Published November 19, 2015 09:32AM
Reviewed: Time Skylon aero road bike
Time's aero offering inspired us to push a little harder during testing, but its high price tag is a bit much.
Time's Skylon was impressive on both the road and in the lab. Photo: Brad Kaminski
MSRP: $11,950 ($5,350 for frame, fork, headset, seatpost)
Weight: 14.3 pounds
Size tested: 56cm (Medium)
Overall Star Rating: 4.5/5
There’s something to be said for how fast a bike feels, rather than how fast it actually is. As our lab testing indicated, the Skylon was not the most aerodynamic bike we’ve reviewed, yet out on the road we were inspired to push a little harder, since we felt like this bike really flew.
The Skylon had a more muted ride when compared to other aero bikes like the Cervélo S5, which seemed eager to jump forward when we really mashed on the pedals. It also led to a more dampened feel that was nice over the rough stuff. While you wouldn’t want this on Roubaix cobbles, the Skylon held its own over rougher dirt roads.
Handling better than the other aero bikes we’ve tested, the Skylon cornered solidly and gave us a boost of confidence on descents. It’s not a true all-arounder, since it still has a somewhat harsh ride like most aero bikes, but we were generally impressed with the overall feel of this bike.
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Time’s aero offering came close to being truly comfortable. Road vibrations were far less noticeable and the geometry made for a riding position that was aggressive yet comfortable as the miles ticked away. This was perhaps due to a longer head tube (16.6cm) and head tube angle (73 degrees) that felt just right.
The Skylon seemed to accelerate better than many of the aero bikes we’ve tested. We’re talking about tiny differences between the best bike and the rest, but out on the racecourse, that could be the difference between first place and no place. The Time accelerated very well, though if we had to guess, in a dead sprint the Cervélo S5 would get up to speed faster.
The Skylon comes with an astronomical price tag of $11,950, which you might consider absurd. This certainly makes it less attractive than similar bikes, especially considering it comes with a mechanical Dura-Ace groupset rather than Di2. At this price, everything should be top of the line; Time missed the mark a bit here.