Road shoes - Ratchet vs Lace-ups

[dillonko]

Thanks all for the thoughts!

A friend of mine with similarly sized feet just quoted me a really good price on a pair of lightly used Rapha grand tour, so i might be going with buckles after all.
Cost on anything badged Rapha is normally prohibitively expensive, but a good deal on perforated leather always gets me. Agh.

I would still love to go for a pair of Vittoria's sometime in the future though. Would go so well with skinny lugged steel and cleats, i'm a sucker for looks.

[Northoceanbeach]

Me too. Those Rapha look like a good compromise between retro looks and modern performance.

[VMac]

I pick up my pair of Empires tomorrow, and I am very optimistic based on some friends' feedback. The will not be replacing my S-Works... they will be augmenting them.

First ride in these tonight (on the track). Rather impressed. The fit is tremendous. They cinch up very snug... comfortably... and stay that way. Because my feet are narrow, the toe box is a little roomy, but have yet to really tighten up the lower end of the laces. Incidentally, 70gr lighter per shoe than my S-works.

[Guest10]

Hello everyone:
I am knew to cycling and I need to purchase a pair of cycling shoes. I admit I don't know much about cycling shoes;however, here is my dilemma. I have very narrow feet and have tried on both Velcro shoes and shoes with buckles and I am able to literally walk out of the shoes with them as tight as the shoes with go. I haven't been able to find any lace up shoes anywhere to try to see if that makes a difference. Does anyone have a suggestion of any brands that make narrow shoes or any good lace up brands that maybe a better for individuals with really narrow feet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[jpanspac]

Have you tried women's shoes?

[lannes]

Does anyone have a suggestion of any brands that make narrow shoes or any good lace up brands that maybe a better for individuals with really narrow feet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sidi is a narrow fit, or have you considered fully mouldable shoes like the the Shimano SH-R320

for lace up's have a look at the Giro range, but I'm not sure if that will help a narrow foot.

http://www.giro.com/eu_en/empire-acc-20418.html/

[bombertodd]

Bont also makes a narrow shoe. Hard to find (my experience), but might be worth pursuing.

[Roundabout]

Bont are the stiffest shoes I've worn (notable coming from 2011 S-Works). Since the carbon extends so high it's potentially uncomfortable until you get it molded right, but after molding it's akin to a well fitting ski boot.

[timtak]

I am not a fan of the BOA system on my Lakes. Mine have a single ratchet.

My complaint is that when I put on the shoes, everything is fine. But when I pedal, as I pull up in the stroke, the BOA system allows my heel to pull out of the shoe as the lacing tightens around my toes. It just allows for too much movement.

I suspect that shoes with multiple BOA ratchets do not have this problem.

That is exactly my experience. I bought the Lakes CX236 thinking that they would provide the stability of a ratchet but had to tighten so much that they cut into my forefoot and constricted my toes.

S-works have "zonal" double boa which probably helps but a raked back ratchet to pull your heel into the heel cup allows for rock solid fibia to pedal connection.

https://roadcyclinguk.com/gear/buyers-g ... oes.html/6
"Track sprinters, for example, will not gain the same security from a BOA as from a ratchet and buckle, for example."

I think that however zonal your boa is, it tighens wires and not a band. The band in a ratch provides later stiffness which keeps ones heel from moving at all in the heel cup. It can also pull backwards more for less tighteness due to its improved directionality of the ratchet band.

Sidi's tend to a bit too thin for me but ergo's with ratchet and forefoot boa are pretty state of the art.

Generally I wear top of the range Shimano's bought second hand.

[Rick]

I think fit is the top concern, but having said that, I have two pairs of the 2012 S-Works because they fit me so perfectly that I am afraid of what I will do when they wear out. I have actually gone through 2 sets of BOAS on each also, but BOA will send free replacement under warranty.
My BOAS feel great, but they actually loosen up a few clicks over the span of an hour or so. I actually like, because reach down and snug them up for a sprint or climb, but then they relax a bit and don't cause my foot to ache. Next hard part I just snug a few clicks again. Even when "relaxed" they still fit good, I just like to have them "too tight" for a jam.

[THUNDERHORSE]

boa/ratchet is where its at. Laces are retro but silly

[mpulsiv]

What's silly is stating something without a direct experience. Do you own modern lace shoes? It's not round athletic laces but flat laces that stay put. 2 BOA's + 1 ratchet in contrast to 6 points of crossings of laces pattern. Which system is trouble-free and lighter in this this case?


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[kode54]

i didnt care for the older Boas. the new ones can make adjustments to loosen or tighten a click either way. that said, the recent S-Works from a year ago going forward has been great. fine tuning on the fly is really nice. i have not tried modern lace ups. the toe box is what fits me with the S-Works...so i have stuck to them currently.

[11.4]

What works for you is really dependent on the shape of your feet and how you ride. If your foot varies significantly in width from ball to arch, continuous systems such as laces or Boas tend to shift a bit more. Same thing happens if you are a powerful rider and your foot changes shape more with each pedal stroke.

People tend to cite trackies as examples of why laces are preferable. As a trackie, I'll say that for brief events they work really well. Plus I usually have them under shoe covers or clinched down under a supplemental toe strap. I wouldn't feel the same on longer rides. There is always the issue of tending the laces so they don't pull loose or become entangled, plus any system except separate velcro straps or separate Boas can shift over the course of a ride. When I've used laced shoes, road or track, I've used two laces on each shoe, one lower and one above, so I could still adjust them independently.

Anyone considering shoes needs to remember that they are improving significantly year by year. Shoes three years ago may be the perfect fit for some, but 2016 shoes designs overall are markedly improved with almost all manufacturers. It shouldn't be a decision of laces versus straps versus Boa. Just pick the shoes that fit the best and feel the best on your feet.

[tomee]

I am not a fan of the BOA system on my Lakes. Mine have a single ratchet.

My complaint is that when I put on the shoes, everything is fine. But when I pedal, as I pull up in the stroke, the BOA system allows my heel to pull out of the shoe as the lacing tightens around my toes. It just allows for too much movement.

.

I think this is to do with the heel support of the shoe.
i suffer the exact same issue with my CX237's. They just dont have great heel support.

my s-works 6's on the other hand are the best shoes i have owned for comfort. my feet are always planted and i never get heel movement because of the heel design.