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Re: Giro SLX Laces [robabeatle] [ In reply to ]
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What is the downside of leaving the tongue? I never leave shoes clipped in.
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [trimac2] [ In reply to ]
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trimac2 wrote:
What is the downside of leaving the tongue? I never leave shoes clipped in.

Probably none. Myself and others who have modified the Giro shoes have done it for faster transitions as well as aero benefits. If you are going to be putting the shoe on in T1 prior to getting on the bike there isn't a need to remove the tongue. That said, I would still go with elastic laces if I was leaving the tongue - otherwise the tied laces are just hanging in the breeze.

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Re: Giro SLX Laces [trimac2] [ In reply to ]
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I echo what Nate said. If you don't need to get them on while on the bike you can keep the tongue for sure. I would say that you should try to put a little loop in the top of the tongue so you can grab that and get in easier when off the bike. With the elastic laces the shoes are pretty tight and you could lose a nice chunk of time fumbling with the tongue in T1.

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Re: Giro SLX Laces [jrielley] [ In reply to ]
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The one thing I like about velcro straps is that I can adjust tension. There are times my feet are more swollen, etc. It seems with the elastic laces you have only one fit?
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [trimac2] [ In reply to ]
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trimac2 wrote:
The one thing I like about velcro straps is that I can adjust tension. There are times my feet are more swollen, etc. It seems with the elastic laces you have only one fit?

do yourself a favor... go ride the trainer for an hour with NO laces or straps.

Then report back :)

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Re: Giro SLX Laces [trimac2] [ In reply to ]
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My laces are probably loose but never notice when riding. If I tied them would I make them tighter? Yes. Do I miss any tightness when riding? Nope!

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Re: Giro SLX Laces [natethomas] [ In reply to ]
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Nate,

Hard to tell, but did you just stitch the tongue in the upper corner on each side, or did you stitch all the way down the part of the tongue that you left in the shoe?

Cheers!
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [ In reply to ]
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Here's my take on the Giros.
What do you think?
https://www.facebook.com/...osts/832204866938195

And thanks to Thomas Gerlach for inspiring us to modify this shoe ;)

-Aku
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [aoja] [ In reply to ]
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Masterpiece!
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [Rachela] [ In reply to ]
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Rachela wrote:
Masterpiece!


Indeed amazing. Should work with flying mount.
(Another colour of the zipper would have made it perfect.)
Last edited by: longtrousers: Aug 10, 17 3:52
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [aoja] [ In reply to ]
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aoja wrote:
Here's my take on the Giros.
What do you think?
https://www.facebook.com/...osts/832204866938195

And thanks to Thomas Gerlach for inspiring us to modify this shoe ;)

-Aku

Brilliant, can you explain more how you did this?

2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [aoja] [ In reply to ]
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aoja wrote:
Here's my take on the Giros.
What do you think?
https://www.facebook.com/...osts/832204866938195

And thanks to Thomas Gerlach for inspiring us to modify this shoe ;)

-Aku

This is badass. Needs a DIY.
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [BBLOEHR] [ In reply to ]
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I'll try to take my time in next few days to explain more how I did this.
Unfortunately I didn't take photos during the process, but maybe I can make up something.
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [aoja] [ In reply to ]
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I'd love to see this too. Awesome work on that.
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [aoja] [ In reply to ]
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That seems like the perfect solution! I loved the idea of the zipper but was worried about getting the fit right so those elastic bands on the side would make that basically the perfect shoe for mounting while riding while still being able to use them in training with socks if you want to. Kudos!

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Re: Giro SLX Laces [jrielley] [ In reply to ]
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https://twitter.com/ck21trhc/status/890358695938449408


i added the zipper also.
What i had the local shoe person do is stitch the tongue to the side of the shoe and then split the tongue and stitch it in


very clean and easy

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I use what I love: ISM, Blue70, Trek, FLO
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Im curious what your take on the newish prolight tech lace is, now that they have one with out a boa..
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [dcohen24] [ In reply to ]
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dcohen24 wrote:
Im curious what your take on the newish prolight tech lace is, now that they have one with out a boa..

I haven't seen one yet. What I have learned through my shoe work is that narrow, simple design and NEW shoes that have a good shape are going to perform the best.

Buckles, straps, dials are going to add frontal area aero along with changing the cD.

Remember. It is also about goals, comfort and ease of use. When I started this process it was as a pro who sometimes even races sprints for money where seconds matter.


