Bont shoes

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StevieB
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:54 pm

by StevieB

ph wrote:Photo from cyclingtips Eurobike coverage. What is the model on the right? I don't think it is the Zero+ without the cover. The upper closure in the pic looks almost like the Vapor closure with a dial rather than ratchet.


WIP model from the sound of it; saw a pic of a similar one on a Garmin rider during the season, but with only the rear BOA and the regular Vaypor strap in front. Nice to see them catching up with me; my Frankensteined a-two's... 8)

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nathanong87
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by nathanong87

^ that looks great

spud
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by spud

having ridden Vaypor plus for a while now, I think BOA/Et al are good for a few things - allowing good ventilation across the top of the foot, and distributing pressure evenly. I don't think they are optimal for closing off the top of the shoe, as they can be very hard to grip when your hands get really sweaty, and the retention of two small wires allows some vertical take-up through the tongue cushioning.

I think they should build a vaypor with a buckle at the back tightening a sail-cloth type strap, and one or two Boa dials down below with a well ventilated tongue. That would give maximum retention, as well as greater ventilation than you can manage with 3 straps.

etownfwd
Posts: 236
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Location: Central PA

by etownfwd

StevieB wrote: ... Nice to see them catching up with me; my Frankensteined a-two's... 8)


First things first: :welcome:

Second thing: That looks fantastic! Would you be willing to share how you did that? I have a pair of A-One's and a pair of CTT "Vaypors" that I would love to upgrade with Boa's.

-efwd

StevieB
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:54 pm

by StevieB

etownfwd wrote:
StevieB wrote: ... Nice to see them catching up with me; my Frankensteined a-two's... 8)


First things first: :welcome:

Second thing: That looks fantastic! Would you be willing to share how you did that? I have a pair of A-One's and a pair of CTT "Vaypors" that I would love to upgrade with Boa's.

-efwd


Glad to, and thanks. It's an easy mod, really. The only tricky bit is finding the lace loop, since although you can buy replacement dials direct from BOA, the lace loops are only available to shoe manufacturers. The BOA dial you'll need is the Low Power Reel - S2, since it has an offset tab with a screw hole for mounting it. That lets you just remove the current buckle and mount the BOA dial in its place.

https://www4.boatechnology.com/home.php?cat=329

I scrounged around and found a pair of ragged-out Specialized shoes on eBay that I bought cheap to cannibalize the lace loops from. Brand doesn't matter though, and they don't need to be good shoes or in good shape. The lace loops are pretty much the same on any of them, and even if the shoes are completely falling apart otherwise, the loops are likely to be fine. So don't be afraid to use shoes you're afraid to touch... :wink:

Once you've rounded up some lace loops, you'll need a local shoe shop to simply remove the plastic bit that the OEM buckle strap goes through and replace it with the BOA lace loop piece; a very easy job for any shoe repair shop. It wasn't necessary for the conversion, but while I was at it I had them remove the whole upper tongue cover/wrap piece, straps and all, and move it back towards the ankle a bit since I thought it was too far forward on the shoe. Also, the left & right sides had not been sewn on quite the same at the factory, so I had excess straps on one side. You can see the stitching holes in the picture on mine where they originally were. My shoe shop charged me less than $20 to do the whole thing... 8)

Next bit was also optional. You may want to just mount the BOA dial in the same place as your current buckle, but I moved it back and up a bit, since in OEM condition the main back strap didn't lay across my high instep quite right. Just pulled the OEM strap tight across my foot without threading it through the buckle and figured out where the hole needed to be to make it match the angle over the top of my foot. Drilled a hole, pulled the thread insert out of the original hole and put it in the new one. You can see the original hole in mine; I figure it's extra ventilation and less weight! :wink:

All that was left was threading the laces through the loops, re-tying the knots in the ends and having a go. Works great; the S2 is micro-adjustable in both directions, with asymmetric dials on each foot so you turn forward to tighten, back to loosen, and the increment is about a half millimeter per click instead of about three times that for a "micro" half step adjustment on the OEM ATOP buckles.

goonz
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:29 pm

by goonz

Hello all, I have been reading this thread for a few days now and have just bought a pair of Bont Vaypors in bright yellow and have to say this thread is the single most useful resource on Bont shoes. Long may it continue.

Heres my 2 cents.

I have a fairly wide foot meaning most shoes were tricky to fit into. I just ended my love affair with Sidi after buying both the Wires and Dominators and deciding neither fit me the way I want. I am normally a size 8 if the shoe fits otherwise have to go to a 9. In the wires I had to buy a 10 and even this was not comfortably wide but too long meaning a gap at the heel.

So having sold these on, I decided to give Bonts a try. Honestly, I tried everything not to choose them because they didnt look as good as the Sidis or other brands. Well that went out the window. After reading this thread and a friend waxing lyrical about his Riots I decided enough was enough.

Using Bonts own measuring tool, I measured myself up and was suggested the 43 Standard. I was slightly sceptical after hearing from other posts about Bonts coming up small but decided I could always exchange if needed. Having tried them on last night I can say Bonts measurements were spot on. The shoe pretty much fits out the box with a slight pressure point just above the instep and left toe area which heat moulding should ease.

