The new Pinarello Grevil MX makes it all but official: the only thing left separating mountain bikes from gravel bikes is the handlebar choice. Though the Italian brand classifies the Grevil MX as a gravel bike, the 100mm suspension fork says otherwise. But that’s not all; there’s a lot more that suggests this sub-20lb bike is actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The geo and frame are lifted straight from Pinarello’s mountain bike
In a press release for the Grevil MX, Pinarello makes an explicit connection to their Olympic gold-winning mountain bike. “Its geometry takes the head angle (67.75°) and trail (101mm) of the hardtail Dogma XC,” the brand writes. The head tube angle is a particularly stark departure from the existing Grevil F gravel bikes, which have head tube angles sitting above 70°.
Pinarello didn’t just slacken the head angle for the MX — they physically re-engineered the Grevil frame to match the Dogma XC. The tell-tale sign is above the cranks: the new triangle-within-a-triangle bottom bracket strut was first introduced with the Dogma XC, designed to withstand Tom Pidcock’s explosive power.
Though the build available at launch does not include a dropper post, the Grevil MX — unlike the other Grevil frames — is 30.9mm dropper-post compatible. Even the choice of a 30.9mm inner-diameter seat tube is a nod to mountain bike spec; most dropper-ready gravel bikes are designed to fit skinnier 27.2 mm posts.
The one area where Pinarello shows a bit of restraint is the rear tire clearance. Though the fork fits tires up to 29×2.5″, the rear triangle is designed for a max tire width of 2.25″. The Grevil MX launch build comes with 700x50c Schwalbe G-One R Pro tires front and rear.
Pinarello could have used a dedicated gravel suspension fork, but went with an XC fork instead
The Fox Step Cast suspension fork with 100mm is the biggest thing that stands out about the Pinarello Grevil MX. Though Fox offers a dedicated suspension fork for gravel bikes — the Fox 32 Taper Cast — that fork maxes out at just 50mm of travel. Likewise, the RockShox XL gravel fork only offers 60mm of travel. Pinarello says, “the 100mm suspension fork travel provides the best weight to ratio solution [sic].”
Though I’m not 100% sure what they meant to say there, my best guess is Pinarello is saying a 100mm fork delivers the best weight-to-travel ratio. Though most riders don’t think in these terms, it’s technically correct. Existing gravel forks add a lot of weight without giving riders much travel in return. At the same time, travel does affect climbing efficiency, which tends to be a turn-off for gravel riders.
The Grevil MX has an MTB drivetrain, too
The Pinarello Grevil MX makes use of a SRAM Eagle Transmission AXS drivetrain, though the frame has internal routing to run mechanical drivetrains as well. The cassette is 10-52, which is decidedly a mountain bike range, but paired with a more gravel-appropriate 38T chainring up front.
In the mountain bike world, MX has come to mean mixed wheel; here, Pinarello uses MX to mean “monster cross.” So just to be clear, the Grevil MX is designed around matched 700c wheels.
The Grevil MX features Pinarello’s MOST Talon Ultra Light cockpit, the same setup found on the brand’s road bikes. The flat bar version of the cockpit, the MOST Talon XC, should be compatible with the bike for anyone craving a flat-bar gravel setup.
Even with the MTB component spec, a size medium Pinarello Grevil MX is said to weigh 9.04kg, which is just under 20lb.
It’s a race bike without an obvious race format
Pinarello says the Grevil MX is “a very versatile bike, perfectly suited for races or adventures where you’re riding into the unknown.” At the professional racing level, the Grevil MX is a no-go for UCI-sanctioned cross-country mountain bike races due to its drop bars. And the 100mm fork is overkill for pretty much any pro-level gravel race.
Still, that leaves some high-profile races like the Leadville 100, where riders could benefit from a bike like the Grevil MX. And then there’s monster cross: popular races like the Pisgah Monster Cross Challenge, a 69-mile race along backcountry gravel roads, demand a fast, light, and capable bike that can handle a bit of everything. It also seems like the Grevil MX could be a great FKT bike or a high-power weapon for dominating the local race series.
The Pinarello Grevil MX is priced at €8,500 and will be available in Europe and South Africa, though not in North America or the UK at launch.
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