Cube RD Sydrix Pro road shoes review

With the top end performance road shoes tipping well over the two, three and, in the case of the Specialized S-Works Exos, four hundred pound price bracket it can be easy to assume that lower budget price tags will be a big compromise. At less than half the price of some of the best cycling shoes, the Cube RD Sydrix Pro shoes prove that sometimes good things can come in much smaller financial packets.

Design

The Cube RD Sydrix Pro road shoes actually sit second in the Cube road shoe line up, with the Cube RD C:26 SLT sitting at the top of the range.

Starting bottom up, the sole is actually where the biggest differences between the Cube RD Sydrix Pro and most of the higher priced peers can be found.

Choosing a glass fibre foundation over carbon will certainly have saved a bigger price tag, but hasn't been at the total sacrifice of the shoe performance.

In the case of the Cube RD Sydrix Pro road shoes the glass fibre bottoms are more than adequate in the stiffness department, ranking a 9 out of a possible 10 in Cube's ranking index.

On top of the sole sits a man-made upper. Naturally, it's not as supple as leather counterparts, but its firmness creates a secure grasp of my foot, without being overly compressive or developing pinch points.

Closing the Cube RD Sydrix Pro shoes is the Boa-like ATop dial. The cable based retention system is perfect for a precision fit, and easy to adjust on the move, a pet hate of mine about lace-up cycling shoes. Just having the one dial has enabled the shoe to win the weight watchers competition, saving a few grams over its more expensive sibling, with the EU size 39 coming in at 234g per shoe on my scales.

The ride

As soon as I slipped the Cube RD Sydrix Pro shoes on, two things stood out.

The incredibly comfortable fit all round, and that just the one closure dial was indeed sufficient to keep my foot stable and rooted.

The foot-bed was spot on. Cube uses what it calls a Natural Fit philosophy for the innersoles, designing them deliberately without arch support as it's data shows that most foot postures benefit from neutral ergonomic soles. Of course, everyone's feet are different and need differing levels of support but after a few wears in I would have to say I'm finding these shoes completely suit my foot shape.

The soles of the Cube RD Sydrix Pro shoes is more than stiff enough. Larger sizes/ heavier riders might notice a slight flex, but in a blind shoe test, I don't think I would have been able to detect the lack of carbon, with no discernible flex even climbing out the saddle.

With little venting just around the toe box area, some riders might find these pretty warm in hotter climes. For me, they were perfect for late summer and early autumn riding in the UK. The ability to pop on varying weights of overshoe to extend their season will be a big draw for many.

Value

At the £150 mark, it would be easy to assume that the Cube RD Sydrix Pro shoes are at the upper end of the gateway road shoe market, but you'd be wrong.

Nailing fit, form and function for this price is to be applauded and deliver high end like performance for a fraction of the cost.