PINARELLO GREVIL F EKAR – PRODUCT FEATURE

 

We recently took delivery of the all-new Grevil F Ekar gravel bike from premium Italian bike brand Pinarello; launched in June this year the next-gen Grevil succeeded the previous model and boasted a number of significant changes to the original, so we were keen to get our hands on one for a detailed look. As soon as the Grevil F arrived at Wheelbase HQ we put it at the top of our technician’s build-list and called up our talented photographer James Vincent on speed dial to get him in to capture this stunning gravel bike in all its glory.

So before we get too deep into this, what are the headliners for the all-new Grevil F and where are the main changes over the original version launched back in 2018? Well, it’s claimed that the Grevil F is even faster thanks to being stiffer and more responsive as well as being even more aerodynamically efficient with clever tube-profiling and the addition of fully-internal brake hoses and gear cables. One of the more subtle changes to the original, but no less significant is the Grevil F’s geometry which has been fine-tuned to offer a more confidence-inspiring ride when you’re really gunning it at speed off-road. Oh, and one other thing, which reflects the growing trend for pushing gravel bikes to their limits off-road – there’s enhanced tyre clearance in the frame and fork allowing you to run 700c tyres up to 50mm wide.

The new Grevil F is stiffer and more aerodynamic than its predecessor, making it a purebred gravel race machine.

 

In the image below we’ve overlaid an outline of the original Grevil over the new Grevil F for some visual clues to the changes in geometry for this new iteration of Pinarello’s gravel bike. The new frame includes a steeper seat tube angle to help increase rear tyre clearance (the Grevil F’s laidback seatpost still puts you in the desired position on the bike), while upfront the stack has been increased and the reach has been shortened putting you in a slightly more upright, less-racy position. This is a development that may not have come naturally to Pinarello, famed for their unapologetic racing heritage but it’s keeping up with the general trend in gravel bikes and will be a welcome change to most riders.

While we’re focused on the front of the bike it’s worth noting that the head angle has been slackened a little and the fork has an extended rake to help give a more stable feel when you’re riding at speed off-road. The new Grevil F retains its short chainstays to give snappy handling and help create a bike that feels alive on tight, technical singletrack. Another notable difference is the general stand-over height with a slightly lower and differently profiled top tube. However, having highlighted all the geometry changes, the Grevil F still features geometry which is firmly focused on racing, performance and speed rather being a super-laidback gravel bike secretly concealing angles more commonly seen on a mountain bike.

This all-new Grevil F sees some significant changes to frame geometry and tube profiles compared to the first-generation model.

 

Depending on how much attention you pay to the Italian brand and their range of cutting-edge premium road bikes you may or may not see what Pinarello have done here by replacing the Grevil with the Grevil F model name? Around this time last year Pinarello launched their all-new top of the range Dogma F road bike, which replaced their Dogma F12 at the very top of the performance road bike tree. That new road bike saw a number of changes to the frame and fork when it came to aerodynamics, carbon construction, tube profiles and full integration of components, gear cables and brake hoses. So the addition of the F in the new Grevil’s model name signifies a similar approach to their performance gravel bike; taking a fair chunk of what they learnt in the development of the Dogma F and applying it to the new Grevil F.

Pinarello’s ‘Think Asymmetric’ construction philosophy, which is seen throughout their range of bikes, is applied to the new Grevil F too.

 

A great example of Pinarello taking some of their well-proven design and construction principles over from the road to gravel is their unique asymmetrical frame configuration that applies to all of their premium bikes. Following the understanding that pedalling and power-input is not exactly the same through both sides of the frame Pinarello have cleverly accommodated those forces with an asymmetric frame that works in balance with the higher forces incurred from the crank and chain pulling on the right side of the bike. This asymmetry is most obvious at the junction between the chainstays and bottom bracket as well as between the top of the seatstays and the top of the seat tube.

The Grevil F’s  asymmetric construction is most evident on the seat and chainstays.

 

For the Grevil F gravel bike Pinarello take things a step further, adding some additional frame manipulation at the seat stays; with a clever mix of carbon layup, using Toray T700 carbon fibre composed of a mix of high modulus and high tensile fibres and using two different connection points for the left and right seat stays at the seat tube Pinarello allows the top tube to absorb impacts from the rear wheel in a more uniform way adding even more compliance and comfort to the ride without affecting the responsiveness and pedalling efficiency of the bike.

