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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
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Fizik Tempo Beat SPD Cycling Shoes 800g (pair) 44EU (as tested) £179
Fizik Tempo Beat SPD Cycling Shoes
800g (pair) 44EU (as tested) £179
The Fizik Tempo Beat SPD Cycling Shoes are designed to “blur the line” between specific discipline models, catering for the cyclist who rides mixed surfaces and spends time exploring away from the bike, whilst giving very high standards of materials and manufacture, and, of course, comfort during long days out. This sounded perfect for my typical cycling venture, although far from my frequently replaced Shimano trainer type SPDs. At first a bit sceptical about the modernistic design, I have to say that they are now my go to for cycling with SPDs; except commuting, as black or shoes of sober shade are dictated by the day job (ours were the green option, not the black).
Pros: thick TPU sole, deeply recessed cleats, choice of colours, very well-made, comfortable width.
Cons: nothing significant.
Specification
Fizik’s target audience is road riders who also head onto gravel tracks. Sounds like me, because I take that to include mixed surface touring, road trips, my commute, Audax rides, and all that sort of thing. The sole promises to do a good job off the bike, too. Of course, although the sole is designed for grip when away from the bike, it is a slimmer profile than an approach shoe, so don’t expect the same level of ankle stability: walking up a grassy bank, yes, clambering over boulders, at your own risk.
To achieve all this, they’ve “redesigned” their concept of a road/light gravel shoe. A slim profile, with a grippy sole, but one which conceals the traditional two bolt SPD in an impressive recess. They’ve expanded the toe box for more wiggle room, too. Combining this with the adjustability of laces and a soft upper fabric for all-day support and comfort.
The sole, which has a TPU covering to enhance grip off the bike, has a stiffness rating of four out of five, with a nylon shank. Fizik say that this blends comfort and protection from the bumps and lumps of rough roads with pedalling efficiency: in the case of the Tempo Beat, compromise is not a dirty word. Rarely is for all but the most discipline specific riders who have neither the money nor the space to house a machine for every occasion.
Inside the upper, right at the back of the shoe, is a block of tiny pimples that seem to be there to help grip your socks and hold the shoe in place as you ratchet up the power pedalling. Initially, I thought they were an annoyance likely to wear out the heels of my socks even faster than usual. They haven’t, nor have they annoyed.
They are available in Black, SageGreen/Desert, and White/Orange (the latter with a bit of light purple, too).
Size and fit 4.5/5
Sizes available range from 36-48 (EU) with half sizes from 37-47. On-line converters give equivalents for other countries and systems, but they are not all consistent. I generally buy shoes in shops so that I can try them on. However, a word with your supplier about sizing might help if you are unsure or, like me, can fall between sizes.
Scepticism with regard to buying new brands of footwear on-line meant I studied the sizing guide with more than usual care; that is, I was indecisive, according to Mrs. Steve. My go to SPDs, for many years, have been various Shimano models, so I became familiar with the sizing. ExtraUK were most helpful. Street shoe size for me is 9.5 (UK). Most on-line converters describe that as 44(EU), but Fizik see it as 9.75(UK) – if such a thing existed – as witnessed by the label on the shoe inner. Suits me; a perfect fit both with summer weight skinny socks and chunkier DexShells Pro Visibility Waterproof Socks – minor adjustment of the laces needed, but plenty of stretch in the upper to cope with the additional bulk. On the whole, I’d say that the Tempo Beat come in a little larger than street shoes, and that this is, in my view, a good thing. The stretchiness of the upper helps, too.
Lace closures are my preference for long days in the saddle. Flexibility and more precise adjustment are perfect for mileage on the bike and exploration away form it. Mind you, that can be quite marginal, and you’ll know your feet and cycling style better than me.
I do not need to tell you – which, of course, signals that I am going to anyway – that you need to take a bit of time to adjust the position and float of the cleat. I used my old shoes as a pattern, but found that either I’d changed or the new shoes required some minor adjustment to get things aligned properly. If you are new to SPDs, do not underestimate the impact of relatively minor adjustments in achieving c comfortable feel when pedalling. For me, with moderate arthritis in my left knee getting things set up properly is important for keeping things aligned to avoid painful rotation; for all you young folk, it will stop you getting knee pain in the first place.
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Care and durability 3.5/5
So far, I’ve not really managed to get them really dirty. Why do things turn beautiful when you need a bit of filthy weather? I have, got them coated in a thick layer of crushed lime dust and light trail dirt, but nothing really gungy. The soft uppers benefitted from a spray and a wipe over with GTechniq’s Tri Clean but, given frequent post-ride attention a damp cloth has been pretty effective.
