At a glance Lightweight and top performing fine weather shoe but with some concerns about longterm durability and winter warmth.
Tested by
Nik Cook, tester for The Bike List
Performance
Out of the box, the Tempos look mean, moody and, if a shoe can be, fast. Personally I always feel that although white mtb shoes might look bling and pro, dark or black shoes are a far more sensible choice. Weighing them up in your hands, they feel reasonably light and 380g for UK 8.5 makes them competitive at this price point. Shoe weight is often overlooked by weight weenies but, as a rotating weight and thinking about the number of times you “lift” a shoe during a bike ride, it’s a sensible place to shave some grams.
Slipping them on, they immediately felt supportive and comfortable. The padding around the heel and ankle was especially plush and reassured me that there wouldn’t be any issues with rubbing even when pushing the bike. The combination of the two velcro straps with three point cord attachments and a ratchet strap made getting a precise fit a breeze. However, although I’ve got on fine with Mavic’s Custom Strap system on road and tri shoes, how durable the cords would be when subjected to the rigors of off-roading remained to be seen. The ratchet mechanism on the main strap was extremely positive and, even when subjected to a heavy mud loading, tightened and released easily.
Hitting the trails and the Tempos put in an extremely solid performance. The mixed carbon, glass fibre and nylon sole was stiff and power transfer through it was excellent. It didn’t quite have the rigidity of an all-carbon soled “super-shoe” but you’d be hard pressed to notice a change in ride performance. The comfort of the Tempos was confirmed when pedaling and they soaked up trail vibration well and didn’t develop any hotspots. Ventilation, drying and drainage was superb and I never felt I was having to haul around excessive water weight. The only downside of this great ventilation was that, even on a not especially cold day, my feet got a bit chilled. The Tempos would be great for riding hard and fast in spring and summer but, for longer slower days in the cold of autumn and winter, you’d really suffer.
Often a failing on cross-country and more race orientated shoes, the Tempos excelled when the terrain just got too steep and technical and I was forced to get off and push. The padding around the heel and ankle made them super comfy to walk in and the aggressively lugged Contragrip outsoles easily coped with steep rocky and muddy conditions underfoot. Not a concern if you tend to stick to trail centres but, for my local natural trails where some hike and bike is an inevitability, pushing comfort and performance is an important consideration.
A couple of months down the line and the Tempos are still going strong. I’m still not 100% convinced that the cords on the straps will hold out through a whole summer of hard riding but there’s no sign of wear or fraying yet. It does just seem a strange and unnecessary design feature on an mtb shoe and an obvious potential weak spot. I’ll report back on it in the autumn. That concern aside though, the Tempos would be a great choice of shoe if you’re looking for race performance but without the worry of being crippled or skittering around like Bambi on ice should you have to get off and walk. You’d probably need to splash out on an extra pair of shoes for the winter but, for warm day blasts or hot overseas riding trips, I’d happily opt for the Tempos.
Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk
Mavic says:
Lightweight high end Cross-country race shoe. Extremely comfortable, good fitting, well ventilated, lightweight Cross-country race shoe with aggressive Contagrip® traction and the energy saving stiffness of the Energy Grip Carbon comp outsole.
- Weight: 380 grams (size 8.5 UK)
- Ergo Strap
- Ergo Fit 2D
- Ergo Lite Ratchet
- Ergo Strap Custom
- Clima Vent Tongue with Ergo insert
- Contagrip®
- Energy Wedge
- Energy Grip Carbon Comp
- Synthetic and mesh upper
- Low profile 2 position ratchet support
- Integrated toe cap with Cross-country protection
- Delivered with removable traction studs and wrench
Energy Grip Carbon Composite Outsole
Optimal energy transfer and grip for Cross-country. Composite carbon, glass fibre and nylon insert with Contragrip® rubber lugs.
Contragrip Tread
The best in traction and durability. Contagrip® outsoles feature a unique combination of a proprietary rubber compound, tread geometry and density.
Ergo Fit 2D Insole
Preshaped 2 density composite insole with a high density rear heel craddle. Agion™ anti bacterial treatment.
Clima Vent Tongue with Ergo Insert
Ergonomic tongue with 3D instep EVA comfort zone, mesh inserts for moisture management and supple micro fibre synthethic fabric for comfort.
For more info visit www.mavic.com
