![]() In the morning, I’d cinch them back up to put in fast, before-lunch mileage. ![]() And the laces, while not adjustable on the fly while rolling, provided all the range of adjustability one could hope for: toward the end of the day, I could loosen the shoes yet still achieve a confident overall interface. They are notably lighter than earlier versions of the shoe, and I’m sure I appreciated that. The GT XC Lace didn’t require any breaking in at all and otherwise disappeared on my feet. I did a bunch of group rides with the cycling crew in Taipei and then pedaled long, hilly days on the mixed-terrain tour. I don’t advise this, but I was pretty confident I’d get along with the new QUOCs. Yup, I set off on a trip with brand-new shoes without ever pedaling in them. I don’t mean just getting off the bike here and there, but, say, walking around a big market area or the like.īefore leaving, I confirmed that the GTs fit, mounted cleats, and packed them into my duffel. My baseline demand, though, is that the shoes be comfortable enough to really walk around in. I no longer ride in road shoes-shoes without tread-but I do like performance footwear when I’m going to be clipped in and trying to keep up with my youthful fast friends. The GT XC Lace seemed ideal for the itinerary. The idea was to travel with ultralight kit in soft bikepacking bags, do high mileage, usually on tarmac, and sleep indoors every night. When I received this new pair, I was just about to leave on a two-week roadie-style tour in Taiwan. I can decisively say that these new Grand Tourer XC Lace far exceed both of those. ![]() My foot would pull out even when the dials were cranked down, plus the tongue of the shoe would float around, leading to discomfort in my instep. Last year, I thought the Escape XC shoes were decent enough, but the fit was notably less refined than on QUOC’s higher-end shoes, especially around the heel cup area. They also gave me hot spots at the cord eyelets. For instance, I found the GT IIs too stiff and race-oriented for comfort in more laid-back gravel touring contexts. On the other hand, not all of QUOC’s catalog has been a win in my book. They attend to detail in venting, heel cup shape, toe protection, and walkability. Throughout, I’ve been a fan of what QUOC is trying to do: namely, create a high-tech performance riding shoe out of durable and cleanable material with distinctive, low-key, elegant looks. I also frequently still wear their Chelsea boot style slip-on shoes that I tested along the way. More recently, I extensively tested QUOCs dial-closure offerings in both the fancy high-end GTII version and the more affordable Escape Off-Road offering. I loved those shoes and judged that I got good value out of them. Some time ago, I retail-purchased the original Grand Tourer laced shoes and wore them on adventures local and far until the soles wore out. This is not my first pedal-round with QUOCs. The obvious con is that these shoes are silly expensive, so one would want to be sure that they meet a real use-case in one’s cycling agenda. The Grand Tourer XC Lace’s are already my absolute go-to shoes for mixed-terrain rides, and I don’t see them being knocked off of that status in the foreseeable future. These new GTs are superb, and to my mind, the best footwear QUOC has ever come out with. And, thirdly, QUOC is out front in terms of combining excellent function with an aesthetic that I appreciate. Secondly, no matter how many times I test BOA dial closure type shoes, I ultimately prefer laces. QUOC’s latest iteration of the Grand Tourer XC Lace has reaffirmed a few things for me: Firstly, QUOC’s fit, quality, and materials on their premium shoes are exemplary.
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