Incorporates cycling shoe performance with walking shoe comfort

Reviewed by Mitch Trujillo, PCI #244T
IPMBA Industry Relations Committee
Boulder PD (CO)

A great deal of innovation is overflowing into bike patrol from the bicycle industry. More and more companies are entering into the market with new ideas for patrol-specific equipment and clothing. To witness what's new, get to the upcoming 13th Annual IPMBA Conference & Product Exhibition in Charleston, West Virginia. Hope to see ya there.

Just last spring, I was perusing the industry trade goodies at the IPMBA Conference and came across the Patrol Cycle booth. The owner of this fledgling company, Barrie Gorton, met and introduced me to his version of bike patrol-specific shoes.

Now, I've tried several types of patrol shoes. Everything from flexible cross-trainers to stiff cycling shoes. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Some were comfortable for walking and running, but not stiff enough for riding long hours. Others were firm enough for riding, but not flexible enough for walking or running. None of the models I tried (and I tried many) could achieve good performance both on and off the bike.

While giving the Patrol Cycle shoe the once-over, I noticed its quality construction. Soft, full-grain leather mated to a hard-wearing, natural rubber outsole. Sporty, breathable, yet traditional-looking upper that is easy to polish. SPD (Shimano Pedal Dynamics) and Time cleat compatible sole with beefy lugs. Large, reflective rear tab. So far, so good. But how do they fit and function?

Barrie asked if I wanted to try them on for size, so I gave 'em a go. Why not? I've got to have the pickiest dogs on the planet. I put them on and hey - they fit like a glove and were really comfy. The EVA / rigid midsole was both rigid and pliant. They looked good even on my scarred up stumps.

So after the conference, I ordered a pair. There was a little glitch with the online purchase through PayPal, but Barrie and his people in the States were very helpful and got me my Euro-size 43's (Patrol Cycle has since decided not to use PayPal and will use their own secure ordering system). After mounting my cleats, I took them out for a spin.

I had no problem getting in or out of the pedals. They worked fine for clips and straps, too. I did some tactical dismounts and they transitioned to running like a cross-trainer. Better yet, there was no scraping or clicking sound on the ground from the cleat and no ice-skating on pavement. They were very stable. I have since put in a few patrol rides, and the semi-rigid sole has provided a good, solid interface with the pedals.

The shoes continue to serve me well. The only nit to pick was the awkward lace keeper, which folds over the laces from the tongue and velcros in place. While the keeper did its intended job, it was a little large and billowed a bit. Oh well. Maybe a future development might include a combo flap and strap (a la Diadora mountain bike shoes) to prevent the lace eyelets from stretching and increase the support through the upward pedal stroke. Hint, hint, Barrie.

If you're looking for a well-rounded shoe, I'd definitely recommend the new bike patrol shoe by Patrol Cycle. It's made for the picky patrol cyclist who wants innovative performance on and off the bike.

Fellow IPMBA Industry Relations Committee member, Ken King, adds, "Good, stiff sole for biking; surprisingly comfortable for walking (wore on a parade detail all day; takes polish well and looks more like uniform-type shoe than biking shoe; this is big with our agency-they don't like 'non-traditional' looking shoes). Easy clip in and out with Time pedals. Overall, thumbs up."

PATROL CYCLE P-SM820 PATROL SHOE

LIKES Performance (stable for cycling and walking), clipless or clips/straps compatible, comfortable, true to size. Good customer service.
DISLIKES Fold-over lace keeper, no instep strap, can't try it on before ordering.
COST A decent $75.85 U.S. with IPMBA discount, including shipping and handling.
AVAILABILITY Online at www.patrolcycle.com, fax 310-248-3700, or phone 310-275-5700.

Mitch is an IPMBA Instructor Trainer, and is addicted to epic mountain rides and cyclocross racing. He can be reached at trujillom@ci.boulder.co.us.

(C) 2003 IPMBA. This review first appeared in the Winter 2003 issue of IPMBA News.