A pre-UDH TIME ADHX 45 closeout frame built up as an affordable TIME — SRAM Rival AXS XPLR 1×12, aluminum Boyd wheels, and a full Easton cockpit. A direct full build from TIME starts around $6K; the idea here was to get the frame that makes the ADHX 45 worth riding into a build that undercuts most big-brand Rival bikes out of the box.
The Build
The Closeout Frame Opportunity
When TIME updated the ADHX 45 with a universal derailleur hanger, the shop got its hands on a batch of the previous pre-UDH frames at closeout pricing and built a variety of bikes out of them. It’s the same carbon and the same ride — just without the UDH. Steve has been riding one of those frames himself, a green 1x Force build (set up as a gravel bike, sometimes with road tires). For a budget-focused build, giving up the UDH to get a real TIME frame at this price is an easy trade.
One small regret: the new UDH frames don’t carry this paint scheme. The green and this blue both look great, and they’re a big part of why these closeout frames are so appealing.
The Budget Approach
TIME ADHX 45 builds usually start with a Shimano GRX series or SRAM Force drivetrain and up. To hit an entry price, this one was built around SRAM Rival AXS XPLR (1×12) instead — last year’s version, not the new 13-speed. For most gravel riders that’s not a meaningful difference: the wireless shifting is clean, the XPLR cassette gives good range, and there’s nothing about the build that holds the frame back. It’s the shop’s standing philosophy — pick a price point and build the best bike you can for it.
And it leaves room to grow. If a rider wants to add a power meter or step up to carbon wheels down the road, the drivetrain doesn’t have to change — everything on it is ready to ride as-is.
“No pun intended — it rivals many of the stock builds you’re gonna get from a big manufacturer. And you’re getting one of these TIME frames.” — Steve
Wheels & Finishing Kit
The wheels are Boyd aluminum — good gravel hoops at a price that keeps the whole build accessible, and an easy thing to upgrade to carbon later if a rider wants. The cockpit is all Easton: an AX50 aluminum gravel bar, an EA70 stem, and an EA50 seatpost, with Pirelli Cinturato tires. The white bar tape is a deliberate choice — Steve’s been pairing it with these bold frame paint schemes lately — and it’s matched to a white test saddle. The buyer gets a budget to pick their own saddle at pickup and swap the test seat off.
Compared to the RLT Custom Builds
The shop has built a number of Niner RLT gravel bikes with a very similar Rival or GRX spec, and this TIME comes in at roughly the same price. That makes it a genuine fork in the road: two very different riding experiences at comparable cost. The RLT is the versatile all-rounder; the ADHX 45 is the lighter, sportier, more specific gravel bike. Worth knowing which one you actually want before choosing.
A real TIME frame at an entry price
This is what a smart budget build looks like: spend on the frame — a TIME ADHX 45 that rides phenomenally — and choose sensible, fully functional parts everywhere else. The result is a custom Rival AXS build that likely costs less than a big brand’s boxed Rival bike, with a far better frame underneath and a clear upgrade path when the rider’s ready. Hard to argue with.
Want a Custom TIME Build?
We carry the TIME ADHX 45 at Maklin Bike Shop in Scandia, MN, and can build to your spec and budget. Ask us what’s available.