I bought a pair of these about that long ago, back when Rivendell was selling them. They quickly became my favorites. The ribbed sole gives a nice grip on traditional pedals without feeling as "locked in" as an actual cleat, and makes them fairly "walk-able." I wore them for years.
Problem? My feet grew. I'm told that can happen. It got to where I could only wear them with the thinnest socks, and later, even that was too much. Eventually I had to let them go.
Recently, even though I wasn't actually searching for them, I happened to find a pair - in my (new, larger) size, barely used, and still with the original box. The buy-it-now price was good, too. I didn't wait for someone else to beat me to them. When they arrived, I was pleased to see they were in really excellent condition - maybe even a little better than described. The soles showed very little wear, and the uppers looked almost new.
Certainly there can be problems with eBay. Sellers complain about fees and policies that favor buyers. Buyers complain about getting sniped in the closing seconds of an auction, or about shady practices like shill bidding, etc. And there are always risks involving scammers. But on the whole, nothing has been a better asset to fans and collectors of vintage bikes than eBay.
Anybody out there remember what it was like trying to restore a vintage bike, or just keep one going, in the pre-eBay days? Say you were looking for some obscure old component, or a unique spare part that hadn't been made in decades. You'd have to watch and wait for a swap meet to happen, maybe travel a good distance to get to it, and hope somebody there might have what you were looking for (and prepare to be disappointed). Maybe you'd go to countless flea markets and garage sales, hoping to get really lucky (which was unlikely). Nowadays, eBay is like a huge worldwide swap meet that runs 24/7, and if you have a little patience, it seems to me that there isn't anything that won't show up there eventually. Any time I've really needed/wanted something, I can't recall ever having to search for more than a few weeks before some example would turn up.
Anyhow, even though I wasn't actively looking for the Sidi touring shoes, they popped up one day on my feed and I coudn't resist them. Anybody else out there have any good eBay finds (or horror stories?) Leave a comment.
i have gotten several bikes & framesets from the Really Big Auction Site. The best deal was an '83 Specialized Allez SE in very good condition for under $200 shipped. Less good luck with Campag Record cranks- a couple of them had the potentially deadly cracks at the spider/arm juncture. It's been a great source for Sturmey Archer AW hub parts. i learned the hard way not to buy "lightly used" rims. Shoes can be a tricky proposition- like any other online shoe deal- and getting a pair that fits, even if they're marked as my size, is still a matter of luck. i'm batting about .350 in that department.
ReplyDeleteI also don't like to buy used rims, regardless of what the seller says. I don't like to take guesses with shoes, but if I have some experience with the shoes and the sizing (as was the case here) , I'm more likely to pull the trigger.
DeleteNice slippers, had a pair !Last goodfind' a Campy Rally 2nd gen 25canuck bucks.Sidis are easy to smuggle !
ReplyDeleteCampy Rallys can go for serious money. $25 is a great price! I had one and regret selling it.
DeleteGot a pair of Bata Bikers (in my new larger shoe size) because I know my feet like them. I've been eyeing the Sidis, I think Grant P. and Jan H. could convince Sidi to do another run.
ReplyDeleteBut could anybody front the money?
Owning a few too many British bikes... eBay is about the only way to source obscure parts. I have gotten quite a few things off eBay UK that I needed. I was fortunate for quite a while as my son lived in the UK and I could have stuff shipped to his flat in Leeds. Then have him haul it home on the holidays. I love the BIN on eBay, if the price is fair to me and it is something I think I need...
ReplyDeleteAaron
Congrats on a nice score. I wish Sidi had never stopped making those. My only complaint with classics like those is you hesitate to wear them all the time because you know one day they'll all be gone. If you ever decide you want an off the shelf shoe I can recommend the 5-10 Impacts. They're actually a downhill shoe but they work perfectly with the pinned flats I'm running on everything nowadays and they're nice to walk in. They're not too garish so they avoid the "clown shoe" or "skatr boi" look, certainly nothing to upset a proper retrogrouch.
ReplyDeleteNice find, but be warned.... I have owned 3 pair of them. With all of them the toe separated from the sole leaving my foot to slide out the front ending all the fun.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh- that's a bummer. I put a lot of miles on my previous pair with no problem. But I have had other cycling shoes separate from the sole in very similar fashion. I have been able to repair them with 2-part epoxy and get a lot more miles out of them, believe it or not.
DeleteIf you had to let the old shoes go because your foot was getting wider, you might have been able to keep wearing them if you laced them differently. Look into that. It solved the same problem for my shoes.
ReplyDelete