By George Scott

Published: Wednesday, 11 January 2023 at 12:00 am

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Time pedals will return to the men’s WorldTour peloton in 2023 after the French brand, owned by SRAM since 2021, signed a sponsorship deal with Trek-Segafredo.

Riders across both the men’s and women’s Trek-Segafredo squads will use Time pedals through the forthcoming season, adding to Time’s existing partnerships with the Canyon/SRAM and SD Worx women’s teams.

Making the switch from Shimano SPD-SL pedals, Trek-Segafredo riders will use Time’s distinctive XPro pedals. The design uses Time’s iClic technology, which keeps the pedal engagement mechanism partially open to allow for easier entry when clipping in.

SRAM bought Time’s pedals business in 2021, after five years with Rossignol. A return to the men’s WorldTour marks a major show of force in putting Time pedals back at cycling’s top table. 

Trek-Segafredo is one of three WorldTour teams sponsored by SRAM for 2023, though Jumbo-Visma’s Cervélo bikes have switched to Wahoo Speedplay pedals from Shimano, and Movistar continue to use Look pedals.

“Time is proud to support this first-class WorldTour team for the coming seasons. It’s a huge step for us to return to the biggest races with Trek-Segafredo,” said Benjamin Marinier, Time’s pedals product manager.

So what?

Look popularised the clipless pedal with the PP65 in 1984, used by Bernard Hinault to win the Tour de France in 1985. The decade that followed saw a number of similar designs come to market. 

Shimano’s first clipless pedal, the Dura-Ace 7401, arrived in 1987, the Speedplay X followed in 1989, and Shimano returned in 1990 with the M737 as its first SPD pedal.

But it was Time that dominated professional cycling. Having been founded in 1987, Time launched the TBT in 1988 – the first pedal design to introduce float (the small amount of lateral movement built into a pedal or cleat). 

11 consecutive Tour de France victories came on Time pedals, from Pedro Delgado’s 1988 triumph to Marco Pantani’s 1998 victory.

AFP via Getty Images

Time remained popular with Tom Boonen through the 2000s, but the brand’s popularity has waned on the pro road scene since, even if a small but loyal consumer following has remained.

Notably, Time’s Atac pedals continue to be popular off-road – Wout van Aert has used Time to pedal to cyclocross World Championship victory, and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the 2022 cross-country worlds using Time pedals.

Simon von Bromley / Our Media

In short, Shimano, having launched the 7750 Dura-Ace in 2003 as its first SPD-SL design, has become the dominant force in the men’s peloton, with Look and Wahoo Speedplay as the supporting cast.

According to DCMX.com, of the 22 teams at last year’s Tour de France, 13 used Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals, eight used Look Keo pedals and one used Wahoo Speedplay Zero pedals.

SRAM

While Time pedals are currently used by the Canyon/SRAM and SD Worx women’s WorldTour teams, the brand’s tie-up with Trek-Segafredo significantly increases its presence in pro cycling and, of course, marks a return to the men’s peloton.

The deal is also indicative of a wider trend within pro cycling for groupset and bike manufacturers to tie sponsored teams into partnerships that also include the supply of wider components, including wheels, finishing kit and, in this case, pedals.

What next?

David Caudery / Immediate Media

SRAM’s purchase of Time in 2021, and the investment that comes with the brand’s increased presence in the peloton, underlines the parent company’s commitment to the pedal market. That, surely, will come with a refreshed product line-up.

Time’s current road pedal range includes the long-standing Xpresso, introduced in 2012, and the XPro, launched in 2017 alongside claims of a larger pedal platform and more aerodynamic design.

Expect an update – SRAM’s chance to put its stamp on Time – in the not-too-distant future.

As it stands, the XPro range covers three pedals, from €169 to €475, while the Xpresso line-up also includes three models, from €53 to €127.