Pearl Izumi Iso Seek IV

At 400g this is the heaviest shoe on test. When getting a feel for them out of the box, this weighty stack manifests itself in a highly inflexible shoe.

On flat and non-technical trails this isn’t a problem, and they cope well with moderate, gently undulating off-road terrain. They also perform proficiently on hardpack terrain, go well on the road, are comfortable and shed water well.

However, once the gradient kicks up and the trail surface becomes loose, slippery and muddy, they’re completely out of their depth.

The lack of flexibility means you struggle to get right up on your toes on steep climbs, can’t keep enough rubber down to maintain traction and trail feedback is almost non-existent.

Descending, they just don’t inspire confidence and the tread pattern slips and slides on the slightest patch of damp or mud.

Contact : www.madison.co.uk