thattimeigotdropped

I’m in the enviable position of owning all three of Time’s newest generation of frames: the Alpe DHuez 01 (which I’ll refer to as my ADH), the ADHX and now the ADHX 45 (let’s call it the 45 to make things easier). I’ve been on the red ADH about two years, and on the blue ADHX almost a year now. The 45 got here in mid October, and after only a handful of rides I’m happy to have it in the family. I reviewed both of them and one of the most frequently asked questions I get across both videos is basically some version of: which Time is right for me? So like I’ve done with a few brands before, I’m going to break down what I see as the ideal persona for each one of these hand built masterpieces, starting with the road-focused ADH. This one’s pretty straightforward: the ADH is a focused, all-round road bike for roadies. If 99% of your riding is on paved surfaces: road races, crits, day-long epics with 5 digits of elevation, or just your fast local lunch ride, the ADH was built to go toe-to-to with the R5’s, Tarmacs, and Dogmas of the world, and in two years riding it alongside some of these, I can tell you it’ll quickly become your road bike of choice because it does what the competition does but delivers those results wrapped up with a ride quality that’s…well…intuitive and telepathic. It has clearance for up to 28c tires, so with the right tubeless setup you can ride it on very smooth, champagne gravel, but if it gets the least bit rocky or even slightly rutted out, you’ll wish you had …you guessed it..the ADHX I’ll admit the ADHX was a bit of a head scratcher when it was released because it didn’t offer as much tire clearance as everyone expected. With a max capacity of around 38mm, your options are kinda limited. But after a year of owning this bike and using it with a variety of tire combos…I’m going to rate it as one of the best allroad or endurance bikes you can find. Now, notice I didn’t say ‘comfort’ road bike because that ain’t what it is - the ADHX isn’t big flexy thing with a giant head tube that gets you in a more upright position - no no no, it’s a full on, real deal fast bike, and it’s ideal owner is a guy like me who lives in a place where all the good rides require several miles of nice dirt roads between the paved stretches. And with a quick change to a set of 28c tires it’ll keep you in the pack at wednesday night worlds or on the saturday morning shop ride, but it can also serve the gravel racer in you quite well, as long as you pick courses that aren’t either too rocky or too muddy. Thankfully, Time has a solution for those courses - and it’s the new kid on the block, the ADHX 45. If I had to pick just ONE bike in Time’s lineup, it’d be the 45. It is ABSOLUTELY the quiver killer. Why? Well because it’s still VERY close to the ADHX from a weight, handling, and responsiveness standpoint, but with room for REAL gravel tires up to 45mm. Since I already had the ADHX hanging around, I set my 45 up for heavy duty gravel mode with flared aluminum bars, my trusty Redshift stem, a dropper post, 45mm Schwalbes, and wide range 1x gearing. But if I was the guy or gal who could only have one bike in the stable - it’d be the ADHX 45 and two wheelsets - one for grav, one for road So to sum up: the ADHX is a road bike for roadies, the ADHX is a gravel bike for roadies, and the ADHX 45 is the bike for everyone.

