Shimano R241 Shoes

by John · 29/10/2013

I found the arch to be a little shallow for my own foot so I used the supplied inserts to lift the insole up a touch although this was still the lower side of being comfortable; I would have preferred it higher still so I swapped it out with my own custom pair of insoles. I’d be pretty confident in saying that the standard Shimano insole with it’s multiple configurations would suit the majority of people. Evidently I’m just peculiar.

Shimano R241 Shoes

Tighten everything up and the R241 feels very solid on the foot. As much as I love a ratchet, a buckle and a small twiddler, the cynic in me sees something just waiting to break, so I find the two velcro straps somewhat reassuring.

Despite not yet having the shoes custom fitted, they felt snug on the foot with no obvious loose or tight spots and simulated pedal stroke on the carpet revealed no slipping at the heel, although it did probably make me look like a looney in front of the postman.

Fitting the cleats was a pretty standard affair as I use Shimanos own SPD-SL offerings. The 3 bolt pattern they use on this shoe also allows some adjustment in the recessed bolts giving a huge range of potential positions, with 11mm fore-aft. The soles of the R241 are marked to allow you to set up the cleat without any of the turbo trainer guesswork and the cleat area is textured to provide grip. By the end of the test the cleat hadn’t moved which isn’t always the case; one less thing to worry about or one less excuse at the coffee shop. I use the newer blue cleat for those interested, which provides approximately 2 degrees of float.

Shimano R241’s single ratchet and two velcro straps provides secure closure for out tester

I would usually recommend that before going off and doing a big ride in new shoes that you give everything a check on a turbo trainer or do a short ride, so that you can stop and adjust if you need to. However, I’ve always chosen to ignore my own advice. I leapt straight out the door and rode up the Col d’Bluffy, followed by the Col d’Aravis, and then came home up the Forclaz. It was a trial by fire for the shoes; if there was something wrong I would have learned about it quickly – and painfully.

The reason for my wild indiscretion with my footwear, and my locality to such stunning climbs, was because I was in Annecy for the L’ Etape du Tour. I did think that wearing the shoes for the first time on the day might be pushing my luck, but I was even more relieved than you are to discover I actually had nothing to worry about…