Cycling lifestyle and finding the perfect ride

Finding your fit has more benefits than simply performance 

Not all of us are sports cyclists. Yes, whilst we might avidly watch the Tour de France, the Vuelta, Paris-Nice and those exciting mountain bike World Cup races in the Alps, we may simply be armchair competitors with a focus on comfort over performance.  

Ultimately, cyclists of all ages, all demographics and all abilities need cycling shoes that fit. Here at Lake that has always been our primary focus, and we add performance into that mix with every cycling shoe we design. However, we’re also conscious that the level of performance that a cyclist requires from their shoes varies – which is why we have probably the most extensive range of cycling shoes in the world. For most average ‘leisure’ or ‘lifestyle’ cyclists, the focus is simply that: cycling for leisure or taking to the tarmac and trails with friends for some chill-out riding time, before enjoying a coffee with friends.  

Comfort is the key to the perfect ride

Why is this relevant, you may well ask. Well, it’s fundamentally relevant, because it determines how and why we design each and every cycling shoe in the Lake range. For me personally for instance, after a long day at the keyboard or researching, there’s nothing better than slipping on my Lake CX239 road cycling shoes and taking myself on my favourite local ride here on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, before finishing the ride at the ‘Café in the Park’ in historic Ripon, where ginger and lemon tea along with a piece of flapjack is enjoyed. Along the ride, speed isn’t my of focus, but comfort is as I climb the rolling hills such as Mickley Bank, or swoop through the corners tree-lined country lanes, allowing the stresses of modern life to evaporate away.    

Yes, for me, it’s no longer about the speed or delivery of power – although my CX239 cycling shoes always deliver that when asked. It’s about feeling as though my feet are wrapped in a perfect second skin, with my custom insoles controlling stability, as I simply relax and enjoy the ride.  

Lake CX239 – the legendary cycling shoe for comfort & performance  

The CX239 is the latest version of our most popular road cycling shoe. This new evolution comes with an integrated tongue to the medial panel of the upper for a firmer foot hold, ensuring that power is maximized into forward momentum through improved stability.  It also has a fiberglass reinforced internal heel counter, creating a more stable heel hold, and has more spacing between the two BOA® dials to give greater zone adjustment to the forefoot area. With a wider forefoot area allowing for a better foot placement inside of the shoe, it takes one of our favourite cycling shoes to a whole new level of comfort, fit and performance, with modern styling as standard.

Lake is about setting your cycling spirit free

If I were to define the feeling, I’d have to say that a good pair of cycling shoes is all about setting your cycling soul free. And that’s especially so when we take to the trails, exploring our relationship with nature, away from the roads and people and tackling that tight, twisting singletrack and challenging ourselves just a little bit as we ride deeper into adventure. Yes, it’s often about that relationship with the natural world – a world that needs our protection and awareness ever more as time goes on.   

One of my own favourite rides is from the National Park visitor centre at Sutton Bank in the North Yorks Moors, popping in to visit friends such as legendary bike designer Adrian Carter. Then, I’ll load up my Yeti 115 mountain bike, and grab my Lake MX30G off-road shoes, which are my favourite for a late summer or early autumn ride where I may take on the challenge of a few forded river crossings along the way, or simply allow my feet to breathe as I speed seemingly effortlessly along the singletrack escarpment, before turning onto the moors and heading for the nearby forests that fall across the hills towards historic Rievaulx Abbey. Yes, cycling is all about exploring ourselves and our surroundings, and that becomes ever more possible when we have the most comfortable cycling shoes in the world wrapping our feet in legendary comfort.  

MX30G - the adventure cycling shoe

The MX30G is a classically designed, pure and simple off-road adventure shoe, and is perfectly suited for long days on the gravel grind or this type of post-work escapism that we all seek. It comes as a stylish all-microfiber version and an ultra-lightweight mesh version, for those hot and humid days and warm evenings. The mesh option is ideal for fast river crossings and those small river fords that lie across the Yorkshire countryside. They allow the water to be easily released and aid the drying process with an airflow around the foot. The microfiber upper option is also a tough and hard-wearing choice whilst remaining ultra-comfortable, taking care of those knocks and rocks that frequently accompany a fast paced, technical trail with the dust and gravel flying around the wheels. Yes, for me, it’s the ideal cycling shoe for the post-work ride into the hills, where your head and your feet want to feel the freedom of the ride and not the pain of ill-fitting cycling shoes.  

The perfect ride exists – and Lake can show you the way

All of us seek the perfect ride, and many of the leading premium brands seek the recipe to providing it. Here at Lake, we’ve been on that continual journey for over 40 years now – constantly innovating and redefining what the most comfortable cycling shoes should be and can be.  

Yes, our cycling shoes are worn within the pro peloton by some of the world’s best cyclists. However, we recognise that it’s often the ordinary leisure or lifestyle cyclist that wants to find that perfect fit and the ultimate in cycling shoe comfort. Yes, performance has a place, and we always try to create that blend of comfort, performance and style. Our focus is always on delivering the perfect ride by wrapping your feet in the world’s most comfortable cycling shoes – whoever you are and wherever you ride.  

Isn’t it time that you set your cycling soul free – with Lake!