The Time Bicycles Thread -- Time Frames, Bikes, & Hardware Components After Sale To Cardinal Cycling Group

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EvilEuro
Posts: 333
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:03 am

by EvilEuro

Please keep discussions of Time pedals to another, more appropriate thread.

This thread is to split off from the thread on the future of Time Sport because that future has now been decided. Time Sport is no more. Time Sport as we knew it has been split into two groups with Time Bicycles being the entity who will continue on making Time frames, complete bikes, and other frame hardware components (forks, headsets, stems, handlebars).

The announcement of the sale of the frame business to Cardinal Cycling Group is here: https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industr ... time-sport

Of note was some information at the bottom of the Bicycle Retailer article on SRAM's purchase of the Time pedal business from Rossignol.
Cardinal hopes to rejuvenate Time's bike business

Despite Rossignol's hopes to diversify its offerings and grow Time's business, the brand failed to thrive at Rossignol. Its Europe-made frames and bikes couldn't compete on price with Asia-made offerings. After Cattin's death, Time appeared slow to innovate or to respond to market shifts toward gravel bikes and road bikes with clearance wider tires. By early 2020 Rossignol started exploring plans to restructure or sell the business and revealed that Time sales had dropped by almost half in the previous year.

In June 2020, Rossignol announced it had agreed to sell Time to WhaTTfornow, a four-year-old French e-bike brand. But WhaTTfornow failed to raise the funds necessary to complete the purchase and eventually Cardinal Cycling Group stepped in.

Cardinal Cycling Group's founders are U.S. industry veteran Tony Karklins and French engineer Martial Trigeaud. Karklins is well known in the U.S. industry as the former head of Orbea's U.S. business and as the founder and former CEO of HIA Velo, the parent of Allied Cycle Works. Karklins, who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, left HIA in 2018.

Cardinal purchased Time's bike business in late January and immediately took over distribution of Time bikes. Trigeaud quickly flew to Slovakia after the purchase to oversee production, Karklins told BRAIN. Time now has about 50 U.S. dealers and Karklins said initially U.S. dealer frame orders are being drop-shipped from a central warehouse in Europe. Eventually the brand may keep bike inventory in the U.S. as well, he said.

Karklins said Time’s biggest markets remain Europe and Asia, making the U.S. market a new opportunity. He said Time has a good inventory of frames in Europe but the U.S. inventory of Time frames is “squeaky clean,” giving the brand a clean slate to start over here.

Time also has distributors in about 35 countries.

He acknowledged that since Cattin’s death, Time had failed to keep up with trends. He hopes to change that soon.

“We’re investing a lot in product development right now and we’ll be working to put new designs into production in the second half of the year,” he said.

After Karklins left Allied he founded ACK Enterprises, which distributes Frog juvenile bikes and other products to U.S. dealers.

He said Time’s carbon factory is still cutting edge and “a finely tuned machine.”

“The factory was one of the main reasons we wanted to purchase Time,” he said. He said the new owners are retaining all the factory’s workers.


Trigeaud moved to Little Rock a few years back because his wife's career brought her there. He worked in Arkansas as business consultant and an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas. He and Karklins met there and formed a friendship that led to the joint bid for Time, Karklins told BRAIN.

Trigeaud, who serves as CEO of Cardinal Cycling Group, said, "Having grown up in France, cycling has always been part of my life. I have always had a strong passion for Time because this brand, through its history, is a legacy of French cycling heritage throughout the world. I am honored to become its ambassador and to shape its future."
I am curious as exactly what the lack of US inventory means regarding the "brand new slate" statement.

More importantly though, I am happy to hear they are keeping the factory in Slovakia, have retained all of the factory employees, and are already investing in product development to leverage the first two items into their future products.

Will be interesting to see how soon it is until we hear or see anything about future products are due to go into production in the "second half of the year".

Time Bicycles' new website is here: https://www.timebicycles.com

wooglins
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by wooglins

Great news for now!!!

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lipspinn2
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by lipspinn2

Very exciting news that both the bike and pedal divisions have been saved !!
www.timebicycles.com is in good hands with both Tony Karklins and Martial Trigeaud
They should provide TIME bike frameset and bar / stem division , with a good balance of foward thinking and marketing to compliment this iconic brands unique manufacturing RTM technology process , craftmanship , quality and performance parameters, that they offer

SRAM should do the same as well with TIME pedal division as well
Not clear yet if they will also continue with Osmos Shoes that were only launched a little over a year ago



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Llanberis
Posts: 297
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:10 am

by Llanberis

I have sent them an e-mail and requested to purcahse some spare parts (headset bearings / RD hanger); I'm hoping they wouldn't redirect me to local dealers as there's none lol. Will update you guys on how it goes.

matteof93
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:06 am
Location: Piemonte, Italy

by matteof93

What's your opinion about the Alpe d'Huez 21 Disc? I am looking for a stiff road bike with a high quality frame but a "budget" price.
I don't understand if the 21 is supposed to be more affordable than the 01 at the expense of stiffness (with a minor difference) or if the 21 has been developed more as an endurance bike rather than a true racing bike.

