Sidi Dragon 2 SRS Carbon Shoes Pro Review – By Russell Clark
- Carbon Sole Replacement System (SRS), a pure carbon insert reaching from the heel to the toe
- Patented Techno II buckle system and Caliper buckle
- Sizes – 39 to 48
- MSRP – $429
My name is Russell Clark. I’m an avid cyclist who dabbles a bit in competitive road cycling and cyclocross racing. Road cycling is a pretty big sport in Europe, and has really gained notoriety in the last decade with stellar performances by a handful of American riders. Cyclocross, on the other hand, is not as popular. I’d say it’s followed by more of what I call ‘the sub-culture of cycling. Cyclocross is a sport which transcended from more of an off-season training regime for professional road cyclists to stay in ‘cycling shape’ during the fall and winter months. In modern-day cyclocross racing, individuals are often challenged by the cold and wet elements of fall & winter. Additionally, courses are designed to challenge the riders’ skill level, often requiring them to dismount, run over/jump obstacles, and remount the machine to carry forward.
The demands of a competitive cyclocross racer are such that his or her shoe must be one that is stable, be compliant enough for the running/jumping bit, offer good traction, and be stiff enough to efficiently transfer the pedal power to forward motion. In my experience, Sidi has been one of the leaders and most highly sought-after shoes for this sport: Cyclocross.
During the past 3 months, I have been testing a pair of “mountain” shoes made by Sidi. This shoe, the Dragon 2 SRS Carbon was the shoe provided by Sidi for me to test. Mountain bike shoes are, for the most part, synonymous with cyclocross shoes. The shoe need for both sports are in parallel, with the added need for running & jumping of barriers, in cyclocross. Now, 3 months might seem like a long time to acquire data, but all weather & terrain conditions were considered…and only recently came to my disposal. My first few rides with the Dragon 2’s were short ones. Once the cleat position was dialed and the 2nd foot bed added, I was ready to venture further than the local trails. I think it took about 4-5 rides for the Dragon 2’s to break-in for me. As I have a low instep, it was necessary for me to add a 2nd foot bed to the shoe for proper fit. Once this was done, the shoe fit perfectly.
I was reluctant to get any dirt on these beauties, because they are so blingy. The white Lorica goes well with just about any kit on race day or on a club run with your mates. So, white leather be damned, they WERE going to get dirty. Nevertheless, they garnered many compliments from my riding pals and gave me added incentive to ride.
On my favorite afternoon dirt ride, there’s about 8 miles of bike path to pedal before hitting the dirt. While on the path, the shoes felt VERY close to the Sidi Genius 6.6 road shoes I just tested. I could have easily kept going on the pavement for the duration of the ride…had it not been for the squishy 45psi I was riding on, I might have forgotten I was on a cyclocross bike. Once on the trial, the shoes were flawless. Just enough rigidity in the sole for efficient power transfer, yet a slight bit of ‘flex’ when I needed to dismount and run or hop a log.
In competition, the Dragon 2’s were fantastic. I have been doing a bit of racing around the local cyclocross scene, and where my skills & speed are lacking, I definitely feel like I’ve got “one up” on the competition…with the slick-looking and superior shoes on my feet. There have been times where a longer toe cleat cleat would come in handy. I have since purchased some steel cleats to mount to the toe of the Dragon 2’s. I’m sure they’ll come in handy for the next race. It’s sure to be a wet one!
This shoe meets all the needs of a fashion conscious, rider who enjoys efficiency in an easy-to-use shoe for long or short rides. I, myself, am a slave to cycling fashion. That being said, I like to keep my gear clean, tidy and well aligned. The only issue I have with the shoe is upon removal, the Tecno II buckle seems to jam. The only way I can get the buckle system to release is by holding the detention tab, and reversing the Tecno II dial. Perhaps a bit of lubrication will help. I’ll check the manual!
In my opinion, the outstanding features of the Dragon 2 are the enclosure system and the amazing SRS sole. That enclosure system offers on-the-fly adjustability and security. The Sidi Dragon 2 SRS lies 2nd from the top of the Sidi mountain shoe hierarchy. Built on the ‘Sidi SRS sole’, is a full-length carbon insert. With one ‘High Security Velcro’ lower closure, one ‘Tecno II buckle’, at the mid-foot and ‘Caliper Buckle’ ratcheting, top enclosure, and the ‘Adjustable Heel Cup System’, it is likely that this shoe will fit almost any foot like a glove. Added features include replaceable Tecno II buckle, Caliper buckle and Caliper Buckle strap.
That amazing SRS sole offers replaceable heel & toe pads, as well as replaceable SRS tread. All of this, mounted to the SRS carbon sole, offers great tread for walking, running, barrier jumping, running from the park rangers or just chillin at the local coffee shop. With a full Lorica upper, the shoe is supple & comfortable. The mesh ventilates the foot well, too, in that on the hottest days during use (approaching triple digits), my feet never felt overheated. If you are a slave to fashion (like me), you will probably want your white leather to look, well…WHITE. Fortunately, this shoe comes clean with a soft finger-brush and mild soap.
It’s quite clear to me that this shoe was designed with the intention to suit a rider with high expectation for performance, reliability, and longevity. Function aside; we posers are in love with the smooth lines and flashy design of this shoe…even if it is a ‘mountain bike shoe’.
This shoe meets all the needs of a fashion conscious, rider who enjoys efficiency in an easy-to-use shoe for long or short rides. I, myself, am a slave to cycling fashion. That being said, I like to keep my gear clean, tidy and well aligned. The only issue I have with the shoe is upon removal, the Tecno II buckle seems to jam. The only way I can get the buckle system to release is by holding the detention tab, and reversing the Tecno II dial. Perhaps a bit of lubrication will help. I’ll check the manual!
In conclusion, I am really enjoying these Dragon 2 SRS shoes. I think it could be a near-perfect shoe with a little more attention given to the Tecno II buckle system and perhaps some kind of “spray guard” or “mud repellent” designed to deflect mud/dirt. That being said, this shoe is amazing! Overall, I would consider purchasing this shoe again. Perhaps, however, in the blingy-shiny version: Dragon 2 SRS Carbon Vernice…in white, of course.
Overall
¾ bottles…near perfection.
Value
Hey Russell,
Interesting review; I am a Mountain Biker most of the time and a Sidi shoe fan.
I was smiling and already knew what you were going to say when you got to the part about taking them off your foot. Nothing worse than having the shoe stuck on your foot when you are trashed after the ride.
What I’ve done to resolve: Buy duct tape the same color as your shoe. After your shoe is on, before your ride, put a small piece of duct tape over the buckle. This prevents mud, rocks, branches and leaves from lodging in the buckle. After the ride, peel the tape off and you will have no problem. You will be doing this once you have had the shoes stuck on your feet as many times as I have.
Killer Shoes in the review!