SRAM Buys Time Sport Pedal Business From Rossignol Group

Feb 22, 2021
by Ed Spratt  
Time Speciale review

SRAM has announced it has purchased the entire range of pedals, cleats and related patents of Time Sport from Rossignol Group.

Founded in Nevers, France, in 1987, Time began manufacturing clipless mountain bike pedals in 1993 and they were the favored choice of XC racing legend Julien Absalon. Apart from Truvativ flat pedals and the now discontinued PowerTap pedals, SRAM have not been a major player in the pedal market. Following the acquisition completion on February 18, Time now joins an extensive list of SRAM acquisitions, including Rockshox, Avid, Zipp, Truvativ, PowerTap and Quarq.

bigquotesTime is a legendary brand and was the first to focus on ergonomics through the pedal stroke. We will work to preserve Time’s history and heritage, and continue their legacy of innovation and quality. SRAM President Ken Lousberg

This news comes at an interesting moment as SRAM discontinued its support for PowerTap power meter pedals and hubs earlier this month. With the purchase of Time, it looks like SRAM still have plans to stay in the pedal market. Could we see PowerTap, or something similar, returning on future Time branded pedals?

While SRAM have purchased the pedal side of the business, the bike and frame arms of the company have been bought by Cardinal Cycling Group. The ownership of the Cardinal Cycling Group includes Tony Karklins, founder of Allied Cycle Works and past Orbea USA Managing Director and Martial Trigeaud, former elite racer and industrial engineer.

bigquotesI’m thrilled that we have found two exceptional buyers for Time. Each brings unique strengths to drive the great Time brand forward. Rossignol Sr. VP Bike Division, Scott Rittschof

Both owners will continue marketing any new products under the Time name with SRAM using the Time Sport branding and the Cardinal Cycling Group using Time Bikes. Time customers can expect to see no change in service and support through a transition period until the middle of the year.

Author Info:
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Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,052 articles

136 Comments
  • 240 3
 New pedal thread standard is coming...
  • 60 1
 SRAM maxle pedals. Because someone somewhere needs to be able to switch between flats and clips quicker.
  • 26 0
 @djbutcher13: I prefer the 20mm pinch bolt standard for my pedals.
  • 54 1
 SRAM axs pedals. Now clip in electronically!
  • 24 2
 @adrennan: Idk, that sounds pretty flexy. 28.99mm is where it's at.
  • 13 1
 It won't be the shoes that stick to the pedals, but the pedals that stick to the shoes
  • 9 0
 @pk71: those are magnets and they've been downvoted
  • 36 0
 @JulioValeinte: Just wait til pressfit pedals
  • 9 0
 SRAM AXS spindleless pedals. You heard it here first.
  • 34 2
 NOT THAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR A NEW PEDAL THREAD STANDARD, BUT there was discussion about how cranks could be made lighter and pedals thinner if the diameter of the hole (whats the technical term?) was made larger such that the bearings of the pedal would be inside the crank itself, so there wouldn't be a spindle at all- think Tioga's ZEROaxle MT-ZERO. You could even offset the pedal so it wasn't concentric with the center of rotation, giving you a lower center of gravity, or a lower "virtual" bottom bracket.

Once again not saying this should be the way forward, but there are improvements that could be made if we were willing to change this standard.
  • 4 1
 propietary pedals for Trek, maybe?
  • 17 0
 @hamncheez: Shimano did this many years ago, google DynaDrive for all the info.
  • 6 0
 Press fit pedals inbound.
  • 6 0
 @hamncheez: I think you're looking for the word effective instead of virtual but I'm a fan. If you had adjustable eccentric bearings on pedals or bottom brackets you could change all kinds of geometry.
  • 2 1
 @mi-bike: was a joke...
  • 5 0
 @dwee: "ClipShift"?
  • 2 0
 @DirtBagTim: holy crap you're right!
  • 3 0
 @iiman: please don't give them ideas... There's already enough standards as it is
  • 4 0
 @hamncheez: Shimano Dura-Ace AX?
  • 2 0
 @djbutcher13: I know this was meant as a joke but MKS has rinko pedals that allow a no tool swap of pedals.
  • 3 0
 @hamncheez: Old people know stuff . And apparently he's 100, so....
  • 4 0
 Looking forward to my new hydraulically actuated pedals.
  • 5 0
 @hamncheez:

> there are improvements that could be made if we were willing to change this standard.

