TESTED: Bontrager Rhythm shoes

Words: Adam Macbeth

Photo: Tim Bardsley-Smith

Aimed at the gravity and all-mountain crowd, the new Rhythm shoe from Bontrager certainly has a look of it’s own. A hexagonal, almost reptilian outer is designed to offer great protection from trail debris while still be able to conform to the upper of your foot. A high ankle is designed to offer protection from not just your crank arm, but also from a moving swing arm. It’s never happened to me, but I have had a riding buddy receive a pretty painful looking ankle injury from casing a jump and having a fast moving chainstay belt his ankle.

Soft rubber on the fore, mid and rear sole offer loads or traction for sections where riding isn’t possible, and finding yourself unclipped is likely to be much less of a concern as pedalling on the midsole is predictable and grippy. The cleat placement follows the current trend of being much further rearward than on a traditional trail or cross country shoe. Gravity riders tend to run their cleats further back to reduce strain on calves and ankles under heavy impact and the Rhythms offer plenty of fore and aft adjustment. I actually have some reasonably short toes and run my cleats a little further forward than most and I was still able to get the Rhythms set up nicely, all the way at the front of the slotted recess.

The enclosure is taken care of by one velcro strap across the toe box, and a single BOA at the top that snugs up the rest of the shoe. Initial fit was a bit plastic-y but the shoes soon softened with wear, the BOA created very even tension across the foot and was secure without having to be ridiculously tight. I always have durability concerns with BOAs as the only shoe problem I have ever had in the 22 years I have been mountain biking was a BOA that got slammed hard by a rock and exploded leaving my shoe loose for the rest of the ride but that’s definitely massively unlucky. There’s a lot to be said for laces and velcro in the regard, although they do get annoying when covered in mud, and in this area BOA shines. I got these things absolutely caked, and getting them on and off was just as easy as when they were fresh out of the box. This is nice.

There’s no escaping it, these shoes scream CYCLIST at the top of their lungs, especially in their bright orange/red and it’s either a look that you’re really into, or you’re just not. The group I ride with were polarised by these kicks, nobody sitting on the fence, it was either love ‘em or hate em. Pricing is pretty much spot on with it’s competitors like Giro and 5-10 at $259.

It’s all about performance though, and on the bike the Rhythms are great. I have a reasonably narrow foot and the all day fit and comfort was great. They are stiff enough that the power transfer is spot on, even when out of the saddle and charging but the outer sole is supple enough that there is plenty of grip when scrambling around on stone. I did notice a pretty loud and annoying squeak as the outer sole made gentle love to my XT Trail pedals but a Crank Brother shoe shield under the cleat separated the mating pair and I rode on in silence. Over the course of four rides I did lose one of the small hexagons that make up the frontal protection. Whether from a rock strike or just general wear I am not sure and I’d be curious to see how this aesthetic fares in the long term.

Another note on the exterior of the Rhythms, and I only really rode them in late Winter and Spring, but they are pretty warm. On one six hour ride I did notice a warm spot on my foot just inboard of the BOA loop in the centre of the shoe and I definitely have concerns that these guys might be pretty hot in an Australian summer. There is some ventilation along the inboard part of the shoe, and the tongue but otherwise they are fully enclosed in black and are likely to get pretty warm.

The Bontrager Rhythm shoes are comfy, have loads of protection and a very unique look. If you’re into that look and are unlikely for find yourself out in the heat of a summer’s day they’re definitely worth checking out. 

From: Trek Australia

RRP: $259