Time Sport International is a French manufacturer of bicycles and cycling equipment, including bicycle frames, cycling shoes, clipless bicycle pedals, cranksets, and gloves.
History
Founded in 1987 by Roland Cattin, Time creates, manufactures and distributes highly technical bicycle products. Time history began with a clipless bicycle pedal system designed to accommodate the biomechanical constraints of the rider. In 1993, Time began to diversify with carbon composite frames using resin transfer molding technology. Time weaves its own custom tubular carbon layers in its RTM factory in Vaulx-Milieu France, outside of Lyon. This gives Time's engineers control of the technical characteristics of each carbon layer, as well as freedom of shape of the frame component parts. Time products gained fame in the early 1990s, after being debuted on the podium by Pedro Delgado in 1988, then multiple Tour de France winner Greg LeMond in his champion-style 1989 Tour de France victory which was followed by multiple Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain. This was a major change for the field, in which Look had been the most notable brand until then. Today, Time is one of the leading brands of carbon fiberracing bicycle frames and forks. Time's off-road pedals, use a concept Time calls ATAC. This concept allows release angle to be independent of spring tension. Among the most widely used pedals by both recreational and professional cyclists, 120,000 pairs are manufactured annually. They have also become a favorite of inner-city bicycle couriers, because of their small cleat size, ease of entry and exit, lightweight, and reliability. TIME created the first automatic pedal to provide a freedom of lateral and angular float, Time pedals claim to considerably reduce tendinitis, a problem that many riders and especially professionals face.
Professionals
TIME has sponsored several professional cycling teams, most recently ProTour teams Quick Step-Innergetic, Cofidis and Bouygues Telecom. Several other professionals and teams use Time shoes and/or pedals, including Saunier-Duval, Ag2r, and 2008 Beijing Olympicmountain biking gold medalist Julien Absalon. Tom Boonen, the 2005 Road RaceWorld Champion, used Time bikes while he was with Quick Step-Innergetic. His successful 2005 season included the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, the Tour of Belgium and the 2005 World Road Race Championships in Madrid, Spain. The following season, Time developed a special bike, the Time VXS, for Boonen to ride in the 2006 spring classics. The VXS is similar to the VXRS Ulteam, but is a little more compliant as a result of a longer wheelbase and the vectran fibres that are used in the Time manufactured carbon fibre. In addition to Boonen's triumphs, Time has been ridden to more victories at the Olympics and World Championships. Italian rider Paolo Bettini rode TIME bicycles during his gold medal-winning ride in the 2004 Athens Olympic Road Race and in the 2006 World Championship Road Race. Australian rider Michael Rogers rode Time time-trial bikes to victory in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 world championshiptime trials. The Giro d'Italia, la Vuelta a España, Paris–Roubaix, the Olympic games, World Championship and the Tour de France have been won using TIME products.
