Solid review and description. I have 2000 miles on my Black ADHX w/Red AXS, 57cm. I run either 30 or 32mm tires on wide rims (303FC). Its perfect for roads which are rough surface with occasional dirt/broken concrete, which are common place in the Philippines where I ride it. I love the bike so far. I never viewed the ADHX as a gravel frame with its limited tire clearance. Not sure why Time felt it necessary to go the Gravel route in the marketing materials.
This is BY FAR one of the VERY BEST Bike Reviews I‘ve seen so far. Why? It is truly honest, depicts clearly the purpose of the bike, leaving aside (and not assimilating!) the marketing buzz from the manufacturer. No, it makes even a clever proposition of how a better marketing text could look like😊. All that based on personal riding experience and (seemingly) thorough mechanic‘s knowledge. Chapeau! Whats more, as for me being a non-native speaker, i am able to easily understand your speech. This is a big Bonus, compared to other channels where i definitly need the subtitles 😢
This will probably be my next bike - 95% road, but with the ability to occasionally handle light gravel/dirt roads. More than anything, I just want something that is built with tight tolerances. I'm tired of dealing with crank spindles being worn from misaligned BBs, wheels that aren't aligned properly because of poor dropouts, etc.
I ordered my ADH directly from USA Time. The rep I talked with said they were going to have a more true gravel offering soon with more tire clearance. Look forward to seeing that.
Thank you for an awesome review - very thought provoking and thorough. I would also like to say how much I value and appreciate all the feedback from everyone here. I was 100% on a ‘full gravel build’ for the ADHX. Now with everyone’s input I have a much clearer perspective on what this bike is about, despite the very confusing message from TIME! Investing this amount of money in a (don’t need it) style of bike (for me) is a long considered purchase decision. Had I gone with my initial idea of the ‘gravel’ 1x build, I might have regretted it, but now that I have clarity on what the ADHX is, the build (and my expectations) will be very different. This is when UA-cam works brilliantly. 😀
Nice review. Time's marketing had absolutely no effect on my decision to buy the ADHX. Based on the frame's specifications, I already had a script in my head similar to your proposed rewrite of Time's ad copy, and the approximately 500 miles I've put on the bike so far have confirmed that I got exactly what I was hoping to get. Indeed, it's head and shoulders the best bike I've ever had, and I've been fortunate to have owned 3Rensho, Litespeed, Serotta, Colnago, and Tommasini. I'm currently running 28s on 45mm deep rims and mostly riding on tarmac. I am planning on eventually building up a shallower wheelset to run 38s for mixed surface rides with a higher percentage of dirt. One thing you didn't mention in your review is that the ADHX has a 75mm bottom bracket drop, whereas the Alpe D'Huez Disc only has a 65mm drop. I find bottom bracket drop to be a very significant factor in how a bike rides. I have always liked the ride of bikes with lower bottom brackets better than bikes with higher bottom brackets, everything else being roughly equivalent. Keep up the good work!
Perfect. Sounds like we have the same idea. Be creative with it. Make the bike you want it to be. Good point re BB height. Important for centre of gravity.
@danlucas excellent point on the BB clearance and nuance of implications for handling. The 75mm BB drop on the ADHX combined with the other changes to fork length, rake, HT adjustment give the frame it’s slightly modified characteristics / nuanced capability for rougher stuff, so as you allude it’s important to test and understand this depending on your individual needs/ wishes.
How would you characterize the riding position? Endurance ish? I'm on an older Look endurance and wanting new and special. Modern bikes leave me cold. Between disks and the modern design ethos they're mostly industrial looking. The ADHX is gorgeous. Road/allroad should be pretty
@@theskilawyer On the size medium that I'm riding, stack and reach are exactly the same as the Alpe D"Huez Disc, which is not marketed as an endurance bike. If you're happy with the fit on your Look, then just compare the stack and reach measurements of that bike to whatever size you would take with the ADHX. If the reach works for you but the stack doesn't, then know that the ADHX comes with a steerer tube that can accommodate more than 3 cm of spacers under the stem. Hope this helps!
Echoing others here a really fantastic bike review. There’s a lot of crap wanna be marketeers on UA-cam, thank you for putting honest feedback into the mix. I’m currently building my green (😍) ADHX up with the new Chris King ARD44 / R45D wheelset, new Force and will run 32mm GP5K S TR on it for 90% road and 10% who knows. I demoed the ADHX with 35mm tires on mixed hard pack / light gravel and it was probably the most fun I’ve had on a bike since I was a kid on my BMX. It was love at first ride. There is such a unique, engrossing connection to the road. You were spot on when you mentioned X factor.
Absolutely brilliant review, i have left a comment yesterday comparing the Time frames with a steel bike and i was glad to hear you feeling the same way. I would like to see Time use their expertise and carbon technique continue into releasing new models but unless they start playing with the carbon, adding compliance where needed, shave weight where not need it they will be behind the competitors and no way can stay relevant.
It seems that "playing with the carbon" is part of Time's plan. They're opening a plant in South Carolina this year to add to their Slovakian plant's manufacturing capacity. One of the stated reasons for choosing South Carolina was to take advantage of existing composite research expertise in that area (at Clemson University and local auto parts manufacturers).
I’m quite excited about this. It’s the first big push into higher quality and innovation the industry has seen for a while. The current ADH is like witchcraft. Super stiff and smooth. It’s 🤯
I agree,modern material like carbon offers flexibility old materials can't match, i hope Time will use their premium carbon technique and manufacturing to build modern bikes, i am a big fan
A route for tanks and very few bikes i think ten out of ten for staying on board i love these frames they simply ooze quality thank you a breath taking video.
My ADHX will be built like a road bike with dura ace 2x, and two sets of wheels. Deep profile fast set with 28s that measure 30+ on the wider rim, and low profile rim, 32 mm tyre climbing set for longer hill and coarse bitumen country road rides. This is the perfect bike. With the best attention to detail. For the average non payrolled punter.
@@anthonydelapa the most comfortable and capable bike i have ever owned. It is a treat to ride. The fastest bike is the bike you feel best on. the best bike is the bike you ride. Time manufacturing underscores all the base elements of what goes into making a good bike. It truly is unique in the industry.
@@gabrielmoreno3577 thanks for the reply, I'm starting to lean towards getting it, especially with the 20% sale they are having right now. Looking for endurance geometry and I think this fits the bill. Also the LOOK 765
This is exactly why I bought an SPCycles 053D mounting 32 tubulars and looking at Look 765 Optimum & Time ADH(X)…1st it‘s simply fun being under-biked going off the road, 2ndly riding 95% onroad (like most, I‘d say), 3rdly strade bianche riding. It‘s like buying SUVs…people usually don‘t need it, but Max. 5% of the time. And then you‘re just glad you got through. Cheers guys 🙌🏽
That was a good explanation of the bike design, I’m definitely not an expert on gravel bikes and some of those tracks you were riding on I wouldn’t on the ADHX but would tackle them on my mountain bike. My area is mainly crushed granite but have to admit I would like to try a full on gravel bike to see the difference. But I’m more than happy with what I’ve got, ADHX, a Skylon and a Fluidity. Looking forward to your review of the sparkling bike in the background. Love you videos, great job. Cheers
Personally I doubt I would take any true gravel bike over the rugged terrain you used to illustrate what you imply is a massive shortcoming of this bike. This is simply a wonderful road leaning gravel bike which for some may be perfect. IMHO, of course. BTW I love your marketing rewrite. Brilliant!
Love seeing God's country, not often you see Swindale on a cycling vid. Great and helpful content, this was going to be my next bike, but now have doubts. Currently on a Super X and was going to treat myself to an ADHX but I may wait to see if they bring something out with better clearance.
Lovely looking bike and a great review; it remains out of my league though! Small point - the volume is all over on this one (too loud from the ride/too quiet in the w'shop).
Great review, with lots of talk about "feel", which is fantastic! Time, (in my opinion), should increase tire clearance on every bike they make. I would buy an Alpe d'Huez 01 *today* if only it would clearly accept a 30 tire (with a touch of clearance please). As it is, their road bikes are listed at accepting up to 28 tires, however from what I have seen, a 25 is a more realistic maximum size on the road frames (especially when running wheels with slightly more internal width). It is understandable though why this is (or would be) a difficult change for Time. Unlike virtually every other carbon bike manufacturer (which use pre-preg carbon weave laid-up in machined, aluminum mold "halves"), Time appears to use steel outer molds, PLUS they also need to make molds to create the wax cores for each size as well. The amount of time/money/work required to make even one new "set" of molds for one size frame is significant. Consequently, the pace of iterations/changes at Time is (appears?) fairly slow compared to what is done in China. Despite all that, I may still buy one. 😀
You have the tires ridiculously overinflated. 40 psi is more than adequate. I have 3000 miles on mine, running a 40 mm in front and a 37 in the rear. It handles everything with aplomb. It is the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden and a perfect compliment to my Time Team Cross bike. I went with the Force 2x and it has more than enough bottom end for 20% grades here in Massachusetts. It is very fast on the roads you show in the video, uphill and down. Of course you have to pick your way. If you don't want to do that get full suss MTB. I've ridden plenty of single track without ever feeling it wasn't up to the task. I wish it were a bit stiffer laterally, and there could be more clearance in the rear, but they are addressing that in another model soon to be released. This is an outstanding gravel race bike. Period.
