It’s been a few months since the Fizik Gravita Tensor clip pedals showed up and Pete has been seeing what they’re made of.
Fizik’s Gravita Tensor shoes are the flagship model in their new gravity offering and Pete has been running the clip version for the last few months to see how they stack up against the competition. Designed for downhill and enduro with a focus on low weight but with decent protection, how will they fare in a Scottish summer?
Key features:
- Ripstop fabric + TPU reinforcements upper
- Laces + instep velcro closure
- X6 outsole – nylon shank, EVA midsole, Vibram Megagrip tread
- Outsole stiffness index 5
- 410 g per pair
- Sizes: 36-48 (37 to 47 also in half sizes)
- £174.99 RRP
- Fizik.com
A few months with the Gravita Tensors on my feet and they soon became my go-to shoe for most rides. For long days in the saddle, just like in my First Look Review, it was very easy to just crack on with riding and forget what was on my feet, usually a good sign of a shoe working well.
Much of this fit-and-forget feel is due to the low weight and likely that my narrow foot suits the Italian fit, which is generally fairly narrow. The toe box has yet to make my toes feel anything but safe from impacts too. The lace and strap combo works well to let you fine tune the tightness of the shoe, and although it’s not been bogging here, the strap hasn’t ever come undone due to the amount of mud about.
On long days in the saddle, the Gravita Tensors do their job with limited fuss, power going to the pedals via the fairly stiff but comfortable mid-sole. Any slips of the cleats generally don’t spell disaster as the Vibram Megagrip out-sole does a solid job of gripping the pins until you get your foot back in.
A long cleat slot means clipping in has been a dream, although with a spacer under the cleat, the width of the slot does mean you can’t rotate the cleat as far as you’d like without trimming the corners of the spacer off. Without the spacer, the shallow cleat slot means the pins on the pedal are in contact with the shoe, making unclipping almost impossible.
Hike-a-bikes are definitely not where the Gravita Tensor excels, despite not lacking in traction. The lack of padding in the shoe and a lack of a heel cup, combined with a fairly stiff sole makes for a heel that always wants to rise, and even jamming a thicker sock into them doesn’t solve the problem. Yes, that’s not what they’re designed to do, what with there being little hike-a-bike in enduros and downhill, but it’s certainly worth noting. Other DH/enduro shoes work perfectly fine with a bike on your back.
What do we think?
The Fizik Gravita Tensors might not be cheap, but they do what they were designed to do and do it well. If you need a gravity clip shoe that just gets on with it, then you’d be hard pushed to go wrong with them. If you do a lot of hike-a-bike though, you’re best looking elsewhere.
We love:
- Great fit for narrow feet
- Comfy yet stiff
- Fit-and-forget
- Great sole traction
Could do better:
- Styling is a bit remedial
- Needs a heel cup
