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dhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Cycling Shoedhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Cycling Shoe

dhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Cycling Shoe

8
by dave atkinson
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jun 12, 2014

2
£89.99
Buy this online

VERDICT:

8
10
Good quality shoe designed for mountain biking that will appeal to a range of road riders too
Weight: 
1,018g
Contact: 
www.wiggle.co.uk
How we test

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dhb's M2.0C shoes are designed as a mountain bike shoe but their full carbon sole and good quality construction mean they should be on the radar if you're looking for an all-purpose SPD shoe for road riding.

The M2.0C has a fully synthetic upper with some venting along the top to allow them to breathe. Adjustments are via two Velcro straps and a ratchet strap which give good support and it's fairly easy to fiddle with the fit. I'm normally a 47 and the 47s supplied were just right, so they size up about average. They're fairly broad, so if you have narrow feet you might rattle around in them a bit.

The sole plate is full carbon, and it's very stiff which makes for good power transfer on the bike. The stiffness of the sole also means that good fit is important as pressure points can set up hotspots that be painful. I'm happy to report I didn't get any problems there. I did have a few issues with the shape of the midsection, which put pressure on the outside of my foot. That was more down to the shape of the upper than the sole, and it abated after a few rides (and an attack with the round base of a screwdriver).

The underneath of the sole has a generous rubber tread which helps with walking off the bike. The stiffness of the sole means they can still feel a bit clunky at times, and the cleat isn't quite recessed enough to stop it clicking when you're walking across the patio at the café, but they're a lot more accommodating than race shoes. On unmade surfaces they're excellent, as you'd expect from a mountain bike shoe. If you do get them dirty off-road, they're pretty easy to wipe clean and the material has resisted scuffs pretty well so far.

The M2.0C is the kind of shoe you could do a long commute in, or training rides, or Audax outings, or multi-day touring, as well as heading off-road for a bit of cyclocross or mountain biking. They're a bit too bulky to easily fit inside an overshoe so you might have to get a pair of covers that's a size bigger than you'd normally wear if you plan on heading out in heavy rain; the dhbs don't let masses of water in due to the location and the size of the vents. They're reasonably heavy too which is noticeable if you're coming from a pair of racing slippers; less so if you normally wear touring footwear and not really an issue if you're not racing or training. Overall they're a good quality shoe for the money and well worth looking at if you want a decent shoe for a range of riding.

Verdict

Good quality shoe designed for mountain biking that will appeal to a range of road riders too

road.cc test report

Make and model: dhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Cycling Shoe

Size tested: 47(UK11.5), black

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?

Performance mountain bike shoe from dhb with 100 percent cabon fibre composite sole, micro adjustable ratchet top strap and external molded heel counter for ultimate control.

The pure carbon fibre composite sole on this shoe gives it an upgrade in stiffness compared to its little brother the - dhb M1.0 shoe. More stiffness means more of the energy you put down with each stroke gets transferred through the crank to the back wheel of your bike. The sole has a small degree of flexibility built into to ease comfort when racing on foot with your bike. The complete carbon fibre chassis of the sole is covered in an ultra grippy rubber compound with aggressive tread design. This contact surface will allow excellent traction when interfacing with mud, rock and road.

The sole is bonded to the synthetic upper which features the same quad core inner structure as the dhb road shoe. This mesh structure has excellent 3D mapping properties to achieve a form fit to the foot but affords almost zero stretch – which keeps input energy loss on the upstroke to an absolute minimum. The exterior upper is a durable Synthetic skin, which will absorb the knocks and grazes of general use. Twin needle stitching in key wear areas (Toe and Heel) gives a robust finish.

A durable lightweight polymer top strap closure with metal ratchet lever enables adjustment, simply lever the strap up to tighten, or push the button from the underside upwards to release tension. The micro ratchet system makes refining the adjustment super quick and easy. 2 additional closures at the toe-end allow further control to the fitting of the shoe. Achieving the right fitting is essential to delivering the most efficient power output.

Mesh inserts across the upper on the instep and outer side of the upper allow air to circulate through the shoe helping to keep you temperature regulated as you generate heat. Small perforations below the mid line encourage hot air to dissipate to keep you comfortable but keep water ingress when submerged to a minimum.

The 2 series shoe has an external injection molded heel counter, which provides strength and rigidity to allow maximum control when interacting with the clip in pedal system.

Embossed print detailing provides a clean aesthetic which is complimented with reflective detailing along the length of the shoe in-step and outside to enhance the rider's safety in low-level light conditions.

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

100 percent carbon fibre composite sole with rubber traction grip

Synthetic Upper

Micro adjust ratchet top strap

Quad core air mesh inserts

All-round ventilation holes

Injection molded polymer heel counter

360 degree reflective detailing

2-hole cleat ready

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
6/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Stiff carbon sole, good quality for the money

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

fit needed work initially

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?

Great value for money shoe a 9 in those terms. The fit wasn't perfect for me and they're a bit on the weighty side which marks them down a bit but they're really solid performers

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 102kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium 853

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

 

dhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Cycling Shoe
dhb 2014
commuter cycling shoe
Dave Atkinson

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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2 comments

Avatar
Arno du Galibier | 10 years ago
0 likes

Ridden the M1.0 for a few years before moving on to those. the M1.0 in 43 were on the tight side for me. Well fitted in summer with thin socks but tight with anything else. So this time I went for M2.0 in 44. They turned out rather baggy and I ride them with inner soles which makes them fine.

Bearing all the above in mind (1 size larger) I find those a lot heavier than the M1.0 (seemingly disproportionately) were even with no inner soles.

Other than that they're ok. 2-3 stars for me though

Avatar
Redvee | 10 years ago
0 likes

I've had a pair of these since December 2012 and had to send them back in June last year as the sole wore away because I walked in the shoes from the bike sheds to locker room in work, might have been down to my walking pattern but the replacement pair have faired better. Still worn in the same place but less so in the 12 months since replacement.
Halfords sell a very similar shoe with a fibre glass sole under their HBH brand.

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