LAKE MX332 HELCOR SCOTT GRAVEL TUNED
The detail
The Lake MX332 Helcor combines a carbon outsole with a leather upper and has been designed to deliver comfort and durability. The Helcor leather has an abrasion-resistant finish while the carbon sole has exceptionally deep rubber lugs. The shoes fasten with a dual BOA, which adjusts in both directions.
Box fresh
It’s all about the fit with a ThermaForm technology heel cup that can be warmed in the oven and moulded to your foot shape (there is a helpful video on the website), ensuring a no-slip, snug hold. The dual-direction BOA allows you to tighten and loosen with clicks in either direction, and the small increments either way allow you to dial the tightness first time. The downside to the deep rubber lugs is that you have to shim out the cleats to get clearance.
Putting in the miles
This is a shoe that conforms very quickly to your foot and, combined with the stiff sole and upper adjustment, it’s comfort all the way, even on day-long rides. The large lugs have excellent grip, even in the mud, and we’d be very surprised if we managed to wear them down. The stiff outsole gives an efficient pedalling platform but flexes in just the right places for hike-a-bike. At 492g per shoe, they could be lighter, but you do have to compromise on weight to achieve something as bombproof and comfortable as this.
The detail
The Scott Gravel Tuned aims to deliver lightweight comfort via a composite carbon/nylon outsole and synthetic PU upper. The outsole has a lowprofile rubber tread and the toe box is reinforced against bumps and wear. It also fastens with a dual BOA, which adjusts in a single direction to tighten.
Box fresh
These shoes are noticeably lighter (407g) out of the box and they felt true to my usual shoe size. The insole is something called ErgoLogic, meaning that it can be customised for arch and forefoot support. When new, the upper feels relatively stiff, but the dual BOAs give a good range of adjustment. In fact,
I found that testing a shoe which adjusts in both directions does spoil you when having to revert to single-direction tightening.
Putting in the miles
It’s easy to get a close fit using the double BOA and, combined with the stiff outsole, this is a shoe that takes the power right to the pedal. The outsole doesn’t have the same flex zones as the Lake and that’s obvious when walking, but on shorter rides, the lower weight combined with its pedalling efficiency was appreciated. Yet, despite miles of riding during the test, the uppers haven’t moulded to my feet at all, and on longer rides hotspots and pressure points appear so I need to regularly loosen the shoes to relieve them.