SIDI Genius 5 Pro Carbon – A Review And Where To Buy

Overview

• No hype – just the facts

The Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon is a really good looking, well-made, solid, lightweight and great-fitting classic road shoe and the choice of professionals, (and me).

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Users report that the shoe has minimal break in time, all power goes to the pedals and that the fit is pressure point free, so as you ride the shoe ‘disappears’.

The Sidi Genius 5 pro carbon is well ventilated and has no ‘hot spots’ underfoot.

They are not a cheap shoe, but the correct price considering the professional fit, stylish Italian design and craftsmanship.

Construction

The sole is made out of carbon composite, which makes it light weight with long term durability and less likely to change in stiffness with prolonged use and temperature changes.

The upper is made from breathable, supple and durable Lorica® microfiber with cooling mesh panels.

The fittings on the Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon are compatible with all the best road pedals available. For cleat replacement the sole has a 10mm horizontal and vertical cleat alignment scale as a part of the sole.

(Just a note for those using Shimano SPD-SL pedals, it is recommended that you use the Shimano SPD-SL 13.5mm cleat fixing bolt set, as the standard 10mm Shimano bolts have a tendency to strip the threads of Sidi shoes.)

The Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon Shoe In Operation

The strap distributes pressure evenly over the arch area using soft thermo-formed material and is adjustable from both sides for centering.

All fittings are serviceable and replaceable as is the heel cup.

The Caliper buckle is easily adjusted on-bike. The instep closure system has a padded tongue to eliminate pressure points and the buckle and strap pads are ventilated for improved breath-ability, suppleness and fit.

A high security Velcro system makes the closure very safe.

The Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon comes in regular, mega and narrow widths. There are men’s and women’s models available.

Here’s a video review from a customer.

About SIDI

Sidi Shoes (Sidi Sport) was founded over 50 years ago by, Dino Signori (the company takes its name from his initials). Being a racer himself, Dino has developed his range of cycling shoes for the cyclist.

The SIDI factory is in Maser, Italy. Modern and environmentally friendly, the facility hosts the cycling shoes industry’s most technologically advanced on-site machinery for the research, design/planning, production, and marketing of SIDI products.

Preferred Supplier

The preferred supplier of the Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon is Amazon.

Little needs to be said about the integrity and efficiency of Amazon as an on-line retailer.

They, of course, offer a 30 day refund on goods returned unopened or damaged in transit.

The Sidi Genius 5 Pro carbon shoe offers a perfect fit, unflappable quality, Euro-chic styling and riding pleasure.

You can buy now with ease and security using these links:

They will take you directly to the correct page in the Amazon catalog. Because the web address is so long, I’ve provided shorten links.

For the women’s model http://tinyurl.com/4n7n2uv

For the men’s model http://tinyurl.com/4fm86gh

See also SIDI’s latest model the SIDI Genius 6.6 Carbon Lite

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SIDI Genius 6.6 Carbon Lite – A review And Where To Buy

Overview

• No hype – just the facts

The SIDI Genius 6.6 Carbon Lite is the shoe that won the 2010 ‘Tour De France’ and the ‘Giro d’Italia’.

It is a good looking, well made, solid, lightweight, race winning and great fitting road shoe.

Users report that the shoe has minimal break in time, all power goes to the pedals and that the fit is pressure point free, so as you ride the shoe ‘disappears’.

Users also note that the shoe is lighter and stiffer than SIDI’s previous model, the genius 5 pro carbon.

The Sidi Genius 6.6 is well ventilated and has no ‘hot spots’ underfoot. (Works for me!)

The sole is made out of 100% carbon sheets laid out in a 3k weave pattern, which makes it light weight and the stiffest most comfortable shoe on the market with long term durability and less likely to change in stiffness with prolonged use and temperature changes.

This is not a cheap shoe but the correct price considering its winning track record, professional fit and Italian style and craftsmanship.

(Just a note for those using Shimano SPD-SL pedals, it is recommended that you use the Shimano SPD-SL 13.5mm cleat fixing bolt set, as the standard 10mm Shimano bolts have a tendency to strip the threads of Sidi shoes.)

Construction

The upper is made from breathable, supple and durable Lorica microfiber with cooling mesh panels.

The fittings are compatible with all the best road pedals available. For cleat replacement the sole has a 10mm horizontal and vertical cleat alignment scale as a part of the sole.
A feature of the SIDI 6.6 is the heel security system that prevents heel lift.

The strap distributes pressure evenly over the arch area using soft thermo-formed material and is adjustable from both sides for centering.

All fittings are serviceable and replaceable as is the heel cup. The Caliper buckle is easily adjusted on-bike.

The instep closure system has a padded tongue to eliminate pressure points and the buckle and strap pads are ventilated for improved breathability, suppleness and fit.