@@Mapdec Tubeless at 40 psi works well on every surface and is appropriate to the design. Riding from SF out to Pt Reyes via Mt Tamalpias in California, I encounter pavement, railroad grade, woods roads and single track. I've done this loaded: 15 pounds in handlebar bag and seatbag. The tires never bottomed out even with the additional weight. I weigh 160. The geometry worked well to handle all of this. I can climb seated on a 1/1 without a problem and prefer this to out of the saddle, especially with a load. Power transfer on the ADHX is excellent. The design is very stable and does an admirable job of soaking up the vibration of rough roads and trails. It does what Carbon claims to do: allow compliance along one axis and stiffness on another; fore and aft versus side to side. Nothing about the ride feels like steel. It's apples and oranges. The shaping of the frame members that RTM allows has no counterpart in steel tubing. The size of the head tube, downtube, etc are just not possible in another medium and give the engineers design opportunities that are otherwise impossible. This version of the ADHX is for racing on gravel. The tire/rim combination is limited by the clearance of the rear triangle, I agree. The internal width of the rim matters hugely, affecting the profile of the tire and running afoul of the tolerances of the frame design in the rear. There is abundant room in the fork. Optimally I would like to run 40 mm front and rear, but when I see bikes with tires larger than that it makes little sense to me. I run 40 mm on my steel gravel touring bike and don't see the need for more. But this may be due to my weight and the limited kit I bring. Thanks for your hard work making these reviews. They are very useful.
thanks for your thoughts. how does the bike do on the gnarlier bits of say, the D2R2? i get the sense that i would feel under-biked on some of those descents, as good as the bike would be on your average gravel road.
@@RussellFaux My daily ride has twenty miles of carriage/gravel roads as rough as D2 and the ADHX flies through these. I've done the five hour D2 repeatedly- not interested in more time in the saddle- on my Ti gravel bike: Igleheart fork, Hope Mono-minis, XT drivetrain with White cranks, flat bar. This set-up can tackle anything including every kind of slop. I managed to bog the drivetrain on the ADHX the other day riding in the rain: too much debris from flowering trees and general road crud persuaded me to skip the second half and return on pavement. The only direct comparison with the ADHX I have ridden is the Santa Cruz Stigmata- they gave me one for the day last year when I rode through on my touring bike on my way South on Highway 1- epic, epic, epic touring route. I chose the Time because I have a Highball Carbon which broke within 300 hours. It was replaced under warranty because the shop where I bought knows me. SC wanted to give me an Aluminum version- no thanks. I think RTM is a much better building process than laying up pre-prep. But the Stigmata was a great ride up into Wilder and the trails behind UCSC, and the SRAM Force Etap was a revelation. What strikes me about the ADHX more than anything is comfort: who needs a suspension fork if the frame and tire choice does the job? I've never ridden a more comfortable bike. Also, I am not a fan of drop bars on gravel and the ADHX gives me the confidence to descend without fear. The front might not be as slack as some, but it doesn't rattle out of your hands or bounce off-course. It goes where it's pointed, uphill and down. I ride only on the hoods and my bars are 44's. I don't like wider bars, even on MTB's. So in answer to your question, the ADHX will be my choice for the next D2. It's more comfortable than any bike I've ever ridden on gravel, except my Softride Breezer Beamer, which was bar none the best.
That is my perfect bike, even geometry would suit me perfectly. Gravel bike with identity crisis is my dream road bike :). BTW Absolutely agree with you it is not gravel bike. Hope they keep this in production when i will be looking for a new frame.
Couldnt agree more. Wouldnt evan think of riding that beautiful bike on that chunk. I would commute on it. Which in my city is actually pretty chunky. Leaning more towards the alp 2023
I have not raced in years and looking to transition out of my old race bike. I am looking at the ADHX or 765 Optimum these are a little more relaxed and seem like timeless designs/quality. My old racing fitness is still there and I still join some through gangs and "A" rides. Not a lot is mentioned on the Aero aspect of both models. I wish I could try both like you to decide which is more suitable for a rider tapering out of racing but still likes to do max efforts from time to time.
@@Mapdec Thank you and for all the great content you put out, Glad I found your channel. 👌 Which bike would you say feels like a faster bike? I'm looking for a quality frame that is slightly less aggressive and also more compliant than my Tarmac.
That's the issue I see with 'Gravel', there's such a huge spread what gravel means from the canal path you could take a road bike down, to huge boulders you'll find in the Lake District. I think Time had more of the former in mind...
Excellent review - I’ve been a 2-bike guy for years, both custom steel, a slack endurance roadie build and a CX/do-all for everything else. Just broke my roadie frame, and my do-all is so heavy (almost 10kg - I love climbing, with the occasional ultra distance effort, lots of miles total every year) but for some reason once I turned 60 the thing feels like it’s in a swimming pool on climbs (it was so much lighter when I bought it 13 years ago 😂). This might actually be my one-bike solution from what I’m learning. One rub - I’m a home mechanic, ideally would like a threaded BB (but not adverse to getting the press tools). Re: marketing copy the word “Sophisticated” reminded me of how I once worked the word “Civilized” into some copy for a cycle-training software company as joke that no one noticed 🫠. Clearly, they were philistines.
It’s a good question. I keep my ear to the ground, but I am unaware of anyone making anything to challenge FFWD. There are faster (Zipp NSW). There are cheaper (lots and lots), there are lighter options. But for the cost, durability, performance, repairability, weight, warranty, support… I can’t think of anything better.
I haven't had a chance to watch this video yet, but I wanted to post here to increase the chance of mapdec seeing the post. I'd be really interested if you could consider creating a video on the subject of what happens if you break something on a customer's bike (or think there's a high possiblity of doing so when you evaluate the job). It would be really interesting to hear how you approach this area. Thanks. Love the videos.
Hello Paul, your ride review is exactly what I thought would say. I seriously considered the AHDX as I'm looking for a all road with the capability of doing gravel sections in summer. Endurance rides 70/30 road/off road. I nearly made the mistake of getting seduced by the quality and stunning finish. However, once I start looked in detail at the geometry and lack of tyre clearance I realised it was not bike for me. The geometry is bit puzzling to be called a gravel bike. Quite a long tube but with a short wheel base when compared to true fast race gravel bikes. I have ordered a Willier Rave SLR with 1x Rival AXS.
@@Mapdec Went it arrives, given original delivery date of 4/04/23 but all Wilier are saying is early June. Do the fact despite showing the bike as in build in their system for the last 3 weeks they don't actually have a frame yet. What is it about the bike industry. Virtually everyday there the shrill sites are full of the latest tech me must have yet the bike companies can't supply existing products to delivery dates they give to customers. Paul are you really sure you want to get into selling new bikes?
Fantastic review! I like the idea of a 'steel' feel to the ride without the weight. I was thinking about steel as a next bike, but worried it would hold me back on the climbs. Seems like the gap in Times offering (as you say) is an endurance bike. I am struggling to find a bike as good or better than my 2017 synapse tbh. The new synapse is divisive, to put it politely.
Glad I stayed to the end. Congratulations in setting the camera angle up to try and give the impression of a larger clearance between the tyre and the seat tube as possible. A pair of Pirelli's in the winter with mud and stones flying off, hmmm, that wouldn't last 10 minutes; however, if, as you said, Time add slacker fork angle and wider tyre clearances I'm in.
My God! You live and ride in a small part of heaven. I live in an urban part of Toronto, Canada. I’m filled with envy when I see the beauty of your part of the World. 😊
To be honest with roads being poorly maintained and potholes being the norm more and more, I feel like all road is the new road, as a matter of fact rolling resistance tends to be optimal with wider tires than it used to be, even pros are riding 30 even 32 mm tires more and more, and not just for Paris Roubaix. I hope Time release a gravel frame with 45mm tire clearance at least.
I think recreational and fitness riders are moving more towards wider 30mm+ tires, but most probably won’t ever go off pavement. I think we’re gradually getting to the point where only racers will be riding anything under 30mm.
Great review, thank you. I'm looking for something to replace my steel frame rim brake road bike, with some extra tyre clearance and disc brakes that can keep up on the Saturday group ride but also enable me to explore some trails. Sounds like I'm on the right lines!
