Madison cycles have sent me Shimano RX6 (SH-RX600, to give them their more formal name) gravel shoes for testing and, as you’d probably expect, I was keen to see how they’d compare with the Shimano M701 GTX SPD Shoes Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com).
The RX6 are visually a much sportier shoe and register 8 for sole stiffness on their scale (whereas the M701 GTX are 4) out of a possible 12, so I wasn’t surprised to discover the RX6 features a carbon-reinforced sole.
The outer sole pattern features wide, TPU “lugs” for comfort on and off the bike, which is a good thing, since cyclocross, bike packing, and other rough stuff usually involve a bit of walking or shouldering the bike through trickier sections- boggy bridlepaths being prime examples. Touring, cross and mountain bike shoes need to be rigid for good power transfer, yet still forgiving enough for moderate walking.
My days of Look cleats, precariously hobbling across tiled café floors, or disgracing myself by gouging holes in expensive linoleum are long behind me. Recessed cleat systems all the way-road, or otherwise.
Theory goes that stiffer soles spread the load more evenly across the pedal’s surface, supplying more efficiency and ultimately, comfort-especially over longer distances. For me (on paper at least) 8 strikes the right balance for the kind of riding I do, most of the time, although I’ve also found the M701 GTX very agreeable for general riding. These things, like many others, are nuanced.
Synthetic leather uppers are another definite plus when it comes to keeping them clean and looking good, a few seasons down the line. Anyone remember the entry level suede/Codura cross country MTB shoes from the early 90s? I had a pair that served remarkably well from ‘94 to 99 and they were good for riding and running, too. Despite my discipline, coastal winter mud and other nasties quickly sullied the suede, mind.
In common with the M701, they also employ the Boa dial for quick entry, release and precise adjustment. Shimano also says the PD-M8100 Shimano Deore XT PD-M8100 Pedals | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) (Deore XT to you and me) are their perfect pedal match. Handy that they’re Ursula’s defaults then. Looking forward to getting some serious miles in, especially since the weather’s getting wetter and more challenging. Steve’s been staying dry and temperate in this Showers Pass Ecolyte Elite Cycling Jacket Showers Pass Men’s EcoLyte Elite Cycling | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)
The last crops are being harvested from the fields, farmers paving the lanes with mud, and indeed, dung. For how much longer remains to be seen-farming would appear another casualty of Britain’s trajectory. As temperatures tumble to seasonal normality, the prospect of traversing iced cowpats has me reaching for the spikes- 700c and 26 inch.
Elsewhere, the sudden and cataclysmic demise of a second set of pads on my fixed gear winter/trainer’s TRP SLC caliper struck, so I switched to the disco brakes sintered set and will see how they fare over the coming weeks. The root cause of this demise? Some caustic agricultural products contaminating the pads, coupled with a misalignment headache.
The latter finally traced to a rogue caliper mount.
Despite being supplied with the TRP Spyre, its arc was too large- easily fixed with an auction site bargain bouncing around the brackets box. Ursula’s original resin pads had also gone down to the metal, so replaced with some EBC. Winter can eat stuff with frightening haste, so I bought three sets.
I’ve also had cause to revisit Ursula’s front end. Long story short, I was experiencing unexpected hassles with the Gusset Headlock system, so decided I'd go the Star Fangled Nut route and employ an expander wedge to hold the Bluemels mudguard steady. I had an ACOR unit nestling beside some SFN. The expander idea has proven a winner. Necessity, mother of invention, and all that.
Ending on completely different notes, my dentist has reinstated my smile and I’ve been seriously impressed by the Ravemen LR 1600 front light Ravemen LR1600 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)
Steve has been similarly impressed by its 1200 lumen counterpart Ravemen LR1200 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)