This is how it all starts... :-D
  • 3 0
 Only time will tell
  • 1 0
 @enduroNZ: MARS TIME
  • 3 0
 @jammf: WE MUSTN'T ENCOURAGE THEM
  • 2 0
 @DRomy: That need to be bled every week and stop working in cold weather?
  • 2 0
 @hamncheez: This is a horrible design for bearing life...
You create a ton of leverage from your own weight and the bearing needs to be oversized and wide enough to take the loads for ages, leading as well to a massive increase of weight.
Also a wide bearing would decrease the amount of space for frame design on chainstays and seatstays.

Imagine a car engine having the crankshaft bearing offsetted to the edge of one side of the crankcase, the force from the pistons/rods would bend the crankshaft and overkill that big single bearing.
That's why crankshaft bearings are located as close as possible to the rods and on both sides. Same story for its gearbox...
  • 1 0
 @qblambda: I would agree with you, however, they may be able to use only one beefy roller bearing instead of two ball bearings ... I’d be curious what they can come up with but definitely would not be an early adopter of this design.
  • 1 0
 @pk71: oddly that's a thing - speedplay pedals...
  • 1 1
 @breadandbits: ever heard of irony?
  • 45 4
 If they manage to make Time pedals reliable again (not that crap plasticky POS that Time became lately) I will definitely consider switching back to ATAC. It is a very clever and functional engagement system. Nothing against SPD or CB but ATAC is better in some aspects
  • 25 0
 I have heard that their cleat system is very nice. Maybe someday, if there is Time ill try it out.
  • 16 0
 @Thirty3: They are. I ride Z Control Time's. I have 11 years on one pedal set right now. They are beaten and bruised but still function perfectly. I like them so much, when I found out that they were going to discontinue that model, I bought a set to keep in a drawer. I might be approaching the point where I get to use them. This is for MTB. For road, I use Speedplay Zero's.

I REALLY hope that SRAM does not mess this up.
  • 3 0
 I loved my Times when I had them, until you smack the cleat retention spring on the under side of the pedal and it loses its tension.
  • 1 0
 @mr-fabio agreed. I loved the feel when they went to adjustable tension for the springs, but they lost the durability of the original models. I still run them on my XC bike, but I have switched to flats for my long travel bike and haven’t tried their Speciale pedals yet, they look nice.
  • 9 0
 I've had two pairs of Attac's over the last 15 years. Never had an issue.
  • 7 0
 @gally-nh: Same! Time are the most reliable pedals available.
  • 5 0
 @gally-nh: I just had to scrap my ATAC Aliums that I bought in...1998. They served me well. Essentially they worked until the bales completely worn through. I have another pair of aliums from the early 2000s that are still ticking along.
  • 5 0
 Totally agree.

I have several pairs of ATACs, one pair probably 15 years old and they work perfectly and have taken plenty of abuse.

Unfortunately I also had a few of their earlier (round spring) "enduro" offerings and they were crap.

But the WORST is the Speciale that is featured in the picture above. I can't ride that on any rocky technical trails in New England without having to replace the spring after 1 ride. They are beautiful, otherwise durable, but that spring has got to be made out of aluminum foil.

You know there are issues that SRAM can fix when a 15 year old XC pedal is more durable than their top of the line 2019 Enduro offering.

Plenty of potential!
  • 5 0
 @mr-fabio The Speciale pedals have an aluminum body and are fairly solid. I have the Speciale 12 on my mtb and the Speciale 8 on my fat bike and I love em.
  • 2 0
 @bhuckley: I was just about to order a set of Speciale 8s 3 months ago, but kept reading about bent retention bars. I just fail to understand how €120 pedals can be called "robust and reliable" by so many publications when so many users report bent bars. It's really a shame, as I loved the Time engagement on the Aliums I had many moons ago and really wanted to get a made in EU component.