Clever carbon layup in the construction process, along with that unique tube profiling gives just the right balance of rigidity and compliance.

 

This Grevil F comes spec’d with Campagnolo’s single-ring-only Ekar groupset so no need for a front mech; the Grevil F can accommodate one though.

 

As you’d expect from Pinarello, every detail is carefully considered, including the integrated seat clamp for aero gains.

 

The Grevil F is unapologetically an out and out gravel race bike.

 

Nowadays, when it comes to high-end performance-focused bikes it seems that every notable bike brand pays a considerable amount of time and attention to aerodynamics and how their premium bikes perform against the wind. We’ve seen that aero-obsession begin with road bikes before moving onto gravel and now it’s even being applied to some high-performance mountain bikes. It’s fair to say that back in 2018 when the original Grevil launched that Pinarello were well ahead of the curve on that line of development. Four years later and the Italian brand have stepped things up for the new Grevil F; there’s been some fine-tuning to the slim aero-profiled head tube, kinked top tube, truncated down tube and aero seat post. The distinctive curved Onda fork is back in all its glory and it still boasts that unique Fork Flap at the bottom of the left fork leg which is designed to channel air over the relatively un-aero disc brake caliper.

This next-gen Grevil has been made even more aero-efficient, with internal gear cables and brake hoses running internally through the stem, frame and fork.

 

Another trend that we’ve seen from rival brands is bikes featuring fully-integrated cockpits, with all gear cables and brake hoses being routed internally through the handlebars, stem, frame and forks on nearly all high-performance road and gravel bikes. We saw it on the Pinarello Dogma F road bike last year so it’s no great surprise that the Italian brand has followed suit with their next-gen Grevil now featuring a fully-integrated cockpit which will be more aerodynamically efficient as well as looking great thanks to a clutter-free cockpit!

Pinarello have included a new version of their iconic Onda fork with its distinctive wavy profile.

 

There’s one last change worth highlighting when it comes to the Pinarello Grevil F frame and fork; tyre clearance has been significantly increased making the new Grevil even more versatile than it’s predecessor. It is now possible to run 700c diameter wheels with tyres up to 50mm wide or 650b diameter wheels with up to 2.1” tyres. So despite this high-performance gravel bike being firmly focused on speed and covering distance as efficiently as possible you’ll still be able to fit some particularly fat tyres and monster-truck your way through even the roughest, most difficult off-road terrain. Regardless of your preferred tyre size there’s plenty of clearance between tyre, frame and fork which is very welcome in the UK where we’re more often faced with muddy rides rather than dusty ones.

The Grevil F’s Onda fork mirrors design principles seen on Pinarello’s road bikes.

 

Pinarello’s Fork Flap enhances the fork’s aerodynamics, channeling air over the front disc brake caliper.

 

It’s a no-brainer for a premium Italian brand like Pinarello to spec their cutting-edge gravel bike with a premium Italian groupset; Campagnolo’s Ekar gravel-specific components are equal-parts elegant and practical. With stunning looks and dependable functionality Ekar came to the gravel party late but arrived with a unique offer – a simple but effective 1X drivetrain consisting of a single chainring upfront combined with a whopping 13-speed wide-ratio cassette for a huge spread of gears capable of meeting the demands of off-road riding as well as faster-paced road riding.

As this bike’s model name suggests the Grevil F features Campagnolo’s brilliant gravel-specific Ekar groupset.

 

Campagnolo’s 1X drivetrain configuration has its advantages including greater simplicity and mechanical efficiency as well as reduced weight and less possibility of clogging up with mud. Sometimes the downside of just such an approach is the difficulty to provide all the gear ratios you need; Campagnolo’s answer to this is in their versatile rear cassette. Their wide ratio 13-speed cassette almost features two cassettes in one – a close ratio road-style cassette which includes a tiny 9-tooth cog and a larger more gravel/mtb focused cassette that tops out with a large 42T cog to provide a nice low climbing gear.

Ekar’s gravel-friendly versatility comes from the wide-ratio 13-speed rear cassette which gives a huge spread of gears.

