October 31, 2009
This question is important: it involves looking good on the bike. Should I polish my Sidi bike shoes?
Sean K - Seattle, Washington"Sir,
You have already answered two questions I have posed: The first related to the food of Belgium. The second question involved the issue of why, if bicycles are so dangerous that helmets are required, anyone of the pre-brainbox generation still walks the earth.
Those questions were trivial.
This question is important: it involves looking good on the bike.
Should I polish my Sidi bike shoes?
This question arose thanks to a a Velo News feature on the Vuelta a Colombia picturing a styllish racer getting his white race shoes polished in some remote villatge. The thought had never occured to me previously that bike shoes should be attended to as carefully as other weapons in one's sartorial arsenal.
Keep in mind, I live in Seattle. Operas, weddings, funerals, First Communions- show up in unstained fleece, and one will feel well dressed.
My question to you, sir: WWJPD: What Would Joe Parkin Do?"
All I have to say is ... somewhere both my dad and Allan Peiper are smiling.
Should you polish your shoes?
Absolutely.
Also, Sean, I must say "thank you" for bringing up this subject. As road cyclists we are often accused of being vain -- even rigid beings, so the idea that we like to look proper, wear white socks, and ride clean bicycles is sometimes something that we try and either avoid or sweep under the carpet a bit - especially if our friends have not been bitten by the same bug.
But here's the thing ... clean your bike with water and you will find cracks more quickly. Polish your shoes and you will not only look better, but the amazingly expensive things will last longer too. My dad was a fan of the idea that an honorable man takes care of his shoes. Allan Peiper never left the hotel room to take the start of a race without first polishing his bike shoes. You sir, would garner the respect of two men that I hold in the highest regard. In other words -- keep on keeping those Sidi's clean.
Seriously folks, I have literally saved myself, in the past, when I discovered a crack in my bike's frame after washing it - something I did very often. Keeping your shoes clean probably won't reap you the same rewards, but the things are expensive and are also, in my opinion, the most important contact point you have with the bicycle. Take care of them and they will take care of you.
Sean, keep up the good work.
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12 Responses to “This question is important: it involves looking good on the bike. Should I polish my Sidi bike shoes?”
Interesting! Does it matter that today’s Sidis use synthetic leather in their uppers (lorica)? Does polish still work on this stuff?
Over the weekend I shined the shoes- they look good, so it does not seem to matter.
Leather lotions that prevent the leather from drying out would not be necessary.
Belgians are obsessed with lotions and potions.
Joe is spot on. Cleaning the shoes will help them last longer. I ride in such a filthy enviornment that I’ve taken to wearing booties (I call them shoe condoms) everyday. It’s much easier to pull off the booties and throw them in the wash then try to scrub and clean all the complex stitching and elaborately cut material on a Sidi shoe.
I too live in Seattle and we have a strict policy of not wearing clothes that match so polishing your shoes would be completely out of the question. Rules are rules!
Dear Sean K,
You must always take care about your shoes as an honorable man as you are. You should hand wash your Sidi’s shoes, only by yourself, every year with cold water and mild soap; I suggest you to use an old teeth brush to spread the soap. Let them to dry at least for four days at a well ventilated room, and then, you will realize that you are proud owner of a Sidi’s shoes that have a little part of your life.
Sincerely,
Guillermo COURT
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