Bontrager Circuit Road Shoe review
Comfy kicks for commuting, racing and all-rounder duties
GBP £100.00 RRP | USD $140.00 | EUR €120.00 | AUD $200.00 Skip to view deals
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Bontrager’s Circuit road shoes are compatible with Shimano’s mountain bike-inspired SPD pedals as well as the standard three-bolt road pedal fitting. This makes the Circuits suitable for commuting and all-rounder duties as well a racier outings.
Trek’s kit brand Bontrager has kept costs down on the Circuits by speccing an 85 per cent nylon/15 per cent glass fibre sole, rather than carbon fibre. It measures seven on Trek’s own 14-point stiffness scale, but in practice the sole felt stiff enough for all but the competitive rider.
Part of that rigidity is achieved through the shoes’ neatly cantilevered ‘PowerTruss’ central section. The absence of carbon hasn’t added to the weight either – and at a smidgen over 500g per pair these are competitively light for shoes at this price point.
The sole has vents in the front and mid-section, with the polyurethane, polyester and nylon upper extensively and neatly vented over the toes and along both sides.
The tongue is equally well aerated and, as with the inside of the heel, it’s plushly padded too, contributing to good riding comfort.
Bontrager describes the Circuit’s fit as ‘InForm Race’, which it says is a slightly roomier though still high-performance fit. The closures consist of a Velcro strap over the forefoot with a single L6 Boa dial for the upper part of the foot, and I found the sizing for the 42s to be pretty much spot on – although the Velcro closure isn’t as adjustable as a twin-dial system.
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Product Specifications
Product
| Price | br_price, 5, 3, Price, AUD $200.00EUR €120.00GBP £100.00USD $140.00 |
| Weight | br_weight, 5, 6, Weight, 504g (42) – as tested, Array, g |
| Brand | br_brand, 5, 10, Brand, Bontrager |
Features
| Features | br_Features, 11, 0, Features, Colours: Red, Black Upper: Polyurethane, polyester and nylon |
| Cleat fitting | br_cleatFitting, 11, 0, Cleat fitting, 2-bolt spd type and 3-bolt look type |
| Shoe closure | br_shoeClosure, 11, 0, Shoe closure, Dial |
| Sole | br_sole, 11, 0, Sole, Nylon composite Bronze Series |
Authors
Simon Withers is a freelance cycling writer and bike tester. He has been cycling for as long as he can remember, and more seriously since his time at university in the 1980s. Simon has ridden and raced almost every type of bike over the years and has toured extensively in Asia and Australasia, including riding solo 2,900km from Cairns to Melbourne. He’s been testing bikes and working for BikeRadar and Cycling Plus in various capacities for two decades. Simon has ridden and reviewed countless bikes and products, and specialises in affordable road bikes, gravel bikes and cycling kit, helping riders understand what’s really worth their hard-earned money.
