In 1994, Miguel “Big Mig” Induráin set a new hour record, breaking the 53-kilometer mark for the first time in history on the track in Bourdeaux with a distance of 53.040 kilometers. And he did it atop the Pinarello Espada, a bike which quickly became legendary itself!
The carbon-framed, Campagnolo-equipped bike weighed in at 7.5 kilograms and was custom-molded to fit Big Mig. Only four versions of the bike were ever created, and Induráin won both of the long time trials at the 1995 Tour de France on a version modified to allow shifting.
Last weekend, Zwift held the first-ever set of Pinarello Espada Challenge races, where everyone was riding the new in-game Pinarello Espada, chasing a “Big Mig” RoboPacer set at 510 watts (6.3 W/kg) for an hour.
We wanted to know just how fast this bike was, but performing a test wasn’t as simple as it is with most bikes, since the Espada is only available in these events.
So we joined an event, turned on our firewall so only our test bot was visible (no drafting!), and then rode two laps of Tempus Fugit at 300W (4 W/kg) to perform our standard flat test.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The Pinarello Espada turns in a time of 49:05 in our flat test, which puts it at or near the bottom of TT bike performance in Zwift, depending on how you crunch the numbers.
Usually we test frames and wheelsets separately, but the Espada, like the Tron bike, can only be tested with its disc wheels installed. Therefore, we must compare its test results with other TT frames using disc wheels.
If we assume the Espada’s wheels are as fast as the fastest disc wheels in game (DT Swiss ARC 62 Dicut Disc), that would make the frame the second-slowest in game, only faster than the Zwift TT frame by 11 seconds.
Realistically, though, you would think the Espada’s wheels would be faster than anything in game, since the Espada uses full disc wheels on the front and back while all other wheelsets in game have the disc only on the back wheel.
If that’s the case, though, that would make the Espada frameset possibly the slowest TT frameset in game.
In precise numbers, the Espada is 28.5 seconds slower than the fastest setup in game (Cadex Tri frame with DT Swiss ARC 62 Dicut Disc wheels) on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit totaling 34.6km. That’s a difference of around 0.4 kilometers per hour.
Climb Performance
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to test climb performance yet, since the Espada is limited to the Pinarella Espada Challenge events which are held on the Tempus Fugit route.
Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm carbon wheelset.
Conclusions
The Pinarello Espada TT bike is iconic for sure, but it’s not one you would want to use in a race where bike choice is an option. (It’s worth noting that at this time, it’s not even available for purchase in the Drop Shop, so this isn’t a decision Zwifters need to make. Zwift says it will be available in the Drop Shop eventually, and also says more Pinarello Espada Challenge events will be held in the fall of 2024.)
If you’re doing a TT race and aren’t sure what to use, check out Fastest TT Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level for help in choosing your ideal rig.
Questions or Comments?
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Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
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