Ride Concepts Expands its Flat-Pedal Lineup and Finally Clips In

Author:
Travis Engel
Jul 16, 2019

If you’ve ever walked the tent city that is the Sea Otter Classic’s product expo, you’ll notice a wide popularity gap among the exhibitors. On one end is the guy pushing, for example, lactic-acid muscle rollers or bicycle theft insurance or elliptical exercisers or some such nonsense. You walk by and try not to make eye contact as they wait for someone, anyone, to show some interest. On the other end, though, is Ride Concepts. This past Sea Otter, the RC booth was teeming with showgoers. The Truckee-based brand launched all-in on flat-pedal shoes. Its initial catalog of just three options was two options deeper than what most brands offered to the clipless-less, but it was far short of what flat-pedal powerhosue Five Ten offers. Maybe what got people willing to make eye contact with the Ride Concepts folks at Sea Otter were the five new shoes on display, including two clipless offerings and two women's versions.

Today, the rest of us who didn’t make it to the windy hills of Monterey, California, this past April can finally get our hands on those, and we don’t even need a wristband.

Transition – $160

Ride Concept's first clipless shoe, the Transition has some obvious flat-pedal inspiration in its tech and styling. It uses RC's highest-durometer DST 8.0 rubber, which focuses more on durability than grip. And inside that outsole is a molded full-length nylon shank. Toes and heels are protected with molded rubber cups, and ankles, heel and pedal contact areas are protected with D30 inserts. Usually left for knees and elbows, the hard-when-you-hit-it D30 material seems like a good fit for a high-impact shoe.

Traverse – $160

With the same spec and tech as the men's Transition, the Traverse is Ride Concept's first women's clipless shoe. Just like RC's other women's shoes, the Traverse has a women's-specific fit, not just smaller numbers. And it was developed with the help of the one and only Rachel Atherton. Get well soon, Rach!

Powerline – $150

The Powerline is Ride Concepts' full-featured flat shoe. With its softest DST 4.o rubber and the same D30 inserts as the Transition, it's meant for those who want a little extra tech at their toes. A little burlier than the Livewire and Hellion, but not quite as beefy as the Wildcat or TNT, the Powerline has the makings of a flagship shoe for Ride Concepts.

Skyline – $150

How do you make the high-tech Powerline into an equally high-tech women's shoe? You color it sky blue and call it the Skyline. But you also keep the same features and rework it for a women's fit. Oh, and it also comes in black.

TNT Mens

The TNT is not aimed at the growing sect of trail riders cautiously switching from clips to flats. It's meant for bikes that would probably look out of place with a set of clickity-clackers on their cranks. Also using Ride Concept's softest DST 4.0 rubber, the TNT is all business. With a thicker overall build and beefier arch support, they're meant for more abuse than the Powerline and are a little higher-tech than the Wildcat.