Ended up getting a pair of XT M8120, 30% cheaper, great platform and survive a nuclear holocaust.
  • 2 0
 Has anybody had any issues with the plastic bodies yet? Over the years I've destroyed quite a few ATAC pedals but it was always one of the springs that broke due to fatigue. Never had any problems with the plastic and I actually prefer it over the old aliums.
  • 1 0
 @Arierep: I bent mine once, it barely affected performance, and I straightened them with pliers at home. It'd be nice if the retention bars were tougher but I'd say their current state isn't a deal breaker.
  • 3 0
 @martn: I’ve broken a newer XC composite pedal shell once. My springs tend to wear out faster now than they used to. My original carbon attacks from the 90’s lasted almost 20 years in comparison. My original Z pedals also lasted a decade. At one point, I wondered if they started making them more fragile because all the Time users never needed to buy a new pedal ever.
  • 2 0
 The Speciale 12s are great!
  • 1 0
 @Tmackstab: You must be thinking Speedplay, because Time pedals springs are independent of each other if I am not mistaken.
  • 1 0
 I gave up after the press fit axles that held the retention arms failed in two consecutive pairs of pedals with no support from time (and these were their all metal 'dh' pedals). Here's hoping reliability makes a comeback as they have otherwise been my all time favourite pedal system.
  • 1 0
 @Offrhodes: So the front spring on the upside that retains the cleat is on the trailing edge when its on the underside. I've whacked them a few times and they either bend or detension.
  • 2 0
 @whambat: "started making them more fragile to sell more" Oh man... so true!
  • 1 0
 worst cycling decision i ever made was selling old ATAC world cups that were made around the time i was born and still functioning perfectly so i could save 100 grams and switch to the ATAC XS platform which never lasted more than a couple of months. The time i decided to get a pair of less expensive (but still fairly expensive) ATAC 2s they came from the factory with out of plane threads
  • 1 0
 @whambat: my last 3 pairs of Time ATACS all sh@ the bed -- bent retention bars on 2, and complete explosive failure on the last one. tried sending back to Time for a warranty and they just returned the broken pedals. aside from the fact that they lacked durability, i liked them. but ffs. i switched to shimano xt and have had zero problems.
  • 1 0
 @whambat: I have a set of the Speciale 8 pedals, I love them. Long time TIME rider here. I am actually thinking about a couple sets of spares in case they stop making them.
  • 1 0
 @xtopher: yup. I decided if I’d I went back to clipless on my long travel bike, I’d go to Saints, even though it make me get some new spds for my XC bike. I’ve just been enjoying being on flats since I’m not racing and my knees hurt less by being able to move my foot position more per ride.
  • 1 0
 I run three sets of early 90's ATACS to this day, they have proven very durable.
  • 2 0
 @jeremystclair: yup, those were the gems.
  • 1 0
 @whambat: They sure are!
  • 3 0
 @alem1583: I swapped my old Aliums over to my road bike/trainer and got a pair of the newer ones with the wider platform a couple years ago. I have to say, Time pedals have been one of very few products in my life (MTB and otherwise) that have lasted so long and are still going!
  • 14 3
 One problem with the SRAM style of acquisition is that they buy the brand and the product, but leave behind the engineering team that developed those products. This was also the case with PowerTap. When you complete an acquisition this way, you lose all of the institutional knowledge and history of why particular design and manufacturing decisions were made. It must be very peculiar for the engineers on the SRAM side as well, working on products designed by other people. It's hard enough bringing a decent product to market when you have all of the engineers in house.
  • 8 0
 I hope Sram keeps the original Time engineers on board, and I also hope that they keep the manufacturing of pedals like the Speciale 12 in France. I love my Time Speciale pedals. In general, this acquisition seems like it could be positive news, as a boost to Time with more resources invested into the brand.
  • 4 0
 @cedrico: I'm not 100% sure from the article, but it seems very unlikely, since Time is being split up and sold to two different companies. Reading between the lines here: "SRAM has announced it has purchased the entire range of pedals, cleats and related patents of Time Sport from Rossignol Group." It seems like they specifically called out the range of products and patents, but not the whole pedal business division. This would be similar to the PowerTap acquisition, although previous acquisitions, like Quarq, have kept the whole operation. I'm also hoping it's more like the latter.
  • 6 0
 Look at all the other acquisitions they've made over the years and the engineers they've kept. Sachs, RockShox, Avid, Quarq. And really, powertap is so close in nature to quarq that there would be no reason to bring the entire engineering team over.
  • 14 0
 This is a false statement, friend!. Rockshox + Avid team: still in CO. Quarq team and manufacturing: still in SD. Truvativ team: still in CA. Zipp team and manufacturing: still in Indy. Sachs team: still in Germany.

