Bont shoes

[PartRobot]

I fear this has been covered quite a few times in this discussion, but I'm having trouble softening my Vaypor+. Initially I put them in the oven at 70C for 20 mins and they were still rock hard. So I left them another 20mins and nothing. And then I cranked it up to 100C and 20mins. And then 30mins for that too! Still pretty hard. The only evidence I got that something might have changed is some tiny droplets of presumably resin escaping from a couple of areas of the carbon.

What kind of softness should I be aiming for... leather dress shoe? Running shoe? What has worked for you in terms of temperature and time? What's the maximum before stuff melts? I'm tempted just to push it to 120C and keep an eye on things but I don't know how risky that is.

Also, unrelated, the upper has come away from the carbon sole in one place on the side. Seems to be an adhesion issue. What's a good glue to use to glue it back in place?

Thanks!

[EvilEuro]

I left mine in at the recommended temperature for twice the recommended time. They were never leather shoe soft.

I'd describe it as more of a "malleable" feel. Firm, but able to be shaped and formed by hand with some pressure.

Bont does say that there is a property to the carbon that, if warrantied, does show whether or not they were baked at temperatures over their recommendation. So be careful there.

I also had the issue with the glue on the upper coming loose a bit. I simply reheated and pressed it down and all was fine. If that doesn't work, then try a local shoe maker who has a very strong glue for such purposes.

[snailmale]

You may want to invest in an oven thermometer - my oven's thermostat is wildly inaccurate, like 30-40 degrees off. Buy a cheap one off eBay or Amazon for $5 or so.

[PartRobot]

Thanks snailmale and EvilEuro!

They definitely don't feel malleable. At best, slightly less stiff. I might just stick them in the oven for 70C for an hour and see how that goes (the 40mins I tried already wasn't enough).

I've got a pretty accurate thermometer (tested) which has helped, so that's an invaluable tip for anyone who's reading this and doesn't have one already.

[PartRobot]

Another question, sorry!

What's the best way to make the t-nuts less pronounced? I can feel them through the insoles.

[danbjpa]

^
i bought bolts with 7mm thread and solved this problem.

titanium bolts, of course. [emoji1]


Enviado do meu iPhone usando Tapatalk

[dereksmalls]

I tried on a Bont Vapor in a 41 and it fit like a glove, so decided to upgrade to the Vaypor+, ordered and paid for that in a 41. It arrived and it was too big in the toe, so had to send back to get a 40, which is the size I take in a Specialized. Oh well, still came out cheaper buying online and posting back compared to buying direct from LBS here by $100

[LouisN]

Another question, sorry!

What's the best way to make the t-nuts less pronounced? I can feel them through the insoles.

I just cut mine with a buffer. Problem solved.

Louis

[PartRobot]

In the end I used black Sugru. Seems to have done the job

[Ainsy]

Yeah I have gone from the old buckle style Vaypor to the Vaypor plus. Old Vaypor was a 42.5 and was "fitted" (tight). Had a pair of Vaypor plus on order for a size 42 and it was a little roomer that my old ones but ended going with this size. Luchy my mate got them otherwise would have been half a size too big (at least)

[woodyvalentine]

I've molded these things like 10+ times (Vaypor plus). It feels like the carbon is not getting soft enough to mold fully. How soft should the shoes get when molding? - I know malleable, not leather shoe soft (from above). Can someone post a video of them flexing the shoe when molding?

It feels like the carbon is jabbing into the middle, outside of my foot. Where the paneling join on the side of the shoe.

Should there even be a carbon seam on the inside of the shoe? Is this a defect? If I run my finger along the interior of the shoe there is a sharp seam.

How do you tell if you over bake the shoe? Bont says they have "heat markers."

I have baked them at 170F as per instructions with a digital oven thermometer and an additional internal oven thermometer. I have watched the video (which doesn't show how soft the shoes should get). I have left them in for 45 min several times at 170f and still the pain on the side of the foot.


Red square is problem area - x is where it primarily is bothersome.

[AJS914]

I had a set of A3s. Ultimately, they were 1/2 size too small so I sold them on ebay. They were almost perfect except the toe box didn't seem roomy enough.

What I didn't like:

I didn't like their insole. It was too sticky against my foot and created ball of the foot hot spots. With aftermarket insoles it was much better though this exasperated the lack of room in the toe box. The heat molding didn't really result in much customizing in my opinion.

[stax]

woodyvalentine- the seam you are talking about is the edge of the carbon 'bathtub' the shoes are built around. it is meant to be there and is on mine, but it is not sharp on the inside of the shoe. if you heat the shoes as per Bonts instructions and then push against that part pretty hard with your thumbs for a few minutes, that should be enough to loosen that bit of the shoe. i had to do that to a couple of tight spots on my vaypors- thankfully my vaypor plus fit well out the box.

[woodyvalentine]

stax - thanks for the reply. I've tried pushing on that area with various tools and with my thumb/fingers. Still not going away. I can't tell if its because they aren't molded correctly or if the seam of the bathtub is there and is causing the jabbing. There is a prominent ridge of overlapping carbon there (on the inside of the shoe). Im going to try a heat gun and just target that area - but need a heat gun first.

Check out this sweet pic of my foot - this is just from trying them on (that red mark) - wearing them for hours would be fun! (hopefully once I get this sorted)

I also tried messaging Bont on FB and email and, and Bont replied once vaguely, I replied again, and they haven't replied and its been a week.



#footporn

[stax]

Yikes- that'll get sore after a bit of riding time! So is the seam in your shoe vertical? It looks like it may be from the redness on your foot. I have no vertical seam in that area, just the horizontal bathtub edge. In fact, I have no vertical seam/overlap anywhere around the shoe that I can feel. Did you buy direct from Bont or through a retailer?