Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

dale79
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby dale79 » Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:09 am

When I was speed skating that was the only way to get bonts, go down Inz would take a mould of your foot and 2 weeks later your boots would be ready.

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skull
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby skull » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:06 pm

That is how it was done. Their boots are now made elsewhere so the factory is rather empty but does hold excess stock.


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twizzle
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby twizzle » Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:54 pm

twizzle wrote:I'm really pissed. I'm trying to find wide shoes, I really wanted to try out the Bont A3's, but the Australian distributor won't even respond to emails. I've managed to find some Shimano's in wide from the U.K., which I'll take a risk on, but it pisses me off that unless you are 'average', the retailers won't even try. Clothing and shoes are the things I really try and buy locally, because that's what will keep the LBS's alive... but customer service is definitely not high on the list of priorities for retailers or distributors in Australia.
O.k. - seems they missed my email, so I got a response to the original email today, plus a phone call when they got another email today.

GKA doesn't bother to warehouse narrow/wide as they sell bugger-all in wide, so if I can't find a wide pair to try on I could end up waiting 6 - 8 weeks to get a pair on special order. :(
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herzog
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby herzog » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:17 pm

As a general rule Specialized boots are a wider fit.

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MarkG
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby MarkG » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:22 pm

As are the new Garneaus.
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twizzle
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby twizzle » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:55 pm

My foot length is a 45, I'm using 47/48 to get the width. It's a bad solution. I tried on a standard Bont 45, the length was O.K., the width was too narrow, and their 'standard' width is considered wide compared to other brands.

At least Bont has a table of length/width for each shoe, so does Lake. Only one distributor for Lake in Oz, and they only sell the shoes through their retail store in Melbourne and don't list the wide sizes anyway.

Most of the other manufacturers simply have a sizing chart, and have a "high volume"/"mega" etc., without bothering to suggest dimensions. :evil:
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MarkG
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby MarkG » Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:12 pm

FWIW twizzle..

I run a 45 in Specialized, 45 in Bont, 45 in Northwave and 47 in Garneau.
My foot is defn not narrow by any means, but it's not abnormally wide either.
I used the measuring guide on Bont's website to determine that a 283mm length meant I needed a size 45 which is perfect.

Hope that helps!
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:31 pm

Twizzle, I'm just working on my set of Bont Vaypor Wide in 45 right now. Didn't get them from a LBS or anywhere in Australia for that matter. Picked them up from the UK from http://www.velodromeshop.net
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humanbeing
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby humanbeing » Thu Dec 06, 2012 4:06 pm

MarkG wrote:FWIW twizzle..

I run a 45 in Specialized, 45 in Bont, 45 in Northwave and 47 in Garneau.
My foot is defn not narrow by any means, but it's not abnormally wide either.
I used the measuring guide on Bont's website to determine that a 283mm length meant I needed a size 45 which is perfect.

Hope that helps!
That's interesting to me also. 45 Specialized here.
Called Renegade and Cheeky Monkey today. Bont Vaypor $399.
With coupon Bont A1 $235 from Wiggle.
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Thu Dec 06, 2012 4:51 pm

humanbeing wrote:
MarkG wrote:FWIW twizzle..

I run a 45 in Specialized, 45 in Bont, 45 in Northwave and 47 in Garneau.
My foot is defn not narrow by any means, but it's not abnormally wide either.
I used the measuring guide on Bont's website to determine that a 283mm length meant I needed a size 45 which is perfect.

Hope that helps!
That's interesting to me also. 45 Specialized here.
Called Renegade and Cheeky Monkey today. Bont Vaypor $399.
With coupon Bont A1 $235 from Wiggle.
I'm not really a gambler but...
Bont Vaypor from merlincycles are $289 and velodromeshop around $270
Beats local prices hands down yet again
Velodromeshop is the only place that I'm aware sells anything online that is in wide. I would love to find a commuter version in wide somewhere
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twizzle
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby twizzle » Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:34 pm

Baalzamon wrote:Twizzle, I'm just working on my set of Bont Vaypor Wide in 45 right now. Didn't get them from a LBS or anywhere in Australia for that matter. Picked them up from the UK from http://www.velodromeshop.net
Interesting that they say only the Vaypor comes in wide/narrow when from Bont's online shop most of the shoes come in wide/narrow.
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:01 pm

Well I wanted the Vaypor in Wide after doing the sizing wizard at bont's website.
Now I need a commuting shoe, do I go for the commuter 1, or the vaypor xc. Problem is I'm going to have to order them from bont direct I think as no one else stocks wide in the other flavours. I've sent a message off to gkasports to see if they do anything in wide as well. Gkasports has all the bits and bobs for the bonts as well. Ladders are cheaper here than in the UK as I have high arches and the stock ladder was too short for me.

