It's been some time in the making but Time has introduced a sportive-specific bike in the form of the Time VRS Vibraser.

With much of the Time range made up of race bikes, the Time VRS Vibraser stands on its own as a bike specifically built for comfort over long distances.

As with many of Time’s offerings the VRS Vibraser comes with an integrated seatpost and is sold as part of a ‘module’ including forks, headset, stem and bottle cage, or as a fully built bike. Our test machine was built up with Campagnolo’s 11-speed Chorus groupset and was the first time we’d had the chance to use the ‘basic’ 11-speed option. As for the wheels, we used a set of Campagnolo Shamal 2-Way Fits with tubeless tyres.

Out on the road the lack of shock passed onto the rider is quickly noticeable; of course you still feel what you’re riding over but the shocks are significantly dulled, which is very impressive. In fact, once or twice on the first couple of rides I found myself checking to see if the tyre had a flat, such was the shock absorbency — astounding.

Verdict

The Time VRS Vibraser is typical of the quality ride we’ve come to associate with Time; it’s fast, nimble and responsive. What was less typical was its slightly ‘loose’ and wayward nature when hitting bumps at high speed. The rear end didn’t track quite as directly as the front, something that can be put down to the extra flexibility in the seatstays. If out and out comfort is what you’re looking for then the Time VRS Vibraser is class-leading, but it’s slightly compromised the stability to achieve this.

Reviewer: Mike Hawkins