Van Rysel RoadR 900 Carbon Road Cycling Shoes

The new Van Rysel RR 900 Carbon Road shoes are the flagship of Decathlon's cycling footwear range and they are worthy of that accolade. With a stiff full-carbon sole, a supple upper and the use of dials for foot retention, it's a hell of a lot of shoe for the money.

• Pros: Sole has plenty of stiffness, comfortable upper, price
• Cons: A bit weighty against the competition

Earlier this year French sports supermarket chain Decathlon dropped the B'twin branding for its cycling range and split it into two camps, Triban for the entry-level and endurance-based bikes and Van Rysel for the top-end race stuff.

> Find your nearest Decathlon store here

Other than the bikes, there are also clothing ranges, helmets and, of course, shoes.

For their £119.99 price tag, these RR 900s include a lot of details usually reserved for shoes twice their price.

First of all, you are getting a full, 100 per cent carbon fibre sole, whereas most race daps at the £100 mark use reinforced nylon or fibreglass. This gives the RR 900s excellent stiffness for when you really want to put the power down, which is exactly what I want – one of my biggest bug-bears is flex at the pedal interface.

There's a thicker central section where it's needed, too, most notably under the cleat mount to resist any deformation.

The sole is a nice shape for comfort, having a subtle curve under the arch of your foot to offer support without being too pronounced.

A clever touch is that the cleat mounting guides are actually engraved into the sole, so they should remain in place regardless of how many miles you do. Many shoes have painted markings which, after a couple of cleats have been fitted and the soles have been roughed up from walking on gravel, can soon disappear.

> How to set up your cleats

While we're talking cleats, the RR 900s will accept any three-bolt setup like most race shoes, but there is no provision for two-bolt systems like Shimano's SPD or other mountain bike cleats.

The upper is made from polyurethane and it's very soft, which allows it to wrap around your foot while the two Atop dials tension the lacing across it. The tongue is stitched to the upper on one side, with the other side left unattached, which avoids any creases as the upper wraps itself over the top of the tongue.

Venting is pretty good, with plenty of holes covering the sides of the shoe and the tongue. I wouldn't mind a few more above the toes for the really hot days, but it isn't exactly a deal breaker.

There are another two vents on the carbon sole, which are supposed to bring cooler air in at the front and vent it out of the rear.

Inside there is a simple insole which offers just enough squidge for comfort, plus there are two heel pads. That's not something normally found inside shoes but it does provide a bit of extra plushness and helps to grip your heel throughout the pedalling motion.

Helping the RR 900s stay looking their best, there is a bumper at the front to protect the sole. It'd be great if it rose a little higher to protect the toe box from scuffs, but again, it's just a little niggle rather than a major flaw.

The heel cup is reinforced right the way round for protection and stiffness, and to aid walking you get two rubber blocks on the bottom of the sole. They aren't replaceable but looking at the depth they are going to last quite a while, as long as you don't drag your feet.

As I mentioned up top, the Van Rysels are quite a bargain so it's even better to see that quality hasn't been sacrificed. All the stitching is neat and tidy, and the finish is spot on where the sole and upper meet.

The only thing I can really find to criticise is that they are a little weighty at 677g for this size 45 pair. Compared to the £109.99 Shimano RP4s, which weigh 541g (size 43), that's quite a difference. The FLR F-II Pros are a little closer, 602g for size 45s (£99.99). Both pairs have fibreglass soles, though.

> Buyer's Guide: Find the right cycling shoes

Overall, I really like the Van Rysels. They are great all-round race shoes that offer a brilliant mix of stiffness and comfort. I think they look good as well, and if black isn't your colour you can get them in black/white and, my favourite, the colour-changing iridescent grey.

Verdict

A little hefty, but otherwise really good race shoes that deliver on comfort and stiffness at a great price