Time releases "lightest road pedals" yet and revamps range with new looks

Time – the French pedal brand which was acquired by SRAM in 2021– has updated its pedal range into a simpler and sleeker line-up with a few minor technical updates, including different spindle length options for the XPRO models. With the new looks and fewer options to choose from, Time says it's "easier to compare models and select your perfect pedal". 

The updates have been implemented across Time's pedal range which consists of road pedals plus options for mountain bike, gravel and commuter cyclists. If you are interested in the off-road pedals, then head over to off.road.cc to read more about the changes implemented to the Speciale and ATAC XC pedals, as we're focusing on the roadie options here. 

As you can see from the lineup chart above, the clipless pedal options for roadies are now limited to five pedals: three models for the XPRO and two for the XPRESSO. Let's go through both of them in detail…

Time XPRO pedals

The XPRO pedal series is Time's ultimate road performance pedal and according to Time, the range-topping XPRO 12 SL is " the lightest pedal system currently on the market", with the pair of pedals weighing a mere 174.6g (we better get out coffee scales out to verify that).

That said, the outgoing XPRO 15 weighed pretty much the same and is, apart from the looks and minor tech tweaks, essentially the same pedal as the SL 12. 

The biggest change to the range comes not in the weights of the pedals, but rather in the different spindle options which allow for better adjustment of Q-factor (the distance between your pedals). Though you could previously alter the Q-factor on the time pedals by swapping the cleats around, Time has now introduced three spindle lengths to the XPRO range – while you can still continue to fine-tune the stance width with the cleats, too. 

The spindle length options are narrow (51mm), regular (53mm), and wide (57mm). And continuing on adjustments, while you could previously adjust the pedal's retention with a dial, Time has now added a helpful “Min./ Mid./ Max."  indicator on the side of the pedal to make setting that tightness easier. 

As it comes to materials, all of the XPRO pedals have been made with injected carbon-fibre composite bodies with a stainless steel plate, but it's the internals that differ depending on the pedal. 

The 12 SL – which in essence is a gold-coated XPRO 15 – comes with a hollow titanium spindle, and ceramic bearings, while the XPRO 12 gets a titanium axle, and the XPRO 10 spins on a hollow steel axle. The stack height on all of the pedals is the same 14.7mm - up from 13.5mm on the previous generation pedals. 

> Time Xpro 10 pedals review

The cleat system on the XPRO's remain the same as previously: they take the ICLIC Float cleats, offering 10° (+/-5°) of angular float and 2.5mm (+/-1.25mm) of lateral float – or if you so wish you can also opt for the ICLIC Fixed cleat with zero angular and lateral float. 

In terms of serviceability, SRAM says the Time XPRO pedals are covered by its two-year warranty, and the carbon spring blades for the XPRO pedals are replaceable and can even be doubled to increase the carbon spring retention. The bottom cover kit and a full Rebuild Kit is also available separately. 

The XPRO lineup's claimed weights and prices are as follows:

• XPRO 12 SL (87g per pedal) - £440
• XPRO 12 (94g) - £305
• XPRO 10 (113g) - £160

Time XPRESSO pedals

The XPRESSO lineup is a little bit more affordable and well, a less refined option than the XPRO. As such, it forgoes the three spindle length options of its fancier big sister, as well as the dial for adjusting the cleat tension. This means the updates to this lineup – which has been narrowed to two pedals: XPRESSO 6 and 4 – really only include new graphics and a lower price point than the previous generation XPRESSO pedals.

The XPRESSO pedals come in XPRESSO 6 and XPRESSO 4 options. Both have a slightly taller stack than the XPRO, measuring 15.1mm, and similarly, the pedal bodies and spindles are less focused on pure lightweight-ness. 

> When should you get new cleats?

The XPRESSO 6 comes with an injected glass-fibre composite body with a stainless steel plate, while the XPRESSO 4 settles for an injected glass-fibre composite body without any steel reinforcement. 

The XPRESSO pedals also have a smaller contact area of 700mm² compared to the 725mm² for the XPRO. The cleat options are the same and though there are no different spindle length options, you can adjust the stance width by swapping the cleats onto the opposite shoes.

The XPRESSO lineup's claimed weights and prices are as follows:

• XPRESSO 6 (115g) - £95
• XPRESSO 4 (115g) - £65

It's worth noting that when we reviewed the previous version of the Time Xpro 10 pedals, road.cc editor Jack experienced a curious squeaking noise when pedalling, that Time's UK distributor at the time acknowledged had been reported by a "small amount of customers", adding that Time was "investigating". Theories as to why this was happening ranged from pedalling action to variations in cleat set-up, and could be slightly mitigated with Teflon spray.

Five years on, have the investigations led to any resolutions? Not exactly, with Time continuing to insist only a small number of riders are affected. 

A Time representative told road.cc: "Our new XPRO pedals (10, 12 and 12SL) have been updated on a few aspects such as product appearance, spring retention indicator and spindle length options... the rest [of] the pedals remain identical to what they were in the past collection.

"This noise you’re referring to seems to appear in rare cases. Our engineering team is collecting and taking care of issues like this one and is continuously improving the pedals.

"If the problem you noticed is also seen by other users, please let us know. Also, if this pedal is an isolated case, then this product is covered by a warranty of 2 years that will cover this problem."

Glad that's cleared up, then! We'll be reviewing some of the new pedals in the coming weeks, and you can find out more at sram.com.