Time for Something New: TIME Alpe d'Huez 01 Ulteam

Time for Something New: TIME Alpe d'Huez 01 Ulteam

Written by Cody Wignall, on March 03, 2021

As most of you know, we love TIME Sport. For those who didn’t, the cat’s out of the bag. For years we’ve loved their frames for their superior build quality and serious handling chops. While we’ve had our fair share of experience on their impressive line of road bikes, it’s been nearly four years since TIME has released a new road bike frameset. With such a long wait in between new models, TIME Sport gave us the first look at the new TIME Alpe d’Huez 01 Ulteam road bike a few weeks before its release. This limited edition model, one of fifty, is the stuff of dreams. TIME Alpe d'Huez - Altitude Bike - Contender Bicycles Let’s get to what everyone wants to know first: what’s different about the TIME Alpe d'Huez? For starters, TIME says this is "engineered to be our lightest frame ever with modern design elements while offering our best power-to-weight ratio." What does this mean? The frame weighs a claimed 840 grams (frame, size S), 80 grams lighter than the TIME Izon. But TIME also says the bike has a stiffness-to-weight ratio close to the TIME Scylon aero race bike, a ratio that is a whopping 25% stronger than the outgoing Izon road bike. The TIME-exclusive Quickset headset, a favorite of the shop, is integrated into the frameset to provide lower stack height and a clean aesthetic. Although it’s built for climbing mountains, the geometry (shared with the Scylon) is racy, with a sloping top tube and integrated stem to lower the rider’s position and improve aerodynamics, all of which communicates the bike’s racing potential. Out back, the Alpe d’Huez uses a D-shaped carbon seatpost and a more aerodynamic, two-bolt clamp on the 01, which they used to lower weight while also improve ride quality in the saddle. The frameset maintains the TIME-exclusive Aktiv fork option, which uses mass dampers in the fork blades that vibrate to cancel out much of the road vibration. This not only lowers road vibrations transmitted to the frame and handlebars by 30%, but it allows for much smoother descending and cornering ability. Combine that with TIME’s in-house RTM carbon fiber production and use of Vectran in the top tube and downtube to further improve ride quality, and it's clear that the TIME Alpe d'Huez 01 will offer a ride smoothness and handling precision that is nearly unrivaled in the cycling world. TIME CEO Sylvain Noailly claims that the TIME Alpe d’Huez 01 is “a turning point in TIME’s history”, and it's clear just by looking at the bike and lifting it that this bike is special. TIME brought us the TIME Alpe d'Huez 01 Ulteam, which we have pictured here. This model is specifically limited to just 50 bikes, and was built like it. The “window” on the top tube that shows off the frame’s carbon weave is poignant without being braggadocious, its lines are svelte and purposeful, and above else it just feels high quality. If it is anything like other TIME road bikes (and we have no reason to believe otherwise), this bike is immediately one of the best-riding road bikes on the market. TIME says that they are “the only bike brand allowed to officially use these (Alpe d’Huez) names, but also the only brand with a particular link with this village, as emblematic as are our bikes.” The Alpe d’Huez mountain stage has been a mainstay in the Tour de France since 1976, punishing riders while providing breathtaking views. It is extremely rare today for a bike to be named after a location within 200 miles of their headquarters, but the Alpe d'Huez road bike is just that. For those looking for authenticity in a road bike, TIME’s newest road bike lives up to it's legendary name. As always, if you have any questions about availability and pricing of the limited edition TIME Alpe d'Huez 01 Ulteam road bike, the Alpe d'Huez 01 frameset, or the Alpe d’Huez 21 road bike, we have answers. Feel free to drop us a line at info@contenderbicycles.com, or call us during shop hours at 801.364.0344.

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