Review of Pinarello Greville F.

Italian brand Laser Race focuses its aero gravel rig on performance, GBP £ 5,300.00 RRP

Pinarello Greville F gravel bike

Gravel racers who want bellicose attitude and clean lines are happy to dial their fit measurements and have a bunch of race wheels in the garage.

On the spectrum of gravel bikes, the new Pinarello Greville F is pitched at the far end of the racetrack with aerodynamic shape, road positioning and a stiffer chassis.

With its asymmetrical design, sweeping curves and internal routing, it looks and feels somewhat like a Dogma F Road race machine – but with clearance for 50mm tires.

With a 13-speed Campagnolo Acer Groupset, the build offers a wide range of gear for excellent braking and 1x drivetrain, but the wheels are not the same as a group or frameset.

In terms of handling, the Grevil F has – for the roadies, at least – a faster, but still agile gravel Goldilocks geometry, and rides closer to the road bike than the rider’s other, Berliner gravel bikes.  More directly.

Pinarello Greville F Structure

_{Some gravel bikes suffer from an identity crisis, trying to become everything to all people.  Pinarello puts Greville F squarely in the race box.} 

The T700 Carbon Frame Pinarello Dogma F takes many tips from the road bike, visually and focuses on pedalling efficiency and reduced aerodynamic drag.

Compared to the previous Greville, the Greville F, as you might guess, is harder (8%) and more aerodynamic (4%).  I’m sure both can be measured in the lab, I’ve ridden both bikes and can’t feel the change.

Another manufacturer’s statement is that we have to let the five-watts Pinarello’s save 40kph compared to the old frame.

However, I can tell the difference in cable routing;  The old hoses bustle in the frame and whistle in the air in descending order, thanks to the streamlined design of the new bike.

_{The integrity of one person does not match that of another.  Make sure you know your trunk and bar dimensions before you buy, because you need to disassemble the brake lines to change.} 

As with many integrated bikes nowadays, the internal configuration requires you to know your fit coordinates before buying to reduce headaches.

Speaking of integration, you can use any seatpost you like as long as it comes with the bike.  The aero post looks sleek and the frame and curvy are painted to match the Onda Fork.

Although there is a dedicated section near the top dedicated to the Flex, the post is definitely stronger than many stock posts on the best gravel bikes.

The Onda Fork is tightly anchored with 1.5in bearings, the top of which carries the brake lines into the trunk.  The fork handles hard braking well without stuttering, but still smooths out rough surfaces in a small amount.

_{Allen-key thru-axles look svelte and large levers are user-friendly.  Pinarello divides the difference with these pop-out levers.} 

A novel part of the frameset is the pop-out through-axle levers.  Many manufacturers have opted for the glossy appearance of Allen-Key axles.

I think digging a device to remove your wheel is a waste of time, but I think not everyone wants a bigger lever on their wheel.

So, here is the best of Pinarello’s spring-loaded solution.

_{The seats have an asymmetric construction.} 

Pinarello Greville F Configuration

Pinarello has individually designed each of the six sizes in terms of geometry and tube thickness, as the brand does with its road bikes.

I tested the 56cm bike for which the head tube angle was 71.75 degrees with the quick end of the gravel bike.  When paired with a 40mm wide tire, the fork’s 50mm rack gives a 69mm trail figure.

The trail is the difference between the front-wheel tire-patch centre and the bike’s steerer column.

The extra trail, the more ‘stable’ a bike can perceive.  The primary way to increase the trail is to loosen the bike in the head tube, but the fork rake and tire size add up to this number.

Road bikes usually have a trail of less than 60mm.  The gravel bike with the most trail, at 93mm, is the evil Chamois Hagar, but it’s out.

The Greville F Road is not as ‘cramped’ as a race bike or as warlike as a sloping mountain bike;  It is a happy medium that fits its purpose of going fast on gravel.

The chainstays, at 425mm, are enormously neat for the gravel bike, which enables it with its active feel.

Pinarello Grevil F Specifications

_{The 40t ring is attached to a 9-42 cassette, which gives a fairly low range but you may be turning at high speeds.} 

Most home units look sleek and perform well – if they fit you.  The short-nosed saddle is similar to a special power and is easy to replace if you prefer something else.

The alloy bar and integrated trunk have internal routing, which looks good in the eyes and in the wind tunnel, but is a function of swapping at different trunk lengths or handlebar widths.  I highly recommend that you dial your fit measurements before you buy a bike and adjust your shop accordingly.

Adjusting trunk and handlebar height with interlocking spacers is easy, but any other changes require disconnecting the brake lines.

I find the handlebar comfortable, with its wide tops spreading pressure on the palms.  However, if you want to install aerobars, note that the available space is limited to a few centimetres beside the trunk.

The Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed automatic category is a mixed bag in our judgement.  Breaking feels good and, dare I say, sounds better than SRAM and Shimano’s choices for gravel.

The modulation is smooth, effective and makes a nice hum beneath neath difficult power.  Curved levers make a great purchase for your index fingers.

