Bontrager Circuit shoes
£129.99, trekbikes.com
Bontrager claims that the latest update of its entry-level road shoes brings advances in comfort, efficiency and aesthetics at a reduced price.
The new Circuit shoes keep many of the same features of the previous version, including Boa L6 dials, toe strap closure and the nylon Bronze Series sole that gives them a 7/14 stiffness rating. This edition, however, swaps synthetic leather for a synthetic mesh and thermoplastic upper that gives a more conforming fit for added comfort and fewer wasted watts.
It also introduces ‘zonal security flaps’, which are essentially bits of fabric that reduce the chance of pinching. At the rear, meanwhile, Bontrager has given the Circuit a stiff heel counter to help keep the foot as locked in as possible, which should further maximise power transfer. Trickle down technology, eh?
Considering Silca’s penchant for incorporating cutting-edge technologies into its products, it should be no surprise that the brand has now branched into 3D titanium printing with its new Mensola mount.
According to Silca, the Mensola uses the complex latticework of metal struts that has come to characterise the look of 3D-printed products to great effect, with the mount said to be ‘six to ten times stronger’ and more aero than conventional mounts at a similar weight of around 33g.
It is tricky to put an exact weight on the mount because of the many options available. As it affixes directly to the stem faceplate, it has to come in several versions to match the stem’s bolt spacing. Silca says this way of fixing the mount is cleaner and more symmetrical than other band-on designs.
‘We’re working on other spacings and integrated offerings and will be bringing them to market as quickly as possible,’ says Silca owner Josh Poertner. ‘The beauty here is that all of the “tooling” is really in the CAD work. All it takes is a 3D scan and we can print parts to order.’
High raw material and manufacturing costs contribute to the mount’s eye-watering pricetag, but Silca argues that this is the price of progress.