FIRST LOOK: TIME ALPE D’ HUEZ X GRAVEL BIKE

 

Just months after industry veteran Tony Karklin shared news of the arrival of  the Time’s 2022  road bike line, now comes the unveiling of the vaunted French brand’s all new gravel bike.

While Time’s legacy on the road is well-known, seeing the brand enter into the gravel space is just one more indication of how complete the tradition bound road world has come to embrace the dual-purpose segment. Of course, typifying that racing legacy – and owing to a max 40mm tire clearance, it appears the “X bike” definitely leans to the racing segment of gravel  with a smidgen of “all-road” capabilities blended in.

The Alpe D’Huez X will be available in 5 sizes and three colorways with individual models spec’d with drivetrains from Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM. Time is claiming  a (bare) frame weight of 1250 grams. As of now, there was no info on prices.

TIME ALPE D’ HUEZ GRAVEL BIKE

Press Release

DHX TIME’s debut gravel bike has already notched a few firsts in developing a reputation for riding at the front: our ADHX (Alpe d’Huez X) is the first of its kind to incorporate Bio-Based Dyneema®, the World’s Strongest Fiber®, to build a better performing machine. It’s the firstto utilize braided carbon structure (BCS) manufacturing, a TIME exclusive that outperforms traditional carbon prepreg construction in almost every way by incorporating several types of fiber into each multidirectional braid.

The ADHX is first in quality and tolerance control thanks to our highly accurate resin transfer moulding (RTM) process and is manufactured entirely in the EU using one of the most sustainable manufacturing processes in the industry. TIME’s first performance gravel offering is more than a cursory nod – in many ways the arrival of the ADHX makes it the clear leader in a very crowded field – with pedigree to spare, an iconic look and an attitude eager to make a splash

THE ADHX FEATURES

Top Tube Mount Point
Frame storage is great, but fingertip access while riding is better. The ADHX is compatible with bags or mounting systems that use a standard bottle mount.

Single Cover
Compatibility with single and double – chainring drivetrains doesn’t have to leave exposed frame holes or a lonely, empty derailleur mount. With the TIME Single Cover your 1X setup looks as slick and finished as the rest of your bike.

Integrated Cables – Deda S DCR
A clean cockpit offers more than just great looks. Integrated cables are less likely to be damaged and give unhindered space at the bars for the accessories that make your ride great. The included DEDA S-DCR headset is compatible with standard stems and handlebars, or add a full DCR headset/stem/bar available from DEDA to finish your TIME with completely hidden cables and brake hoses.

38C Tire Clearance
The ADHX is designed to fit 38C or about 40MM tires depending on rim and tire choice. This offers the optimal balance of speed, low weight and broad tire selection.

Forged Carbon
With 20x the fatigue life of steel or alloy, TIME use forged carbon where others spec heavier aluminum parts. A 60% fiber content allows drilling and threading without cracking, processes that are much more challenging with prepreg construction.

THE DYNEEMA CONNECTION

Bio-based Dyneema® fiber is 15x stronger than steel at the same weight, with a tensile strength up to 43 cN/dtex. Dyneema® fiber is so light that it floats on water and furthermore has a very high modulus (resistance against deformation).Compared to other generic HMPE fibers, bio-based Dyneema® emits 29 tonnes less CO2 per metric ton of fiber produced. This is the equivalent CO2 released by charging 3.7 million smartphones, or the amount of CO2 absorbed by growing 480 tree seedlings for 10 years.

WHAT IS THE PRIMARY VALUE? Adding a Carbon/Bio-Based Dyneema® hybrid BCS layer to ADHX allows us to increase strength in the structure without compromising stiffness or weight.

HOW MUCH IS USED AND WHERE? Bio-Based Dyneema® appears in the woven BCS sock at the intersections of the headtube, downtube and toptubes. These BCS braids utilize 30-35% Bio-Based Dyneema® by weight.

WHY IS IT USED ONLY ON THE INSIDE? Bio-Based Dyneema’s® advantages really stand out when the fibers are loaded in tension. The inner layer of a structure experiences tension in the case of a collision or frontal impact.

Braided Carbon Structure is the weaving of dry fibers into complex bi-directional ‘socks.’ These tubes of fiber are easy to tune with different materials – TIME currently choses from 16 filaments to perfectly tailor our layups. This process also allows something that is unheard of in the cycling world; continuous fibers that run the full length of a structure. With standard prepreg layup, fibers end where the sheets do, creating inherent weaknesses.

FORGED CARBON DROPOUTS With 20x the fatigue life of steel or alloy, we use forged carbon where others spec heavier aluminum parts. A 60% fiber content allows drilling and threading without cracking, processes that are much more challenging with prepreg construction.

DEDA S DCR HEADSET FOR SEMI & FULLY–INTEGRATED CABLESA clean cockpit offers more than just great looks. Hidden cables are less likely to be damaged and give unhin-dered space at the bars for the accessories that make your ride great. The included DEDA S-DCR headset is compatible with standard stems and

ADHX is designed to fit 38-40C or about 40MM tires depending on rim and tire choice. We feel this is the optimal balance of speed, low weight and broad tire selection.

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