 

To accommodate the huge range of movement across the 13-speed cassette the Ekar rear derailleur mirrors how both the SRAM and Shimano Gravel/MTB rear derailleur equivalents work, with Campagnolo’s 2D parallelogram trajectory giving a nice horizontal movement as the chain moves up and down the cassette. The Ekar rear derailleur includes a one-way clutch in the pulley cage pivot and there’s a locking mechanism in the derailleur’s main pivot to make removal and fitting of the rear wheel easier too.

The Ekar 13-speed rear derailleur has been designed specifically to function with a single chainring and features a clutch mech for added chain security.

 

The simple, elegant Ekar chainset constructed from unidirectional carbon ties in nicely with Campagnolo’s road-going groupsets and proper fans of the Italian groupset manufacturers will quickly make the visual connection. It’s not all style and no substance though, the simple single chainring configuration is brilliantly functional and keeps your drivetrain light and efficient. The carbon cranks arms and an integrated chainring spider on the drive-side is super-stiff, with Campagnolo’s unique ProTech axle featuring self-aligning Hirth joint semi-axles providing a secure crank and axle configuration which transfers all of your pedalling power through to the rear wheel. Pinarello have spec’d the Grevil F with a 42T chainring which gives you a nice high gear for fast road sections when combined with the tiny 9 tooth cog on the rear cassette or a super-low climbing gear when matched with the 42 tooth cog for a 42/42 gear.

Upfront there’s an efficient single ring chainset which is instantly recognisable as Campagnolo thanks to that distinctive unidirectional carbon construction.

 

The Ekar gear shifter and hydraulic brake units look very similar to their Campagnolo road groupset equivalents at first glance, however there are some subtle differences which reflect their gravel-focused duties. First off and rather inevitably given the one-by drivetrain setup the left hand unit has been stripped of any gear changing duties with a hydraulic-brake-only configuration. Meanwhile the right hand unit which houses the mechanical gear shifter workings as well as the hydraulic brake, features one distinct difference from their road-going cousins. The inboard shift paddle (for gear shifts down the rear cassette) is c-shaped to allow for better feel and greater security off-road providing an easier, more definite gear shift regardless of whether you’re riding in the drops or on the hoods.

Campagnolo 13-speed Ekar shifters and hydraulic brake levers feel comfortable and secure off-road.

 

Gear selection is easy and feels solid when changing from the hoods or the drops, with no potential for accidental shifting.

 

Rounding out the brilliant Italian Ekar groupset from Campagnolo is their powerful Ergopower 2 piston flat-mount disc brake calipers. Developed with premier disc brake manufacturers Magura, the Ekar brakes use mineral oil to provide consistent, dependable braking in all conditions, regardless of whether you’re riding in the wet or in the dry, on road or off-road. That flat-mount configuration keeps the calipers neatly tucked into the rear corner of the frame between the seat stay and chain stay, while upfront, on that Onda fork the 2 piston caliper sits tucked behind the aero fork flap. This means both calipers are a little more aerodynamically positioned out of the wind while also being shielded from any potential knocks in the event of a crash.

Small, compact flat-mount disc brake calipers are deceptively powerful and are ready to scrub off speed in an instant.

 

The neat Ekar Ergopower 2 disc brake calipers wont interfere with aerodynamics and stay out of the way of potential harm during off-road tumbles. 

 

160mm Ekar disc rotors work brilliantly with the Ekar Ergopower 2 disc brake calipers, providing reliable braking in all riding conditions.

 

Pinarello have spec’d the Grevil F with a fast-rolling Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 wheelset which strikes that magic balance of being lightweight but strong at the same time, with these durable wheels responding immediately when you put the power down. This well-proven wheelset designed specifically to handle braking forces at the hub features durable sealed bearing hubs that will stand up really well to the demands of gravel riding where grit and grime is always present. The Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 wheels have a nice wide rim profile that in turn gives your tyre sidewalls a nice square (less pinched in) profile, helping to prevent tyre sidewall damage and/or prevent pinch flats.

the Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 wheels will roll fast and hold all that speed the Grevil F generates.

 

Fulcrum’s hubs are durable and smooth; they’ll stand up well to the rigors of unpredictable gravel riding.

