Northwave Vertigo

These shoes are the most affordable of the three Vertigos in Northwave’s range and are hard-wearing but perfectly comfortable. They’re pitched at the enthusiast and, although this doesn’t mean that normal riding is compromised, they tend to let you down if you’re out on a particularly aggressive ride.

For example, the upper and outsole resilience provides a positive feel. But during sprints and climbing we couldn’t help feeling that the ‘carbon reinforcement’ has only a minimal impact upon the stiffness, and is actually just a woolly marketing claim.

For the price they’re a reasonable buy, though, and if you find that the Northwave fit is great for you it’s only a £10 premium for the ratchet-closure version, or £20 for stiffer full-carbon outsoles.

Contact : Jim Walker 0870 752 8777 www.i-ride.co.uk