TIME Sport International is a French manufacturer of bicycles and cycling equipment, including bicycle frames, cycling shoes, clipless bicycle pedals, cranksets, and gloves.

Contents 1 History 2 Professionals 3 References 4 External links

[edit] 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 (RTM) technology. TIME weaves its own custom tubular carbon layers in its RTM factory in France. 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, when their pedals were used 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 fiber racing bicycle frames and forks.

TIME's off-road pedals, use a concept TIME calls ATAC (Auto Tension Adjustment Concept). 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, light weight, 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.

[edit] 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 Olympic gold medalist in Mountain Bike Julien Absalon.

Tom Boonen, the 2005 World Champion (road) used TIME bikes while he was with Quick Step-Innergetic. His successful 2005 season included the Ronde van Vlaanderen, 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. For Boonen's bike Time also used mountain bike braze-ons to allow for the use of mountain bike brakes which would allow the team to run larger tires. As with may riders in the Paris Roubaix, 36 hole spoked wheels were used instead of 32 or 28 hole options.

2004 Athens Olympic Champion Paolo Bettini was also sponsored by TIME, with a TIME bicycle during the World Championship in the 2006 men's road race, leading to victory.

The Giro d'Italia, la Vuelta a España, Paris-Roubaix, the Olympic games, World Championship and of course the Tour de France (10 times winner) have been won with TIME products.

French-based professional cycling teams Bouygues Telecom and Cofidis rode Time bikes in 2008. ^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Bouygues Telecom equipment page (French) Cofidis equipment page

[edit] External links

• TIME Sport International corporate site