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review
Socks
Moose.eu Downhill sockMoose Downhill sock

Moose.eu Downhill sock

8
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Mar 29, 2011

0
£6.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Comfortable, well designed on or off-road cycling sock, best suited to colder weather.
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.moose.eu
How we test

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Unlike the Road Masters from Moose, the Downhills are cycling specific socks with a bent towards off-roading. Made from the same 100% synthetic fibres, the Downhill is a much thicker sock, with more padding throughout, whilst maintaining the cycling specific shaping and construction of its lower profile road sibling.

Extra padded areas include the ankle bones (both sides), toe area, and the whole sole of the foot, presumably taking into account hike-a-bike time. The mid-foot is still ribbed to contour around the foot, but not quite as snug as in the Road Masters, while the ventilated mesh panels at the top of the foot are smaller, but still assist in keeping overheating to a minimum. The ankle cuff is also longer than on the Road Master, but still comfortably secure, stretchy and plush. As with the Road Masters, the toe box is left and right specific and with quite a lot of space.

There's no getting away from the fact that these are pretty warm socks. The extra padding, the increased overall fabric density and the reduced ventilation panels mean they run much warmer than the Road Masters, and are really much better suited to colder riding conditions. The fabric wicks moisture well and dries quickly, but as with the Road Masters there's a certain stickiness to the skin left by the synthetic yarns. However, this is a less pronounced problem in a cold weather orientated sock. The increased volume of the Downhill also requires more shoe space, so these are ideal if you have a separate larger sized pair of shoes for winter training, or if you favour looser fitting casual touring or commuting shoes anyway.

Verdict

Comfortable and well designed extra cushioning on or off-road cycling sock, but best suited to cold weather.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Moose.eu Downhill sock

Size tested: M

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Aimed at off-road use mainly.

For cooler conditions.

Also just as suitable for cooler on-road riding, provided shoes allow for additional volume of sock.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Full synthetic composition

80% Climawell

- polypropylene yarn with added silver ion treatment, and extra moisture wicking/fast drying.

10% Polyamide

5% Polypropylene

5% Elastic

Left and right foot specific fitting toe box.

Padded ankles, sole, toe.

Long extra comfort ankle cuff.

Sizes available XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL (EU 36-47)

Unisex fit.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made and silver ion treatment should make them last longer without persistent odour problems.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Warm, comfortable and nicely padded. Too much volume for normal road shoes.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Silver ion treatment makes them a better long term investment by helping to keep them fresh.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Extremely comfortable with good padding and warmth.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Great value for such a technical pair of socks.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed really well as a cold weather cycling sock. Worked as well on road (footwear allowing) as off road.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Styling, cushioning, warmth.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Volume/bulk made footwear selection more tricky.

Did you enjoy using the product? yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Excellent value for money- good comfort for cold conditions.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

Moose.eu
Moose
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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