Ride Concepts

I'm bored. So I will post something.

My 5.10 Impacts are just a teensy bit short on my right foot, causing some toenail issues when I ride with flat pedals. Yes, I have been riding more often on flat pedals lately.

So I took a chance and ordered some Ride Concept Hellions, hoping they would be a skosh longer, without being too big. I got them today. By all accounts and comparative measurements, they are indeed about 1 or 2 mm longer than my 5.10s. They are also lighter, less bulky and appear to be less sticky - meaning I may be able to reposition my foot a bit easier. They also have a stiffer sole, for more efficient pedaling.

We shall see if they can unseat the undisputed champion of flat pedal shoes - the 5.10 Impact.

 

Ummmmm
Nice...box?

 

Part of your problem is thinking the Impacts are better than the Freerider Pros. I do want to try the RC shoes as well but I want to try them on first. There's a shop in Truckee that had a bunch of them but I wasn't in the mood to try things on as we were on a tight schedule and trying to get to a shuttle in Downieville. 5.10 has some new shoes that are supposed to be hitting stores now as well.

 

Didn't know I had a problem, other than length. Shoe length!

Impacts seem to be a lot more "beefy" than the Freeriders, but I am not purchasing either, so, there's that.

 

OK OK, here's more...



https://rideconcepts.com/products/mountain-bike-shoes-mens-session-hellion

 

Those look very nice.

 

I have a pair of the hellions and the powerline. They fit my wide feet much better than 5-10’s ever have, especially the powerline. Also dig the soft comfortable Eva midsole. Grip us just fine for me, and HAB well.

 

Hell if I would have known you were riding these, I would have bought them months ago!

 

If you didn't check the website, here's the sole:



Looks familiar, but with hexagons instead of dots. The rubber is not as soft as my 5.10 Impacts, but I think that's a good thing for me. I've always struggled to reposition my foot on the pedal with the ultra-grippy 5.10s.

 

Powerlines rubber is softer than hellion. It is my favorite riding shoe ever, by far. Also, these shoes are built to last, my hellion is still going strong after well over a year,

 

I hope those fit well and serve you well Herz. I bought some RCs as skate shoes several years back and although they seem tough and well made, they just don't like my feet. The fit is different than the shape of my feet.

 

Want to hear back, I require a stiff sole thus I am using Impact Pro ...Love em but they are tanks for sure.

What is other diffs between Hellion and Powerlines

 

Powerlines seem a bit burlier and hotter, higher and padded ankle cuff, fit is more high volume fits half size bigger it seems. Deeper lugs on toe and heel to help with hab. If your feet are on the narrow side and don’t care about extra ankle padding the cheaper hellions are great. They’re more of an all-around trail shoe and the hellion is more dh-oriented, maybe.

 

TFPU the current shoe info, guys.

For me it comes down to durability. In that regard old Impacts were great, later vintage was mediocre, Freerider was mediocre at best. The FT Spitfires I got from Cyclotourist will not last too long on the front line, though they work fine on pedals.

I still can’t tell a FT ride shoe from an approach shoe when riding, so I’ll keep the Guides with Stealth dot soles heavy in the rotation. They work best for HAB, which I seem to do a lot of. And I don’t even have the singlespeed set up yet...

 

The Professor got a pair and loves them. He had an issue with them, said the customer service was way above and beyond.

 

Clever foreshadowing!

 

Curious to hear how they do.

But...I wouldn't want anything less sticky than the 5.10's I have. They also have that spot with no texture where the pedals meets the foot, for more grip. I don't HAB very often, but I did just Thursday and it was on some difficult rocks, and the sticky climbing soles really helped.

 

Stealth rubber is amazing and still widely emulated. I replace any brand of worn climbing shoe with Stealth C4 when re-soling.

Pretty sure they grind down the dots under the ball so the feet can be repositioned on pins more easily. Otherwise the dots sort of get locked in and the foot needs to be lifted a little. Off the bike I didn't notice no texture under the ball. In snow or mud it might be an issue. Of course on straight rock less is more, but that dots rubber is a great compromise for multiple uses. My Guides have been perfect on OneUp pedals, HAB and on big wall-style climbing and approaches. A dream shoe, really. Comfortable and normal-looking enough to wear to the store. Far more robust that previous Guide iterations. I bought a second pair shortly after buying the first, and use green Superfeet inserts. Dreamy...

 

I don't think any of 5.10s's current lineup have that flat spot without dots where the primary pedal contact is supposed to be. The Freeriders and Impacts have consistent dot patterns over the entire sole, as far as I can tell. Maybe that's a recent change?

 

I have a brand new pair at home...I should take them out of the box and look. I was waiting to start using them until the weather clears up.

 

Good stuff.

THough I have La Sportiva for the walls

 

The Freerider Contact has the flat spot.....if they are still available. https://www.adidasoutdoor.com/five-ten-freerider-contact-men's-mountain-bike-shoe/FT21.html

 

The Vibram compound they use got way better. My Sportiva Mythos have Stealth C4, though. The TC Pros are next! Wait...we are on a biking site, I think...

 

Seems like a lot of cross over. One of my good MTB friends has been climbing for decades, but I only knew him as a mountain biker until I started climbing

 

Yep, pretty much every climber is a MTB rider on some level. Then we, er, they get soft and become mountain bikers. The other direction, not so much. But riders sure do like to call themselves climbers and say they climb*.

*Don't get trolled, it's just Fun With The English Language.

 

I'm, as I have recently learned, am a "Gumby", who knew?

 

Your socks don't match.

And no flat spot. Will that be a problem?

I just went out and did a sample pedal on my new Hellions. Initially, they feel pretty much the same in terms of interaction with the pedals. Locked in laterally, tricky to reposition the foot without the pedal wanting to spin. But they are less bulky than the Impacts, so there's that. And they are plenty stiff, yet still allow some pedal conformity. Methinks I'll go for a ride for realsies tomorrow after work.

 

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/a-sneak-peek-at-8-flat-pedal-shoes-pond-beaver-2020.html
Powerlines made that list. Some other interesting options coming too.