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review

Giro Techne road cycling shoes

8
£89.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Simple, effective and very comfortable – great entry-level shoes that don't even have to be black
Comfortable
Quick and easy closure
Take all cleats
Breezy toes
Bright colour options
Warm around the heel
A little mushy under power
Mark easily
Weight: 
640g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Giro Technes are very comfortable, reasonably stiff entry-level shoes with easy-to-use Velcro closures and effective venting around the toe. They're sturdily built and take two-bolt cleats as well as three – useful for gravel and adventure use. They sit comfortably mid-range for weight, efficiency and price, and while they don't really excel anywhere, aside from marking easily there's little not to like.

Giro pushes the Techne as much for indoor spin class use as road riding, and that – along with the comprehensive cleat fittings – is a clear sign of their all-rounder intent. And largely it's mission accomplished.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The three Velcro straps are sturdy and very easy to adjust, and as you don't even need to touch the toe strap after an initial tensioning, the Techne is super-easy to get on and off. The heel cup is very secure and actually fairly thickly padded – it's immediately comfy. On the downside, the heel is noticeably warmer than the very effectively vented toe, and can get a bit sweaty on hot days. It would only be worse indoors with no airflow, too.

The toebox is roomy and the sole is well shaped, creating a very secure fit with no pressure points or hotspots. I can sometimes feel an edge digging lightly into my insole when walking, but it's nowhere near enough to be a problem during cafe stops or the usual faffing. The sizing is just right, and I found the fit roomy enough for any socks, but never loose.

2020 Giro Techne road cycling shoes - toe.jpg

I fitted three-bolt cleats and was concerned the two-bolt mount would be free to rattle, but having wedged them to one end of their travel and cinched my three-bolts down on top, I had no issues. The alignment marks are large and clear, and the adjustment range is good.

2020 Giro Techne road cycling shoes - sole toe.jpg

The nylon outsole is great for long-ride comfort, and the large toe vent works well – at speed you can actually feel the breeze. There aren't any vents further back, though, which only adds to the relative warmth of the rear half. The upside of this is that, once clad in toe covers, the Technes stay comfortable in fairly cool air. The mesh between the straps and the vented tongue mean they can't do much about rain, though.

2020 Giro Techne road cycling shoes - sole heel.jpg

That nylon sole deadens road vibrations very well and, while not hugely stiff, is never flexy enough under power to distract. It just feels a bit mushy when you sprint. At such times their 640g weight is also noticeable, but only over significantly more expensive shoes – their heft is absolutely on a par for their price.

> Buyer’s Guide: 22 of the best performance road cycling shoes

They don't skimp on quality, either, with tough, accurate stitching over the faux-leather panels and very neatly bonded soles. The Velcro gets a thick synthetic backing with useful texture for grip on the ends, while the matt/gloss finish adds impressive style. If you don't like this super-bright yellow one (because, and don't take this badly, you're wrong), there are black and white or just plain black options.

> How to choose the right cycling shoes

The Technes' one real weak spot is that finish, and how easy it is to mark. The inside heel suffers the worst with crank rub (the thick padding makes it almost impossible to adjust out), while the adjacent shiny heel panel wears to a dull spot. While mud wipes away pretty easily, I could never quite scrub away more than 90 per cent of the grimy heel rub. Still, there's always the tedious all-black version...

2020 Giro Techne road cycling shoes - heel.jpg

If you really must have Boa dials you can get them at this price. Specialized's 2020 Torch 1.0 is a good option, though it lacks the two-bolt cleat fitting the Techne rocks. Giant's Phase 2 road shoes are also £90 and also take either cleat style, and augment their Velcro with a clever little ratchet system. To be fair, I never missed either dials or ratchets on the Technes.

> Buyer’s Guide: 5 of the best cycling shoes for beginners

The Techne is a likeable do-everything shoe with a simple, effective design and a trustworthy build. You can get lighter, stiffer and more fancily secured shoes, but you'll pay for it – this is an excellent, entry-level road and gravel shoe that's good for a lot of real-world riding.

Verdict

Simple, effective and very comfortable – great entry-level shoes that don't even have to be black

road.cc test report

Make and model: Giro Techne road cycling shoes

Size tested: 45

Tell us what the product is for

Giro says, 'The Techne road shoe delivers the style and performance you expect from Giro, in a familiar 3-strap design for riders seeking comfort and convenience. The three broad straps provide a great range of fit adjustment with secure hold, providing great support whether you're riding indoors or out on the open road. Our universal 3/2 injected nylon outsole transfers power to the pedals with great efficiency, and allows you to use 2-bolt or 3-bolt cleats to suit your preference in pedal systems."

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

Giro lists these specs:

UPPER

* Classic 3-strap design

* Synthetic upper

* Breathable mesh

OUTSOLE

* Injected nylon outsole with universal cleat mount (2- or 3-bolt)

FOOTBED

* Die-cut insoles

WEIGHT

* 279 grams (size 42)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Neat and sturdy.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Mark easily, but structurally tough.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

Very comfy.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

As it should be.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10

On a par for the price.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10

Very comfortable on long runs.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Great quality and usability for the price, but you can get Boa dials and ratchets for the same.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Dirt scrubs off fairly easily; oil and grime gets ingrained.

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

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comfort, ease of use, good toe venting, bright colour.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Relatively hot heel, mark easily, slightly mushy under power.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Competitive for a quality entry-level shoe that will last.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Techne shoes are simple and effective, with no significant flaws. They're good across the board, and very good overall – hence the 8.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 183cm  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

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

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4 comments

Avatar
jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
0 likes

Boa dials, ratchet clips and so on are just more-things-to-break in my book.  Laces are great, Velcro is fine.  And it's good to see 'proper' shoes that support the two-bolt SPDs that are most useful for most people most of the time.

Avatar
mdavidford replied to jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
0 likes

Personally I've grown to hate Velcro - always seems to lose it's grippiness in short order, and too often starts to detach itself from whatever it's supposed to be securing.

Second the wish for more 'road-style' SPD shoes though - not least because I want something I can fit overshoes over when the weather starts to turn.

Avatar
jollygoodvelo replied to mdavidford | 4 years ago
0 likes

I guess not all Velcro is the same.  I've got a pair of Specialized shoes bought in 2012 that are comprehensively mullered but the Velcro is still as tight as ever.

Avatar
Zigster replied to jollygoodvelo | 4 years ago
0 likes

Same here. Might even be the same model.  I fancy treating myself to a fancy new pair of shoes but my old ones are still in such good shape.

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