Thank you for the review. Yes more tire clearance. 40mm+ for real gravel. this is a gravel race machine for the UCI standards. The Time website does not function unfortunately for this model with the color options.😕I would buy it with greater tire clearance.
Nice film, super interested in Time bikes, not a garveller in fact dislike gravel, but I need a bike / an all roader that handles pot holes, flint strewn, ,broken tarmac and hills (the Chilterns). The Alpe de Huez 23 (not the ADHX) looks a fantastic bike and the reviews are great but just wish it would could go 30/32 rather than 28 max. Do they need to widen both bikes.
How about a follow up review as the X you think it is? Road + with 28-32 tires? Testing it as a gravel bike was destined for disappointment. A look at the specs and it's crystal clear it's not meant for gravel. I'm looking for a replacement for my old Look 566 and this gorgeous frame makes sense here in Colorado. Gravel? I'd bet most consumers never take these punishing, filling loosening so called gravel bikes off road. An XC MTB or 1990s era steel MTB would be a better gravel machine than most of the gravel bikes being sold today...and you can still wear your bibs.
I really wanted to do this, but I only had 10 days and couldn’t swap the tyres and groupo to suit. One day we will be a big channel with time and resources.
For me the point of riding gravel roads is simply to be out in the country with as few cars as possible. It is NOT to find the roughest terrain I can ride on a drop bar bike. I wanted a true all road bike that is reasonably light, with nimble handling that I could use across a mix of poorly paved country roads and state-maintained (USA) gravel roads. The ADHX allows me to ride these types of mixed routes with an experience more similar to the pure road biking I enjoy the most (also helpful when sprinting away from dogs!) I made the decision to buy one based on the specs, excellent customer service from Time, and value. It's an expensive bike, but when comparing to other high end brands, the quality and high spec of the stock components compared really well. I've put about 2k miles on it in the last year without so much as a dropped chain. Totally agree with your revised marketing blurb and love the channel! ps: it came with 40mm Goodyear tires - very little extra clearance. I weigh about 80 kgs and did not experience any flexing / rub, unlike other frames I've had where I may have a few more mm's of clearance but still rub the tire when standing on the pedals. YMMV. I did eventually go down to a 35mm in the rear though.
Very insightful review/opinion on this model. Really helped me to understand how this bike works, and for what purpose it is best suited. You asked if 20 mins is too long, well i´ve sat through all 21:41 mins so thats obviously a no. But to be honest, you were a bit redundant on some points so thats where you could shave off a few seconds if you wanted. I took it as added emphathis, maybe that´s why you left it in there.
Good job mate. Odd coincidence: you and I both ride a Look 765 and ADHX Time... and I agree with your insights, other than I use the Time for 100% tarmac thus far, and never did use the Look off-road either. Both are very comfortable road rides. I think you nailed the review.
I would buy ADHX as the endurance bike not gravel. Considering how limited tire clearance is there is not much real fun going on this bike into some really difficult situations. I have a custom monster-cross with a long base and very slack head tube and only this bike keeps impressing me in some gnarly situations.
I really like this video you really put a lot of effort to teach us, and this bike would be a nearly perfect setup for me, for those potholes here in the backroads in Hungary. However, I get the inpression that the Trek Domane just makes more sense somehow, because it offers the same usability but for less money. Maybe the building quality is better on the Time, but for an averige rider it seems even to much. :)
Please step away from the bouncy castle Domane. You’ll only appreciate its armchair nature for the first few weeks. After that it will feel like your bike is soggy.
So it's an 'AllRoad' bike then. I'd take one of these to replace the skinny road bike for knackered roads, long distance, and the lightest of light gravel... more Strada Bianche type terrain compared to what here looks best suited to 48mm+ monstercross or mtb terrain. It looks really close to something like the Colnago G3x...close to road bike geometry with a bigger tyre, good for some nations version of gravel but perhaps not the Northern Uk festival of rock version.
Paul really appreciate the quality and insightfulness here. First loved the quality frame raw carbon finish on view, echoing top end frames of early 00’s . Second appreciate you re-defining this bike based on physics and its geometry. To paraphrase you it’s an ADH with a nuance of X. Who wrote that blurb at Time ? Clearly frame not primarily designed at the upper ends of gravel demands. Anyway think you’ve done them a massive favour in re-defining it on actual use and performance. As soon as you mentioned ADH plus tweak and then stated the dimensions of the geo changes I immediately thought ……..2023 new enhanced variant of “Sportive “ category as opposed to outright tuned GC bike (just like a 2010 time warp). Impression I’ve got is it’s a slightly more relaxed ADH, plus some gravel capability (entry to mid level at a push ?) . So if it’s not taking things off topic how does it measure up against your Super X for those types of off road sections ? Super X a bike I personally find capable of doing far more than it’s marketed for. Time are doing something overdue in the in wider industry (top quality and active listening), great fit with you. Loved the content and confident 100K subscribers coming your way, congrats on 10K stepping stone, thanks for all the considerable graft making it happen, with you all the way fella.👍
Thanks Kevin. SuperX is defo better off road than this. However the fork of the SuperX now feels super flexy compared to the insane stiffness of the Adhx.
Thank you for the Videos about the Time Bikes... absolutely love them! If you are looking for further topics to talk about, I'd request your thoughts about road bikes for kids. My daughter is sporting a Giant TCR Espoir 24" atm and I hope the next one's going to be a very small 622er. But I'm a bit lost in the realms of bikes for very small people - many bikes aren't offered small enough, what to look for... (and additionaly, what to get since HUP CC got unbelievably expensive from a EU point of view - thanx brexit)
@@Mapdec thanks! I find it interesting that time don't supply a seatpost with the frame. It would look wicked, and the seatpost can greatly influence the harshness of the bike... Any idea why they didn't do that?
Just ordered a Time ADHX in cobalt blue to join the esteemed collection I have- a 1995 Tommasini Velocista (Columbus MAX), a 1997 Bianchi Ti Megatube (titanium), and a 2023 Niner RLT 9 RDO (carbon gravel). The ADHX will be used for 100% road.
Would you CX race it? If so it could be that Cross/Winter/Endurance road bike. It's so good looking that I'd probably wrap it if I were using it for CX or winter riding.
@@Mapdec Overkill in that it's too nice of a bike? I hear you on the washing. I just looked up the price and at ~USD$4K, the frame itself more expensive than a lot of quality CX bikes. You'd probably end up babying the thing and not race well thinking about the possibility of a pile up and someone running over your frame. It's really nice and I've always wanted a Time, but since I've largely put away the road bikes after a few close calls with traffic and moved to XC and gravel, I think I'll pass. Cheers.
Although both bikes may have similar purpose and weight, I do hope this review and my review of time bikes in general in earlier vid, gave you enough info to explain that comparing a Time to a Vitus is like comparing a Skoda to a BMW. Sure they can both do the same things, but which would you rather take on a grand tour of Europe?
Hola!!! Crees que se perderá calidad de construcción y se cambiará la forma de fabricación al cambiar a la gran fábrica? Es el momento de comprar o esperar a que redujan el costo en el futuro? Un saludo
@@Mapdec the footage from the actual ride is way louder than the sound from the studio/shop and I had to lower the volume during the ride segments and up it a bit for when you just calmly speak in front of the camera in the shop.
Ideally, you'd have a mountain bike waiting on the rocky steep part of the trail, a road bike propped against a guardrail waiting for you on smooth tarmac. This gravel bike propped up on a sapling along a stoney gravel track with 40 psi waiting for you. To my surprise, the pavement ended with my track bike with 25mm and 28mm tires and 90 psi for several miles. A gravel bike didn't appear, and I haven't been back either.
In view of the new ADHX 45, what do you think-was ADHX a mistake? I mean perhaps they should have made a frame with more tyre clearance from the beginning. As it stands now very few people will want to buy ADHX because for gravel folk the 45 will be better, for road folk-the ADH and where does that leave the ADHX? If I were Time, I’d keep the 38mm tyre clearance, tweak the geometry and the frame layup to gear it towards endurance and comfort and give it a new name. I guess you know where I am going with this😂 We badly need a new Fluidity😂 The perfect line-up would be: ADH ADH 21 (less expensive version) Fluidity Scylon ADHX 45 and that’s it.
Brilliant review. Classic Top Gear heartful twist to the product, instead of repeating marketing fluff with a "personal" touch. However, (as,of course, everybody on the internet is interested in MY opinion) the bike is to close to road for my style of gravel, which is gravel towards trail, not gravel/tarmac. But the manufacturing excellence of time bike makes me drool...
I’m seriously considering one of these. Currently ride a Ridley Fenix rim brake bike with deep sections for fast road cycling. All I want is another fast, but well made road bike that I can put 30-32mm tyres on in combination with deep section wheels. Is this the bike? Would love to hear your thoughts if you own one.