EvilEuro
Posts: 333
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:03 am

by EvilEuro

matteof93 wrote:
Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:35 pm
What's your opinion about the Alpe d'Huez 21 Disc? I am looking for a stiff road bike with a high quality frame but a "budget" price.
I don't understand if the 21 is supposed to be more affordable than the 01 at the expense of stiffness (with a minor difference) or if the 21 has been developed more as an endurance bike rather than a true racing bike.
Directly from the Time Bicycles page on the Alpe d'Huez 21...
We wanted to make the lightweight performance of the Alpe d’Huez 01 accessible to more people, which is why we have created the Alpe d’Huez 21. It uses the same geometry as the 01, but instead of Vectran, it blends Basalt with a smaller proportion of high modulus carbon and a greater amount of high resistance carbon. This combination increases the level of comfort offered by the Alpe d’Huez 21 since the emphasis on HR carbon and the use of Basalt work to encourage a bit more compliance in the frame. The slight weight gain is offset by a much friendlier price point.

Our ability to weave the different types of carbon fibers and Basalt so precisely allows us to dose out the weave exactly according to the needs of certain areas of the frame, either for greater rigidity or to emphasize the compliance. And since this is a bike that is meant to be a phenomenal bike for full days in the mountains, it still offers a pleasingly snappy, lightweight acceleration.

RDY
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by RDY

Aside from distribution and cranking up production at the factory again, I'd say getting some better looking paintjobs on the bikes should be priority number one. Most look extremely dated. Priority 2, gravel. Also, increase tyre clearances on existing frames - I think they top out at 28s, which is low by today's standards.

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miltmaster3
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by miltmaster3

I am waiting my new disk skylon to came at the end of the month to replace my rim bike


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Kumppa
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by Kumppa

Time bikes are getting back to pro cycling or did Rossignol sponsor any team with frames? Atleast something is happening even they will ride cheaper AdH 21 models.

"Time is pleased to announce a new partnership with a professional woman cycling Team: @Stade Rochelais Charente Maritime women cycling. We wish them a lot of success for 2021."

Cycomanic
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by Cycomanic

RDY wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:39 pm
Aside from distribution and cranking up production at the factory again, I'd say getting some better looking paintjobs on the bikes should be priority number one. Most look extremely dated. Priority 2, gravel. Also, increase tyre clearances on existing frames - I think they top out at 28s, which is low by today's standards.
The paintjob looking dated is a weird statement. Just looking at the two paintjobs below, can you explain to me why you consider one extremely dated and the other one not?

Image
Image

RDY
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by RDY

Kumppa wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:40 pm
Time bikes are getting back to pro cycling or did Rossignol sponsor any team with frames? Atleast something is happening even they will ride cheaper AdH 21 models.

"Time is pleased to announce a new partnership with a professional woman cycling Team: @Stade Rochelais Charente Maritime women cycling. We wish them a lot of success for 2021."
Was flabbergasted by this. They'd have to be absolutely out of their minds to waste money and resources on sponsoring a pro team, given their current situation.

But then I realised that you hadn't bothered to look at the announcement.

This is Time Sport (SRAM). Time Sport will be supplying pedals.

RDY
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by RDY

Cycomanic wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:51 pm
RDY wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:39 pm
Aside from distribution and cranking up production at the factory again, I'd say getting some better looking paintjobs on the bikes should be priority number one. Most look extremely dated. Priority 2, gravel. Also, increase tyre clearances on existing frames - I think they top out at 28s, which is low by today's standards.
The paintjob looking dated is a weird statement. Just looking at the two paintjobs below, can you explain to me why you consider one extremely dated and the other one not?

Image
Image
Read my post - "most".

Though the Time one you show looked pretty poor.

Does it really need to say TIME in big block capitals twice on the main triangle and then again on the fork? It looks ghastly.

Even more obvious on the more widely distributed white and red.

Image

Trend, fortunately, has been towards slightly less obtrusive branding these days. Time looks extremely dated.

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miltmaster3
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by miltmaster3

Cycomanic wrote:
RDY wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:39 pm
Aside from distribution and cranking up production at the factory again, I'd say getting some better looking paintjobs on the bikes should be priority number one. Most look extremely dated. Priority 2, gravel. Also, increase tyre clearances on existing frames - I think they top out at 28s, which is low by today's standards.
The paintjob looking dated is a weird statement. Just looking at the two paintjobs below, can you explain to me why you consider one extremely dated and the other one not?

Image
Image
Ha ha s-craps


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Kumppa
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by Kumppa

RDY wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:56 pm
But then I realised that you hadn't bothered to look at the announcement.

This is Time Sport (SRAM). Time Sport will be supplying pedals.
Then please link that announcement and don't be that smart ass.

Don't have interest to find out every info but this was straight from that continental team FB page: (+ I do not speak French)

"Nous roulerons sur le modèle Time Alpe d'Huez 21 dans une série limitée aux couleurs jaune et noire."

RDY
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by RDY

Kumppa wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:09 pm
RDY wrote:
Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:56 pm
But then I realised that you hadn't bothered to look at the announcement.

This is Time Sport (SRAM). Time Sport will be supplying pedals.
Then please link that announcement and don't be that smart ass.

Don't have interest to find out every info but this was straight from that continental team FB page: (+ I do not speak French)

"Nous roulerons sur le modèle Time Alpe d'Huez 21 dans une série limitée aux couleurs jaune et noire."
You got it from their Facebook. It literally says Time Sport. You just saw Time and assumed it was bikes. Despite this thread clearly being about the newly hived off bike company as distinct from Time Sport (pedals and shoes etc). You mention Time Bicycles but there is no mention of Time Bicycles in the announcement or from their social media.

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