You should also listen to a recent podcast where pro cyclist Maghalie Rochette interviews SRAM CEO Ken. He talks about SRAM's preference to leave acquired teams in their existing locations, precisely so that culture and knowledge is retained: open.spotify.com/episode/18sxAtZkoLJFQlinNvLsK5?si=-eRgd7RaTeWL2y5nB0Yo5w&nd=1
  • 2 0
 @troy-dee: Thanks for the info. Definitely incorrect of me to imply that SRAM always does it this way. I had just read the CyclingTips article on PowerTap and was struck by the weirdness of that acquisition. As an engineer, I can't imagine trying to bring another team's design to market. But, from the wording in the article, it does sound like the Time acquisition is more similar to PowerTap than Quarq/Rockshox. Maybe someone can clarify?
  • 6 0
 Dear SRAM,

Please don't bugger up TIME ATAC pedals. They are already perfect. They have been perfect since I fitted my first set in 1999, and they are still perfect. I have some XC4 (Gravel), XC6 (Road), Link (Pub/Fixie), MX6 (MTB) all still in service, as well as some Z Controls and Alium in a box for when I hire bikes on Holiday. The only issue is the cost of the SP12 and SP8.

Thanks.

Long TIME ATAC User.
  • 7 1
 I love my Times, but quality the past 5 years has been so hit or miss I've considered SPD or Crankbrothers, but neither has the same feel and Crankbrothers is even more hit or miss on quality... maybe SRAM won't mess this up?
  • 6 0
 I know what you mean as a fellow Time fan. Their MX pedals and other plastic stuff they've offered over recent years aren't great and I switched away to other brands, but I came back to the metal Speciales and they are fantastic and are totally solid.
  • 1 0
 @dthomp325: what's wrong with the composite ones? Does the body break or something?
  • 2 0
 @dthomp325:

Really? I came back for the Speciale's too and that spring cannot withstand a rockstrike... I've bent 4 of them... their customer service rep took pity on me and sent me a half-dozen springs last time.

Perhaps I'm a bit clumsy, but certainly not heavy... and the old ATAC XCs have taken all sorts of rock strikes without issue. I'm surprised you've had such good luck.

I think it's a design flaw... that "front spring" (which becomes the trailing spring when upside down) is too exposed. On the old ATACs, if you had a strike on it, it would only move so far before the pedal body itself would stop it and sorta reinforce it before bending... on the Speciale it is well above the CNC'd pedal body and out on its lonesome.
  • 1 0
 @bhuckley: @Jimmy0 that is the design flaw with the composites. I have 3 of the speciales and no issue vs. my old MX composite bodies one side is useless with spring chewing into the composite body and the other side loose.

Old pre-2015(?) were straight bombproof, just soooo heavy especially with so many newer options.
  • 2 0
 @Jimmy0: tad too small when you have to go unclipped for any reason in my opinion. saying that I have made two megavalanches on ATAC composite MX4 and it was awesome Big Grin
  • 1 0
 @Runerider:

I wish I could share some photos with you of my badly mangled Speciale's

I actually bought them because they went back to the squared off springs rather than the round ones on the MX (which I agree would lose tension). But they were (in my mileage) worse. If you look back at the old ATACs, the shape of the spring was longer, with a lower angle (say 30 degrees) when it came back to the pedal-body. On the speciale, the front spring (or trailing when underside) has a >90 bend to it when it comes back to the pedal body... so that means it narrows from the "clipped in" flat part to where the actual spring meets the spindle. I wonder if that is the issue...

Anyway... I can't use them around here, just far too unreliable. I save my "enduro" speciales for flowy XC style trails.
  • 1 0
 @bhuckley: We ride similar New England tech and I will give you the Speciales are worse than the OLD metal and solid plastic ones, but I've been able to work the Speciales back to form super easy with the vise and pliers vs. the MX which are useless once toasted.

