Bontrager Race DLX Road shoes review

Sneaking under £100 by a single penny, these Bontrager Race DLX Road shoes are a very impressive package.

Cycling Weekly Verdict

For under £100, the Bontrager Race DLX Road shoes are both stiff and comfortable with impressive power transfer and good looks. However the ratchet design could be better.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Nice and comfortable

  • +

    Impressive power transfer

  • +

    Secure heel cup

  • +

    Good looking

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Poorly designed ratchet

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By Henry Robertshaw
published

With a price pushing hard against the £100 mark, the Bontrager Race DLX Road shoes turned out to be some of the most comfortable that I’ve ridden from this sector of the market.

The shoes feature Bontrager’s inForm Race footbed which provides plenty of support, while there’s still plenty of wiggle room to prevent your feet going to sleep on longer rides.

>>> Cycling shoes: a buyer's guide

Performance is also impressive, with power transfer very good for a nylon composite sole. The reason for this is the PowerTruss system, which effectively splits the sole into two levels, giving a Forth Bridge-like look from the side. It may appear a little odd, but there’s no doubt that this creates a stiffer sole without splashing out on pricy carbon-fibre. A super-secure heel cup prevents heel slippage, further aiding power transfer.

However, the ratchet adjustment system was less impressive — easy enough to tighten but a little tricky to loosen. And if you have narrow feet and find yourself tightening the ratchet to the max, releasing the system isn’t easy — brute force the only option to free your feet.

For more details visit the Bontrager website (opens in new tab).

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Henry Robertshaw

Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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