Giro Privateer shoes

Earlier this year I got a pair of Giro Code mountain shoes and I love them. Unfortunately riding every day, doing a lot of walking off of the bike and generally punishing them, has worn them out. Far more fortunately, I am still riding for Blackburn Design, so Giro sent me a new pair of Privateer mountain shoes. While technically for trail riding, mountain biking shoes are ideal for getting around in dense urban environments when you need to be on and off of the bike but still want the performance of a dedicated cycling shoe.

After a couple weeks in the Privateers, I can say they live up to the Giro name and while different and lower priced than the Code shoes, I wouldn't exactly say they aren't as nice. The Privateer lacks the EC90 carbon last of it's up scale twin, leaving it more flexible and not offering quite the same efficiency. However, this also leaves the shoe slightly more comfortable off the bike as it has a bit more flex when walking. The hardware and fit are essentially the same with very few cosmetic differences side by side. All said and done, it's probably a better(in some ways) urban and short distance shoe than the Code but it would be hard to go wrong with either.