The soles are easy to clean with a damp cloth and a suitable implement to get into the tread. The merest touch of protecant will beapplied tothe cleats in dues corse - memo, keep off he shag pile.
Ideal though the Tempo Beat are for exploring off the bike as well as riding it, they won’t substitute for heavier-weight approach shoes with thicker uppers and more substantial welts. So, don’t be too ambitious in your explorations. Alright, there are folk who only head for the café or the post ride pint, but you can be much more ambitious than that. Just be conscious of just how far you want to push a £179 pair of shoes that are, after all, primarily designed for pushing bicycle pedals.
Performance 4.75/5
Straight up, I have been seriously impressed. The flexible courtesy of the laces and the soft, stretchy upper make them very adaptable: For instance, touring in the UK, when you have skinny summer socks on in the morning and chunky waterproofs in the afternoon. This, and the upper fabric, help climate control. I’ve found them very good under overshoes.
The key thing is that the Tempo Beat really do live up to their billing of blurring the lines. They are more than stiff enough to give real thrust to your pedalling when that is necessary. At a steady touring twelve to fifteen mph there is a feeling that you are not wasting an ounce of energy. Head up the hill, by power or twiddle, and your effort is not wasted. Hitting the twenties for a stretch, I felt a real cohesion between the knee bone connected to the shin bone and, eventually, connected to the pedal via all those connected bits in between. However, the shoes are not so stiff and constricted that you really can’t wait to get them off at the end of the ride. On the contrary, in my opinion, these are supremely comfortable, seeming to spread the contact beyond the immediate vicinity of the cleats. No hot spots – although that is also a function of the pedal and correct adjustment.
On that front, I usually replace inner soles with either a sorbothane model or my favourite Ergon IP Touring Solestar Insoles model. I haven’t done this yet with the Tempo Beat’s inner sole, simply because I have not felt the need. The whole shoe feels very supportive – even for a moderately arthritic left knee. Change may come in the future especially if planning to spend more time off he bike, but I am pretty happy with the incumbent inner sole at present.
The shoes aren’t waterproof or even any more water resistant than most fabric-uppered cycling shoes. As I have said, they deal well with thick waterproof socks and also do well under overshoes. Equally, they dry out pretty well – obviously a lot depends on how drenched they have become. Stuffed with newspaper overnight and they been ready for the morning without artificial aid, following the one real Old testament downpour they have been subjected to. Several light showers on an eighty-mile day trip saw them dry on the bike and barely trouble my attention.
A mini-heatwave UK style – 30C and humid – gave the Tempo Beat the chance to show prowess in sweaty conditions. Could not fault them under those conditions, but winter protection will be needed when the temperature really drops – even y UK standards.
You’ll have guessed by now that I really like these shoes. That’s partly because the spec could have been written for the kind of cycling I like to do. However, they will suit fast road riders equally well, unless you really want to go discipline specific. I see no reason why they shouldn’t go well off-road, although you’ll certainly want more aggressive tread on MTB shoes for muddy technical stuff, and definitely for those cyclo-cross escapades. Blurring the boundaries does not mean reaching the extremes or doing away with the advantages that discipline specific gear can bring: it does mean that investing in one pair of shoes can cover an awful lot of ground in the middle of the road, or gravel etc.
Value 4//5
I’d go 4/.55 by direct comparison to similar shoes, but what price comfortable contact points? There is no doubt that £179 is a lot to pay and that you’ll find many, many cheaper models that will give you decent service for many a year. I recently bought a pair of Revilo SPD shoes for commuting – decently made, Velcro Closures, nice fit and sneakily grey enough to cause no issue round the day job office. However, they’ve not got the same adaptability or tunability combined with the stiffness of the Tempo Beat. I’d not expect that for a little over £50 (I did get a bit of a discount).
Directly comparable are Shimano’s SHRX600 Gravel Shoes. These are SPDs and Michael felt they covered gravel and road with little compromise. I’d guess that the sole is a little less comfortable for wandering touring cyclists off the bike. They come in at around the same price., The Lake MX21G have similar characteristics to the Shimano, but are a good bit dearer.
Quoc Pham Grand Tourer II are slightly dearer (£20) but arguably the closest genre-wise.
Summary
The Fizik Tempo Beat SPD Shoes do exactly what they set out to: they blur the lines. There’s no real compromise and ,although tread is not aggressive enough for certain disciplines whilst other disciplines call for even more stiffness, the Tempo Beat seem to be perfect for general riding, road riding, gravel, occasional further off-roading, and long rides, such as Audax or major tours. A definite competitor for your hard-earned.
Verdict 4.5/5 Really good shoes that match their ambitious specification.
Steve Dyster
PUBLISHED JUNE 2025