I’ve had the ADHX for just over 6 months now. It arrived in late December, and to be honest I spared no expense on the build: The spec list looks like this: ENVE gravel bars and 3.4 AR wheels with Chris King Ceramic bearings, there’s more ceramic goodness from BBInfinite at the bottom bracket, and I went with a SRAM Red AXS 1-by groupset. It was a very wet winter here in california, so I threw on my Schwalbe G1 Bite tires but since then I’ve bounced around between several different tires, including some really nice Rene Hearse’s, Ultimately, I landed on the Tufo Speedero - which as it turns out, is the holy grail tire for BWR San Diego and all the other local gravel rides and races. And it’s also fast as hell on the road. I started out with an ENVE dropper post but I recently swapped out for an Ergon CF Allroad because the dropper was too stiff, too heavy, and I only used it on about 3% of my rides. I’m also going to be traveling regularly with the bike in an Orucase, and that requires removing the seatpost. Oh, and because I’m an oldschool marginal gainer (and I spend most of my time in no-man’s land), I opted for a RIDE FARR carbon aero clip on. The ergon post is, quite honestly, the best upgrade I’ve ever made to a gravel bike. When installed properly, it provides a very surprising degree of shock absorption, especially over washboarded dirt roads - which we have a LOT of out here. Anyway, back to the bike… The reason I spared no expense on the build is because my goal for this bike was to break the 5 hour mark at the BWR Wafer ride this year - I’ve been hovering in the 5:20-30 range for the last few years and I thought I’d try to crack the top 20 in my age group while I was at it. And I’ve been chasing the perfect BWR setup since 2018. After riding on 30’s in 2019 and 2021 I knew needed something with clearance for slightly wider tires that was more road bike than gravel bike because a good portion of the wafer course is paved. My first test of the ADHX was a local event called Gravel and Whine. That’s WHINE with a WH…which is a fantastic70-ish mile course here in my backyard in Temecula wine country (that’s wine, as in the kind you drink), and it was about 2 months before BWR. So it gave me the opportunity to figure out my setup and to feel out the bike under race-day conditions. And man, the ADHX did NOT disappoint: I thought I knew all the roads on the course, but as it turns out the organizer is a bit of a sadist, and he sent us up some of the most brutal climbs he could find: like stuff you’d question going DOWN on your mountain bike! The first one pitched off and on from 10-20 percent. On the dirt. I’d chosen Rene Hearse Bon Jons, which are essentially 35c road tires with a tread like a vintage vittoria. They did great, but what really blew my mind was how the ADHX felt at low speed and low cadence in the granny gear on those steep climbs: unexplainable power transfer, bordering on feeling like it has a pedal assist motor, and traction and stability for DAYS. And guess what? The other sides of these climbs weren’t any better - several of them were very steep, and the road quality was HORRIBLE - chip and seal roads with giant potholes everywhere. But the ADHX was telepathic. Hands in the drops, fingers on the brake levers, swerving and bunny hopping like I was riding a downhill bike on technical singletrack. I mean, sure - it’s an all-road bike so there was a lot of vibration but through it all the bike maintained a level of composure I really didn’t expect. And because of that, I got cocky and double flatted while blasting a decent at mile 40. After 30 minutes of trying to repair the sidewall tears, I had to call the wife for a ride home. And that was the end of my love affair with Rene Herse tires. I found the Tufos and haven’t looked back. Fast forward two months, and I’m on the starting line at BWR San Diego. A pre ride the day before proved that 39ish PSI front and rear was the perfect choice, and everything else felt perfectly dialed. And it was - I had zero mechanicals, no flats, and was able to sustain higher average speeds through the rough stuff than previous years. The unexplainable power transfer felt magical on every climb and 5 hours and 9 minutes later I knew I’d chosen the right bike when I crossed the line 16th in my age group. And now that I’ve cracked the code on the bike, I’m going for sub 5 hours in 2024. Hopefully, that’ll get me in the top 10!

Spoiler Alert: Chat GPT will NEVER replace real, authentic content created by real, organic humans

Am I the only one that runs out of pocket space on chilly days?

Riding in traffic can be scary, here's a few tips to improve your interaction with distracted drivers.

Rain, rain, and more rain has led to unprecedented course conditions. Don't be caught out there on a road bike with 30's. It won't end well for ya.

This is gonna be fun.

Buy online right here! https://giordanacycling.com/collections/mens-jackets-vests/products/mens-av-extreme-jacket-lyte#temperature-range Riding in the winter is somehow, simultaneously the most grueling AND rewarding thing a cyclist can do. Here’s what I mean: first, you have to muster up the motivation to actually go out when it’s freezing cold, and then you gotta spend like 20 minutes just putting on all the layers - and you’re usually pretty miserable for the first half hour of the ride…buuuut once you get warmed up a little, it can feel like a fairly normal day on the bike. And at the end, you feel a special sense of accomplishment for having toughed it out. The post ride coffee is a little warmer, and the croissant is a little sweeter. For me, the hardest part of riding in winter isn’t the actual riding - it’s that 30 minute window after breakfast where i’m in between ‘deciding to ride’ and layering up. Honestly, I need a straight line out the door once i make up my mind, and that means using as few layers as possible to get maximum warmth. And that’s why the Giordana AV Extreme Lyte Winter Jacket is my new go-to for cool and cold days. The AV Extreme Lyte Winter Jacket is recommended for cool to cold climates and temperatures from the high 50’s°F to mid 30’s. It has enough warmth built in to be worn with a very lightweight thermal jersey or winter base layer, and the soft inner lining is comfortable enough to be worn with just a sleeveless base layer on warmer days. the AV Extreme Lyte Jacket has 3 distinct technical features:Polartec Alpha® Direct insulation to keep you warm and cozy without overheating (or over-sweating), thermal fabric paneling at the back to increase breathability, and the same Acqua Zero Eco™ water-resistant outer layer that’s used in the all-weather G-Shield lineup to protect you from rain and wind. That means it’s basically the souped-up winter jacket version of Giordana’s G-shield jersey lineup (there’s a link in the description to that review) and like G-shield it’s made for days when the pace of the ride varies from easy to insane. The key to the AV Extreme Lyte Jacket's performance in the coldest temperatures is the soft and furry Polartec Alpha® Direct insulating interior which keeps you warm while releasing excess body heat and perspiration before it causes saturation and discomfort. It does this through soft, lofted fibers that are inherently hydrophobic and moisture resistant. These days, I don’t have much insane in my legs so tested this jacket via two methods: the first was to throw it on over a regular summer bib and base layer and go for a slow to medium tempo ride on a 50-60 degree day. The other method was to pick a pretty nasty 40-50 degree rainy day and see how long I could make it past the first hour. In both cases, I was very surprised. On the warmer days, I thought I’d be on fire halfway up the first climb but a simple unzipping transformed it from a jacket to a cool weather jersey in milliseconds. And my cold, wet hour actually turned into 4 and the temperature at the top of the big climb halfway through day dropped into the low 40’s. With a nasty headwind, and a persistent but not pouring rain. It was one of those days when your hands, feet, and face feel like ice - and if you sit still you start to shiver. And the AV Extreme Lyte jacket didn’t keep my extremities from turning to ice but my core was nice and toasty even though the top layer of the jacket was soaked. And as long as I kept the pace a tick or two above zone two, it kept my core, arms, and neck nice and toasty. The Giordana AV Extreme Lyte Jacket’s available in three colors, and a full range of both men’s and women’s sizes ranging from XS up to 3XL. The fit is slightly relaxed to allow for layering underneath, but it still runs true to size. If you live in a place where cold and wet is an everyday reality, and you can’t stand the thought of Zwifting yourself into madness all winter - then it’s definitely a good investment.

