Bontrager GR2 Gravel Shoe – PezCycling News
There are now so a lot of disciplines and subdisciplines of off-road cycling that it is almost difficult to design and style a single shoe to suit all needs. Nonetheless, the Bontrager GR2 comes shut to that satisfied medium.
Highlights:
- Stability of toughness and consolation for all-day gravel and bikepacking adventures
- Properly imagined-out aspects (lace holders, heel loop, significant-obligation scuff guards on toes and heel).
- Toe studs compatible for CX.
Factors:
- Incredibly roomy and high toe box.
- Thick product & minimalist holes may possibly make issues heated in summer.
All round:
- A hugely functional and nicely considered-out shoe that can be employed for most off-road uses.
One’s strategy for an great off-street shoe differs drastically based on your supposed use for the shoe. Are you gunning for CX or MTB XC racing needing stiffness and the functionality for toe studs? Are you a bikepacker on the lookout for all-day ease and comfort and possibly a whole lot of hike-a-bike? Are you a gravel racer seeking a mix of stiffness and comfort?
Which is not to say that 1 shoe just can’t do it all, but it often allows to have an thought for your supposed use prior to you go buying, and to keep these takes advantage of in brain as you get bedazzled by all the shiny new kicks on the cabinets or on the net.
The Bontrager GR2 is surely a shoe that can do it all, but I would characterize it as leaning to the gravel and bikepacking segment of the off-road market.
GR2 Capabilities
The GR2 has a seriously uncomplicated and successful lace holder process developed into the tongue.
Talking of the tongue, it is thick and properly-padded, additional reducing any chance of constriction or local tightness from the laces.
The synthetic leather-based upper is also thick and effectively-padded, with very small dots that are additional for aesthetics than genuine ventilation. That is because, even though it does perforate the content, the within materials of the shoe block direct airflow via the holes. I have not ridden it in scorching Ontario summer heat however to notify how they tackle summer time temperature, but judging from the development this may possibly be a thought if which is your major driving local climate.
There is extremely tough and rigid challenging plastic materials sweeping about the entire front of the toe place and also all around the heel cup. This should help secure the shoe even throughout rocky hike-a-bike sections.
The anti-scuff substance on the heel also assist the heel be quite rigid. The loop all around the top rated of the heel is a wonderful feature to allow tying or clipping the footwear onto your backpack for travel.
The outsole is established up with a simple rubber toe studs for muddy uphills, which you can also unscrew and swap out for deeper toe studs, generating the GR2 CX-capable. Counteracting this, the sole is definitely not on the stiffer end of the off-road vary.
The SPD attachment has two fore-aft settings, enabling far more versatility with cleat positioning.
Scraping Via Scrappy Badger
I made use of the GR2 all through the Scrappy Badger gravel race in mid-Might here in southern Ontario, a 83 km race (3:45 complete time for me) with about 1100 m of elevation that started out at about 10°C and hit about 18°C by the conclude. The class showcased a Good deal of sand, some definite hike-a-bikes (hi uphill sandpits), and heaps of 13-15{a0ae49ae04129c4068d784f4a35ae39a7b56de88307d03cceed9a41caec42547} gravel climbs.
Here are some of my notes from using the GR2s that working day:
- I laced up the toe portion rather tightly to stay clear of way too considerably toe wiggle, with a bit looser lacing up leading above the foot arch.
- The laces worked flawlessly. I never had to readjust the laces nor did they appear out of the lace holder.
- I experienced no incredibly hot spots or any pinch spots.
- Irrespective of the sandy hike-a-bicycle interludes, my sneakers weren’t whole of sand when I took them off at the complete.
- The GR2s were being undoubtedly capable of decent electrical power transfer. My remaining 25 km house averaged 170 W, with a consistent 270-300 normal about the a number of extensive rollers.
So in very simple conditions, I in no way recognized the footwear all working day, which is exactly what you want in footwear off or on.
Summary
If you do a large amount of various off-highway driving but do not care to splash out for numerous pairs of footwear optimized for various applications, the Bontrager GR2 is a severe contender for that one particular pair because of to its versatile listing of options and well considered-out layout.

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