Bontrager Race DLX Road shoes

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.

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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.