This year’s BikeRadar Live had plenty of new bikes and gear on display, as well as hundreds of demo bikes for visitors to ride on the Brands Hatch circuit and purpose-built mountain bike trails.
While we were wandering through the Madison village, which made up part of the expo area, we got a sneak peak at Shimano’s new AM45 and AM41 mountain bike shoes, which are a development of the popular MP56 and MP66 models.
Set to hit shops in October, the £69.99 AM45 is an all-mountain/trail SPD shoe with a semi-high top design for ankle protection and closed upper construction to keep out trail debris and dirt. The £79.99 AM41 is a version for flat pedal riders, with a Vibram sole for maximum grip.
If these new shoes are an improvement on the highly-rated MP models – which they will complement, not replace – then they're going to raise the bar for trail riding footwear. Keep your eye on BikeRadar for a full review soon.