I've had a CB Mallet sheer at the pedal axle but I've never had to limp out or walk out on Times.
  • 1 0
 @bhuckley: Personally I've never had an issue with the springs on any of their models. The problem I had with the MX was the plastic body would break on a rock strike, plus they had a huge stack height. The Speciale has a metal guard in front of the spring that takes the impact from rocks coming from the front. You'd have to pedal directly down into a rock or something to hit the spring.
  • 1 0
 crank brothers have become pretty solid in the last 5 years. They definitely don't have the same feel and you have to replace cleats pretty often but at least they hold up and don't make my knees hurt like SPDs
  • 1 1
 After running Crank Bros for 10 years, I switched to SPDs a few years ago. They instantly made me a better technical rider because the clip-out is so much more consistent. I feel like I wasted a decade of my life.
  • 1 0
 @nattyd: As someone who has ridden all the pedals, I think the best most consistent clip mechanism is HT, but unfortunately their bushing system wears out very quickly so I gave up on them. Next most consistent is Time. SPDs feel great, but they are only consistent as long as you keep them cleaned and the spring lubed, once they get dirty and dry they become more difficult to clip in and out of. CrankBros is the worst of the bunch. Of course with both Time and Crankbros they use brass cleats which are lighter, but wear out faster and need to be replaced more often to retain "consistency".
  • 1 0
 @dthomp325: I'm HT-curious, but now I have SPDs on two bikes plus two of my wife's bikes, so the swap-ability is key. Worn cleats may well have been the root of my Crank Bros problem. I would fall more often on technical climbs, because, regardless of which release angle I used, I couldn't consistently clip out of both sides to get a foot down quickly. On my most recent set, I could get out on the right, but not the left.
  • 6 0
 Time hurt themselves by selling those crappy plastic MX pedals for so long before they released the Speciale. Late to the party, but they are great pedals. I've spent a ton of time on various pedal systems SPD, HT, CrankBros, Time. They each have their pros and cons, but the Time Speciale pedals are my current favorites. I'm running them on enduro, hardtail, and gravel bikes.
  • 3 0
 My first pair of clip pedals for my mountain bike were the Time Sierra's. The Sierra was similar to the Attack in design. The cleat was thicker, the pedal was one sided, and it had a dedicated shoe as the lugs had to be thicker as well on the soles. I have never had issues with Times, other than the carbon spring in their road pedals. Now, my road, gravel, mountain, touring and winter beater all have the newer style Attacks. It doesn't matter what bike I jump on, any of my shoes will work. I hope Sram leave the pedal production in France.
  • 3 0
 Little nervous about this. Glad to see Time get a big group to support them so they don’t disappear but I really hope SRAM doesn’t try to reinvent them or something. The special is such a great pedal and only area I could see improvement for time is in small parts availability. At one time you could order every little piece of a time ATAC pedal so if your brok a spring or pin etc no problem can just get that one piece. Sadly I’ll bet first thing that happens is they move the manufacturing out of France and possibly try and go to a cheaper alloy on the 12 which will be a bummer for those guys.
  • 1 0
 could you replace the springs on the MXs? I was never able to get them back together
  • 1 0
 @socratease: I don’t think they sold them for the MX but if they did then yes it should be replaceable as the MX used the traditional ATAC design and those you could repair (were talking early on back when they had individual parts in QBP).
  • 4 0
 @mikelevy My Time ATAC Z control pedlas are about 13 years old. They are still working perfectly. Podcast question: what is your oldest piece of gear that gets used regularly?
  • 2 0
 Podcast answer: Easily my TIME ATAC's that are over 20 years old and still are functioning as designed all these years later.
  • 6 0
 Wouldn’t ride any other clip pedals.
  • 5 0
 Speciales are the best pedals I’ve ever run. Love em. Hopefully the design and build stay unchanged.
  • 2 0
 I love time pedals. The mechanism is so much better than Shimano, however, the price point in the last 5ish years has kept me away from them. Even if the XTs are only 80% as good, they're barely 30% of the price.

I would be so happy if Sram take their ATAC patent and put it into something reasonably priced to compete against Shimano.

