden one have insight?
(Also, I take to heart what so many of you have said -- the right bike is a subjective decision that needs to be based on riding it and the others under consideration.)

 

I have 3 Pinarello's so I'm obviously a fan. My oldest one is a '91 that I rode for years and still take out when I'm in the mood to get back on a classic lugged frame. My second one is an '02 Surprise which is a no frills tig-welded 7005 T6 frame, I paid $700 for the frame and it has held up very well to the 11,000 miles that I put into it. It is very well built, sprints well and yet is still comfy enough for centuries. My latest is the '04 Opera (Pinarello Opera, not to be confused with their sister company Opera) which is a tig welded Deda 16.5 steel frame with carbon wishbone stays. I paid $975 on e-bay for it (it was a display bike, but it's absolutely mint). I honestly would have trouble forking over the suggested retail of $2,500 but at less than a grand it was a too good to pass up. It is smooth and fast and it is always gets compliments as do all Pinarello's. I do feel that some of their frames like the Prince and Paris are a tad pricey for aluminum. Plus, they are not the lightest bikes in the world, but they sure ride nice. The Dogma is an absolutely beautiful machine, and I'm sure it's worth every penny.

 

I've heard some criticism of the welds on the Dogma. Not that they're weak, but that they're rough. Anybody got thoughts, opinions?

 

That is true of my Surprise and Opera too. They do look like they went a little overkill with the welds, but they are sturdy.

 

I looked at the photo of the Dogma headset at Competitive Cyclist, and the welds look pretty good to me. https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=PRODUCT_ZOOM&PRODUCT.ID=39

They're likely not ground or filled in any way, to maintain maximum strength. Like Peter F noted, the welds on my custom AL frame also look very similar. Mag and AL Tig weld beads will be wider than steel of course.

Apart from the high price, don't know if I'd trust magnesium frame tubes due to the corrosion issues. Of course, people who buy Dogma's probably never ride them in the rain....or sweat on them!

 

I looked hard at the Pinarello's, but decided on a 2004 De Rosa. The De Rosa's are still in pretty good supply and are being discounted big time as the 2005's are on there way in. I can't say enough good about the Merak I picked up, and saved a few coin over the Pin.

 

Dogma FP 57cm 1.960kg frame and forks $6300. aust

 

Artnolis,
If the price you have to pay for the good fortune of living in Austraila is a bit more for an Italian bicycle, well, I'd say it's worth it!

The criticism I'd heard of the dogma welds was that they were ugly. I've not seen a Pinarello in the flesh yet, but they sure don't look ugly in the photos.

 

I have a Pinarello Paris '99. It is my first brand-new bike in my entire life. It's pretty light, stiff, and very responsive. The welds as what other say not as refined as some other bikes but I guess because they want to maintain the stiffness of it (I don't know). It's an all aluminum frame and it's held up until now. I got it for $3200 with all DA components. At the moment, I'm dreaming of the '05 Paris.

 

Great bike...DeRosa's have a lot of class. In the Competitive Cyclist photos, the Merak appears to have smooth ground welds too vs seeing the beading. At $1900 for the 04 frame, looks like a good buy too.

Seems Pinarello is hot right now. But for someone looking at italian or euro prestige brands, there are certainly other brands worthy of serious consideration.

 

I'm not saying the Pinarello bikes aren't insanely sweet. But I hope you understand that a *relatively* large percentage of the price tag on the Pin is for it's name, not it's quality. Is the Dogma so special that it's worth $4000+? Depends on who's buying, but it ain't because of it's quality. I'm with the Merak guy, a frame that's much more than half as good as the Dogma, but for half the price, and it too looks freakin sweet. What can I say, diminshing returns is a bitch and can only thrive at it's peak on untangibles like "Name, Spirit, and History". If you're buying the Dogma because you want a Dogma, then go for it. But if you're looking for quality, you can get it elsewhere for less. Either way, I just pray you don't crash...

 

I agree, there is a Pin mark up, but they are certainly nice bikes. $3,200 for the aluminum Paris is just silly. You could get a DA built CAAD7 for that price that would be lighter... My Pinarello Opera was a steal at $975, but I wouldn't have paid anywhere close to list ($2,500).

 

I agree.. I got a Mg frame made out of Russia (litech) and am sure its pretty darn close to the dogma in terms of handling minus the look) .. but hey try to beat 450 USD for the frame (no fork) .. I use it for TT ..

 

I'm having a sleigh ride through the blizzard of opinions about what bike to buy, and let me say first and foremost that I feel very lucky to share the wisdom of people who are smart, thoughtful and informed on the subject.
It is entertaining as well as being informative. While I've not forgotten the best advice of all that came from so many of you -- test ride as many bikes as possible and pick the one that feels right for me -- I have tried to zero in on a few bikes through this conversation .
I started out interested in the Cannondale Six13. Then quite a number of people made the case for a custom bike if I planned to spend that much, and along the way there was a bit of dissing the Trek Madone 5.9. That took me down the path of the European bikes. I liked what I've read about the DeRose, but I really liked what I saw/read on the Pinarello. Now I hear that it's less bike than some others and I'd just being paying top dollar for "the name," a name which I'd never heard before I started this quest.
So, thanks to everybody for the educational experience. Please keep the opinions coming!
(Tell me more about why you like your DeRosa. A friend has one and he's very fond of it.)