Submitted by
Dirt Merchant
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore Date Reviewed: August 29, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Amazing features for the price.
Weaknesses:
Very heavy shoe. What is the point of a carbon sole if not light weight? The sole is reasonably stiff but not amazingly so. Build quality seems inconsistent. Glue lines messy, plastic panels do not match up perfectly.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi Bullet and Sidi Dominator
Bike Setup:
Hard tail used for all around riding
Bottom Line:
I bought this shoe so I could use it both on my road bike and my mountain bike and it works for both purposes. The main reason I got it was features vs. price but I think after this I will go back to Sidi. (Which could be awhile, my LBS tells me that these are very durable shoes)
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Submitted by
bellullabob
a Racer
from Rhode Island Date Reviewed: August 17, 2008
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$180.00
Strengths:
Great riding shoe that doesn't compremise the occasional hike a bike section. Sole super stiff while tread is also grippy and last. Buckle is great & takes a beating. Fairly well vented. Wide toe box for plenty of wiggle room. PRICE: carbon sole shoe for less than 200.
Weaknesses:
WEIGHT!!! This is a heavy race shoe (compared to those 350 grams other race shoes - sidi - s works etc...) Velcro straps stop working in the mud, letters on the side of shoe get ripped off when hitting objects (not a big deal though), Mesh at toe box eventually tore open and now my big toe sticks out (fixed w/ lovely duck tape)
Similar Products Used:
older shims, nike, big S
Bike Setup:
yeti ASR 23.5 lbs
Bottom Line:
Fantastic Value!!!! Really you can't another shoe w/ these features in this price range. beat the price. Most of these features will run you at least 300 w/ the competition. 470 for sidi dragons!!!!!! I moved up to a more expensive shoe (s-work) though to save weight and did not go to the shim 300 due to the reports of not enough tread on the those soles. Bottom line is that I beat the crap out of these shoes for two years and they have been great. Wish I could have gotten one more year out of them but two is pretty good for this price range. Would buy again in heart beat, other than the weight..
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Submitted by
Kurbelbrecher
a Racer
from Germany Date Reviewed: May 22, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
I use the tallest size and it's still a very stiff shoe. Riding MTB now is almost like riding on my road bike.
Weaknesses:
Heavy weight, about 1200gr in US- size 12,3. The carbon layer on the shoes is so thin that the shoes still needs lot of plastic to get the stiffness. A unlucky solution are the notches in the plastic under the weak inserted sole (may be it is different in a smaller size). If you have pressure on your pedal :-), your foot will take the shape of the plastic below. A friend of mine (a shoemaker) highly recommend me to fill these notches (inside - on the cleats) with a foam. It could cause splayfeet.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Paragon 29 XL
Bottom Line:
For me it's still a good shoe because of the stiffness and the excellent shape for me. I already filled up the notches so I don't worry about splayfeet. Good shoe for people who don't care about grams. For riders who already have the lightest stuff it could be an option to upgrade to the SH-M 300. The additional costs could be cheap costs for loosing rotating weight.
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Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland Oregon Date Reviewed: March 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Waldo Lake
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike Shop
Strengths:
Great fit, extremely durable, super stiff and pretty snazzy looking to boot.
Weaknesses:
Would like it if they included plugs for the spike holes so you can run them without the spikes.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Ground Control (the original ones from the early 90s), Shimano SH-M220 (the blue and yellow ones.
Bike Setup:
Intense Tracer w/ FSA XC300 wheels, SRAM X9 drivetrain, Rock-Shox Reba Team and Time ATACs. Also a rigid Trek 950 w/ XTR Mega9 drivetrain and Time ATACs for commuting.
Bottom Line:
Exceptional shoes in my opinion. I rode the M220s for a few years, and they were still going strong, but I got the urge for a new pair of shoes. Went with the wide versions of these and really appreciate the little extra room in the toe box, though I had no complaints with the 220's fit. I like the buckle, but it's really just eye-candy. I can only think of a couple of times that I've ever adjusted the buckle on the fly. Just bought a larger second pair for winter use with my Sealskinz Chill Blockers. Way better value than Sidi's, which don't fit my foot anyway. I use them for off-road and commuting, and they're stellar for both purposes. I would appreciate being able to remove the spikes for the road riding, but it's no deal killer.