@@Mapdec I am kinda in the same boat but unfortunately not able to test ride either. I only do road riding but prefer to have an option of running wider tyres if needed to. Are there any distinctive differences between the 2 models with the same wheels running 28mm tyres?
@@kokpintan8382 did you see our vid on bike Geo? The longer wheelbase of the adhx stabilises handling at speed in descents at the expense of more nimble handling in tight corners.
With mudguard mounts, this would sell as an audax bike. That's very much what it looks like. I'd really like to see Time push the clearance to the max, but skip the complicated cable routing that modern bikes often have now.
At 14 min into your video, I felt like I was in a flashback to 1986 reading a review of a "New" mountain bike in the pages of Bicycling magazine. I've said this before on other posts. But I'll say it again. We have been through ALL of this before. A Gravel bike is situated somewhere in the journey of evolution to the mountain bike. Technology has made it prettier than the first time around. But there are still a lot of companies making some pretty awful ( soon to be) mountain bikes.😂 The bike you have just reviewed reminds me of a custom road bike that would have been built for a high dollar domestique rider in support of GC hopeful. Nothing really new. The market is just calling it something different in an effort to compete for the almighty dollar. You keep making the videos. And I'll keep watching them. I'd rather hear about real road bikes, though.
Is that what you guys call gravel there😂 we call them rocks here in amurica😂 nice review, I just bought a 2018 izon disc frame, looking forward building it.🤙
Would this headset cable routing work reasonably well with 2x mechanical shifting, possibly grx or 105? I had in mind modern steel/titanium build (Mason, Fairlight, Standert, Enigma etc), but lately got fascinated with this frame.
Great videos. Really appreciate your approach to review and content. Great visual production too. But please focus on your audio EQ. Very jarring when the volume jumps in my headphones.
I’d like Cinelli to make an ‘x’ version of the Veltrix a Veltrix X ! adding greater tire clearance. I know they have the Zydeco and King Zydeco but I think they could extend the Veltrix with a bit of X factor!
I would be interested to see how you would compare European and American gravel trails with British gravel trails and how bikes like these would be more suited to one or the other (think Italian white roads vs Lake District greenlanes) I would say the British gravel riding is at the mountain bike end of the scale especially in certain parts of the country
Good review - i also think it's too nice to take off road & get scratched & mudded up (unless under spec'd components which would kinda spoil the build, which then questions "should i go for a less expensive f&f?" . Lovely bike as ever by TIME
Thanks for the excellent review! I finally understand the difference between the two ADH frames. One question - did you weigh the ADHX frameset and how does that weight compare with the ADH frameset?
@@Mapdec Sorry I should have asked - what is the actual weight of the ADH frameset? I've seen mixed numbers, would really like to know the real world weight of the frameset. Thanks again!
You seam to want a Gravel bike in the UK to do every thing a MTB can do I think you might be for getting what Gravel is some times keep up the good work enjoy you contence Thanks PS I have a MOOTS ROUTT 45 That is Very Nice and can do Gravel in France
The thing that puts me off this frame is the pointless holes in the top tube. They probably had a look around at what everyone else was doing and thought "we better put some of those on it", but they're just nuts.
Great review. I'm holding out for something more along the lines of the Look 765, with the ability to fit mudguards. Ps: I don't want to think about Postman Pat being conceived 😱🤣
@@Mapdec Yes, I saw that. Stupid thing is that I have been riding a Fuji Gran Fondo 1.1 since 2017 which pretty much ticks every box. Just fancy something more exotic - you know how it goes 🤣
Let's not forget that the first Gravel World Championships was won on road bike with 35/33mm tyres so I think it is only matter of performance gravel bike definition.
Yes. The pros have speed and skills beyond what most of us can even imagine. If you can ride that fast it is a very different thing. Next time out try and ride at their average speed for a bit and see how your bike feels. About 42kph
Ive been riding on 35mms for 3 yrs now and couldnt find a reason to go bigger. People going 45-50+ are insane, a MTB would probably be more comfortable at that point
Your review suggests Time should have marketed the ADHX as an all road bike with climbing ability rather than a gravel bike. At the moment the Look 765 Optimum would be a bettter all rounder. The Fluidity sounds interesting,will wait for that review. Around the local forest here(Levin,N.Z) there is a gravel road with some very steep sections that I take my steel Bianchi on sometimes it copes remarkably well even on 23-25s at road pressures but of course tests my mtb skills as well,it is fun being under biked.
Time ADH owner here. ADH would be my first choice for pretty much any kind of riding that I do. I wouldn’t hesitate to take it any unpaved roads that I encountered in Europe. AdHX would rather be the comfort oriented viersion of the AdH. Any bikes with tires above 28mm handles pretty slugish, that I wouldn’t call it a road bike. I don’t think that MTB trail is a fair testing ground for the AdHX!
Hello, Very instructive video, good job for that, definitively a brand/model to consider. And it looks TIME has listen as well, they just advertised on the ADHX 45 for gravel indeed. What would you think about this new release ? Cheers
Solid review and description. I have 2000 miles on my Black ADHX w/Red AXS, 57cm. I run either 30 or 32mm tires on wide rims (303FC). Its perfect for roads which are rough surface with occasional dirt/broken concrete, which are common place in the Philippines where I ride it.
I love the bike so far. I never viewed the ADHX as a gravel frame with its limited tire clearance. Not sure why Time felt it necessary to go the Gravel route in the marketing materials.
Thank you for adding this to the conversation
Curious what your weight is with this build? I'm lusting a similar build in cobalt. Post a pic!
@@theskilawyer I'm 6'1", and range between 175-185 lbs.
@@rayF4rio Sorry, I meant bike weight.
@@theskilawyer about 7.4 kg
This is BY FAR one of the VERY BEST Bike Reviews I‘ve seen so far. Why? It is truly honest, depicts clearly the purpose of the bike, leaving aside (and not assimilating!) the marketing buzz from the manufacturer. No, it makes even a clever proposition of how a better marketing text could look like😊. All that based on personal riding experience and (seemingly) thorough mechanic‘s knowledge. Chapeau! Whats more, as for me being a non-native speaker, i am able to easily understand your speech. This is a big Bonus, compared to other channels where i definitly need the subtitles 😢
Wow. Thank you Alexander ☺️
This will probably be my next bike - 95% road, but with the ability to occasionally handle light gravel/dirt roads. More than anything, I just want something that is built with tight tolerances. I'm tired of dealing with crank spindles being worn from misaligned BBs, wheels that aren't aligned properly because of poor dropouts, etc.
Spot on.
Nicely put Dave.
I’ve ordered mine
I ordered my ADH directly from USA Time. The rep I talked with said they were going to have a more true gravel offering soon with more tire clearance. Look forward to seeing that.
Me too.
THIS is what a proper bike review looks like. Thank you for keeping it real and providing some honest feedback.
Thank you for an awesome review - very thought provoking and thorough. I would also like to say how much I value and appreciate all the feedback from everyone here. I was 100% on a ‘full gravel build’ for the ADHX. Now with everyone’s input I have a much clearer perspective on what this bike is about, despite the very confusing message from TIME! Investing this amount of money in a (don’t need it) style of bike (for me) is a long considered purchase decision. Had I gone with my initial idea of the ‘gravel’ 1x build, I might have regretted it, but now that I have clarity on what the ADHX is, the build (and my expectations) will be very different. This is when UA-cam works brilliantly. 😀
Thank you. So glad we could help.
The lake district on a great spring day is always gorgeous!
Amazing
You're riding in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Love love love you sharing it.
Nice review. Time's marketing had absolutely no effect on my decision to buy the ADHX. Based on the frame's specifications, I already had a script in my head similar to your proposed rewrite of Time's ad copy, and the approximately 500 miles I've put on the bike so far have confirmed that I got exactly what I was hoping to get. Indeed, it's head and shoulders the best bike I've ever had, and I've been fortunate to have owned 3Rensho, Litespeed, Serotta, Colnago, and Tommasini.
I'm currently running 28s on 45mm deep rims and mostly riding on tarmac. I am planning on eventually building up a shallower wheelset to run 38s for mixed surface rides with a higher percentage of dirt.
One thing you didn't mention in your review is that the ADHX has a 75mm bottom bracket drop, whereas the Alpe D'Huez Disc only has a 65mm drop. I find bottom bracket drop to be a very significant factor in how a bike rides. I have always liked the ride of bikes with lower bottom brackets better than bikes with higher bottom brackets, everything else being roughly equivalent.
Keep up the good work!
Perfect. Sounds like we have the same idea. Be creative with it. Make the bike you want it to be. Good point re BB height. Important for centre of gravity.
@danlucas excellent point on the BB clearance and nuance of implications for handling. The 75mm BB drop on the ADHX combined with the other changes to fork length, rake, HT adjustment give the frame it’s slightly modified characteristics / nuanced capability for rougher stuff, so as you allude it’s important to test and understand this depending on your individual needs/ wishes.
