Ben Swift goes gravel biking at Dalby Forest

Autumn is definitely here in northern Europe. The air is cool and damp, and the gravel biking tracks are slippery and covering the brave souls riding in a layer of greyish dirt and debris. Attending the U.K. Gravel Biking Championships, riders and spectators alike are all wrapped up and doing their best to hide away from the weather. Thankfully, Dalby Forest provides a wealth of tree cover from the elements, and I was able to relax, sheltering under the endless canopy of trees and talk to the riders, including our Lake ambassador, Ben Swift from Team INEOS and the world tour.

Normally at home on the world’s roads, Ben was close to home for the weekend, and racing the elite category, with his hard-working feet wrapped in our MX333 gravel biking shoes, protected from the weather by his team issue overshoes – always a good idea in wet weather – and yes, the rain did fall! However, it stayed at bay long enough for the main men’s race to take place; then returning in anger for the women’s elite riders!

MX333 gravel biking shoe

One great aspect about gravel biking at Dalby Forest though, is the hard-packed nature of the tracks. The course is fast and furious and requires a performance orientated shoe such as our latest MX333. It’s a technology laden cycling shoe to remove the potential for painful feet when cycling.

When creating it, we designed in a Carbitex arch support panel, and a heat moldable internal Thermaform Carbon Fiber heel counter, to give you the most secure fit possible. It’s also extremely durable, with a choice between light weight Clarino Microfiber or an extremely durable helcor leather upper. It has an Outlast temperature regulating heel and a tongue liner, and the internal Thermaform Carbon Fiber heel counter adds to the secure fit and stability on mixed terrain. Looking at the weather at Dalby Forest, this was going to be a great shoe choice for Ben.

Comfort and fit are critical for power and performance

Whilst Ben was out and about racing hard in the forest, I had time to talk with several of the spectators and other riders attending the event. It’s always reassuring when cyclists say how Lake has helped them, too. One particular spectator and regular cyclist told me how he’d gone to Lake from another (Italian) brand, after finding their fit too narrow and too tight around the toe box, causing hotspots and pain when riding. Since changing to Lake, he’d had pain-free feet on every ride! The overriding theme from those I spoke with was how Lake offered more room for their feet to breath and to function without causing pain. 

Returning to the racing, Ben Swift was having a great day in the forest; and, as I stood beside his father, Mark, talking cycling, world tour, families and cycling shoes; each time the lead pack came past us, Ben was present at the pointy end, with his MX333 shoes keeping his feet firmly fixed to the pedals and helping to maximise his performance by converting watts into pedal power and forward momentum.

On the final lap, Ben surged clear and opened a gap of over 30 seconds, looking certain to claim victory. But in a gripping finale, his cousin, Connor (Team INEOS also) clawed his way across with 4km to go. With the stage set for a dramatic showdown between the cousins, the pair of gravel racers on an outing from the world tour rounded the final corner. Unfortunately, Ben suffered a cruel mechanical, dropping his chain, leaving his cousin to surge past and retain the title with just 0.6 seconds to spare.

Gravel adventure cycling shoes for everyone

Crossing the line, Ben was still smiling, as he always is these days – wrapped in pain free cycling shoes from us here at Lake! He’d had a great day and was covered head to toe in grey dirt and debris yet had a wide smile on his face - second place in the gravel nationals! Time for coffee and medals!

Elsewhere on the course and around the magnificent forest tracks, other riders, from wannabee world tour dreamers to leisure riders were sharing in the legendary comfort of Lake gravel biking shoes.

Our MX30G is an extremely popular choice for gravel grinders of all levels, and was the choice for Pawel, originally from Poland and now riding regularly on the gravel trails of Cambridgeshire when not racing at Dalby Forest.

MX30G – a classically styled cycling shoe

The Lake MX30G is a classically designed, pure and simple off-road adventure shoe, and is perfectly suited for long days on the gravel grind. It comes as a stylish all-microfiber version and an ultra-lightweight mesh version, for those hot and humid days. The mesh option is ideal for fast river crossings in races, allowing the water to be easily released and aiding the drying process with an airflow around the foot. The microfiber upper option is tough and hard-wearing, taking care of those knocks and rocks that frequently accompany a fast paced, technical trail with the dust and gravel flying around the wheels.

Built on our MX Race ‘last’, it features a slightly narrower toe box & tighter heel than the Competition last, and less overall volume than the Sport last. It fits like a second skin and wraps your feet in a pain-free way that ensures maximum power transfer, whilst maintaining all-important comfort. It’s designed for a slimmer fit and is most suitable for racing or lightweight days on the trails. On days like this one at Dalby, when combined with overshoes, it’s an ideal choice for those seeking to minimise pain in their cycling shoes and to maximise comfort and performance.

Lake – the cycling shoe family brand

Back to the racing, and bikes were hosed down and medals presented, and cake eaten in the nearby refreshments tent, before we all headed for home and the need to properly clean the dirt and forest debris from bikes, kit and cycling shoes before the next gravel biking adventure. And, whilst Ben had not quite managed to take the win, he’d had a great dayracing, with pain-free cycling feet and with his family looking on and smiles all around.

Nobody should be cycling with painful feet, and here at Lake we have the answer, with our legendary cycling shoe comfort. Don’t just ride – ride with smiles, with Lake on your side and on your feet! Take a look at our full range of gravel shoes by clicking the link here andjoin Ben as a member of the growing Lake cycling shoe family.