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Re: Giro SLX Laces [BBLOEHR] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, here's a little write up how I did this. Like I said unfortunately I didn't take photos during the process but I'll try to explain it.
  1. The first thing to do was to cut out the tongue. After you have guts to do that, your options are only limited by your imagination ;D
  2. Then I searched a place that has things to work with shoes. Because you need a sewing machine something like this to acces the show for sewing. Most likely any shoemaker has one.
  3. I then discussed my idea with that person and went shopping for zipper and elastic bit. My original idea was to use neoprene, but I couldn't find any so I went with the elastic band.
  4. Be mindful when choosing the zipper, the underside should be smooth. Some metallic ones for example has very rough edges on the underside which would make you bleed nicely when used against bare skin.
  5. First thing when actually starting the process was to measure and cut the zipper in wanted length. This was pretty simple. Just put your feet in the shoe, align zipper where you would like it, mark -> cut -> sew to keep it closed.
  6. Then we attached the elastic band on that side of zipper where we wanted it. At this point you should have plenty of length in it.
  7. Then we sew the zipper to the shoe, leaving the elastic band side still unattached.
  8. Then with foot in the shoe I estimated the stretch I wanted on the band by pulling it over the shoe when zipper was closed. This is why you want plenty of length in it. When you have a good idea about the stretch, you mark the line where you want to sew the elastic band to the shoe when it's strecthed.
  9. Cut the elastic band in proper length and when zipper is open it's easy to hold in place for sewing. You can use a bit of glue to help in this.
  10. Try it out and maybe glue a bit of fabric on the inside of shoe on top of the cut zipper end to make sure it doesn't cause any issues.
  11. Enjoy you custom speedmachines.

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Re: Giro SLX Laces [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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remind me why I race in these, other than it's the slowtwitch way. for me, its definitely not ease of use. have raced in them all summer. modified like most with no tongue. even have a nice grommet in the heal for rubber band. have tried flat elastic laces and the silicone bands, skipping eyelets with both. I've managed the flying mount in every race, but one. it's never been easy though. last week in Austin with ice cubes for feet there was no chance I was getting my feet in on the fly, but I tried. toe warmers didn't help as they constricted the shoe even more, but I literally had to stop, lay my bike down, unclip the shoes, and put them on. obviously under those conditions I should have dried my feet in T1 and put socks and shoes on there. Still, in ideal conditions it's always been a hassle. The shoes are very comfortable and light. slowtwitch says they are aero, so help me get in them faster. and no, I'm not going to put them on in T1 unless I absolutely have to, because I always follow rule #1.
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [sooners175] [ In reply to ]
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sooners175 wrote:
remind me why I race in these, other than it's the slowtwitch way. for me, its definitely not ease of use. have raced in them all summer. modified like most with no tongue. even have a nice grommet in the heal for rubber band. have tried flat elastic laces and the silicone bands, skipping eyelets with both. I've managed the flying mount in every race, but one. it's never been easy though. last week in Austin with ice cubes for feet there was no chance I was getting my feet in on the fly, but I tried. toe warmers didn't help as they constricted the shoe even more, but I literally had to stop, lay my bike down, unclip the shoes, and put them on. obviously under those conditions I should have dried my feet in T1 and put socks and shoes on there. Still, in ideal conditions it's always been a hassle. The shoes are very comfortable and light. slowtwitch says they are aero, so help me get in them faster. and no, I'm not going to put them on in T1 unless I absolutely have to, because I always follow rule #1.

I use Speedplay, so I just slip them on ITU style in T1 and run with them to mount line. No issues and it's a wash time-wise.

From there, I ride with them laced with these rubber pieces as the lace and a soccer cleat "sweet spot" to cover them. Tongue remains attached to shoe, which is how I slip them on so quickly actually.

Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [sooners175] [ In reply to ]
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sooners175 wrote:
remind me why I race in these, other than it's the slowtwitch way. for me, its definitely not ease of use. have raced in them all summer. modified like most with no tongue. even have a nice grommet in the heal for rubber band. have tried flat elastic laces and the silicone bands, skipping eyelets with both. I've managed the flying mount in every race, but one. it's never been easy though. last week in Austin with ice cubes for feet there was no chance I was getting my feet in on the fly, but I tried. toe warmers didn't help as they constricted the shoe even more, but I literally had to stop, lay my bike down, unclip the shoes, and put them on. obviously under those conditions I should have dried my feet in T1 and put socks and shoes on there. Still, in ideal conditions it's always been a hassle. The shoes are very comfortable and light. slowtwitch says they are aero, so help me get in them faster. and no, I'm not going to put them on in T1 unless I absolutely have to, because I always follow rule #1.