How would you characterize the riding position? Endurance ish? I'm on an older Look endurance and wanting new and special. Modern bikes leave me cold. Between disks and the modern design ethos they're mostly industrial looking. The ADHX is gorgeous. Road/allroad should be pretty
@@theskilawyer On the size medium that I'm riding, stack and reach are exactly the same as the Alpe D"Huez Disc, which is not marketed as an endurance bike. If you're happy with the fit on your Look, then just compare the stack and reach measurements of that bike to whatever size you would take with the ADHX. If the reach works for you but the stack doesn't, then know that the ADHX comes with a steerer tube that can accommodate more than 3 cm of spacers under the stem. Hope this helps!
Echoing others here a really fantastic bike review. There’s a lot of crap wanna be marketeers on UA-cam, thank you for putting honest feedback into the mix.
I’m currently building my green (😍) ADHX up with the new Chris King ARD44 / R45D wheelset, new Force and will run 32mm GP5K S TR on it for 90% road and 10% who knows.
I demoed the ADHX with 35mm tires on mixed hard pack / light gravel and it was probably the most fun I’ve had on a bike since I was a kid on my BMX. It was love at first ride. There is such a unique, engrossing connection to the road. You were spot on when you mentioned X factor.
Thank you
One of the best reviews of a bike I have ever listened to. Brilliant job.
Thank you
Absolutely brilliant review, i have left a comment yesterday comparing the Time frames with a steel bike and i was glad to hear you feeling the same way. I would like to see Time use their expertise and carbon technique continue into releasing new models but unless they start playing with the carbon, adding compliance where needed, shave weight where not need it they will be behind the competitors and no way can stay relevant.
Good comment. Lots of truth there.
It seems that "playing with the carbon" is part of Time's plan. They're opening a plant in South Carolina this year to add to their Slovakian plant's manufacturing capacity. One of the stated reasons for choosing South Carolina was to take advantage of existing composite research expertise in that area (at Clemson University and local auto parts manufacturers).
I’m quite excited about this. It’s the first big push into higher quality and innovation the industry has seen for a while. The current ADH is like witchcraft. Super stiff and smooth. It’s 🤯
I agree,modern material like carbon offers flexibility old materials can't match, i hope Time will use their premium carbon technique and manufacturing to build modern bikes, i am a big fan
First real review on the ADHX, and it’s appreciated! Hope they have something unique and specific to gravel soon.
A route for tanks and very few bikes i think ten out of ten for staying on board i love these frames they simply ooze quality thank you a breath taking video.
Thank you.
My ADHX will be built like a road bike with dura ace 2x, and two sets of wheels. Deep profile fast set with 28s that measure 30+ on the wider rim, and low profile rim, 32 mm tyre climbing set for longer hill and coarse bitumen country road rides. This is the perfect bike. With the best attention to detail. For the average non payrolled punter.
Perfect
did you build your bike up for road? If so what are your thoughts? I am thinking of getting one for road.
@@anthonydelapa the most comfortable and capable bike i have ever owned. It is a treat to ride. The fastest bike is the bike you feel best on. the best bike is the bike you ride. Time manufacturing underscores all the base elements of what goes into making a good bike. It truly is unique in the industry.
@@gabrielmoreno3577 thanks for the reply, I'm starting to lean towards getting it, especially with the 20% sale they are having right now. Looking for endurance geometry and I think this fits the bill. Also the LOOK 765
@@anthonydelapa you cannot go wrong with Time and indeed the ADHX is a brilliant road bike
Excellent review
Thanks Paul
Looking forward to the ADH review
thank you
This is exactly why I bought an SPCycles 053D mounting 32 tubulars and looking at Look 765 Optimum & Time ADH(X)…1st it‘s simply fun being under-biked going off the road, 2ndly riding 95% onroad (like most, I‘d say), 3rdly strade bianche riding. It‘s like buying SUVs…people usually don‘t need it, but Max. 5% of the time. And then you‘re just glad you got through. Cheers guys 🙌🏽
Thanks
Thanks for the review....I just simply love the build quality
I really like this type of interpretive, concept- and numbers- (geometry e.g.) based review!
Thank you
That was a good explanation of the bike design, I’m definitely not an expert on gravel bikes and some of those tracks you were riding on I wouldn’t on the ADHX but would tackle them on my mountain bike. My area is mainly crushed granite but have to admit I would like to try a full on gravel bike to see the difference. But I’m more than happy with what I’ve got, ADHX, a Skylon and a Fluidity. Looking forward to your review of the sparkling bike in the background. Love you videos, great job. Cheers
Thanks Dale
You SHOULD be a marketeer! Good description for the ADHX.
Personally I doubt I would take any true gravel bike over the rugged terrain you used to illustrate what you imply is a massive shortcoming of this bike. This is simply a wonderful road leaning gravel bike which for some may be perfect. IMHO, of course. BTW I love your marketing rewrite. Brilliant!
Thanks. Most of that track is good gravel. Just a steep bit at the end.
Love seeing God's country, not often you see Swindale on a cycling vid. Great and helpful content, this was going to be my next bike, but now have doubts. Currently on a Super X and was going to treat myself to an ADHX but I may wait to see if they bring something out with better clearance.
It would feel much stiffer than your SuperX, a lot less fork flex, but you would really need to be in control of the front wheel.
Lovely looking bike and a great review; it remains out of my league though! Small point - the volume is all over on this one (too loud from the ride/too quiet in the w'shop).
Hey. Thanks for that. I don’t t notice it myself. Maybe one channel is not balanced.
@@Mapdec It's the same for me. The riding parts are a lot louder than the indoor parts. Thanks for the vid! :-)
Great review, with lots of talk about "feel", which is fantastic!
Time, (in my opinion), should increase tire clearance on every bike they make. I would buy an Alpe d'Huez 01 *today* if only it would clearly accept a 30 tire (with a touch of clearance please). As it is, their road bikes are listed at accepting up to 28 tires, however from what I have seen, a 25 is a more realistic maximum size on the road frames (especially when running wheels with slightly more internal width).
It is understandable though why this is (or would be) a difficult change for Time. Unlike virtually every other carbon bike manufacturer (which use pre-preg carbon weave laid-up in machined, aluminum mold "halves"), Time appears to use steel outer molds, PLUS they also need to make molds to create the wax cores for each size as well. The amount of time/money/work required to make even one new "set" of molds for one size frame is significant. Consequently, the pace of iterations/changes at Time is (appears?) fairly slow compared to what is done in China.
Despite all that, I may still buy one. 😀
Great post. I’m ok about the ADH being 28mm. You are so right about the moulds. It’s important to get that right.
You have the tires ridiculously overinflated. 40 psi is more than adequate. I have 3000 miles on mine, running a 40 mm in front and a 37 in the rear. It handles everything with aplomb. It is the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden and a perfect compliment to my Time Team Cross bike. I went with the Force 2x and it has more than enough bottom end for 20% grades here in Massachusetts. It is very fast on the roads you show in the video, uphill and down. Of course you have to pick your way. If you don't want to do that get full suss MTB. I've ridden plenty of single track without ever feeling it wasn't up to the task. I wish it were a bit stiffer laterally, and there could be more clearance in the rear, but they are addressing that in another model soon to be released. This is an outstanding gravel race bike. Period.
Everything works well at 40psi. That’s no kind of test. I was experimenting with the All Road idea. 40psi is too low for long road sections.
@@Mapdec Tubeless at 40 psi works well on every surface and is appropriate to the design. Riding from SF out to Pt Reyes via Mt Tamalpias in California, I encounter pavement, railroad grade, woods roads and single track. I've done this loaded: 15 pounds in handlebar bag and seatbag. The tires never bottomed out even with the additional weight. I weigh 160. The geometry worked well to handle all of this. I can climb seated on a 1/1 without a problem and prefer this to out of the saddle, especially with a load. Power transfer on the ADHX is excellent. The design is very stable and does an admirable job of soaking up the vibration of rough roads and trails. It does what Carbon claims to do: allow compliance along one axis and stiffness on another; fore and aft versus side to side. Nothing about the ride feels like steel. It's apples and oranges. The shaping of the frame members that RTM allows has no counterpart in steel tubing. The size of the head tube, downtube, etc are just not possible in another medium and give the engineers design opportunities that are otherwise impossible. This version of the ADHX is for racing on gravel. The tire/rim combination is limited by the clearance of the rear triangle, I agree. The internal width of the rim matters hugely, affecting the profile of the tire and running afoul of the tolerances of the frame design in the rear. There is abundant room in the fork. Optimally I would like to run 40 mm front and rear, but when I see bikes with tires larger than that it makes little sense to me. I run 40 mm on my steel gravel touring bike and don't see the need for more. But this may be due to my weight and the limited kit I bring. Thanks for your hard work making these reviews. They are very useful.
thanks for your thoughts. how does the bike do on the gnarlier bits of say, the D2R2? i get the sense that i would feel under-biked on some of those descents, as good as the bike would be on your average gravel road.
