2009 Pinarello FP6
Pinarello FP6
Bike riders (especially roadies) like what they like. A “collection” can form over the years just by virtue of replacing tired old racing bikes with new ones from the same maker.
Jaime and Paul are Colnago fans and have had a bunch over the years. Our friend Matt has 5 Lynskey titanium bikes. Kim Bottles is an Eddy Merckx fan and has 4 or 5 of those. Fred Kleisner likes Pinarello.
This is one of Fred’s bikes, an FP6 from 2009. By Fred’s and Pinarello’s standards this is a mid-level model, good for cold weather riding and taking on trips, but not as high-tech or as special as the Dogma or Paris models. For a mid-level model the style and the construction quality is superb. A look inside the tubes reveals no rough edges or stray bladder pieces from the molding process. Just like the flagship models the FP6 has great details and plenty of technical sounding features like 30HM3K carbon (which is just awesome, whatever it means).
Pinarello front end
3T Aeronova handlebars
Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain
Like on a British Hetchins steel frame, an Italian Pinarello frame tube hates going in a straight line. There are curves, ripples, waves and all kinds of organic-looking shapes incorporated into a Pinarello frame. The curvy shapes are touted as being stiffer AND more flexible somehow. We’d bet that the wavy shapes add something to the visual appeal but do little to affect the ride of this snappy racing bike.
Dura-Ace/SRM powermeter crank
Melted or just curvy?
The ugliest saddle ever made?
The equipment on Fred’s FP6 is all top notch. The second-generation Dura-Ace Di2 electronic group works flawlessly. There’s an SRM power-meter version of the Dura-Ace crank installed to measure Fred’s workload on every training ride. The 3T Ergonova aerodynamic carbon handlebar, a recent upgrade, gives a wide surface area to rest his hands. The handlebar looks very cool and a good match for the frame. Now the Adamo saddle, unlike the handlebar, is not so cool looking (Fred swears that it’s comfortable) but it’s still a good match for the swoopy frame.