sidi dragon 3 durability and comments

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devinci
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 9:43 pm
Location: Canada

by devinci

anybody riding the sidi dragon 3? Or whatever similar model from past 1-2 years?

I am ridden 2 pairs of diadoras this season, one lower end pair where I completely pulled the sole apart and the cleat remained on the pedal and the other, top end model, where I broke the sole in half after barely 2 months of use. No walking/running or abuse...

I am now looking into the sidi dragon 3 but I want something reliable and durable.

And WHITE :D

Robroyski
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Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:33 am
Location: Canada

by Robroyski

I used mine for a full year without any issues. I like them a lot. Also I use Sidi's on the road so the fit is the same. The only thing that I should mention is that upper gets scratched up from the rocks.

by Weenie


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legsrburnin
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by legsrburnin

I used to go through a pair of MTB shoes every year. A few years ago I bought a pair of Sidi Eagles and they lasted 4 or 5 years (cant remember exactly)!!

This year I treated myself to an upgrade and bought some Sidi Dragon 2 (got them on sale).

Unlike the Eagles, they were relatively comfortable from the first wear. The Eagles took 5 or 6 rides to be comfortable.

I love the adjustability of the Dragons. They're also much stiffer than the Eagles.

Since moving to Sidi's I'm struggling to find any other shoe that comes close in terms of durability and long term comfort.

The Dragons are still new (maybe 15 rides) and are comfortable, but the Eagles got so comfortable I'd forget I had my bike shoes on still after rides when I was getting food and drinks!
Lefty heaven

SpinnerTim
Posts: 170
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:36 am

by SpinnerTim

The Sidi Dragons are extremely durable. I've been riding them for about three years. The lorica lives up to all claims of physical durability, finish resilience, and impact resistance. None of the small parts (e.g., buckle, techno 2, heel cup adjuster, tread lugs) have failed, but it's nice to know that replacement components are a mouse click away if I need them.

If you get these in white (I've got the Roger Rabbit red version), be advised that tick/bug repellent seems to act as a corrosive agent that will irreversibly degrade the sheen of the lorica. It took me a few applications to discover this, much to my dismay. Apply your bug spray before you cleat-up, and even the white should polish back to a showroom luster. Major scratches that gouge grooves into the material might still show, but the portions of my red shoes that have avoided my spray patterns still look like new after three years of hard riding, so I'm confident that the white will age well if you apply bug zap with more sense than I did.

The uppers have taken hits from leaf/brush-covered root snags and rocks that were severe enough to throw me from my bike while riding fast, and the only consequence has been minor scuffing of the finish. We're talking impacts with enough pressure-point force to rip flesh down to the bone or sheer a mesh-clad shoe into a flapping MTB sandal. The clasps and carbon sole were unaffected. I'm certain that I have no permanent foot damage thanks to these shoes, and I've seen local trails claim quite a few MTB shoes.

I don't know if you've had a chance to examine the Dragons, but they come with a robust toe guard that you can mount at your discretion. In my experience, it's a must-have that increases the longevity of the shoe's service life and the crash security of your forefoot.

-Tim

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Sandal
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by Sandal

i went through may be 6-7 paids of Sidi shoes and in my experience the lower end modes live noticably better than the Dragons. Eagles, Dominators survived over 3 season in all kind of conditions and abuse including plenty of walking including rocks, etc. Dominators - 2 seasons, barely more. Also there were no cases in my experience when soles wear out faster than the top, so IMO there's no sense in replacable soles. Worth mentioning though, i never use carbon sole shoes since I prefer comfort to rigidity, even for racing.
weight concerned = good, weight obsessed = bad!

Biplrsaba
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Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:18 pm

by Biplrsaba

I have both Sidi Dragons 2 and Mavic Fury. Both have held up well for 1 season including races. Mavic is stiffer in the sole the Dragon wraps the foot better. Neither shoe shows any signs of serious damage.

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devinci
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Location: Canada

by devinci

thanks guys for info

now I cant find these in white in North America....

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michel2
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by michel2

I bought the blue&white ones on eBay in the states and love um !! My girlfriend gave me a pair of red sidi's for the road both hold up really really well both still look like the brand new
Good luck with the search !

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devinci
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by devinci

I got mine last week, white ones, awesome shoes but very expensive. I hope the sole holds up well and can cope with all the beating from a MTB racing season

nspace
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Joined: Fri May 21, 2010 3:08 am
Location: Milton, Canada

by nspace

Great shoes from what I gather, but definitely not the right choice if you will be doing any stage racing with frequent rugged hike-a-bike sections. You will wear out the tread in a week.

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devinci
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by devinci

not doing stage racing and not much XCM events either. Mostly XCO events where walking is pretty rare unless its super muddy or rainy

by Weenie


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