LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BRAIN) — TIME Bicycles is officially re-entering the U.S. market under its new ownership and with a new IBD sales group. For the first time since the brand was acquired from Groupe Rossignol, it will have complete bikes, a new gravel model and a supply of frames in the U.S.
"There was a long list of things we didn't have until now," said Tony Karklins, the CEO of Cardinal Cycling Group, which bought the brand from Groupe Rossignol last year.
Time continues to manufacture frames in its factory in Slovakia; complete bikes for the U.S. are being assembled in a new Arkansas facility.
Cardinal has hired Velo Premiere, a new venture started by Rotor Bike Components’ Lori Barrett, to handle U.S. IBD sales.
Since the acquisition, much of TIME's production has gone to the European and Asian markets, with a few frames shipped directly from the factory to U.S. dealers. Now TIME has framesets in stock, with complete bikes expected mid-month.
Bikes will feature SRAM and Campagnolo groups, HED wheels, Deda cockpits and Goodyear tires. Pre-orders for complete bikes begin May 6.
Velo Premiere will manage inside and outside IBD sales and fulfill TIME orders from the European factory and the Arkansas facility.
“We are thrilled to be working with TIME Bicycles," Barrett said. "As one of the most prestigious brands in cycling, TIME is a perfect fit for our services at Velo Premiere. With TIME’s production being 100% in Europe, we know their quality & technology are unrivaled. And as we all know, it is a good time to have a supply chain that is unaffected by Asian factory delays. We are excited to support this legendary brand in bike shops across the country.”
In addition to IBD sales, TIME is selling bikes and frames from its own website. Some brick-and-mortar dealers will be authorized to sell online at full price as well, Karklins said, but TIME will not be available from any large e-commerce retailers or third-party online vendors.
Karklins said TIME's frameset production rate in Gajary, Slovakia, is roughly the same as during the height of TIME's popularity when it was owned by its founder, Roland Cattin. Production now is at about twice the rate it was when Cardinal bought TIME from Rossignol, he said. While capacity is limited to around 5,000 framesets a year, TIME has had none of the supply chain problems faced by Asian manufacturers, he said, other than the lack of componentry until recently.