@@RussellFaux My daily ride has twenty miles of carriage/gravel roads as rough as D2 and the ADHX flies through these. I've done the five hour D2 repeatedly- not interested in more time in the saddle- on my Ti gravel bike: Igleheart fork, Hope Mono-minis, XT drivetrain with White cranks, flat bar. This set-up can tackle anything including every kind of slop. I managed to bog the drivetrain on the ADHX the other day riding in the rain: too much debris from flowering trees and general road crud persuaded me to skip the second half and return on pavement. The only direct comparison with the ADHX I have ridden is the Santa Cruz Stigmata- they gave me one for the day last year when I rode through on my touring bike on my way South on Highway 1- epic, epic, epic touring route. I chose the Time because I have a Highball Carbon which broke within 300 hours. It was replaced under warranty because the shop where I bought knows me. SC wanted to give me an Aluminum version- no thanks. I think RTM is a much better building process than laying up pre-prep. But the Stigmata was a great ride up into Wilder and the trails behind UCSC, and the SRAM Force Etap was a revelation. What strikes me about the ADHX more than anything is comfort: who needs a suspension fork if the frame and tire choice does the job? I've never ridden a more comfortable bike. Also, I am not a fan of drop bars on gravel and the ADHX gives me the confidence to descend without fear. The front might not be as slack as some, but it doesn't rattle out of your hands or bounce off-course. It goes where it's pointed, uphill and down. I ride only on the hoods and my bars are 44's. I don't like wider bars, even on MTB's. So in answer to your question, the ADHX will be my choice for the next D2. It's more comfortable than any bike I've ever ridden on gravel, except my Softride Breezer Beamer, which was bar none the best.
That is my perfect bike, even geometry would suit me perfectly. Gravel bike with identity crisis is my dream road bike :). BTW Absolutely agree with you it is not gravel bike. Hope they keep this in production when i will be looking for a new frame.
I have been looking forward to a review like that for a long time. Thanks!
I'd buy this as an endurance bike, not gravel.
Thank you. I just built one up as a road bike. It’s awesome. I’m trying to make vid. Come test ride if you like.
I can echo other comments - best review, and that is how we set it up - as an endurance bike with a second wheelset!
Couldnt agree more. Wouldnt evan think of riding that beautiful bike on that chunk. I would commute on it. Which in my city is actually pretty chunky. Leaning more towards the alp 2023
I have not raced in years and looking to transition out of my old race bike. I am looking at the ADHX or 765 Optimum these are a little more relaxed and seem like timeless designs/quality. My old racing fitness is still there and I still join some through gangs and "A" rides. Not a lot is mentioned on the Aero aspect of both models. I wish I could try both like you to decide which is more suitable for a rider tapering out of racing but still likes to do max efforts from time to time.
They are very different bikes. You are welcome to come and try.
@@Mapdec Thank you and for all the great content you put out, Glad I found your channel. 👌 Which bike would you say feels like a faster bike? I'm looking for a quality frame that is slightly less aggressive and also more compliant than my Tarmac.
That's the issue I see with 'Gravel', there's such a huge spread what gravel means from the canal path you could take a road bike down, to huge boulders you'll find in the Lake District. I think Time had more of the former in mind...
Excellent review - I’ve been a 2-bike guy for years, both custom steel, a slack endurance roadie build and a CX/do-all for everything else. Just broke my roadie frame, and my do-all is so heavy (almost 10kg - I love climbing, with the occasional ultra distance effort, lots of miles total every year) but for some reason once I turned 60 the thing feels like it’s in a swimming pool on climbs (it was so much lighter when I bought it 13 years ago 😂). This might actually be my one-bike solution from what I’m learning. One rub - I’m a home mechanic, ideally would like a threaded BB (but not adverse to getting the press tools). Re: marketing copy the word “Sophisticated” reminded me of how I once worked the word “Civilized” into some copy for a cycle-training software company as joke that no one noticed 🫠. Clearly, they were philistines.
Nice. I’m intrigued what that software was? Press fit of this accuracy is very easy. With the right bb you can almost do it by hand.
@@Mapdec Do you think a FFWD RYOT wheel set (from a review 9 months ago) would be a solid pairing for this frame?
It’s a good question. I keep my ear to the ground, but I am unaware of anyone making anything to challenge FFWD. There are faster (Zipp NSW). There are cheaper (lots and lots), there are lighter options. But for the cost, durability, performance, repairability, weight, warranty, support… I can’t think of anything better.
I haven't had a chance to watch this video yet, but I wanted to post here to increase the chance of mapdec seeing the post. I'd be really interested if you could consider creating a video on the subject of what happens if you break something on a customer's bike (or think there's a high possiblity of doing so when you evaluate the job). It would be really interesting to hear how you approach this area. Thanks. Love the videos.
Just a matter of communication with your customer.
Omg your scenery is the best ever. I used to think I rode in the best place ever..that may be not true, and I live in the Netherlands.
It’s pretty special on a sunny day.
Hello Paul, your ride review is exactly what I thought would say. I seriously considered the AHDX as I'm looking for a all road with the capability of doing gravel sections in summer. Endurance rides 70/30 road/off road. I nearly made the mistake of getting seduced by the quality and stunning finish. However, once I start looked in detail at the geometry and lack of tyre clearance I realised it was not bike for me. The geometry is bit puzzling to be called a gravel bike. Quite a long tube but with a short wheel base when compared to true fast race gravel bikes. I have ordered a Willier Rave SLR with 1x Rival AXS.
Thank you. I hope you love your Willier. Sounds like you really did your research.
@@Mapdec Went it arrives, given original delivery date of 4/04/23 but all Wilier are saying is early June. Do the fact despite showing the bike as in build in their system for the last 3 weeks they don't actually have a frame yet. What is it about the bike industry. Virtually everyday there the shrill sites are full of the latest tech me must have yet the bike companies can't supply existing products to delivery dates they give to customers. Paul are you really sure you want to get into selling new bikes?
@@deanf2259 good question. I’m only selling custom build projects. I never want to buy stock and sell pre built bikes.
Fantastic review! I like the idea of a 'steel' feel to the ride without the weight. I was thinking about steel as a next bike, but worried it would hold me back on the climbs. Seems like the gap in Times offering (as you say) is an endurance bike. I am struggling to find a bike as good or better than my 2017 synapse tbh. The new synapse is divisive, to put it politely.
Time had one of the best endurance bikes on the planet-the Fluidity but they discontinued it. Not sure if it is coming back.
Glad I stayed to the end. Congratulations in setting the camera angle up to try and give the impression of a larger clearance between the tyre and the seat tube as possible. A pair of Pirelli's in the winter with mud and stones flying off, hmmm, that wouldn't last 10 minutes; however, if, as you said, Time add slacker fork angle and wider tyre clearances I'm in.
My God! You live and ride in a small part of heaven. I live in an urban part of Toronto, Canada. I’m filled with envy when I see the beauty of your part of the World. 😊
We are very lucky. But only when it’s not raining.
Great insights. This bike is basically what I've perceived All-Road to be. Essentially road geometry with a bit more tire clearance.
To be honest with roads being poorly maintained and potholes being the norm more and more, I feel like all road is the new road, as a matter of fact rolling resistance tends to be optimal with wider tires than it used to be, even pros are riding 30 even 32 mm tires more and more, and not just for Paris Roubaix. I hope Time release a gravel frame with 45mm tire clearance at least.
Oh. All Road is the New Road. Can I steal that for a vid one day please?
I think recreational and fitness riders are moving more towards wider 30mm+ tires, but most probably won’t ever go off pavement. I think we’re gradually getting to the point where only racers will be riding anything under 30mm.
Great review, thank you. I'm looking for something to replace my steel frame rim brake road bike, with some extra tyre clearance and disc brakes that can keep up on the Saturday group ride but also enable me to explore some trails. Sounds like I'm on the right lines!
If you like steel you will recognise the ride feel of these.
@@Mapdec I saw you've also dealt with BMCs. Have you had a chance to try/compare this to the Kaius?
Great review..I got goosebumps from your adh review...well done
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the review. Yes more tire clearance. 40mm+ for real gravel. this is a gravel race machine for the UCI standards. The Time website does not function unfortunately for this model with the color options.😕I would buy it with greater tire clearance.
Nice film, super interested in Time bikes, not a garveller in fact dislike gravel, but I need a bike / an all roader that handles pot holes, flint strewn, ,broken tarmac and hills (the Chilterns). The Alpe de Huez 23 (not the ADHX) looks a fantastic bike and the reviews are great but just wish it would could go 30/32 rather than 28 max. Do they need to widen both bikes.