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Submitted by
ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from indianapolis, in Date Reviewed: February 29, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$130.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
stiff sole, proper fit, easy adjustable, good looks, breathes and dries well.
Weaknesses:
-The heel is just slightly on the flexy side. Not nearly as solid as a pair of Sidi Dominators. -Little on the heavy side.
Similar Products Used:
sidi dominators
Bike Setup:
Yeti 575
Bottom Line:
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical switching to these from years of wearing nothing but Sidis. I switched mainly because I didn't feel that the Sidis are worth what they're charging these days. A basic pair of Dominators shouldn't cost $200+.
That being said, I've been very happy with these togs. They fit well, I haven't had any issues with hot spots or numbness, they've held up to some rough winter conditions, and they look fast.
I haven't had any of the buckle problems others have mentioned. But let's be realistic here, people. In all seriousness, buckles break. Doesn't matter if it's a pair of $50 shoes or $300 shoes. It's a piece of moving plastic. It's going to wear, it's going to get clogged in muddy conditions, and it's going to break when it smacks against a rock. That's why they're replaceable. Not a big deal, IMO.
5 on the value rating because you're getting a lot of shoe for under $200. 4 on over-all value because they are a little on the heavy side.
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Submitted by
jim
a Weekend Warrior
from sunny socal Date Reviewed: November 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
san jaun trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$140.00
Strengths:
Decent fit, carbon sole is very stiff good power transfer.
Weaknesses:
ratchiting buckle is junk! stitching coming undone.
Similar Products Used:
sidi dominator 5
Bike Setup:
SC Nomad, Marzzochi mtn 1, Rocco WC, full XTR setup, Mavic Crossmax ST.
Bottom Line:
Bought these shoes because my son raced BMX with the 181s. Their a comfortable shoe, stiff sole, and breath pretty good. I have a somewhat narrow foot so I had to keep them fairly tight as not to slip. The buckle on them are junk! 6mo after i had them my right shoes buckle would only ratchit down so far. Never could ride with that shoe as tight as I needed. After that after a long days ride the buckle would not release. almost didn't get it off, had to use a screw driver to get buckle to release. Kinda boogered up the serrated teeth on the strap. Alot of the threads started to unravel a month or so after I rode with them. The buckles are the main gripe.
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Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton, CO Date Reviewed: July 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Pine Valley
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$85.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Light weight, durable, stiff, wide, adjustable, well ventilated.
Weaknesses:
No screws provided for the cleats.
Similar Products Used:
Only more casual bike shoes from Nike & Cannondale.
Bike Setup:
Yeti ASR-SL: FOX F100 RLT fork, Fox RP3 shock, CANE CREEK S-2 headset, RACE FACE DEUS LP crankset, SRAM X-GEN Front, SRAM X.0 Rear, SRAM X.9 shifters, SRAM PG-990 cassette, SRAM PC-991 chain, SHIMANO XT hubs front and rear, MAVIC XM819 DISC UST rims, Avid Juicy Seven brakes, RACE FACE handlebar, THOMSON stem, YETI HARD CORE grips, : YETI / WTB ROCKET V TI saddle, THOMSON seatpost, Shimano 540 pedals
Bottom Line:
This is my first pair of "real" bike shoes. Others that I have used have been more like sneakers with SPD cleats. So although I cannot compare them to other stiffer sole shoes, I can say that these are much better than what I have had in the past. These are better ventilated, more adjustable, stiffer (which means more power), and have been very durable so far. I have 500 miles in them and have had zero issues and they only show wear a little on the soles. The first couple of times my feet were going numb but that was because I was over tightening the shoes. Now that I have them adjusted properly (still no slip!), they are awesome. I tried several other pairs on at Performance including Sidi's but none fit me as well as these. I have a small foot but it is wide for it's size. Great value for a great product.
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Submitted by
Para Wolf
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia Date Reviewed: April 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Beach Rd every time
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
won on BV website, where I live
Strengths:
Very good for doing bunny hops on my road bike. Unfortunately I have had limited time actually riding in these shoes as I have a highly demanding job as the #1 poster on bv.com.au.
