With a rigid carbon fibre sole and ratchet closure, the dhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Shoes have features usually only found on shoes with three-figure price tags. They’re race stiff, but broad and comfortable enough for all-round use, and at their current price, they’re a staggering bargain.

Wiggle house brand dhb has gone from ‘cheap and cheerful’ to ‘good stuff at bargain prices’ over the last few years. The M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Shoes don’t buck that trend.

At the heart of the dhb M2.0C Carbons is a carbon fibre sole that’s stiffer and lighter than the fibreglass-reinforced sole of the M1.0 model we reviewed a few weeks ago. There’s a rubber tread moulded over it so you can still walk on muddy surfaces, and big rubber sidebars next to the cleat help guide your foot on to the pedals, so clipping in is nice and quick.

They’re a shade drafty for the current damn cold weather thanks to the mesh in the upper, but they’re fine for cool conditions because most of the upper is synthetic leather, which is quite warm.

They’re comfortable too. The shape is quite broad across the forefoot, so if you don’t get on with narrow Italian-style racing slippers, these are well worth a look. Plenty of padding round the inside helps, and a rigid heel cup helps hold the back of your foot firmly in place.

Firmness and stiffness is definitely the theme here. You can’t feel even a compact SPD through the rock solid sole; they’re up there with carbon-soled road shoes in terms of absolute reluctance to flex.

That makes the M2.0C Carbon shoes more suitable for situations where you’re not going to need to walk: cross-country rides, races and the like, and they’ve doubled as brilliant round-town shoes. Look elsewhere if your riding involves lots of pushing though; the lack of flex at the toe quickly gets annoying.

You get a ratchet closure to hold them in place, and with the two Velcro straps across the forefoot, it’s plenty secure. Releasing the catch involves a simple and obvious button on the top of the ratchet. We’re probably a bit thick but we’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve groped around to figure out just how the manufacturer has hidden the release catch on other pairs of shoes…

The dhb M2.0C Carbons would be a good deal at their 90 quid list price, but Wigle is curently boshing them out for just 63 of your English pounds, which is a hell of a bargain.

Verdict

Very stiff, comfortable shoes at a bargain price

Pros

Stiff
Comfy
Well made
High level of useful detail for the price

Cons

Too stiff for some situations

Price: List price £89.99, currently £62.99
More information: dhb M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Shoes

What dhb says about the M2.0C Carbon Mountain Bike Shoes

“Performance mountain bike shoe from dhb with 100 percent carbon fibre composite sole, micro adjustable ratchet top strap and external moulded heel counter for ultimate control.

• 100 percent carbon fibre composite sole with rubber traction grip
• Synthetic Upper
• Micro adjust ratchet top strap
• Quad core air mesh inserts
• All-round ventilation holes
• Injection moulded polymer heel counter
• 360 degree reflective detailing
• Cleats – 2 Bolt SPD Type
• Forefoot Studs
• Sole Material: Carbon fibre with overmoulded rubber

The pure carbon fibre composite sole on this shoe gives it an upgrade in stiffness compared to its little brother the – dhb M1.0 shoe. More stiffness means more of the energy you put down with each stroke gets transferred through the crank to the back wheel of your bike. The sole has a small degree of flexibility built into to ease comfort when racing on foot with your bike. The complete carbon fibre chassis of the sole is covered in an ultra grippy rubber compound with aggressive tread design. This contact surface will allow excellent traction when interfacing with mud, rock and road.

The sole is bonded to the synthetic upper which features the same quad core inner structure as the dhb road shoe. This mesh structure has excellent 3D mapping properties to achieve a form fit to the foot but affords almost zero stretch – which keeps input energy loss on the upstroke to an absolute minimum. The exterior upper is a durable Synthetic skin, which will absorb the knocks and grazes of general use. Twin needle stitching in key wear areas (Toe and Heel) gives a robust finish.

A durable lightweight polymer top strap closure with metal ratchet lever enables adjustment, simply lever the strap up to tighten, or push the button from the underside upwards to release tension. The micro ratchet system makes refining the adjustment super quick and easy. 2 additional closures at the toe-end allow further control to the fitting of the shoe. Achieving the right fitting is essential to delivering the most efficient power output.

Mesh inserts across the upper on the instep and outer side of the upper allow air to circulate through the shoe helping to keep you temperature regulated as you generate heat. Small perforations below the mid line encourage hot air to dissipate to keep you comfortable but keep water ingress when submerged to a minimum.

The 2 series shoe has an external injection molded heel counter, which provides strength and rigidity to allow maximum control when interacting with the clip in pedal system.

Embossed print detailing provides a clean aesthetic which is complimented with reflective detailing along the length of the shoe in-step and outside to enhance the rider’s safety in low-level light conditions.

The shoe is pre drilled ready to use with MTB-style, 2-hole cleat-pedal systems (SPD, Crank Bros, Time MTB)”