Bontrager is a brand that is synonomous with quality.The RXL is the top shoe in the Bontrager shoe hierarchy using the Bontrager ‘Gold Series’ Carbon Sole, two Velcro closures on the instep and the ‘Caliper Buckle’ ratcheting, top enclosure. When the new Bontrager RXL shoes landed in my office I was excited to get out for a ride. . .

Good looking shoes for a good price

Name/model: Bontrager RXL Road Shoes, White, Size: EUR 43, US 9.5, UK 8.5 (new model available in November!)
Compatible with: All major pedal systems
Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price: CNY 1580
Weight: 615 grams for the pair
Company website: www.bontrager.com/products/mens_apparel/shoes - thus far English only
Intended Use: Road racing and training
Purchase locations: www.trekbikes.com. Bontrager is distributed around Asia by Trek
Competitors: Based on the price of this product this is a tricky question. With a MSRP of CNY 1580, the Bontragers compete with such shoes as the DMT Ultimax 2, Gaerne G. Fora, maybe a couple of others. Really though, can you put a price on style?

When the Bontrager RXL was first released I was very interested. Bontrager had produced a good looking shoe that seemed very competitive from a price perspective. For a background on the Bontrager brand, see our previous review of Bontragers new TT Specific tire HERE

Marketing blurb

The RXL Road shoe takes an uncompromising approach to performance and comfort. The RXL sports premium-grade uppers mated to our best Gold-level carbon outsoles. Impressively lightweight. Extremely efficient. And fully adjustable for unbeatable, all-day comfort. The RXL Road delivers serious performance to serious athletes--exactly what you'd expect from the crown jewel of Bontrager's road line-up.

Real world translation
Bontragers goal in these shoes was to make you comfortable. Basically they designed these shoes to fit a huge range of foot shapes, and make sure you pedal properly, thanks to a stiff sole which is a hand-laid, unidirectional carbon fibre.

Look

The Bontrager RXL - a tidy looking pair of shoes

When I first opened these shoes I was actually surprised how good looking, and how white these shoes are - they even made my white socks look less than white! Living in Shanghai I have always been reluctant to wear white shoes as equipment gets dirty quite easily here, and the Bontragers are unfortunately no different with noticeable dirt after just 2 rides. The upper has a good blend of mesh to reduce weight and increase ventilation as well as synthetic leather to assist with durability. This is good and bad, the result is a shoe that has really clean shiny parts and dirty dull parts after use.

Feel/Fit

To quote from bontrager.com:

“Bontrager shoes are designed to be the best fitting and most comfortable performance-oriented cycling shoes on the market.”

A very difficult goal to deliver on, however the first thing I noticed when I put on these shoes was how ‘roomy’ they felt. By roomy, I mean my feet felt instantly at comfortable and 'at home'. This may have been due to the eSoles inserts, however it was a nice, instantly welcoming feeling. I have particularly picky feet which, if not at home, instantly fall asleep. This can be a painful numbness that slowly creeps up my lower legs, and almost always starts after two hours, to two and a half hours of riding. It really assists me in review shoes for our readers!

If we start from my toes and work our way back, the first thing you notice is how wide the toe box is. This definitely allows ones foot to spread out and get comfortable, however if you are a cyclist that likes to wear your shoes tight it may concern you initially. Unlike previous shoes we have tried such as the Specialized BG, these shoes have quite a bit more mesh in the toe to midsole which gives the impression of lacking support. I really had to use the Velcro straps to make sure my feet were secure. Once the Velcro was strapped down and the ratcheting buckle was also firmly secure I felt the shoe was on. During big geared training as well as sprint drills I had no problems with my feet sliding around or with heal slip at the back of the shoe - the heel cup fit my narrow heels well.

Side view - very good shoes for the price

I tested these shoes during a particularly rainy period here in Shanghai so it’s fair to say that they got they very, very wet more than once. I found it interesting that these shoes seemed to stay wet for a long time. Having lived in Vancouver, Canada for a number of years I know pretty much every trick for drying a shoe, but had no luck draining the material effectively. One other note was that if you get the eSoles wet, the bright orange colour will bleed onto your socks :(

eSoles were a huge value-add in this package and they work very, very well. Just don't get them wet

Inside the shoe ventilation holes are prevalent - this should be an excellent shoe for hot summers

On the positive side the water drained out the bottom of the shoes AMAZINGLY well so my feet were never swimming. Obviously this tells us that the shoes should vent extremely well in the heat and keep your feet nice and cool. The fact that the sole is white should also be very helpful in reflecting heat.

Great design on the heal - very stable. Unfortunately my pair were chipped when received

The heel rubber is great - it was very stable with the two gold 'rails' running down either side of the heel. At this stage they are not replaceable however.

Features

In my opinion, the outstanding feature of the Bontragers is the Gold Series Carbon sole. Certainly this sole isn’t the stiffest on the market, but they are aiming to stay comfortable and the shoes accomplish this quite well. During races there isn’t noticeable flex in the sole, however they don't feel as stiff as some other shoes. Lets keep in mind that stiffness isn’t the only measure of a shoe! The bottom line is they are comfortable and efficient due to a well designed sole.

The Bontrager Gold Series Carbon Sole - just enough flex to stay very comfortable on long rides

With regard to the Lorica and mesh, I found that they noticeably show dirt. Fortunately, they come clean with a soft finger-brush and mild soap, so it wasn't a big problem if you take care of your equipment. I did have one issue I’m afraid… the upper in my right shoe split after about 1 month of use. The break in the upper wasn’t a serious problem, but it does raise a question on the longer term durability of the shoe. We are looking forward to a thorough test of the 2010 model as we have been assured all issues have been fixed.

The retention system works consistently, however if you have quite thin feet like me you will have to use ALL of the Velcro. I also had to use all of the ratchet however this is adjustable. I found that if I wanted to reduce the tension on the Caliper Buckle while riding the buckle will only jump about 3-5 “notches”, on initial release. A buckle system with more ‘micro’ adjustability or that would allow about 1/3 of this release of the current buckle would be preferred.

Very Pro!

• Very white. It’s a personal preference, and I like the small hints of gold
• Personality – “ALWAYS LEAD, NEVER FOLLOW”. Little details like this impressed me, and made the product unique
• Fit – personally my feet were comfortable in the heel-cup, buckle, and strap. There was also lots of room in the toe box for my picky feet
• Great value at CNY 1580

Not so pro. . .

• eSoles bleed colour onto your fresh white socks
• Attention to detail needs work for a high end pair of shoes – chipped heel etc
• Longevity in cleanliness – ok, they’re white. A little soap & water does the trick
• Durability is a concern

Small details like the message "Always Lead, never follow" under the Velcro straps make the Bontragers tough to dislike

Bottom Line
The Bontrager RXL is an easy shoe to like. They are economical, and in my opinion they are a good looking shoe, they are easy to set up and with the addition of the eSoles they seem quite a tidy product for their price. If you consider that a pair of Sidi 6.6 will set you back $$$$$$ it puts the Bontrager in perspective.

The test rider
Height: 185cm               Weight: 67kg
Product experience: The test rider has previous ridden shoes from Diadora, Sidi, Lake, Specialized, Pearl Izumi and Time
Gender: Male               Years riding experience: 13
Type of riding done mostly: Road racing, training, Cross and Mountain bike riding

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