Umm. We will discuss the ADH next. I think 28mm is perfect for it. The Time range is just a little smaller than we are used to seeing right now.
How about a follow up review as the X you think it is? Road + with 28-32 tires? Testing it as a gravel bike was destined for disappointment. A look at the specs and it's crystal clear it's not meant for gravel. I'm looking for a replacement for my old Look 566 and this gorgeous frame makes sense here in Colorado. Gravel? I'd bet most consumers never take these punishing, filling loosening so called gravel bikes off road. An XC MTB or 1990s era steel MTB would be a better gravel machine than most of the gravel bikes being sold today...and you can still wear your bibs.
I really wanted to do this, but I only had 10 days and couldn’t swap the tyres and groupo to suit. One day we will be a big channel with time and resources.
That would be superb!!!
For me the point of riding gravel roads is simply to be out in the country with as few cars as possible. It is NOT to find the roughest terrain I can ride on a drop bar bike.
I wanted a true all road bike that is reasonably light, with nimble handling that I could use across a mix of poorly paved country roads and state-maintained (USA) gravel roads.
The ADHX allows me to ride these types of mixed routes with an experience more similar to the pure road biking I enjoy the most (also helpful when sprinting away from dogs!)
I made the decision to buy one based on the specs, excellent customer service from Time, and value. It's an expensive bike, but when comparing to other high end brands, the quality and high spec of the stock components compared really well. I've put about 2k miles on it in the last year without so much as a dropped chain.
Totally agree with your revised marketing blurb and love the channel!
ps: it came with 40mm Goodyear tires - very little extra clearance. I weigh about 80 kgs and did not experience any flexing / rub, unlike other frames I've had where I may have a few more mm's of clearance but still rub the tire when standing on the pedals. YMMV. I did eventually go down to a 35mm in the rear though.
Thank for adding to the chat with your experience.
Very insightful review/opinion on this model. Really helped me to understand how this bike works, and for what purpose it is best suited. You asked if 20 mins is too long, well i´ve sat through all 21:41 mins so thats obviously a no. But to be honest, you were a bit redundant on some points so thats where you could shave off a few seconds if you wanted. I took it as added emphathis, maybe that´s why you left it in there.
I sometimes feel a short pause is needed. Thank you so much for the feedback.
Good job mate. Odd coincidence: you and I both ride a Look 765 and ADHX Time... and I agree with your insights, other than I use the Time for 100% tarmac thus far, and never did use the Look off-road either. Both are very comfortable road rides. I think you nailed the review.
Thank you John.
12:13 so Postman Pat's parents did it amongst the sheep in the field?
Some say…
For the really crappy roads, canal towpaths and converted railways of Derbyshire. This to me seems like the perfect (premium) bike.
Yes. Nailed it.
You can fit 40c Challenge Getaways which run to 42 mm on my Roval Terra wheels
I would buy ADHX as the endurance bike not gravel. Considering how limited tire clearance is there is not much real fun going on this bike into some really difficult situations. I have a custom monster-cross with a long base and very slack head tube and only this bike keeps impressing me in some gnarly situations.
I really like this video you really put a lot of effort to teach us, and this bike would be a nearly perfect setup for me, for those potholes here in the backroads in Hungary. However, I get the inpression that the Trek Domane just makes more sense somehow, because it offers the same usability but for less money. Maybe the building quality is better on the Time, but for an averige rider it seems even to much. :)
Please step away from the bouncy castle Domane. You’ll only appreciate its armchair nature for the first few weeks. After that it will feel like your bike is soggy.
@@Mapdec Love your way something's rubbish :D :D So I cleared the Domane from my whislist... :)
So it's an 'AllRoad' bike then. I'd take one of these to replace the skinny road bike for knackered roads, long distance, and the lightest of light gravel... more Strada Bianche type terrain compared to what here looks best suited to 48mm+ monstercross or mtb terrain. It looks really close to something like the Colnago G3x...close to road bike geometry with a bigger tyre, good for some nations version of gravel but perhaps not the Northern Uk festival of rock version.
Yeah. It’s like an all road bike, but strong and rigid enough to handle some Northen rock
Paul really appreciate the quality and insightfulness here. First loved the quality frame raw carbon finish on view, echoing top end frames of early 00’s . Second appreciate you re-defining this bike based on physics and its geometry. To paraphrase you it’s an ADH with a nuance of X. Who wrote that blurb at Time ? Clearly frame not primarily designed at the upper ends of gravel demands. Anyway think you’ve done them a massive favour in re-defining it on actual use and performance. As soon as you mentioned ADH plus tweak and then stated the dimensions of the geo changes I immediately thought ……..2023 new enhanced variant of “Sportive “ category as opposed to outright tuned GC bike (just like a 2010 time warp). Impression I’ve got is it’s a slightly more relaxed ADH, plus some gravel capability (entry to mid level at a push ?) . So if it’s not taking things off topic how does it measure up against your Super X for those types of off road sections ? Super X a bike I personally find capable of doing far more than it’s marketed for.
Time are doing something overdue in the in wider industry (top quality and active listening), great fit with you. Loved the content and confident 100K subscribers coming your way, congrats on 10K stepping stone, thanks for all the considerable graft making it happen, with you all the way fella.👍
Thanks Kevin. SuperX is defo better off road than this. However the fork of the SuperX now feels super flexy compared to the insane stiffness of the Adhx.
Thank you for the Videos about the Time Bikes... absolutely love them! If you are looking for further topics to talk about, I'd request your thoughts about road bikes for kids. My daughter is sporting a Giant TCR Espoir 24" atm and I hope the next one's going to be a very small 622er. But I'm a bit lost in the realms of bikes for very small people - many bikes aren't offered small enough, what to look for... (and additionaly, what to get since HUP CC got unbelievably expensive from a EU point of view - thanx brexit)
Thanks. We have a HUP project in the pipeline
One reason why it looks good is because the seat stays meet the top tube at the down tube.
no
Er ??
The seat stays are not in contact with the down tube.
Haha! Amazing conclusion! You nailed it!
What seatpost did you use? Love the passion you express in these videos!
I think this had a Deda 100.
@@Mapdec thanks! I find it interesting that time don't supply a seatpost with the frame. It would look wicked, and the seatpost can greatly influence the harshness of the bike... Any idea why they didn't do that?
@@simonderoo9189 only that the new owners are slowly and sustainably coming back up to speed.
Just ordered a Time ADHX in cobalt blue to join the esteemed collection I have- a 1995 Tommasini Velocista (Columbus MAX), a 1997 Bianchi Ti Megatube (titanium), and a 2023 Niner RLT 9 RDO (carbon gravel). The ADHX will be used for 100% road.
It is a superb road bike.
Liking the idea of a road bike that can do some light gravel and canal paths. That Green looks lurvely😎 still, just outside my price range🙈😊👍
Would you CX race it? If so it could be that Cross/Winter/Endurance road bike. It's so good looking that I'd probably wrap it if I were using it for CX or winter riding.
It’s a bit overkill, but yes I guess so. Imagine all that jet washing though.
@@Mapdec Overkill in that it's too nice of a bike? I hear you on the washing. I just looked up the price and at ~USD$4K, the frame itself more expensive than a lot of quality CX bikes. You'd probably end up babying the thing and not race well thinking about the possibility of a pile up and someone running over your frame. It's really nice and I've always wanted a Time, but since I've largely put away the road bikes after a few close calls with traffic and moved to XC and gravel, I think I'll pass. Cheers.
Great review, thanks for getting to the true nature of this frame. How would the ADHX compare to a Vitus Venon Evo that seems to aim road + off road?
Although both bikes may have similar purpose and weight, I do hope this review and my review of time bikes in general in earlier vid, gave you enough info to explain that comparing a Time to a Vitus is like comparing a Skoda to a BMW. Sure they can both do the same things, but which would you rather take on a grand tour of Europe?
Any views on the new ADHX 45 that has jus been announced? Bonus points for critique on their blurb.
We have one on the way for a full vid
Hola!!!
Crees que se perderá calidad de construcción y se cambiará la forma de fabricación al cambiar a la gran fábrica? Es el momento de comprar o esperar a que redujan el costo en el futuro?
Un saludo
Great review. Thanks.
[Can you please balance the sound? - watching this on a Sunday morning trying not to wake the family....]
I’m not sure what you mean. But thank you.
@@Mapdec the footage from the actual ride is way louder than the sound from the studio/shop and I had to lower the volume during the ride segments and up it a bit for when you just calmly speak in front of the camera in the shop.
Ideally, you'd have a mountain bike waiting on the rocky steep part of the trail, a road bike propped against a guardrail waiting for you on smooth tarmac. This gravel bike propped up on a sapling along a stoney gravel track with 40 psi waiting for you. To my surprise, the pavement ended with my track bike with 25mm and 28mm tires and 90 psi for several miles. A gravel bike didn't appear, and I haven't been back either.
