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review
Pedals
Time All Road Gripper pedalsTime All road pedals

Time All Road Gripper pedals

8
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Mar 15, 2011

1
£73.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Versatile pedals for newbies, cross, commuting and general riding, albeit a bit pricey for town hacks
Weight: 
405g
Contact: 
www.chickencycles.co.uk
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Time All Road look quirky but bombproof build quality, superior mud clearance and five degrees of float coupled with improved support mean they've something for everyone from newbies to old hands, crossers to commuters. However, while they may replaceable, the soft elastomer gripper studs impregnated into the platformss wore surprisingly fast.

There are two All Road models the All Road Gripper and the All Road Gripper + separated by twenty-five quid, for the extra dosh Gripper + gets a chromed steel axle instead of a steel one and comes with two spare pedal platforms. Apart from that they are the same so common to both are the tried and tested Auto Tension Adjustment Concept (ATAC) cleat mechanisms, powder coated cast aluminium bodies, durable steel axles with super-smooth sealed cartridge bearings. This strikes the right balance between strength, rigidity and cost. Emerging from the box, they're only three millimetres broader than common or garden MTB spuds, so groundouts will be extremely rare unless you're given to Kamikaze cornering and/or ride a fixer conversion with low bottom bracket height and long cranks.

Cleat release is easily adjusted counter/clockwise via a recessed flat-headed screw but coming from a staple diet of Look/Keo/SPD systems this took several attempts to hone perfectly. A few entry/exit drills later and I've notched up several hundred miles in perfect harmony. Five degrees of float isn't the only recipe for comfort- the platforms provide plenty of support in both modes, allowing me to forgo orthopaedic inserts completely.

Coupled with the rigidity, these meant I could gallop along close to race pace up hill and down dale for several, successive hours. My full 70 kilos dancing on the climbs failed to induce the faintest trace of flex, so those nudging ninety shouldn't have any bother. That said, smooth soled sport-touring soles induced an annoying squeak, ceasing immediately when swapped for rugged mtb trainer types. Scooting round town, the replaceable flat platforms provide surprisingly good purchase in anything from brogues to pumps while allowing those split-second dab-downs though concrete jungle and technical singlertack alike.

Verdict

Versatile pedals for newbies, cross, commuting and general riding, albeit a bit pricey for town hacks.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Time All Road pedals

Size tested: Red

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

"An innovative concept of a versatile pedal that meets the needs of many cyclists : cyclo-sport, touring, commuting, leisure ..... and is ideal for beginners, casual and experienced cyclists".

My sentiments in a nut-shell.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

■Steel axle

■Aluminium body

■Platform with co-moulded elastomer studs

■ATAC : Auto Tension Adjustment Concept foot retention is independent from spring tension

■SENSOR: regulation of angular sensations

■STABILITY - SELF-CLEANING - RELIABILITY - EASY ENTRY

■ANGULAR FLOAT: 5deg

■LATERAL FLOAT: 5 mm

■Available in blue, red and grey

■Weight: 400 grams per pair

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Very well engineered and should last many, many years.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Equally at home off road thanks to the ATAC mechanism's mud shedding prowess.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Bomb-proof.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

400g pr

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Superb, with loats of support and knee-friendly float

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

There is no doubt the All Road closely resemble an MTB pedal but for general riding this is a real boon, offering plenty of support in both (cleated and platform) modes on and sans asphalt. Build quality is superb and while user-serviceable, I can't forsee any need to touch the bearings for several seasons.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Pretty much everything from the cleat design and it's unrivaled float to the bomb-proof build quality. A fantastic concept.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing, although the co-moulded silicone dots on the platform side wear quite rapidly.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Time All Road pedals
Time
Clipless Pedal
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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1 comments

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antonio | 13 years ago
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If these pedals get me up and down hills at almost race pace for several hours I'm having some, bound to improve a bit on my recent long thirty in a local 'ten'.

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