 

The Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 wheelset is fitted with a pair of Maxxis Rambler EXO TR gravel tyres; Pinarello have played things pretty conservative here with the fairly narrow 40mm options, but gravel tyres this wide will still be more than capable of balancing performance between fast smooth terrain and more unpredictable off-road terrain, providing fast-rolling benefits on the road to your favourite trails before giving you plenty of grip on tight, loose turns when you are pushing the limits of your riding. Giving another clue to how Pinarello see this gravel bike being ridden (fast) the Italian brand have chosen a tyre that features a minimal tread down the central channel to help you hold your speed on fast pedalling sections, with a more pronounced side-knob pattern for greater control on the turns. With wheels and tyres being tubeless-ready you’ll be able to run your Grevil F tubeless and increasingly run your tyres at ever-lower pressures while you find your own limits.

Maxxis Rambler EXO TR tyres will help hold speed on smoother terrain while providing ample grip on loose, unpredictable surfaces.

 

A 40mm wide tyre with minimal central tread pattern provides a reliable balance of speed and control.

 

Even with those 40mm wide Maxxis Ramblers there’s plenty of clearance between tyre and frame/fork.

 

Rounding out the full spec of the Grevil F is a mix of Pinarello’s own components including a gravel-specific MOST Jaguar GR drop handlebar with a 12 degree outward sweep to help increase control when riding off-road in the drops. Seen from the front that outward sweep appears fairly minimal but it’s just enough to enhance your feeling of control as things get really rowdy without feeling over the top when you’re churning along on more predictable terrain. As we’ve highlighted already, the new Grevil is more aero than its predecessor and features an integrated cockpit, so the Tiger Aero Alu TiC stem has been designed specifically to work as part of the junction between the handlebar, stem, headset and frame, with gear cables and brake hoses running through it internally. With the aero-profiled stem and matching headset spacers blending into the headtube of the frame the overall look is seamless and uncluttered. Finally a Pinarello MOST Lynx Aircross FEC saddle featuring alloy rails and a 145mm profile will suit most riders and should keep you comfortable for hours in the saddle when combined with the integrated Pinarello aero seat post.

The Grevil F Ekar comes spec’d with Pinarello’s own MOST Jaguar GR handlebars with a 12 degree outward seep for more control off-road.

 

The drop and flare of the MOST Jaguar GR handlebars is pretty tame compared to some gravel-specific handlebars.

 

The MOST Jaguar GR handlebar and MOST Tiger Aero stem neatly route the gear cables and brake hoses through to the frame and fork.

 

The all-new Pinarello Grevil F is a fantastic race-ready gravel bike which is unapologetically focused towards racing and performance cycling; it’s no surprise really when you consider the premium Italian brand’s rich racing heritage which famously informs every design and construction decision they make. Drill a little deeper than those first impressions though and, as we’ve highlighted, there have been a number of significant changes to the geometry for this second-generation Grevil signaling a slightly more versatile bike that will be a joy to ride away from the race track too. It goes without saying that this is a stunning looking machine and away from all the science behind each design decision that informs the overall look it’s ok to just appreciate it for its pure aesthetic value. An Italian master piece with an equally elegant Campagnolo grouspet is bound to catch the eye and lets face it, bragging rights at the trail head is no bad thing.

With its instantly recognisable silhouette and aero tube profiling that just screams Pinarello you can be confident that the Grevil F Ekar has racing in its DNA.

 

Pinarello Grevil F Ekar RRP £5,300.00

Full Specification:

• Frame: TorayCa T700 UD Carbon Fibre, TiCR™ Cable Routing, Italian Threaded BB
• Fork: Grevil Onda Fork with Forkflap™, Tapered Head Tube
• Stem: Tiger Aero Alu TiC
• Cassette: Campagnolo Ekar 9-42T 13-speed
• Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed
• Chain: Campagnolo Ekar C13 C-Link 13-Speed
• Shifters: Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed
• Chainset: Campagnolo Ekar 1X 42T (For 13-Speed)
• Brakes: Campagnolo Ekar Ergopower 2 piston, 160mm rotor
• Wheels: Fulcrum Rapid Red 500
• Tyres: Maxxis Rambler EXO TR, 700x40c
• Handlebar: Jaguar GR Di2
• Handlebar Tape: MOST Ultragrip Evo 3mm – Black
• Saddle: MOST Lynx Aircross FEC Alloy Large 145mm
• Seatpost: Pinarello Aero

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

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