I’ll get my butler to sort.
In view of the new ADHX 45, what do you think-was ADHX a mistake? I mean perhaps they should have made a frame with more tyre clearance from the beginning. As it stands now very few people will want to buy ADHX because for gravel folk the 45 will be better, for road folk-the ADH and where does that leave the ADHX?
If I were Time, I’d keep the 38mm tyre clearance, tweak the geometry and the frame layup to gear it towards endurance and comfort and give it a new name. I guess you know where I am going with this😂 We badly need a new Fluidity😂
The perfect line-up would be:
ADH
ADH 21 (less expensive version)
Fluidity
Scylon
ADHX 45
and that’s it.
I’m going to hit all this in the video. Expecting a 45 frame very soon.
Brilliant review. Classic Top Gear heartful twist to the product, instead of repeating marketing fluff with a "personal" touch. However, (as,of course, everybody on the internet is interested in MY opinion) the bike is to close to road for my style of gravel, which is gravel towards trail, not gravel/tarmac. But the manufacturing excellence of time bike makes me drool...
I’m seriously considering one of these. Currently ride a Ridley Fenix rim brake bike with deep sections for fast road cycling. All I want is another fast, but well made road bike that I can put 30-32mm tyres on in combination with deep section wheels. Is this the bike? Would love to hear your thoughts if you own one.
Come and ride it. We have one built in road bike config.
@@Mapdec I am kinda in the same boat but unfortunately not able to test ride either. I only do road riding but prefer to have an option of running wider tyres if needed to. Are there any distinctive differences between the 2 models with the same wheels running 28mm tyres?
@@kokpintan8382 did you see our vid on bike Geo? The longer wheelbase of the adhx stabilises handling at speed in descents at the expense of more nimble handling in tight corners.
With mudguard mounts, this would sell as an audax bike. That's very much what it looks like. I'd really like to see Time push the clearance to the max, but skip the complicated cable routing that modern bikes often have now.
At 14 min into your video, I felt like I was in a flashback to 1986 reading a review of a "New" mountain bike in the pages of
Bicycling magazine.
I've said this before on other posts. But I'll say it again.
We have been through ALL of this before. A Gravel bike is situated somewhere in the journey of evolution to the mountain bike.
Technology has made it prettier than the first time around. But there are still a lot of companies making some pretty awful ( soon to be) mountain bikes.😂
The bike you have just reviewed reminds me of a custom road bike that would have been built for a high dollar domestique rider in support of GC hopeful. Nothing really new. The market is just calling it something different in an effort to compete for the almighty dollar.
You keep making the videos. And I'll keep watching them.
I'd rather hear about real road bikes, though.
You’ll love the one about the eBike I am making right now. Like to be inclusive. 🤪
@@Mapdec I got dropped yesterday on my Monday morning group ride...... E bike sounds great to me right now.
Is that what you guys call gravel there😂 we call them rocks here in amurica😂 nice review, I just bought a 2018 izon disc frame, looking forward building it.🤙
Chunky gravel
@@Mapdec 🤣🤣🤣
almost exactly the same geometry as my OPEN U.P. according to bikeinsights
Would this headset cable routing work reasonably well with 2x mechanical shifting, possibly grx or 105? I had in mind modern steel/titanium build (Mason, Fairlight, Standert, Enigma etc), but lately got fascinated with this frame.
Yeah. See the Superbox stem from Deda. I will show in the build vid I’m making now
Hi Paul, your volume in the studio is abit too soft. The outdoor volume is ok.
Great videos. Really appreciate your approach to review and content. Great visual production too. But please focus on your audio EQ. Very jarring when the volume jumps in my headphones.
trying my best, thanks for the feedback.
I’d like Cinelli to make an ‘x’ version of the Veltrix a Veltrix X ! adding greater tire clearance. I know they have the Zydeco and King Zydeco but I think they could extend the Veltrix with a bit of X factor!
I would be interested to see how you would compare European and American gravel trails with British gravel trails and how bikes like these would be more suited to one or the other (think Italian white roads vs Lake District greenlanes)
I would say the British gravel riding is at the mountain bike end of the scale especially in certain parts of the country
Maybe a colab with an American UA-camr. I’m quite scared of the USA. Our media makes it sound like one giant shoot out.
Sent one round the Dirty Reiver with no issues……
Good review - i also think it's too nice to take off road & get scratched & mudded up (unless under spec'd components which would kinda spoil the build, which then questions "should i go for a less expensive f&f?" .
Lovely bike as ever by TIME
The scars of adventure.
They just put out the ADHX 45, with... 45mm tire clearance, is it just this ADHX with added clearance or is the geo any different?
Full vid in the pipeline. There has to be a bit of geo difference but they have kept it as close as possible.
What do you think about these Scope R5 wheels?
Thanks for the excellent review! I finally understand the difference between the two ADH frames. One question - did you weigh the ADHX frameset and how does that weight compare with the ADH frameset?
It’s about the same.
@@Mapdec Sorry I should have asked - what is the actual weight of the ADH frameset? I've seen mixed numbers, would really like to know the real world weight of the frameset. Thanks again!
1.1kg
For frame
I was looking at the ADHX as a replacement for my 2015 Cannondale Synapse. Do you think this would fit the endurance road bike niche? Thanks
Yes. For sure.
what I'd do for a review like this of the time alp dhuez or look 795 rs
They are both on the channel.
You seam to want a Gravel bike in the UK to do every thing a MTB can do I think you might be for getting what Gravel is some times keep up the good work enjoy you contence Thanks PS I have a MOOTS ROUTT 45 That is Very Nice and can do Gravel in France
Moot 😍😍. We don’t really have true gravel in the uk. Only in the forests really. Maybe some shooting tracks in scotland.
The thing that puts me off this frame is the pointless holes in the top tube. They probably had a look around at what everyone else was doing and thought "we better put some of those on it", but they're just nuts.
Totally agree with this. I don’t know anyone that uses them
@@Mapdec in their favour, at least they didn't paint it olive drab...
I use them in my Open! Th r too box is super useful, takes stuff out if your Jersey pockets
Great review. I'm holding out for something more along the lines of the Look 765, with the ability to fit mudguards.
Ps: I don't want to think about Postman Pat being conceived 😱🤣
You can fit mudguard to the 765. It has very clever mounts.
@@Mapdec Yes, I saw that. Stupid thing is that I have been riding a Fuji Gran Fondo 1.1 since 2017 which pretty much ticks every box. Just fancy something more exotic - you know how it goes 🤣
Could this thing do cyclocross, do you think? Would it be any good for it? Competitive at all?
What is it that’s creaking in the climbs?
The Ekar cassette. Worn out in the middle 5 cogs. Did my head in.
Love your channel! Are they scope s4 wheels? What do you think about their performance on the road?
They were Elite.
Let's not forget that the first Gravel World Championships was won on road bike with 35/33mm tyres so I think it is only matter of performance gravel bike definition.
Yes. The pros have speed and skills beyond what most of us can even imagine. If you can ride that fast it is a very different thing. Next time out try and ride at their average speed for a bit and see how your bike feels. About 42kph
Ive been riding on 35mms for 3 yrs now and couldnt find a reason to go bigger. People going 45-50+ are insane, a MTB would probably be more comfortable at that point
Your review suggests Time should have marketed the ADHX as an all road bike with climbing ability rather than a gravel bike.
At the moment the Look 765 Optimum would be a bettter all rounder.
The Fluidity sounds interesting,will wait for that review.
Around the local forest here(Levin,N.Z) there is a gravel road with some very steep sections that I take my steel Bianchi on sometimes it copes remarkably well even on 23-25s at road pressures but of course tests my mtb skills as well,it is fun being under biked.
Yes. I think you got it. Thanks Simon
Just wish the 765 was as beautiful as this Time.
What pressure are you running(psi)? Are you using tire inserts? Those are rough roads for 35’s
38 ish psi. No inserts. Probably should.
Time ADH owner here. ADH would be my first choice for pretty much any kind of riding that I do. I wouldn’t hesitate to take it any unpaved roads that I encountered in Europe. AdHX would rather be the comfort oriented viersion of the AdH. Any bikes with tires above 28mm handles pretty slugish, that I wouldn’t call it a road bike. I don’t think that MTB trail is a fair testing ground for the AdHX!
I thought that was well written. Great content.
Thank you kindly!
If you know what you want, go to a frame builder. Steel, titanium options would be more than capable.
Is it an long distance Endurance bike from Time like use it for Pbp and RAAM or LEL
I would wait for the Fluidity.
Hello,
Very instructive video, good job for that, definitively a brand/model to consider. And it looks TIME has listen as well, they just advertised on the ADHX 45 for gravel indeed. What would you think about this new release ?
Cheers
Full 45c video in the works.
you need some suspension and maybe some electrical assist to get up easier.