It ain’t a road bike, but where we’re going we don’t need roads.

This is the…fourth Polar i’ve reviewed. I started with the Vantage V, then the first Grit X, and my last dance with Polar was the Vantage V2. All of them were actually pretty good, but as I mentioned in my review of the insanely robust Vantage V2 there was room for improvement (and, I secretly wanted something with ALL those features that looked less like a fitbit and more like a real watch). At the time, the Grit X’s functionality didn’t match the V2. Fast forward to the Grit X Pro, and it’s exactly what I asked for: a V2 in a Grit X wrapper. You get military spec durability with a real sapphire crystal and INSANE battery life. In other words, it looks like a watch, it wears like a watch, but it’s oh so much more. And for me - that’s where the good, bad, and ugly starts. First off - I’ve had this watch for several months, and haven’t even scratched the surface on all the features - you get all the greatest hits from the previous models: music control, leg recovery, preloaded workouts, and probably one of the most feature packed activity and sleep trackers you can buy. There’s also performance and recovery testing - and it has Precision Prime™ OHR GPS tracking built in. That means you’ll always know where to go with turn-by-turn guidance and built-in GPS. It also has a ‘track back’ feature to help you find your way home, and you can also view the elevation profile of your activity. The baked in GPS also means you have access to an altimeter, gps coordinates, a compass, and weather updates including daylight and sunset times. You can also gauge your training load, set hydration and nutrition reminders, and it’ll notify you when you get just about ANY smartphone notification from Slack to Ring and everything in between. This is ALL very, very good. But here’s where it gets bad…for me, at least: it’s just too much for my middle-aged brain to handle, and like I said: in the 6ish months that I’ve owned this watch I haven’t used 70 percent of the features. And it’s not for a lack of trying - I’ve been super active but I’m also super short on time so going down the rabbit hole with a device just isn’t on my checklist anymore. Would I benefit from all these fitness tests and recovery tracking - oh without a doubt - but TBH I simply don’t have the motivation for that stuff anymore. But…that’s all on me, empirically it doesn’t take away from how amazing this device really is. By now, I’m sure you’re wondering about the ugly in this good/bad/ugly sandwich. Well, here it is, and it’s two things: like before, I still think the Polar Flow app and the syncing process stinks. But I think that’s because they’re trying to stuff 50 pounds worth of available data into a five pound app. There’s just too many permutations for the available data, and Again - I don’t have the time, motivation, or patience to sit down and make the most of it anymore. But, probably the ugliest thing - and it’s a really simple thing to fix - is this: when it’s on my wrist, and my hands are on the bars, I can’t read the screen because it simply doesn’t have enough contrast. The dark background mixed with the light grey numbers is terrible, and if you add in ANY glare off the crystal it’s totally illegible and useless. ALL THEY NEED to fix this is a simple reversal of the colors - give me a bright white screen with dark, bold black letters. I don’t CARE if that means I get 4 days of battery instead of 7. I don’t wear it on the bike anymore because it’s only useful before and after the ride. UNLESS I’m using the music feature - which is the ONE thing that kept it on my wrist because being able to wear airpods and control the volume without digging around for my phone is actually very very cool. Any other time - the band is super comfortable, it’s lightweight but substantial, it looks REALLY good, and the notification features are super convenient. Unfortunately, I’m an analog kid in a digital world and the Grit X pro is just too damn smart for me.

