I'm having a minor issue with my a-ones: The plastic straps which go trough the buckles on both shoes are a bit on the long side, so when I tighten them all the way or almost all the way the straps touch the ground when walking causing me to step on them a little, which is a bit annoying (and potentially not benificial for the strap/buckle).
So I was wondering if it is possible to cut the straps a little? They are rounded at the end so I'm worrying they might not engage properly when cut.I emailed bont this same question but haven't gotten a reply.

Furthermore I was wondering what the difference in stack height would be compared to my old Shimano R300´s? Is the difference big enough to require lowering the saddle (I hope not, since I was planning to keep using the Shimano's as well)?
And does anyone have experience riding them in hot weather? Is the venting sufficient in those conditions?

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This is my Bike. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Without me, my bike is useless. Without my bike, I am useless.

I had my shop bring in some of the a-ones for me to try. I was able to take them home for the weekend.

The 42's in the new sizing and with the toe guard are now 290 grams each.

I also found that if you have a low volume foot that is wide but still low volume in the front they will not be good for you. After you heat mould the shoe conforms well but has so much material come in the straps become too long and bottom out. I even went for a ride late in the day and put them on after that and the straps were still too long.

I would go for a narrow pair but then the front will be too narrow.

I guess that I am staying with Sidi.

Cutting the strap tips caused no issues... it is practically required as the uppers stratch over time requiring a greater amountof the plastic strap to be ratcheted through....

RE the stack height issue, they will be notably shallower than the Shimano Sole... approx 8mm less, depending on insoles used etc....
So if your position is currently optimal for you (in your opinion), you WILL likely need to adjust saddle height to compesate

Have to agree that these shoes are definitely NOT for everyone. It took me a few weeks of tinkering to find a cleat position that worked after using Garneau and then Sidi shoes, which included using bike wedges on each foot, not to mention trying out a few different insoles-- not that there's much difference between the bont insoles and sidi insoles, but my feet are most comfortable w/ the sidi insoles as well.

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Speedplay is the devil.

I'm surprised they let you heat-mold them and then return them. I wouldn't want to buy previously heat-molded shoes.

Anyway, the heat-molding process is non-trivial. Bike Nüt recommends they do it for you, a process which takes most of an hour to really get right. And for Speedplay, they recommend undrilled shoes, since there is limited adjustment range without the 3-to-4 adapter plate.

When I had my previous pair of Bonts, it took a lot of tinkering to get the fit to my satisfaction, so I think experience is a plus with this process. And I would have been better served with those shoes to have gotten standard rather than wide. It's better to start snug and expand (which may take some direct manipulation with applied heat) than to start with the shoe too wide over a significant portion of the foot.

But that said, there's a reason they still offer full-custom.... even with the heat-molding, there are some feet which deviate two far from their standard models.

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Fuji SL/1
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I may sound like a but it's an honest question. How is the adjustment range better if you drill the holes yourself?

They might be in a different spot, but how in the world am I supposed to know where they have to go with a completely new shoe with much lower stack than anything I had before?

Has anybody (successfully) drilled some long holes and used sliding T nuts in Bonts?

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"Nothing compares to the simple pleasures of a bike ride," said John F. Kennedy, a man who had the pleasure of Marilyn Monroe.

they are the reps demo shoes

if more companies had adjustable length straps, like sidi, i could use others shoes like bonts as the rest of the fit was fine for the most part.

I'm letting Bike Nüt drill the holes for me, not doing it myself.

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Fuji SL/1
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Yeah, but how do they know where the holes belong? Can you really do without any front-aft adjustment?

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"Nothing compares to the simple pleasures of a bike ride," said John F. Kennedy, a man who had the pleasure of Marilyn Monroe.

That's just standard cleat positioning. The bottom of the shoes need to be flat to start with, so you need the shoes designed for Speedplay drilling with a no-drill option. If the bottom isn't flat under the cleat it could result in excessive wear of the shoe and/or pedal. Then it's a matter of whatever cleat-positioning theory you subscribe to (for example metatarsal over axle, but adjusted back for endurance riding, adjusted up perhaps for sprinting). Andy Pruitt discusses cleat position.

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Fuji SL/1
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Another resurrection for this thread.

I just got my semi-custom A1s yesterday, but they seem like buckets on my feet. With the Bont insole, I can ratchet the main strap full down without them being tight, and the forefoot straps don't even get close to snug (I can curl my toes up as if I have no shoes on at all).

I've spoken with the retailer, who's been very helpful. They suggested that the forefoot may be helped by the heat moulding - though if I do that, then I can't return them. And if it allows the 'bucket' to mould in around my foot, then I'm sure the main buckle wouldn't ratchet enough.

They also said I can return them and get another pair.

To those who have a good fit, How far from the end of the tub are your toes? When I have the shoe as tight as I can get, pulling the foot back into the heel cup, my big toe is quite some way from the end of the toe box. I'm thinking I may want them to use a last that's a couple of mm smaller than they used before.

Has anyone who's had a similar issue with the fit had them specced with the smaller uppers with success?

Thanks in advance for any help,
Matt.

p.s. The cleat alignment grid printed on the sole, and the cleat drilling is also wonky on my shoes so this is still an issue; though it's good enough for my cleat positioning on this pair.

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Snacking on carrot sticks - Where did it all go so wrong?
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Finsbury Park CC

I did not get a good fit as my foot had too little volume for them but I can tell you that my main strap fit fine before heat moulding. If yours does not and there is a lot of room on the end then they are too big.

Do not even bother and get a smalller size

@MattSoutherden -- definitely sounds like you're in a size too large.

All the same, I had the same vertical volume issue when I tried on a pair that were otherwise the correct size. That Bont insole is paper thin, though. I pulled out my Specialized red insole and that helped lift my foot up.

I use double-thickness Dr Scholl's foam insoles under my Specialized insoles in my 2009 Specialized S-Works shoe. I've got one heck of a flat foot.

Btw, I can't really recommend the double-thick foam insole method. It's open foam that takes on a ton of water anytime they get wet, and I have a sneaking suspicion they are sapping some of my sprint power. I just haven't found a shoe that's vertically slim enough not to need the lift.

I tried the shoes with some SIDAS custom insoles from my ski boots. While they're thicker than the Bont ones, and provide much more arch support (a little too severe for cycling in), they were still not enough to really fill out the shoe.

It sounds like I need a half size smaller on each side.* And maybe ask if they can make the sides _slightly_ tighter fitting too. That way, I can get a custom SIDAS cycling footbed to perfect the fit and arch support.



* The reason I got them in the first place is that my feet are different sizes, so whatever normal shoes I get, there's always one tight one, or one loose one. If that weren't the case, I'd have a pair of the S-Works road shoes as the right one fits really well...

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Snacking on carrot sticks - Where did it all go so wrong?
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Finsbury Park CC

I tried two sizes (without moulding) to test for comfort. In both cases they were so uncomfortable (mainly the upper being too narrow and shallow) that I sent them back.

Had I moulded no doubt comfort would have improved but it was a gamble as I would not have been able to return them. Comfort was so far off the mark without moulding I decided to pass.

But boy are they stiff. I can well imagine smashing the pedals to buggery with those clogs.

So instead I have 2010 S-works. My third pair of S-works. They are the best version yet, though the rotary closure system still isn't as good as straps and ratchet of Mavic and Sidi IMO.

@mattsouthern - I'm sceptical to be honest as to how well BONT will fit you if S-works fit ...