Boots Advice

kiddakidda · Spanner Monkey Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Karma :

All,

Still in the first couple of months of having my full bike license. So, the other week I decided to treat myself to new TCX competizione S Gore Tex boots. I had previously been wearing some Weise Urban Waterproof Paddock boots which have proved to be comfortable and dry but no real calf / ankle protection.

So I wore them around the house a couple of times the last few weeks whilst the weather has been poor. Went out yesterday afternoon for a few hours with my new shiny boots...... What a disaster!! Shocked

It felt like I couldn't get them through the gap between foot peg and gear shift lever, it was like trying to stir a bag of spanners with my foot!!

It didn't seem to get any easier as the ride went on and many a time I totally missed gear changes, I didn't seem to have any feel between boot and gear shift.

I checked the size of the Weise boot and the TCX boot and there is little to no difference. I just seems there is no space between the foot rest and lever.

Is raising the gear lever a little a good idea to raise the angle for the boot to slot into?

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

kiddakidda · Spanner Monkey Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Karma :

I will do, cheers Mike. It was a right effing battle yesterday!

Dazbo666 · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Karma :

Yes its well worth having a "test sit" on the bike to check out operation and position of the controls. It may look a little weird to onlookers, but it often proves valuable from a comfort, and more importanltly a safety point of view.

I made a similar oversight on the day I picked up my current bike - riding it from the garage back to the house, approx 40 miles in the rain, on an unfamiliar bike etc
I had terrible cramp in my forearms after about 30 miles, and later worked out it was because the front brake lever was angled slightly upwards out of line with my arm position
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

Werny · Traffic Copper Joined: 02 Feb 2011 Karma :

I recently(ish) bought a pair of TCX boots, the Infinity, not the same as yours, and had exactly the same problem at first. In fact it probably took close to a week to get used to them or for the sole to become a bit more supple, or a bit of both.

Give it some more time and I'm sure you'll be fine. Although Tef's suggestion of altering the position of the gear lever is maybe not a bad one either.

kiddakidda · Spanner Monkey Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Karma :

Cheers Werny,

I found the sole of the boot to be very grippy. When I was trying to move the boot from shift up to shift down position, it was hard to move on the footrest.

I'm sure they will loosen up but I was a bit suprised on how much difference it made compared to my Weise boots They were also brand new when i first used them?!

Nick 50 · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Jul 2011 Karma :

Have a good read through the thread below, others have had a similar issue:

https://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=136574

Mine are fine. They have softened up nicely now (1 moth old) but I do have a cruiser type 125 so have more room to get my foot under gear lever.

Great boot if you can them to fit the bike. Thumbs Up

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Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon.......

kiddakidda · Spanner Monkey Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Karma :

Thanks for the link Nick 50 Thumbs Up

I'm experiencing the exact same issue as some of the posters there. I shall adjust the gear shift lever first before I set about the boot with a stanley knife. As you say these boots need to loosen up anyway, the only problem is that I only ride at the weekends so they may take longer to break in.