_{Campagnolo’s Ekar 13-speed group features exceptional hydraulic braking with smooth modulation and a pile of power.  The thumb converter is awkward to operate from most hand positions.} 

The shifting mechanism works well enough, but the thumb lever is awkward in almost all hand positions – and I have no small hands.

It is easy to operate with your hands on the curves on the bars, but with the brake levers set slightly back.  In hoods and drops, you have to rotate your wrist to get it.

Lastly, the Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 alloy wheels are solid hoops that will serve you well for many years – but not the lightest, aerodynamic models

Lastly, the Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 alloy wheels are strong hoops with a view to serve you properly for many years – however now no longer the lightest, aerodynamic models. For a bike that is declared ‘Full Gas Everywhere’, the wheels are ho-hum.

Pinarello Greville F Riders feeling

^{Abandoned chainstays give way to 50mm tires while making the chainstay length relatively short at 425mm.} 

I tested the Greville F on various rides near Boulder, Colorado.  I didn’t get a chance to race it, but I did some fast group rides and had a great climbing day in the mountains.

The wheels and, of course, the tires have a huge impact on how the bike feels, but I only tested it as the bike arrived.

I did not change the 40mm-wide Maxxis Rambler tires to the Tubeless, as I did on a personal bike, but at the same time I did not flatten over 40psi (weighing 180lbs / 82kg) over many rough miles)

_{Maxxis Rambler tires are tubeless-ready, but are set to be clinchers on Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 wheels, which are adequate but equal to the frameset and group.} 

The wheels are quicker and more rigid, but not lighter, and certainly not more aero options.  For a do-it-all gravel bike, they make good, practical sense;  For an aero race rig, however, they are smaller.

As a person who likes fast group rides and gravel races, Pinarello weaves geometry into me.  The bike is easy to manoeuvre and accelerate, but not skittish in the corners.

I appreciate that the head tube (at 165mm for this 56cm) allows me to get to my desired position, as some gravel bikes are a bit too tall for my tastes.  However, if your aspirations and fit needs are less racy or you prefer a gravel bike that emphasises multi-day amenities, it may not be Greville’s dispatch.

Equally, Greville F has relatively few mounting points by today’s standards.  There are mounts to three bottles of cages – two in the main triangle and one under a down tube – but that’s about it.  There are no fork or top tube mounts, which display the Greville F’s relatively narrow focus.

How does the Pinarello Greville F compare to the Cervello Aspero and other gravel race bikes?

In just a few years, gravel bikes have been subdivided into various sub-categories, from bikepacking to race.

The Greville F is honestly withinside the race class with bikes along with Special Crux, Cannondale Supersix EVO SE and new Trek Checkpoints.  Putting it even better, the Greville F Aero is a gravel race bike that puts it alongside the Cervello Aspero and the 3T Exploro Racemax.

The Exploro Racemax is considerably cheaper (~ $ 2,000) and has higher tire clearance up to 61mm with 650b wheels, 2.1in (about 53mm) compared to the Greville, if you change the stock 700c wheels to 650b.

The Aspero is also cheap and comes with good wheels.  Cockpit by Greville F does not have full internal routing – it can be positive or negative depending on your preferences.

3T and Cervélo sit lower than Greville F.  The lower bracket drop has greater stability than the upward;  The downside is a greater chance of clipping the pedal.

Product Specifications

Product Price GBP £ 5300.00

Weight 8.85kg (56cm) – Claim

Brand Pinarello

 Features

Available sizes are 47, 50, 53, 55, 58, 60cm

Brakes Campagnolo Acer

Cassette Campagnolo Ecor

Cranks Campagnolo Ecor

Fork Pinarello Gravel F Onda

Frame Pinarello Grevil F, Toray T700 Carbon Fibre

The handlebar is high

Former Derailleur Campagnolo Ecor

Seatpost is high

Shifter Campagnolo Ecor

The trunk is high

Tires Maxxis Rambler, 40mm, Tubeless-adjustable

Wheels Fulcrum Rapid Red 500

Pros and Cons

Pros: Balanced management that provides stability without laziness;  Massive tire clearance;  Roadie-friendly Stock and Reach;  Campagnolo’s car brakes are excellent – probably the best on gravel

Cons: Relatively heavy;  Fulcrum wheels are not close to frameset and group level;  Changing the acar thumb is strange

Reasoning of Pinarello Greville F

_{The Pinarello Greville F combines avenue positioning and aerodynamics with 50mm tire clearance and uneven layout.  That clearance opens up off-road capability, which is a shameless racy gravel bike.} 

You can, of course, tie some bikepacking bags to the Greville F and go out into the woods all night, which is why this machine is not designed for this.

The managing and geometry of Pinarello’s trendy gravel race rig suits its aerodynamic layout and claims – it is a laugh bike to journey in businesses or alone.

Most bars and trunks are straightforward components, but it is effectively demanding that you experiment with different sizes, because replacing both can be expensive.

The wheels are also straight, but seem more suited to a general-purpose gravel bike than the aero race steed.

Campagnolo’s Ekar Group offers what I think is the best gravel breaking experience on the market, but with the shift in ergonomics it may not suit everyone.

 Our rating is 8.0 out of 10 stars,

Sources Pinsrello

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