Introducing Time Bikes: Range Guide
Introducing Time Bikes: Range Guide
We’re very proud to say that Hoops Velo is now officially stocking Time bikes. We only stock products that we believe in, and that hasn’t changed with Time (no pun intended, promise!) who produce some of the highest quality bicycles in the world in-house, in Europe. We’re extremely excited to see these bikes in our stores, and so should you! Let’s dive into what makes Time so special, and take a closer look at their range.
A Brief History of Time
Forget cosmology – founded in 1987 by Roland Cattin, Time’s journey started with introducing their pedal system, famously ridden to 11 Tour de France victories by the likes of Greg LeMond and Miguel Indurain. Time remained a prominent part of the pro peloton for years, first with their carbon forks before eventually developing their own framesets. Widely regarded as some of the best-crafted frames on the market, Time’s frames have an impressive palmares with various world, Olympic and monument classics victories courtesy of Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen.
Despite the bike industry's shift towards outsourcing manufacturing to the Far East, Time has focused on their European in-house production to maximise quality, precision and innovation. Their ability to keep innovating while building some of the most finely-tuned frames out there all these years later is a testament to their expertise and experience. With some seriously cool carbon tech to their name, let’s take a closer look!
The Tech
Time has been perfecting their carbon craft for the last 30 years, and it shows. Their unique processes and in-house manufacturing have allowed them to finely tune their framesets to perform at the highest level while delivering unrivalled ride quality.
Braided Carbon Structure (BCS)
When we say in-house, we mean in-house. Every inch of carbon fibre that you find on their framesets is woven in their own factory using their unique carbon braiding machine to create Braided Carbon Structures. What does this mean? Rather than traditional carbon sheet layup techniques, Time weaves the fibres into bi-directional ‘socks’ made up of 16 filaments, with each tube section being made up of continuous fibres. This technique also allows for one weave to utilise multiple complex materials, whether it’s high-modulus carbon, high-strength carbon, Kevlar, or even Dyneema, and be tuned to serve a specific purpose.
This might sound complicated – and it is – but the result of this is high structural integrity, unrivalled precision and build quality, and finely tuned performance.
Find out more about BCS here.
Find out more about Time’s Dyneema tech here.
Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM)
Typically found in the aerospace and high-end car industries, Resin Transfer Moulding greatly reduces the potential for defects and voids in the carbon structure, but due to the technical and labour-intensive nature of the process is something that is very rarely seen in bicycle manufacturing. This works by injecting resin between layers at high pressure, pushing out air pockets and voids. Combined with Time’s precise moulds, this allows them to consistently operate at extremely high tolerances for a perfectly finished product.
Find out more about RTM here.
The Range
Alpe D’Huez
The Time Alpe d'Huez, their most legendary model, lives up to its name as it's purpose-built for climbing with its lightweight frame. Named after the legendary Alpe d'Huez climb made famous by the Tour de France, it comes as no surprise that this bike is built for climbing. Lightweight, precise handling and super responsive, the Alpe D’Huez is renowned for its excellent ride quality and is a fan-favourite amongst the Hoops team.
Scylon
The Scylon is Time’s aero offering, designed for speed and efficiency, purpose built for racing. Weighing a mere 990g it still flies up the climbs, and thanks to Time’s innovative BCS technology, combining Vectran fibers with high-strength and high-modulus carbon means that the Scylon delivers unparalleled power transfer without sacrificing comfort, still capable of absorbing road vibrations. For the speed-seekers, this is the bike for you!
ADHX
The ADHX is Time’s debut in the all-road category, bringing their signature build- and ride-quality to the rough stuff. Utilising their BCS technology and in-house carbon-weaving, Time have developed their own carbon construction using Bio-Based Dyneema for unrivalled strength and durability. Stronger than steel yet light enough to float on water – the ADHX doesn’t shy away from troublesome trails, but still rides like a dream. If you’re looking for the best of the best in the all-road category, look no further.
Interested in speccing one of these beautiful bikes? Get in touch!
