Bontrager's RL MTB shoe is the perfect companion for your epic trail rides. Rugged, efficient, incredibly comfortable, and more about epic adventure than all-out speed, the RL MTB is plenty light and stiff thanks to a Bronze Series Composite sole that helps put the power to the pedals. It's also built for long-wearing durability, featuring a TPU toe cap and tough medial and lateral side mud guards. It's all-day comfort and all-day support for all day on the mountain.
I ripped open the package like an overzealous kid at his birthday party and the contents spilled onto the garage floor. “Wow” I thought, cool-looking shoes, silver uppers with an orange plaid trim around the ankle. They seemed reasonably light weight and the three strap system looked typical – two Velcro straps and one buckle-type strap. Also in the package were the optional toe cleats and the tool for tightening them. Continue reading →
Overall, Bontrager hit the mark! Recommended by racer who has over two hard seasons with shoes, and still going strong. Have not been disappointed. Good fit (even on steep loose hike sections), truly feel the carbon under foot difference; light and ventilated. Can not beat the price for this quality. Going into season two and nothing is showing any excessive wear. I feel like a rep for Bontrager, but not so-just a great shoe!
Submitted by
Stevuke
a Weekend Warrior
from Bergenfield, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2011
Strengths: Light weight, well ventilated, holds your foot tightly to the carbon fiber sole for excellent power transfer
Weaknesses: crappy plastic buckle. plastic release already broke. the plastic strap is about to break off at the end (it'll still work though.. just shorter)
Bottom Line:
I enjoy using the shoe and I love riding clipless.. this is my first mountain shoe. I'm riding on CB Mallets.
It's light, stiff, great treads and decent for walking. Very breathable.. I can feel the breeze on my foot. This shoe is nice and efficient.. looks cool too.
But the plastic strap, buckle and release are for crap.
Don't get me wrong, I love how you can ratchet the buckle to make it fit super perfect.. that part works well.. but it breaks way too easy.
Submitted by
Rucker
a Weekend Warrior
from Auburn, Alabama, USA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2010
Strengths: Super light
Comfy
Great looks
Super breathable
Weaknesses: Really only the ratchet strap. Its made of plastic and kinda cheap.
Bottom Line:
Awesome shoe overall. They are light, comfy, and overall a good shoe. I dont have any problems with the shoe being too loose, but I have to have the straps all the way tight. One of the best things I think is how breathable they are. I dont sweat at all in these. Highly recommend.
Submitted by
Brett Houser
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2010
Strengths: Lite in weight, great arch support, good looks (silver)!
Weaknesses: Buckle seems some what flimsy, but works well. Buckle strap could be 1" longer.
Bottom Line:
I have been using these shoes now for approx. 3 months and I have had no issues with them. It's a well made shoe, lite, firm, and not bad looking. I normaly wear a size 11, but had to go with a 44.5 (10 1/2)
Bike Setup: HiFi Pro 29er (2010 model) Full XT componets.
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Submitted by
bnbski
a Cross Country Rider
from St Louis, MO
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2010
Strengths: Durable and comfortable.
Weaknesses: Could have a slightly wider toe box.
Bottom Line:
Have used these shoes hard for last 18 months. Completed BT Epic 55 mile mtb race yesterday, same race last year and other xc races plus 100's of personal rides. Shoe has never let me down, ratchet system can be adjusted by clicking and also by changing the screw location for larger/smaller feet.
Bike Setup: Scott Scale 29 Elite - stock with Time ATAC pedals.
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Submitted by
Crisis
a Cross Country Rider
from Orlando, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2010
Strengths: Good looks
Weaknesses: Where to begin. I broke the cheap plastic ratchet thing on my left shoe the first time I went down on it. Unlike most other shoes that have some kind of metal ratchet system that is as flat against the shoe this design goes with cheap plastic that sticks out pretty far and is almost impossible to not land on.
Another problem I'm having with the ratchet system is that the leather strap has stretched to the point where it's no longer as tight as I need it to be around my foot. I'm experiencing stretching with the two Velcro straps as well.
Bottom Line:
Don't waste your money on this shoe. It looks nice but at this price there are many other options for a better shoe. The flimsy ratchet and stretching straps kill this shoe for me.
Weaknesses: ratchet buckle strap unreplaceable, velcro tabs stretched out
Bottom Line:
Have had these for about a year and half and I still enjoy them. They are more durable than they look, and they look pretty cool. The ratchet strap is all chewed up now, and that is not replaceable. The velcro middle and bottom strap have a little stretch to them and now that they are stretched out, it is hard to get the shoes really tight. Overall, they have worn well and been comfortable, so I cannot complain. Good power transfer with the carbon soles with just enough flex to be nice to walk in.
Submitted by
Kingfsher
a Weekend Warrior
from Charleston, SC USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2010
Strengths: Great fit, affordable, comfortable!!!, firm sole, & light!!!