Can you can post a picture of your specific setup. How specifically were your old shoes working better and what shoe was that? Do you practice getting into them or out of them. Usually the day before the race I'll do 10 mounts and 10 dismount just to practice mounts in general, but also getting in and out of these shoes.

If it will help, you can easily add a heal loop if you want and use the spare elastic - just a drill a hole and tie a know in the elastic. The reason I don't is I suspect at least at some yaw it would add drag. I never intended so many people to use a shoe like this but it says a lot when an athlete like Jesse Thomas uses them. If they didn't work for him, I am sure he would continue to use his Pearl Izumi's that he used for years as a sponsored athlete. YMMV, but I am sure we can get them to work better for you. Lace tension is pretty important in the overall setup. You can't have them too tight.


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Re: Giro SLX Laces [ericMPro] [ In reply to ]
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ericMPro wrote:
sooners175 wrote:
remind me why I race in these, other than it's the slowtwitch way. for me, its definitely not ease of use. have raced in them all summer. modified like most with no tongue. even have a nice grommet in the heal for rubber band. have tried flat elastic laces and the silicone bands, skipping eyelets with both. I've managed the flying mount in every race, but one. it's never been easy though. last week in Austin with ice cubes for feet there was no chance I was getting my feet in on the fly, but I tried. toe warmers didn't help as they constricted the shoe even more, but I literally had to stop, lay my bike down, unclip the shoes, and put them on. obviously under those conditions I should have dried my feet in T1 and put socks and shoes on there. Still, in ideal conditions it's always been a hassle. The shoes are very comfortable and light. slowtwitch says they are aero, so help me get in them faster. and no, I'm not going to put them on in T1 unless I absolutely have to, because I always follow rule #1.


I use Speedplay, so I just slip them on ITU style in T1 and run with them to mount line. No issues and it's a wash time-wise.

From there, I ride with them laced with these rubber pieces as the lace and a soccer cleat "sweet spot" to cover them. Tongue remains attached to shoe, which is how I slip them on so quickly actually.

This is a good idea. I'm constantly wondering why I think it's faster to do a flying mount then struggle to get into my shoes. For 70.3+ this seems like a no brainer. Thanks.
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Re: Giro SLX Laces [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Sean H wrote:
ericMPro wrote:
sooners175 wrote:
remind me why I race in these, other than it's the slowtwitch way. for me, its definitely not ease of use. have raced in them all summer. modified like most with no tongue. even have a nice grommet in the heal for rubber band. have tried flat elastic laces and the silicone bands, skipping eyelets with both. I've managed the flying mount in every race, but one. it's never been easy though. last week in Austin with ice cubes for feet there was no chance I was getting my feet in on the fly, but I tried. toe warmers didn't help as they constricted the shoe even more, but I literally had to stop, lay my bike down, unclip the shoes, and put them on. obviously under those conditions I should have dried my feet in T1 and put socks and shoes on there. Still, in ideal conditions it's always been a hassle. The shoes are very comfortable and light. slowtwitch says they are aero, so help me get in them faster. and no, I'm not going to put them on in T1 unless I absolutely have to, because I always follow rule #1.


I use Speedplay, so I just slip them on ITU style in T1 and run with them to mount line. No issues and it's a wash time-wise.

From there, I ride with them laced with these rubber pieces as the lace and a soccer cleat "sweet spot" to cover them. Tongue remains attached to shoe, which is how I slip them on so quickly actually.


This is a good idea. I'm constantly wondering why I think it's faster to do a flying mount then struggle to get into my shoes. For 70.3+ this seems like a no brainer. Thanks.

Break a cleat, slip and fall are probably the two biggest. Breaking a cleat is less of an issue if you are a Speedplay user. Also just depends on things like the grass if it is wet and muddy, how far you have to run with your bike etc.


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Re: Giro SLX Laces [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Definitely not too tight. Getting out of them is no issue. For setup, I rubber band them to the front mech and rear skewer respectively. However, the opening is so small that when I mount, I don't slip my feet right in. That would be ideal I guess, but I also like to get away from the bike mount line ASAP, so I pedal with my feet on top of the shoes. By that point, the rubber bands have broken, obviously. From there it is pretty tricky to get my toes in as the shoe is dangling. Mostely due to the size of the opening which creates another problem...... when I try to get my toes in, the shoe just spins back towards me with the pedal. A heel loop might help, but I think my major issue is the size of the opening. Some of the zipper mods seen on here are cool, but I have a pair of factor techlace's that I would modify before I went that route. Like Boris Steins, but I would probably remove the laces too.
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