Currently my right shoe needs a bit more heat molding I think. It's getting better each time. My left shoe OMGosh I can't tell I'm wearing the shoe it feels so good. Don't think I'm going to be able to go back to my old shoes
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:41 am

After sending off an email to GKASports I got a reply back and yes they are able to get wide varieties in stock. They will need to be ordered however.
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby vander » Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:45 pm

If anyone wants to try Bonts in Sydney the new shop in Olympic Park, Park Bikes, I am pretty sure stocks them. I looked everywhere for them earlier this year and noone seemed to stock them.

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humanbeing
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby humanbeing » Fri Dec 07, 2012 3:09 pm

Well i started this thread with the intent of shopping in Sydney and trying and buying the best road shoes for me with a budget of approximately $300.
I just pulled the trigger on a pair of Bont A1 size 46 EU (right for me according to the Bont Sizing Wizard) from Wiggle.
A lot cheaper than in a store in Sydney, I'll let you know how they go. Just don't say i told you so.
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mjd
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby mjd » Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:42 pm

Just ordered a wide fit from http://www.velodromeshop.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; they will be the first pair of shoes I own that are the right length. Hoping they are wide enough and as good as all the reviews I have read.

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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby twizzle » Sun Dec 09, 2012 11:29 pm

TBSM has Shimano wide and Sidi Mega on their website. Lots of options.


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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Xplora » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:16 am

Just a word on the Bont Sizing Calc, GKA advised me that the calc doesn't work for 50% of people, if you have a shorter big toe than the 2nd toe then it's not going to be accurate. Bit mindblowing really.

If they could do a custom shoe for an extra hundred, I'd go custom. I was just outside the 41 Wide, guessing that a bit of heat molding would fix it up :lol:

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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:27 am

Xplora wrote:Just a word on the Bont Sizing Calc, GKA advised me that the calc doesn't work for 50% of people, if you have a shorter big toe than the 2nd toe then it's not going to be accurate. Bit mindblowing really.

If they could do a custom shoe for an extra hundred, I'd go custom. I was just outside the 41 Wide, guessing that a bit of heat molding would fix it up :lol:
YES
I'm having that exact issue!!!! My 2nd toe is larger than my big toe, heck my 3rd toe is just a tad longer talking a mm longer than my big toe. I've emailed bont and now going to copy that info in as well. Already contacted GKA sports asking about Bont Commuter 1 wide in a 46 1 size up on my vaypors which I'm thinking about offloading due to toes being cramped
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby twizzle » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:27 am

Xplora wrote:Just a word on the Bont Sizing Calc, GKA advised me that the calc doesn't work for 50% of people, if you have a shorter big toe than the 2nd toe then it's not going to be accurate. Bit mindblowing really.

If they could do a custom shoe for an extra hundred, I'd go custom. I was just outside the 41 Wide, guessing that a bit of heat molding would fix it up :lol:
They do custom shoes.
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:26 pm

From what I know custom shoes aren't $100 dearer, they are close to a thousand from what I know.
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby twizzle » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:32 pm

Baalzamon wrote:From what I know custom shoes aren't $100 dearer, they are close to a thousand from what I know.
My understanding is that there's custom, and there's custom. If you send them the foot outlines they can see if they have an existing last for each foot and will select a pair. If you have really odd feet, you then go the full custom moulding option. I guess you would have to talk to GKA to find out what is possible in Australia.
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skull
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby skull » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:02 pm

What Twiz said.

You can send in a tracing of your foot, from that they will modify the last to match the tracing. These would be considered semi custom.

A full custom build, they would plaster cast your feet and then make the boots on the cast.



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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby MarkG » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:06 pm

Even if they are $100 more than off the shelf jobs - the price is soon forgotten once you can ride without pain.
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Re: Road Shoes? Sydney shopping

Postby Baalzamon » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:18 am

ARRGH

I'm not winning!
Run the bont sizing calc again and it's spitting out I'm standard
Oh well I'm selling mine and going to go to LBS and see what they say
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