ProView – TIME Bicycles ADHX 45 Review

I was sent the TIME ADHX 45 gravel bike in size XL for a gear test / review. The bike arrived in pre-assembled condition, with little I needed to do. For context of this review, I am 6’2”, approximately 180 lbs.

Just seconds after (carefully) opening the box, I was floored by the frame construction. A beautiful carbon appearance with an immaculate paint job — an early sign of build quality and craftsmanship. 

Test Environment

I live in Snoqualmie / North Bend, Washington at the foothills of the Cascade mountains. Just minutes from my house is the Campbell Global logging area, where a web of gravel roads extends for hundreds of miles. There are steep climbs, chunky roads, and smooth/fast gravel sections that make for a great variety of testing conditions. Pair that with both steep and quiet roads in and out of river valleys and there’s plenty of conditions to test out the ADHX 45. 

I received the ADHX in mid August and had it for a few weeks, taking it out on a number of rides. I cannot speak to its durability, as this review is not a long-term, longitudinal test.

Build Quality & Construction

TIME Bicycles uses a unique manufacturing process for their carbon frames which was immediately apparent in my first impression.

First, TIME’s carbon isn’t equal to other bike companies’ carbon. They use Braided Carbon Structures (BCS), weaves of carbon and other materials that provide added strength in typical ‘weak points’ of a carbon layup. Without making this review too much of a science lesson:

Most bike companies use a pre-impregnated (‘pre-preg’) carbon layup with precut sheets of carbon. This method is economical at large scale, as these sheets can be scaled at cost. However, these sheets don’t perfectly line up all the time and have areas of weakness where there are overlaps or gaps. This creates weak points in the carbon structure, which can present as either points of failure or as areas through which vibrations can be transmitted.

Alternatively, TIME’s process involves weaving continuous, unbroken fibers all the way down the length of the frame (from the headtube, down the downtube, down the fork legs), eliminating any gaps / overlaps with the carbon sheet process. The result is a frame with unique structural integrity, strength, and dampening characteristics.

Adding one more piece to the puzzle is TIME’s Resin Transfer Molding Process. . . again, sorry for the science lesson but it’s important to understanding what sets TIME frames apart: 

Traditionally, carbon frames are molded using large devices that create pressure through inflation of bladders of air / gas, by which the carbon sheets are pressed against a mold. While this is simple and easy to implement at scale or at home as a hobbyist, it has quality gaps; it is easy for air pockets to develop and be left behind after the molding process is complete, which can present as build defects and areas for premature failure.

Instead, TIME uses a resin transfer molding process where they inject resin into the layup at high pressure before pressing the layup to a mold. This process removes any possibility of air pockets / defects and is quite unique in the cycling industry.

Lastly (I promise I’m close to done here), TIME weaves dyneema and kevlar into specific areas of the frame to improve strength, dampening performance, and durability. 

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of Dyneema, the attention grabbing material that’s heralded as 15x stronger than steel. TIME adds Dyneema fibers in high-stress intersections like the headtube, downtube, and top-tube to improve energy absorption and vibration dampening, which are typical pitfalls of light carbon bikes.

TIME adds kevlar to the fork steerer tube to improve structural strength, as this area of the frame is particularly subject to harsh forces; think potholes, rocks, coupled with the clamping forces of your stem.

ALL of this to say, TIME doesn’t just replicate the mold of building bikes that other companies use.

Handling

Pretty quickly, I found the TIME ADHX 45 to be compliant to user input. When I was in Europe last year I rented a high-end Specialized Tarmac road bike and found it to be twitchy and delicate to handle. My daily driver bike at the moment is a 3T Exploro, which also can feel a little twitchy at times. 

The TIME ADHX 45, comparatively, feels smooth and very intuitive to handle. I felt like there was no learning curve: I could hop on the bike and get moving. 

Most impressive to me was how damp the TIME ADHX felt on bumpy gravel. Yes, tire pressure is a huge piece to this puzzle but the frame and fork also play a part. I have run all sorts of tire pressures on my 3T Exploro, typically on 38c or 44c tires. I found the ADHX 45 to dampen rocks, potholes, and other ‘dings’ in the gravel roads I frequent around Campbell Global quite well.

Fit

One of my few qualms about my test setup was the fit of the bike, but that wasn’t a function of the frame but rather the conditions under which I was testing. The stem that was sent on my bike was too long and the reach was too far, compared to my daily driver (which I have dialed in through bike fitting). 

The step over height of the XL of the ADHX 45 was manageable; my 3T Exploro feels similar.

Geometry

The ADHX has a versatile geometry which is certainly speedy enough to zip around town but also slack enough to take some pretty aggressive trails and rough roads. I typically ride a 3T Exploro, which fits within the ‘gravel race’ category and the ADHX feels similar.

The ADHX feels more ‘roady’ than ‘mountain bike’; as someone that rarely rides super steep or techy singletrack, I really liked this about the ADHX. I feel like I could push the ADHX hard on rides where I am trying to time trial, but it also could suit up with a frame bag for a long adventure ride.

Previously, I’ve differentiated between these two functions with my two current bikes: a Crust Bombora, which serves as my gravel grinder / adventure rider, and my 3T Exploro, which is my ‘speedy gravel’ bike. 

The ADHX feels sturdier than my 3T Exploro, even if the weights aren’t that different. I’d chalk that up to the material differences.

Tire Clearance

As the name states, the ADHX 45 clears up to a 45c tire on a 700c wheel. This allows for plenty of width and versatility. I have grown accustomed to running a ‘mullet’ setup of 44c in the rear and 38c up front on my Exploro, so the 45c setup I tested felt burlier than I was used to.

The clearance allows you to scale the ADHX up or down, for speed or versatility, which is a really nice feature. Other reviewers online have called the ADHX a ‘quiver killer’, and that name feels pretty fitting. If you’re looking for a versatile frame that can be a good base for tinkering on wheels, tires, drivetrains — the ADHX is a great choice.

The Final Word

The TIME AHDX is a premium gravel frame that can handle all conditions thrown at it. I really view the TIME ADHX as the base of a lego set: you can scale the bike up or down to perform as a race kit or adventure workhorse. There aren’t many carbon frames that can handle both those workloads confidently. 

The sturdiness of the TIME manufacturing process and material selection give confidence that the ADHX can handle chunks, loaded weight, and miles; the geometry, materials, and elegant aesthetics provide that boost that’s needed for KOM hunting and moving fast.

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