Now the trick with the sizing in my opinion is straight forward. Obviously all feet are different but in general there are 2 main types. 1. The big toe being the largest and the rest of the toes all following in size so you get a slant from big toe to small toe. These feet tend to be slightly wider more triangular shaped. 2. Or where the middle toes are the longest and protrude over the big toe. These feet tend to be narrower or more rectangular shaped.

Bont are clearly designed to fit the first foot type and as such the sizing generally is spot on for feet shaped as such (using myself as an example). For people that have the second foot type, using Bont's guide will mean that the highest point in your foot will be the big toe rather than the middle toes meaning you will have trouble fitting into the recommended size and will most likely have to go up 2 sizes. For people with feet of this shape, the narrower pointy shoes Mavic, Sidi, Northwave will be perfect and probably would find no discomfort. But trying to fit my duck foot into those shoes simply proved troublesome.

I use a Spesh blue insole in my commuting shoes, but using the normal insole felt pretty snug and I doubt I would be able to fit the thicker Spesh insole in the shoe and still be comfortable unless its heat moulded.

One thing I thought Bont should provide is a heat mouldable insole too considering they class it as a fully heat mouldable shoe but then the insole cannot be moulded. Perhaps something that will be released soon.

Quality wise, miles apart from the Sidi and Shimanos even or even Northwaves. A lot of work to be done in this department. Will be fitting Speedplay cleats once the heating is done on the weekend. The first time I put the shoes on brought a smile to my face, I knew I could finally end my quest of searching for the perfect cycling shoe.

goonz
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:29 pm

by goonz

Also a quick question on the heating. I have a very old school oven which emits a flame from the back of the oven. The dial also only goes up in 1, 2, 3, 4...up to 9

Which number would be the equivalent temp I require?

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Kayrehn
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by Kayrehn

@goonz, I have the same problem with finding fitting shoes as you, and Northwave is sufficiently comfortable for me now though I'm also looking at Bont in the future. Can you elaborate on the build quality between them?

goonz
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:29 pm

by goonz

Kayrehn wrote:@goonz, I have the same problem with finding fitting shoes as you, and Northwave is sufficiently comfortable for me now though I'm also looking at Bont in the future. Can you elaborate on the build quality between them?


I wouldn't say they are bad, but Northwave are Italian and the quality shows. The finishing was perfect, no odd stitching or straps all looked straight etc. The Bonts just do not come up to the same finish. I haven't worn them yet on the road so cannot tell what the build quality is like but some of the panels look like they are simply adhered rather than stitched so that does not fill me with confidence especially as I will be heating them up.

Lets just say if I had to rank them in terms of finishing from the shoes I have checked and used, they would be bottom. Seems harsh but imo true.

goonz
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:29 pm

by goonz

@ StevieB those shoes look fantastic. I actually feel like trying that with my Vaypors.

dereksmalls
Posts: 2305
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: New Zealand

by dereksmalls

So can anyone give a comparison between the Vaypor+ and the Zero+? going for a new shoe and can get either of these 2 for the same price. The Vaypor+ appeals more due to the dual closure and looks easier to adjust whilst on the bike, but the Zero+ is just damn cool and unique looking. Thoughts?

EvilEuro
Posts: 333
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:03 am

by EvilEuro

Zero+ has the cover over the top, is lighter, and has a single-dial closure system.

Vaypor has no cover, is slightly heavier (~35g), and has a dual-dial closure system.

I am still riding my A-1's and love them to death. I don't think that you can go wrong with either one if you're happy with them and they fit your feet.

dereksmalls
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Location: New Zealand

by dereksmalls

^^^ Cheers. I was aware of the design feature differences in regards to the closure systems and covers. What I was after was if anyone had any experience riding both versions and if the single closure was as good as the double closure for securing of the foot and also comfortable it is having that closure directly on the top of your foot compared to the side. Cost wise Evans cycles has the Zero+ slightly cheaper than the Vaypor+ right now. I know what size I need as I've tried on the Vaypor already so that's not an issue

bikeboy1tr
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Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:19 am
Location: Southern Ontario Canada

by bikeboy1tr

I intend on purchasing the Bont Vaypor + with Speedplay sole so I did the sizing according to their site and came up with size 44.5 wide. My longest foot measures out at 276mm and both feet are 110mm wide. I like a snug fit and decided I better go to the local dealer and try a shoe on for size. I surmised a 44 should fit as it measures 277. I tried on a 44 standard Vaypor and it seemed to fit nicely. Should be good with the heat molding. I know the Bont fit better out of the box than did the Lake 401 at size 43.5 which took a few heat cycles to get it right as the width is tight in standard. It has the Speedplay sole which I want to stay with otherwise I would get the wide version in Lake. The Bont seems to fit my feet better and I can order them in Speedplay so I think that is the direction I should go.
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bikeboy1tr
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by bikeboy1tr

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viewtopic.php?f=10&t=154188
2018 Colnago V2R Rim Brake
2019 Colnago V2R Disc Brake
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