Bont Helix WIDE Heat Moldable Road Cycling Shoe : Shiny Red / White

The new Bont Helix in Wide fitis a performance road cycling shoe suited to riders with wider feet. Like all models in the Bont range, it features the company's anatomic, cycling specific last and a heat moldable carbon chassis for a superior, tailored fit that is specific to the foot while the wearer is cycling.

Bont are vague about the specific description of the shoe and don't designate it as a 'Race' shoe or otherwise. This is because their shoes offer every benefit to the cycling enthusiast, endurance junky or dedicated racer, and while the price clearly suggests that the shoe is stacked full of the best of Bont's technologies, the excellent fit and inherent comfort that stems from a focussed approach to tailoring a shoe to perform in the particular theatre of road cycling; ensures that it performs incredibly well regardless of how deeply you immerse yourself in the sport.

Finding a shoe that fits you, supports your foot and ultimately remains comfortable over the duration, not only of a ride, but the longer term, should be high on the list of any cyclist's priorities, since the overall stability of your leg is influenced heavily by the relationship of your foot to the pedal/bike. Bont's approach to shoe construction and fit goes a long way to solving some of the key problems of cycling shoes that are prevalent in many other brands - even those of a similar cost.

The new Helix is both an evolution and a simplification of the company's Vaypor range. The Helix, like the Vaypor S, features a 'wrap' approach to securing your foot in the shoe, drawing the heel back towrds the rear of the shoe and unloading the top of the forefoot to relieve pressure on the nerves an blood vessels in that area. The Helix however has taken this to even greater degrees and rather than the short run of Boa wire that links to a stitched-in lace tab on the side of the shoe, the Boa cables on the Helix loop cleverly through the heel of the shoe, around the sole and up the opposite side in a continuous wiring loop. This benefits the wearer two-fold. Firstly, by acting in a loop, the Boa closure gives more even and deeper heel hold for a very secure fit - this from a shoe brand that is renowned for it's heel hold, I've crashed in a pair of Vaypors, torn the Boa off and continued riding without realising. Secondly, it not only ensures less presure on the forefoot, it also negates the need for the lace-tab I mentioned. The lace tab is stitched on in other models and this additional material, clip and stitching can aggravate some feet in that area, particularly when done up tight or well into a long ride; so overall comfort should be improved with little to disturb your metronomic cadence whether you're tapping out a century or lighting the fires in a sprint.

The simplifcation comes in the form of a move from a dual BOA closure to a single BOA. As previously mentioned, the continuous lacing design that wraps over the shoe, is looped all the way into the forefoot to enable a single, simple closure mechanism that evenly adjusts tension over the entire shoe. Moreover, the single BOA makes it far easier to make adjustments on the fly since you only have one dial to operate!

Bont have one of the most comprehensive cleat mounting grids in the industry and they have improved it further on the sole of the Helix with the markings moving further out for greater visibility for more accurate adjustments.

The Helix, like all BONT shoes, has an extremely low 3.6mm stack height getting your foot closer to the pedal for direct power transfer and there is no discernable flex in the sole so your feet don't roll around over the pedal. We have found that the foot is far better supported since the sole curves around the side of the foot to encase it, stopping the typical cant or slop of the feet over the sides of the sole (common on shoes where the upper is stitched to a flat outsole, and particularly noticable when the upper has stretched over time) while riding than other similarly priced shoes and as such tends to cause fewer problems with Hot-spots or knee pain, particularly over longer distances. This version uses a carbon lay-up which is unidirectional for further weight reductions.

Bont have invested heavily in cycling-specific lasts that take greater account of realistic foot shape and which are tailored for the job of cycling, this results in the precise fit which in turn lends comfort. It is also the reason for the shoes' distincive look and the relatively open toe-box - the widest in the industry and one that does not force the toes together, but that lets them spread naturally. The ability to repeatedly mold the shoe and 'work-out' (with the blunt end of a screwdriver) any areas that cause pressure or discomfort means that you will be able to perfect the fit if you don't get it right straight away or if your feet change. The use of Memory Foam padding further refines the comfort. There is also plenty of Medial Longtitudinal Arch support built into the last shape (which - for the most part - negates the need for insoles) which reduces over pronation and is key to good leg and knee alignment through the pedal stroke.

The Helix is a shoe that will stand the test of time, delivering comfort and performance regardless of your riding style or goals.