Bottom Line:
I rule bv.com.au
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Submitted by
Daniel Schremser
a
from Kingston, WA USA Date Reviewed: March 27, 2007
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$99.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike
Strengths:
Very comfortable, easily adjusted fit, with ratchet mechanism. Good vetilation with toe mesh; stiff sole allows for excellent power transfer. Great value at this price!
Weaknesses:
Shoes used for road riding, so had to replace metal toe studs with rubber gromets for easier walking
Similar Products Used:
Shimano MA-80
Bike Setup:
Specialized Sequoia Comp, Ultegra triple front with DA 9-speed rear. Shimano A520 pedals and Conti GP 4000 tires make an excellent ride
Bottom Line:
Shimano SH-M225 shoes make a great fit with the SPD pedals, and still allow easy walking.
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Submitted by
Patrick
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA Date Reviewed: October 2, 2006
Favorite Trail:
The Fells
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$125.00
Purchased At:
International Bikes
Strengths:
I have a 3EEE wide foot and these shoes were the only accomodating I could find. They fit great, good stiffness and they hold up well.
Weaknesses:
If you are doing any hiking they can be slippery on the rocks due to plastic molding on the sole.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher sugar race
Bottom Line:
Fit is always the number one problem for me and these provided a big toebox. I am eating the crap out of them and they are holding up.
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Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Redmond, WA, USA Date Reviewed: September 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Tiger Mountain/Preston RR
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
Stiff, durable, effective, anti-odor built in
Weaknesses:
On hot days they could vent a bit more
Similar Products Used:
Pearl Izumi Vagabonds
Bike Setup:
Trek 2300 road bike, Trek 4300 mtb
Bottom Line:
These shoes are perfect for me, though I only use them for road riding, I think they are too pretty to get muddy. I have used them for almost a year and have just under 2000 miles on them and they still look like the day I got them. I even walked about 3 miles on pavement with them after getting a flat and the soles didn't wear a bit. All in all a very impressive shoe and for the price I paid, you can't go wrong.
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Submitted by
Glen Poklikuha
a Cross Country Rider
from Lubbock, TX Date Reviewed: April 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
it flows
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
award at Moab 24 hr
Strengths:
stiff,high volume (if you need it)
Weaknesses:
high volume (I don't need it) buckles won't cinch tight (made for BIG instep) don't buy if it is nearing the end of buckle adjustment range for you
Similar Products Used:
sidi, shimano 3 strap velcro M220's I think
Bike Setup:
I got several
Bottom Line:
High volume shoe for high volume feet NOT for narrower feet, although the toe box is nice... The synthetic 'leather' looks pretty-but durability may suffer-we'll see
Unfortunately, these will likely see less use-I'll be racing my sidi's as they fit like a glove on my narrower feet
value is rated low as fit is all-important
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Submitted by
bob bellulla
a Racer
from Rhode Island Date Reviewed: April 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Vietnam
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
Great shoe that isn't overpriced like some of those others out there! Stiff as all heck; good fit, comfortable, and adjustable; fantastic durability; soles work on all types of terrain
Weaknesses:
Shimano letters on side come off if smacked hard enough on a rock/tree; weight (slightly heavier than sidi's); bigger than older shimanos (though that isn't really a weakness)
Similar Products Used:
Shimano 221 & 320; nike; specialized
Bottom Line:
This is a great shoe and I would buy it again. I've been beating the crap out of these for a year and the only problem with them is the "s" has come off on the side of the shoe. It is a big shoe with a large toe box. I get some heel lift when walking which is okay as it doens't happen when I ride and the shoe is super stiff to walk in otherwise. Unlike my older shimanos, I can spend days in these shoes without my feet going numb!
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Submitted by
Sarah Paoletta
a Cross Country Rider
from Springfield, MA, USA Date Reviewed: March 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$170.00
Purchased At:
Northampton Bike Shop
Strengths:
EXTREMELY comfortable on and off the bike(that's why I sprung for these.. I was planning on buying $100 shoes when I tried them on!)
Weaknesses:
The only thing I can think of is that the metal cleats up front (for running up hills) are required to be left in.. unless you plug them with aluminum foil or something similar. They should come with plugs... (I think this is a very minor weakness!)
$
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