Pinarello MAAT Track Frame

Access to a Velodrome and Track Racing Dreams with the Pinarello MAAT bike frame

If you are lucky enough to live someplace where you have access to a velodrome, we have the perfect lust-worthy track bike that will get you dreaming about sprinting your legs to a pulp. Designed to be perfect for Madison and Omnium races, the Pinarello MAAT surely looks to be the track bike extraordinaire not only for Olympians but also for all track events near you.

One of the most enjoyable things about cycling, especially if you are a racer or at least very serious about finding the best equipment to improve your performances, is that we can buy and race the exact same things that the pros get to use. That’s not really something a keen race car driver can say since F1 cars are a lot harder to come by than WorldTour bikes. Of course, having to pay for our own equipment might kill the buzz a little, but if you are really interested in having the best equipment for your track racing, the Pinarello MAAT has been designed to be the perfect track bike with quick handling, and stiffness galore.

Track bikes as a rule are not designed to be road worthy. With the recent surge in fixed gear road racing, there are many track bikes that have been made with an eye to their compatibility for fixed gear crits, but don’t fool yourself into thinking the MAAT is among those. The MAAT has been developed exclusively for use on the boards in a velodrome, with all geometry choices, carbon layup schedules and tube shapes dictated by the needs of the powerful track racer. So for the stiffness factor, they weren’t too bothered about making it compliant and comfortable. Rather, the carbon layup and tube shapes are devoted to the level of rigidity that will help squeeze every ounce of speed out of your legs and translate it directly to the boards. And even if you have heard that claim before, Pinarello has really done some rethinking with just how to shape and size the tubes. The huge fork legs (now allowed thanks to the relaxing of the UCI 3:1 rule) and the nifty proprietary handlebars work together to create one rock solid front end ready to withstand the megawatts a world class track racer will be pumping out.

Attention to Power Transfer and Lateral Flex in the Pinarello MAAT

The shapes of the other tubes have also received a lot of attention. For example, the oversized down tube has a trapezoidal shape that is intended to promote exceptional power transfer and prevent lateral flex. They have not surprisingly made use of the Pinarello Think Asymmetric mantra when designing the tube shapes as well. Not only will each side of the frame have varying degrees of pedaling forces, but the different aero demands have been addressed. Drivetrain sides are always trickier, but the super deep fork legs encourage such a smooth airflow that even the rider legs are supposed to benefit from the draft.

The airfoil seat tube continues the aero theme, as does the special integrated cockpit. This in-house MAAT cockpit is not included with the package, but has been designed to sing perfectly from the same song sheet as the rest of the frame. It has not only a sleek aero shape, but also has a new hand position molded where a road rider would normally find the hoods. That will make the MAAT tons more comfortable for those longer events like the scratch and points events. But since the handlebars are first and foremost super stiff, they will be able to withstand any amount of hard pulling on them for sprint events and all rounds of the omnium. Same goes for the geometry which focuses on getting the riders into that far forward position, while still offering room to move when sprinting without having to worry about banging a knee on the drops.

Using their top drawer T1100 carbon fiber, the MAAT frame weighs about 1350 grams, depending on the size. It uses an Italian threaded bottom bracket and can clear up to a crazy big 66 tooth chain ring. The frame can accommodate up to 23mm tires. Available in five frame sizes and three color schemes, the Pinarello MAAT is a pure racer for pure track racing.

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