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rapha pro-team road shoes

rapha pro-team road shoes

the idea behind waterproof socks is, from a logical point of view, quite sound. with many road shoes and one or two destined for the offroad world, featuring ventilation on the upper, it's not hard to see where rain or road water might gain easy access to those little tootsies. thermal, windproof and waterproof socks would appear to be the very things to mitigate against undesired ingress, and assuming your shoes to be up to accommodating a modestly increased bulk, autumn and winter riders no longer need fear frostbite or rust.

rapha pro-team road shoes

but those of you who possess even a single pair of waterproof socks will undoubtedly have already found the fly in that very ointment. assuming we're still discussing the art of pedalling in cold, wet and windy winter months, there's an evens chance the nether regions will be clad in thermal bibtights, the legs of which will be carefully arranged over the top of the aforementioned waterproof socks. thus, when the legs of those tights become eventually and often quickly saturated with precipitation, capillary action will almost certainly draw excess water inside a pair of socks designed to repel boarders from the outside.

ironically, it's a simple test to prove the efficacy of warranted waterproofing, by noting that the rainwater remains steadfastly inside the sock even when removed prior to a much-needed, hot shower. it happens to me all the time and it happened most recently midweek past.

rapha pro-team road shoes

rapha were kind enough to send a pair of their newly announced pro-team road shoes, some two weeks ago, just in time for pretty much all hebridean riding to be curtailed first by storm ciara and very soon afterwards by her brother dennis. i would be fibbing if i intimated that i had remained indoors for the duration of both, but given that the ritchey currently sports a pair of campagnolo bora wto 33mm section carbon rims, i thought discretion to be the better part of valour and ventured out on the 'cross bike, with its better stability in the face of storm-force crosswinds and affording the opportunity to nip onto the grass at uiskentuie strand.

rapha pro-team road shoes

the specialized 'cross bike currently sports a pair of ritchey off-road pedals, necessitating footwear capable of accepting a two-bolt cleat. to be honest, the majority of the sunday morning peloton make use of this type of shoe, even on their road bikes, for pragmatic reasons rather than any mistaken aesthetic appreciation. with the majority of our parcours comprised of single-track roads with passing places, it often seems a tad safer to dab a foot on the grass verge with a chunky sole and minimal cleatage, than take our chances with an ultra smooth carbon sole and a triangular, three-bolt cleat that will undoubtedly fill with mud.

until recently, that state of affairs has entailed that the ritchey be fitted with tom's micro-road pedal, an item that bucks the road-going trend and features an all-metal, two bolt micro cleat. road shoes need not apply. however, in order that i re-acquaint myself with the duck-walk into debbie's, ritchey kindly sent a pair of their wcs carbon road pedals specifically to match rapha's highly desirable pro-team shoes.

a review of the pedals will ensue shortly.

rapha pro-team road shoes

meanwhile, having apparently discovered a hole in the incessant stormy weather currently strafing the hebrides, i elected to spend a very wet wednesday, acclimatising myself with the joys and possible iniquities of larger cleats and bigger pedals. i should probably point out that during all of my rides in the pro-team shoes, they have been obscured from view by highly necessary, waterproof overshoes, though these have in no way mitigated the resulting review.

long before the pro-team shoes made it anywhere near the hebrides, they had been subjected to the rigours of pro-team demands, specifically riders such as ef education first's lachlan morton and neilson powless. logic would dictate that you never ask a pro rider for advice on clothing, footwear, bicycles or componentry, specifically on the basis that they're paid to ride whatever is provided by the sponsor. thus, to read mr morton's claims that "I generally hate new shoes for a month, but loved these straight out of the box.", or neilson powless "After the first ride I already knew I wanted them for the race (tour down under)" are hardly definitive recommendations on which to hand over your £260 there and then.

rapha pro-team road shoes

however, it transpires that, in this case, their perceptions are right on the money. it is my habit to change into my secret identity in the bathroom, before making my way downstairs in my slippers, prior to adding the peripherals, such as helmet, gloves, jacket and footwear. i jest not when i state that the transition between well-worn slippers and these brand new pro-team road shoes was pretty much seamless. the extra bulk of the waterproof socks disturbed the proffered comfort not one whit.

rapha claim that the jacquard woven powerweave upper features 'glove-like comfort', a claim with which i'd be more than happy to agree. additional claims that the powerweave' flexibility allows it to 'hug the foot' seem perfectly justified. during a very wet and windy wednesday bike ride that had necessitated wearing of their pro-team, goretex hooded jacket, i'd pretty much forgotten that in which my feet were encased within a matter of kilometres, probably the finest compliment that can be paid to any pair of cycling shoes. the stiff carbon sole seemed only to aid and abet that comfort.

rapha pro-team road shoes

with these new shoes, rapha have eschewed the old-skool trend to equip cycling footwear with laces, opting instead for the admittedly more pragmatic boa closure system, handy if readying for the final sprint (though, in truth, i doubt i'll ever find out). tension is applied easily by turning the two dials anti-clockwise; for a quick exit, 'tis but a matter of pulling upwards on each dial to loosen the cable. the shoes arrived with their own musette, in which there are a couple of small insoles allowing even finer tailoring of their out-of-the-box comfort. mine are still within the musette, as i found the insole comfort to be just ginger peachy, thank you very much.

rapha pro-team road shoes

though a goodly proportion of rapha's pro-team range of clothing is designed to fit those of a slim consitution (mamils need not apply), this latest release of similarly badged footwear features no such retstriction. power transfer (meagre though that may be) is greatly enhanced by the closeness of fit and that immoveable carbon sole, but most certainly not at the expense of comfort. additionally, their comparatively light weight of around 220g per shoe (size 42) only enhances the experience of being an ef education first professional, without the contractual need to ride quite so fast.

they did not succeed in keeping my feet either warm or dry during my exceedingly inclement mid-week bike ride, and i never expected that they would. however, they did offer unsurpassed comfort. subsequent rides have done nothing to undermine that particular claim.



rapha's pro-team road shoes are available in black, white, or a purple/blue rainbow effect. available sizes range from 36 - 47, with half-sizes available from 40 and above. size reviewed was 44. price is £260. rcc members can purchase from tomorrow, while general release is on wednesday 27 february.

monday 25 february 2020

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................