TIME Cyclo 6 Pedals: Getting Rolling – by Guitar Ted
EDITOR’S NOTE: As of June, 2020, we have learned that TIME as a company has been sold by its former owner, Rosignol, to a new owner. The company, an e-bike start-up called WhaTTfornow, is a French based e-bike brand. They have committed to keeping the TIME brand alive, but at this point, we have no word on the new Cyclo range of pedals and whether or not they will ever be released to market. This story will be updated when we get more information.
For the time being, we are leaving this review up until we learn the fate of the Cyclo pedals.
Recently in “Gravel Grinder News” we featured a story about a new pedal designed for gravel riders. This pedal range is called “Cyclo” and comes from long time pedal manufacturer, TIME.
What It Is: TIME felt the Cyclo range of pedals would give riders a better and more secure platform for pedaling on rough gravel and dirt roads but also lend a better platform for power and comfort for the rider coming from a road background. In this way the Cyclo range can be seen as a sort of hybrid pedal- with elements of mountain and road pedals. Here is what TIME says about the Cyclo range on an information page sent out with the test pedals:
“What the gravel market has been asking for: road pedal performance with mountain pedal functionality. Cyclo pedals are road pedals built around a mountain cleat allowing the use of a mountain bike shoe while maintaining a road performance. A secure connection with tight coupling and tension adjustments ensures great power transfer, support, and performance. Using our ATAC mountain bike clamping mechanism and cleat, the Cyclo pedal is perfect for gravel and adventure rides. Our well known easy entry system and self-cleaning design will allow this pedal to consistently perform in adverse conditions.“
The Cyclo range is made up of three models: The Cyclo 10, Cyclo 6, and Cyclo 2. Riding Gravel was sent the middle of the range Cyclo 6 which has a glass fiber body as opposed to the 10’s lighter carbon fiber body, and a solid steel axle instead of the 10’s hollow one. All other features remain the same. It is important for us to note that the pedals Riding Gravel received are prototypes and not 100% indicative of what the actual TIME Cyclo 6 production pedals will bring to market. Our prototypes differ in that the pedals were assembled by TIME’s engineering team, not on the production line. This particular pair of pedals also has a bit longer threaded axle section than production and the seals are very precise and tight so that free rotation of the pedals is affected. Production models will spin freely and have a bit shorter threaded interface than what we show here. All other parts which make these pedals up do represent what the rider will get.
The Cyclo 6 also features TIME’s iClic trigger which partially opens the cleat retention mechanism when unclipped. This makes entry into the pedal much easier since you do not have to work against full spring retention force when trying to clip in. A tension adjustment screw is located on the back end of the pedal to allow a rider to make adjustments to the spring retention as well. The open loop at the front of the pedal serves as a “kick” to level up the pedal for entry. It serves no other structural or retention duties.
TIME claims that the Cyclo 6 pedals should weigh in at 134 grams in production form. (This is for each pedal. Apparently, this is how the French do weights on pedals) The prototypes sent to us weighed in at 258 grams for the pair (NOTE- they are not production pedals). The cleats weighed 45 grams. MSRP is $110.00 USD.
First Impressions: The TIME pedals are an alien concept to me, as I have been a straight-up Shimano SPD pedal user for…..a long time! Going back into the ’90’s, for sure, and I have not deviated from that path since. Not as far as clipless pedals are concerned. Even my old, old road pedals were two bolt SPD Shimano pedals. So, the TIME Cyclo pedals presented me with my first experience with a pedal platform outside the norm.
The idea here, as far as I was concerned going in, was to gain some sort of pedal stability and a better feel for power transfer over my SPD pedals. The loss of a two-sided entry meant that I may have a steep learning curve, and with no experience outside of the familiar, this Cyclo 6 pedal might be a trial for me. In fact, initially it was. Unbeknownst to me, I received incorrect cleats to start out with, which resulted in an immediate tipping over and subsequent issues. However; once I learned the cleats weren’t right I waited for the correct ones, (which were promptly sent out) and then my experience was completely different.
Once I had the correct cleats, entry and exit were really not that big of a deal. Actually, after about four hours in, I was clipping in without looking easily. Hey! This wasn’t so bad after-all! In fact, I could tell that the iClic system was so easy to engage it was silly. I kept checking to see if I was really clipped in, since it felt like almost no effort was necessary to clip in. (I suppose a higher retention setting might alter that? This will get tested.) Exiting the pedals felt no different than with my tried and true SPD’s. Easy-peasy.
But what about the pedaling platform? Was it a more secure feeling pedal? Was I getting more power to the pedals than before? Hmm……. Some of that is going to be hard to verify, but my initial impressions are that yes- There is something to this road pedal idea.
I could feel that I was a bit more “connected” to the bike, if that makes any sense. You cannot roll your foot laterally without pressing the pedal platform whereas on an SPD pedal, there is some free movement there. The cleat had some float, so this felt similar to the SPD’s I was so used to, but in terms of control laterally, the Cyclo 6 was a more secure feeling pedal. Power transfer felt great. I would liken it to wearing very stiff carbon soled shoes, but I wasn’t. I was wearing some old 45NRTH Fasterkats, not a paragon of shoe sole stiffness by any means there.
Oh, and by the way, SPD cleats will in no way work with these pedals. I know….. (It was an accident! I forgot my Fasterkats and wore another shoe on a ride! Whoops!)
So Far: The TIME Cyclo 6 promises to marry elements of road pedaling platform efficiency and control with the walk-ability and convenience of a mountain biking shoe. This pedal, claimed to be what an adventure cyclist or gravel rider needs, works well and is easy to use. The iClic system is really nice. The platform feel is a more secure, more connected experience for me. Will this pedal hold up to hours and hours of gritty gravel travel? How about seeing what changing the spring retention does to the exit/entry of the Cyclo 6? These questions and more in my next update coming in a few weeks.
Until then you can see more about the TIME Cyclo 6 on their webpage here: https://time-sport.us/collections/gravel-bike-pedals/products/cyclo-6-gravel-pedal
Note: TIME sent over the Cyclo 6 pedals at no charge to Riding Gravel for test and review. We were not paid, nor bribed for this review and we will always strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.