I hope competition improves all players in this case Smile
  • 2 0
 I'm hoping they'll be able to put together a decent power meter pedal. I'd love to be able to get a decent power pedal at a decent price that doesn't use SPD. I prefer the free float of Time or CB, and the lower weight and reliability of CB. The only pedals I've had fail on me were some SPD styles, Ritchies, it was a long time ago. The clip part got bent in on a rock bash, so only one side worked after that.
  • 1 0
 Time was acquired by Rossignol 5 years ago, now Rossignol sold the pedal business to SRAM. I still love my TIME RSRX ULTeam (carbon lugged). The pedals, I prefer the MTB ones to any brand out there. However, they are not as durable as the Shimano ones, and I can speak for the road ones as well.
  • 1 0
 A time power meter pedal that works well on all bikes would be a very interesting product. I'd be curious to see how they protect the strain gauge and battery for mountain biking. Even if they just claim it's only to be used for gravel riding it would still fill a void in the market.
  • 3 0
 This makes me hopeful that my favorite pedals will be easier to come by and worried that my favorite pedals are going to change and not be good anymore.
  • 5 0
 Time are great - six pairs here
  • 1 0
 Thought I had a bunch with 4 Smile
  • 3 0
 I ride m'y Time pedals on DH bike since....2004 on l'y Bullit...v10.2 v10.3...yeti arc ans Yeti sb6c...ans now my V10.6...indestructible
  • 1 0
 Anyone here who have/had issues with a loose/slipping bolt (the one holding the spring) in their Time Atac XC12/8/6/4?

When reading buyers reviews about those pedals nearly everyone mentions problems about those bolts...
  • 2 1
 Never ridden Time pedals, but everyone I know who owns them, likes them a good bit and says they are well built/durable. After 25+ years on SPD, I currently ride HT's (when I use clips) so figure the action is similar.
  • 3 0
 I've been through countless pedals over the years but my Time's from 20 years ago I still use. Simple and rugged.
  • 2 0
 Speciale's are the best pedals I've ridden. Somehow very easy to get out of and confidence inspiring in how secure they feel.
  • 3 0
 Stock up on Time pedals in the market now before the new batches from who knows where from SRAM!
  • 4 2
 So now Time pedals will come with springs that wear out in 6 months of riding.
  • 2 0
 I'm excited about this, especially if it means that there will be a Time/Quarq power meter MTB pedal.
  • 1 0
 That might be why SRAM bought PowerTap (maker of power meter road pedals) and just killed off the brand.
  • 3 1
 The new model will block and stop spinning in the sun like the crap Guide brakes did.
  • 1 0
 If they can figure out what made the old ATACs last decades and what make the new ATACs last a few months and fix it i'd be very happy to switch back from crank brothers.
  • 3 0
 FUCK NO!!!!!!! They'll messed them up! Shit!
  • 6 4
 It's about Time someone does something with it
  • 17 1
 About SRAM Time!
  • 9 0
 Sram is clearly on Atac mode right now
  • 4 0
 SRAM has clearly been an Avid fan of Time Pedal designs for years, and now they are hoping to Boost their sales.
  • 2 0
 I'm still using Time ATAC i bought back in 2001..
  • 1 0
 It will be interesting to see if they bring some new innovations to the table with Time.
  • 1 0
 This should be interesting to see what happens from here. I'm hoping sram can push for some new innovation.
  • 5 3
 Dammit- favorite pedal about to be ruined.
  • 2 0
 Great news. Best pedals on the market. Please make the spindles longer.
  • 2 0
 Well HT did not want to sell to them so here you go!
  • 1 0
 Sram got just what they wanted... more TIME.

They can have it, I love my HT’s
  • 1 0
 I've had the Mavic Crossmax SLs for a few years. Held up to a lot of shit so far, even though main body is plastic.
  • 1 0
 Would love to see some longer spindles!
  • 2 1
 I hope they come up with new Boost standard for pedal axels...
  • 1 0
 No amount of money ever bought a second of time...
  • 2 3
 Another Sram product designed to empty your wallet and leave you wondering why you settle for inferior components for your chosen endeavor.
  • 1 0
 Just in TIME to take a nap !
  • 1 0
 TIME pedals rock....mint pedals. Hope they continue being that way,
  • 1 1
 Any guesses as to who will be chosen as TIME pedal of the year 2021?
  • 2 2
 The Time honoured brand is snatched up by sram before time ran out.
  • 1 0
 ‘Bout damn time!
  • 1 1
 It's about TIME
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