After McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Aston Martin, it is now the turn of Jaguar Land Rover to step into the world of pedal power. The luxury marque has teamed up with Italy’s Pinarello to create an ultra-high end bicycle for Team Sky. The British professional bicycle team will be piloting the Dogma F8 bike for the rest of the 2014 season, including the upcoming Tour de France, the ultimate proving ground for the world’s fittest athletes and racing bicycles.
This is not the first time that Jaguar Land Rover has teamed up with Team Sky. You might remember the Jaguar XFR-S Sportsbrake adverts where a Team Sky athlete races up a hill against the car, smoothly ending into a “Need a lift?” moment that also shows off the rear luggage compartment of the new Jag.
The Dogma F8 is based on Pinarello’s current top model, the Dogma 65.1, which it would be replacing now. Utilizing the same computational fluid dynamics technology that it uses to design its cars, Jaguar computer-analyzed the aerodynamics of the 65.1, looking for ways to reduce wind drag. It found several, which resulted in changes that found their way into the F8.Every single component of the bike, from the front forks to the seatpost, has been modified, resulting in a bike that is reportedly 26.1% more aerodynamic than the outgoing Dogma 65.1 without a rider and 6.4% more aerodynamic including a rider. Just like we feared then: it is the rider that slows down a bicycle.
The F8 is also 9% lighter and 12% stiffer than its predecessor, thanks to extensive use of aluminium and carbon-fibre. Team Sky, the defending champions of the Tour de France, are reported to be highly satisfied with the work that Jaguar has put in in the Dogma F8. Fausto Pinarello, boss of Pinarello, said: “We always look for new technology that improves our bikes’ performance. It was a pleasure working with Jaguar on the aerodynamics. They brought a great deal of cutting-edge aerodynamic expertise which increases Team Sky’s chance of winning the Tour de France and means all Dogma F8 customers will get a superior bicycle.”
