(warning this youtube link contains material not suitable for children)
Primarily, I went with a tried and true Campagnolo Centaur gruppo. Some people don't care for the Quickshift mechanism but I appreciate its accuracy and light weight. Don't forget Danilo DiLuca won the Giro on a set of Centaur Quick Shifts!
A nice feature of the now dated square taper Centaur cranks is that they come with Record level chainrings. I wish I could say the same about the new Centaur cranks.
Centaur rear derailleur with a carbon cage. Save some steel bolts this is identical to first generation Carbon Record.
Clean looks on this front derailleur fitted to a SRAM Red clamp.
The 3T bars and stems have done nothing but impress me with their gorgeous looks, precise and well finished hardware not to mention their stiffness and strength.
Bold yet tasteful graphics.
Note the "3T" etched out of the faceplate. When paired with its counterpart 3T bar you get a visually striking front end. Also note the Fizik Microtex Handlebar Tape... by far the best available on todays market.
Nice low profile clamp with easy to adjust bolt design. None of that reverse mounting nonsense we see from some other brands.
When you weigh 150lbs soaking wet you get to take advantage of some gram savings with weight weenie items. I have come to the conclusion that 99% of weight weenie crap is just that but these Zero G Ti's (I have these on special order FYI, just ask) serve me well.
Cork Pads are becoming a must have as most riders like to switch between alloy and carbon wheels without concurrently swapping brake pads constantly. This specific brand of pads which I carry offer paramount stopping power and are very reasonably priced.
Though Campagnolo and Shimano offer arguably the best hubs on the market due to their ball bearings, you just can't go wrong with DT Swiss.
The R1.1 rims are very durable, light and stiff. These are offered in a single or double eyelet design depending on how sturdy of a wheel your weight and riding terrain dictate. These 28hole single eyelet'd wheels took me through the cyclocross season in its entirity (Thank You Richard) and now grace my road bike.
A nice feature of DT Swiss over Campagnolo hubs is that you can lace the DT Swiss with a radial pattern. The dominant feature of DT Swiss over Shimano Dura Ace hubs is the substantial weight savings and black finish.
Nothing makes a wheelset complete like a nice set of skewers. I went with the smooth cam'd DT Swiss Steel version. Light enough, good looking but most importantly; trust worthy.
Here we see not only the beauty and simplicity of a square taper crank but also the aluminum bottom bracket lug on the Time Edge Racer. In the aluminum BB shell I feel no difference in stiffness or in weight compared to the carbon bottom bracket on the VXR Proteam I test rode last fall.
Looking down and seeing this brings me joy. The Time Quikset allows you to have a clean finished top cap... no finicky bolts, no headsets coming loose. In my opinion this is a key feature of Times that is often overlooked.
The water bottle bosses are low on these bikes and some cages may not work. I originally wanted to install a set of Arundel Mandibles on this bike but had to go with the Arundel Stainless Steel model instead. After two rides I am very happy to have metal hugging my bottles.
These simple, no nonsense dropouts allow for lightning quick wheel changes. An important feature for any racer or mechanic.
My Edge Racer came with the amazingly stiff Time Pro Carbon Seatpost... these precision frame accessories retail for $270!
Note the 3rd eye chain-watcher. Everyone should have one of these on their bikes regardless if they race or not. Why drop and chain and mar your bottom bracket shell if you don't have to?
Time still uses downtube shift cable bosses. At first this kind of irked me but I have grown to like the ease of cable adjustment on the fly. On my bike I fitted a nice pair of Campagnolo stops. Note: Time frames do not come included with these Campanolo frame fittings.
A nice shot of the Time Quickset... Ahhhh.
I just may have the nicest training tires in New Hampshire. 25mm Vredesteins Fortezzas. For craggy, rough roads it is great to have a set of 25s mounted. In my opinion anything more is unnecessary. Click on the image to see just how nice this tread pattern is.
Times wishbone seatstay oozes class and keeps the rear wheel planted firmly on the ground over the most non-compliant vertical and horizontal forces.
Black sidewalls and prominent but non-offensive logos make the Vredesteins a tasteful compliment to any wheelset.
Arundel is producing the best bottle cages by far. Who cares? If you are asking this question you need only lose a bottle on a sweltering hot day to understand. Why suffer more than necessary?
To purchase a Time Edge Racer contact me at "justin@sveltecycles.com" or call 603 943-4202.
Cheers,
Justin
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