Weaknesses: Feels more like a cleat walking on concrete/asphalt & hardwood floors. (but it is a cleat so I wouldn't dock them any points)
Bottom Line:
Great shoe. Comfortable, feels like my Brooks running shoes. They are LIGHT!!! very affordable. Clicked straight into my pedals w/o any issues. I wish they weren't click clacky like cleats are on artificial surfaces but thats not really a real issue to be concerned about when buying a mountain bike shoe. Highly recommend!
Bike Setup: 2011 Trek 4300 Stock w/ Shimano M324 SPD pedals and Bontrager Carbon Fibre bar ends.
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Submitted by
DangerDave86
a Cross Country Rider
from Reston, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2010
Strengths: Carbon fiber power plate, light weight, wide toe box, breathable, and price.
Weaknesses: The ratchet seems chintzy, but does not pose as a huge issue so far.
Bottom Line:
I have been extremely impressed with this shoe so far. Only put about seven hours in them but they are performing better than I expected. With the carbon fiber plate you can really put the power down, unlike with some of the other shoes I have had. And if you have a wider foot than most people this is the shoe for you, it has excellent arch support, breathable and a large toe box. The only downside I can see is the ratchet, it seems sub-par and may break in a wreck but besides that this is a great shoe you can feel comfortable in for those long all day rides.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Comp Mountains, Pearl Izumi Select MTB.
Bike Setup: Trek mountain/cross
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Submitted by
Jeremy
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Kent, Maine. USA
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2010
Strengths: They looked good in the window...
Weaknesses: For the second year, Bontrager/Trek fails to address the crappy racheting buckle, after some pretty critical reviews on-line and in print. The buckle works poorly and the strap cant be adjusted for length.
The eSole insole is gimicky and worthless. In the end, it seemed like a ploy to get you to go to eSOle.com and buy a real insole from them.
Bottom Line:
I'm pissed that Bontrager has disregarded customer feedback and continued to produce crap. Bottom line? I won't buy another item from this company, ever!
Bitterly yours,
JG
Similar Products Used: Shimano - wore em out - they were good also.
Bike Setup: Specialized Stumpjumper full suspension
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Submitted by
liteandfast
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler, AZ
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2009
Strengths: Carbon, stiff, light, nice fit, buckel and velcro, bendable tow box,
Weaknesses: buckel, insoles, it seemed to brother my left foot more then the right. I switched them out to a regular pair of insoles and will try again.
Bottom Line:
I had one ride in them so far and the only thing that hurt was my arch, I think the insoles were the actual problem and not the bed of the shoe. I changed the footbed out for a different one and the next ride will tell. Also the tongue was a little short and slightly bothered the top of my foot where it stopped. It seemed to go away after an hour or so. Break-in maybe. The grip of the sole was better then the Sidi which aren't very good for slick-rock surfaces.
Submitted by
Ellsworthy
a Cross Country Rider
from Chesterfield, VA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2009
Strengths: Footbed, carbon, comfort
Weaknesses: rachet buckles bend easily on impact
Bottom Line:
Comfortable shoe, very stiff and gives great power. I like the fit and that version I have is woman's specific. The insert is in pieces so you can customize the fit, I believe you can also buy other inserts to suite your size/shape. I like that you can replace the buckles since I bent one in a low speed crash. I was a little annoyed I had to buy the replacement piece from a shop/not on line, but the fact that I could replace it was key and it was only $9. I'd buy again. For the $ I think they're really good shoes. I had been saving for Sidi's, but these were a good investment.
Favorite Trail: Camp Brady Saunders, Goochland, VA
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At: Bike Lane
Similar Products Used: Diadora Chilis
Bike Setup: 07 Ellsworth Truth
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Submitted by
lilchrist
a Weekend Warrior
from G'dale, AL, USA
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2009
Strengths: Very stiff. Good pedaling efficiency. Ratcheting top strap. Middle price. Good looks. Good fit. Comfortable toe room. Carbon sole.
Weaknesses: Ratchet seems somewhat weak, but works fine.
Bottom Line:
These shoes are a great investment! I use them every ride. I really can tell the difference with them. They enable me to go farther on less energy and I feel less tired after that big day of riding. I also can pick up speed faster and stay at that pace easier and longer. GET THESE SHOES!
Similar Products Used: None. This is my first pair of cycling shoe.
Bike Setup: 08' GF Marlin.
Avid BB7 w/ Shimano XTR levers.
Shimano M520 pedals.
Sette 7 Flat bar and old set of bar ends.
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Submitted by
Troutfarm
a Cross Country Rider
from Auburn, CA, US
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2009
Strengths: Light, Stiff, Comfortable
Weaknesses: Not as stiff as some other shoes.
Bottom Line:
My cat pissed in my $250 shoes. Didn't want to risk another $200 plus. Turns out, these ended up being better shoes. My old shoes are now "cat piss decoys". Can't beat this deal with a stick. Carbon soles and a nice big toe box for this kind of money. If you don't need fancy italian leather, this is a great shoe.
Hey guys
I have very little experience with suspension forks. I ride BMX and so I have avoided bong bong bikes for a long time. All my experience is some old Manitou SX (3 weeks Read More »