Buy yours here!! https://giordanacycling.com/collections/mens-silverline I’ve been using Silverline since it debuted, and whether you’re wearing winter or summer gear, it’s simply THE best value in cycling apparel, period. Dollar for dollar, nothing matches the quality of Silverline and it goes toe-to-toe with most other brand’s top-shelf offerings. And the latest version of their summer kit is no exception. The Giordana Silverline Short Sleeve jersey is everything a modern summer jersey should be: the fit is aero but not uncomfortable, and the fabric is ultra breathable. You can also choose from one of eight sizes and 6 modern colors like orange, olive green, midnight blue, and ice blue - and there’s no crazy stripes or graphics, just monochromatic goodness from top to bottom. Giordana uses a micro-ceramic fabric that dries quickly, has high stretch for comfort and ideal fit, and is also anti-bacterial. The highly breathable panels on the shoulders and down the sides of the back aid in airflow, and one of my favorite features is that it’s cut shorter in the front to prevent bunching when in the riding position.You’ll also notice a shorter collar than the previous generations, and at the back there’s three folded-hem reinforced rear cargo pockets with reflective detailing. The elastic rear waistband helps the jersey stay secure and adds additional reflective pixels at both sides of the waist. The one hundred fifty dollar jersey space is very crowded - and a quick google search will surface some good options, but if you look closely and compare fit, features, style and material choice, the Silverline Jersey is clearly on a breakaway and about to bridge up to the lead group of $250-$300 jerseys.

I’ve been using Silverline since it debuted, and whether you’re wearing winter or summer gear, it’s simply THE best value in cycling apparel, period. Dollar for dollar, nothing matches the quality of Silverline and it goes toe-to-toe with most other brand’s top-shelf offerings. And the latest version of their summer kit is no exception. Giordana’s Silverline Bib shorts embody the performance-and-value approach that’s been the calling card of this range since day one. They employ a classic Giordana cut that has evolved over decades of refinement and the resulting fit is comfortable and non-restrictive, but supportive with the perfect amount of compression. The bibs two panel construction supports the quad and the glutes separately, and the substantial (but not uncomfortable) bib straps, or uppers, hold everything in place. The one hundred fifty to sixty dollar bib short space is very crowded - and a quick google search will surface some good options, and I’ve owned and abused basically all of them but not a single one comes close to the level of quality and durability I’ve gotten out of my Silverlines over the years. And when you factor in the most important element of any bib short - the chamois - Silverline is in a class all its own because of the infinitely pliable aloe-infused Cirro chamois, which is all I’ll use on rides longer than two hours because it’s the softest, most comfortable pad I’ve ever found. In light of all that, Silverline should be at the top of your list when you start shopping for a new summer kit. Mine’s in constant rotation, and I find myself reaching for it more and more - it’s just tough to beat.

Buy yours here!! https://giordanacycling.com/collections/mens-fusion/products/fusion-mens-short-sleeve-cycling-jersey The Giordana Fusion short sleeve jersey has the most relaxed fit in their lineup, and it also features their softest fabric. It is, by far, the most comfortable jersey in my drawer and it’s a pleasure to wear on longer rides. But don’t let the ‘relaxed fit’ scare you off - it’s still fitted enough to provide excellent wicking, and if you love the comfort but need a more aero or ‘second skin’ type of fit - just buy a size smaller than you usually wear. This actually works quite well because the sleeves are nice and long, and you also get a waist gripper and a full-length camlock zipper - which is a personal must-have for me. But the best thing about the Fusion jersey…well, the two best things…are the colors and the price: for 95 bucks you can choose from an array of rich blues, olives, and even a very cool copper hue called ‘cafe’. And when you pair it with a pair of Fusion bibs you’ve got a value packed kit that’ll become a go-to for your all-day epics for just under $250.

Buy yourself a pair here: https://giordanacycling.com/products/ss21-fusion-mens-bib-short The new benchmark in comfort and value. Designed for everyone from beginners to seasoned cyclists, the soft compression and updated design of the new Fusion Bib Short accommodates a wide range of body types. Featuring new integrated leg bands, this new paneling create a short that is even more comfortable. Features + Benefits - New design with a tall, soft and straight-cut leg hem - Waist panel height is taller than the previous generation for increased comfort while in the riding position - New mesh bib uppers – softer and more breathable - 230 gram Lycra with a soft compressive feel - LoPro 0™ wide seamless bib straps - Cirro chamois - Reflective accents at back of legs - Made in Italy