A high security Velcro system makes the closure very secure. The Sidi Genius 6.6 Carbon Lite comes in regular, mega and narrow widths.

There are men’s and women’s models available.

Here’s a video of the shoe:

About SIDI

Sidi Shoes (Sidi Sport) was founded over 50 years ago by, Dino Signori (the company takes its name from his initials). Being a racer himself, Dino has developed his range of cycling shoes for the cyclist.

The SIDI factory is in Maser, Italy.

Modern and environmentally friendly, the facility hosts the cycling shoes industry’s most technologically advanced on-site machinery for the research, design/planning, production, and marketing of SIDI products.

Preferred Supplier

The preferred supplier of the Sidi Genius 6.6 Carbon Lite is Amazon. Little needs to be said about the integrity and efficiency of Amazon as an on-line retailer.

They, of course, offer a 30 day refund on goods returned unopened or damaged in transit.

The Sidi Genius 6.6 carbon lite shoe offers a perfect fit, unflappable quality, Euro-chic styling and riding pleasure. 

You can buy now with ease and security using these links:

They will take you directly to the correct page in the Amazon catalog. Because the web address is so long, I’ve provided shortened links.

For the men’s model http://tinyurl.com/3hdr7vw

For the women’s model http://tinyurl.com/3lzcen7

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The Bicycle – A History

What later became the bicycle first appeared in 1817.

It was basically a sort of walking machine invented by Baron von Drais to help him get around his vast estate.
It had two in line wheels and was propelled by the rider sitting on it and pushing his feet against the ground.

Unlike an earlier version it was steerable. The machine was made of wood and, apart from the riders feet, had no braking system.

Later, in 1861, the Michaux brothers added pedals to the basic design. They were on the front wheel and simply an extension of the axle. The rider could now pedal rather than scoot.

The machine was popularly known as a ‘boneshaker’ because being made of wood with no suspension, riding over cobblestones and dirt roads was certainly a bone-shaking experience!

Since the pedals applied power directly to the front wheel with no gearing, the speed of the machine was dependent on the size of the wheel, ( and how fast you could pedal!).

By 1870 metallurgy had advanced to the point at which it was possible to abandon wood in favor of the all metal machine.

At the same time it was realized that if you had a large front wheel then each revolution pedaled would take you further than a small wheel, and so the high wheel bicycle or ‘penny farthing’ was born. It had a really big front wheel and a very small rear one.

A certain level of comfort was provided by solid rubber tires and of course, the large wheel smoothed out the bumps.
With this device, the longer your legs, the bigger the wheel you could ride and the faster you would go.

However, there was one unfortunate feature, and that was if you tried to stop quickly or hit a rut in the road, the whole machine would be propelled over the big wheel and dump the rider on his head. Ouch!

The design was later improved with the ‘safety bicycle’ which had the small wheel at the front instead of the rear, so that the machine couldn’t tip forwards.

Further advances in metallurgy enabled the development of a chain and sprocket to drive the wheels instead of direct pedal drive and a return to the two same sized wheel design, but this time with sprocket and chain gearing to obtain the speed of the high wheelers.

The trouble was that even though they had solid tires, they weren’t as comfortable because they lacked the large wheel plus the shock absorbing properties of long wheel spokes.

All this changed in the 1890′s with the invention of the pneumatic tire by a young Irish vet called Dunlop.
The two ‘same size’ wheelers were now safe and comfortable, which was a winning combination.

As manufacturing processes improved, the machine became affordable and everybody wanted a bicycle, including women who, for the sake of dignity and unsuitable clothing, had been confined to cumbersome three wheeled high wheelers with seat rather than saddles.
They could ride the new two wheelers in long skirts and retain their dignity
Interestingly as more women took to riding, their clothing became more a question of common-sense and pragmatism. In fact it is probable that the bicycling craze killed the bustle and the corset. Women had a new found freedom of travel and clothing as a result of the bicycle.

Women’s rights campaigner Susan B Anthony said in 1896 “the bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world”

With the sleek highly specialized hi-tech machines we have today, clothing has become very important in a different way. It must protect, be aero-dynamic and comfortable.
Much more attention is now given to the connection of the foot to the pedals as in cycling shoes. Specialist cycling shoe manufactures such SIDI now make high tech devices with special lightweight carbon soles and clip attachments to the pedals, (SIDI genius 6.6 lite for example). This particular shoe increases the comfort factor over long distances and puts as much power into the business of pedal turning as possible.

I doubt the Baron would recognise the modern bicycle and in fact it probably wouldn’t be much use for what he invented it for. Getting around a paved estate to inspect the gardens would be hard on a machine designed to travel long distances at speed.
He’d save on shoe leather though!