The rise of e-bikes throughout the utility and commuting world has not been a surprise. Then legitimate mountain bikes started sporting electric motors and quickly went from a fad to a legitimate way to enjoy and expand mountain bike access. With road bikes we had all heard of a few random pro's running some type of motor-powered drivetrain and getting caught, as well as many spurious rumors of other using such devices. Building off their 2018 European-only Nytro road e-bike, for 2019 Pinarello has released the Dyodo e-bike, spec'ed for the North American market. We had heard much industry buzz about road e-bikes and drive systems, we hadn't had much prior customer interest. The Dyodo changed that; but why? So we brought in this DEMO fleet to find out.

First, the Dyodo is here, and tangible. Second, unless you knew what it looked like, you would think it was just another version of the 2019 Pinarello Prince, on which the frame design was based. The Dyodo looks cool, fast, and legit. It would take a keen eye from 20' away to know it was an e-bike. Pinarello is using the Spanish designed and tested ebikemotion X35 drive system and iWoc ONE controller. The X35 is a rear hub-based system, which is largely hidden by the cassette and disc rotor unless you are within a few feet. On the Dyodo, the 250 Wh battery is housed in the downtube, towards the bottom bracket. A flush mount charging port is located at the crux of the seattube and downtube junction. On the top tube, by the head tube, you find the single button LED iWoc ONE controller. Not much to see here. An App for your smartphone allows you to monitor the unit as well. The complete system adds about 7.5 lbs to the bike. Pinarello created a larger downtube to accommodate the battery and the special rear dropout system manages the hub attachment and wiring harness. What is special about the Dyodo? You can't easily visually identify it as an e-bike, and that along with the powered assistance of the motor is why the Dyodo has drawn so much interest.

Here are the basics of the X35 drive system. The 250 Wh battery delivers power to the hub motor, which is not a regenerative system. When not in use, there is no excess drag on the hub. The iWoc ONE controller features a single button with a varying LED indicator. You get On/Off, a battery level indicator and three assist levels: Low, Medium, High. Depending on how much you weigh, climb and utilize the motor, there is about 60-100 miles of assist available. The hub-based motor offers 40 Nm of torque and 250 Watts of power, which offers drag-free operation above the 20 mph assist limit. Yes, to meet US laws for e-bikes, the assist feature will only carry you to 20 mph. There is much we are learning in regards to battery life, the various power levels, etc., as we demo the Dyodo, and we will update here when we have more direct knowledge. The bottom line is that a cyclist using the assist feature can use the power to maintain pace with a group, tackle that tough climb, or simply to smile. This is about offering you more access to new cycling experiences, or to recapture the feelings you once had. The goal is expanding cycling access to more potential cyclists, and as a true road bike the Pinarello Dyodo shows us all a new way to achieve this.... Read More