LOOK Cycle - KEO Blade Carbon Bike Pedals - High Performance Pedals - Powerful, Light and Aerodynamic LOOK KEO pedals with Carbon Blades, Chromoly+ Axles, Steel Bearings

Product Information

Weather resistance has been improved thanks to an updated end plug with an o-ring washer and an internal, double-lipped seal. Certainly, no water had got inside during three decidedly wet winter months of testing. That’s perhaps why Shimano offers a version of the SPD-SL pedal, the PD-RS500, with “lighter spring tension optimised for beginner riders.” The new look kéo blade 2 cr pedals essentially combine the best features of the original kéo blade and the kéo blade aero: the new look kéo blade 2 cr pedals essentially combine the best features of the original kéo blade and the kéo blade aero Look has developed a Keo Fit system where suitably-equipped dealers can get your cleats set up just so, and also give you specific advice about which of the float options best suits you. I didn't try this as I already had Keo cleats set up on a pair of shoes so just used them as they were, but it could be a useful service if you're changing over.

When viewed side by side, it’s easy to see the big leaps forward look has made with the second-generation kéo blade: when viewed side by side, it’s easy to see the big leaps forward look has made with the second-generation kéo blade Lightweight, aerodynamic, powerful, the new Keo Blade Carbon has all the assets to allow you to improve and optimise your performance until victory is yours. It is for these reasons that Keo Blade Carbon the unanimous choice of many champions who have made it a weapon of choice in the conquest of their greatest achievements.The Keo 2 Max Carbon are supplied with Look’s gripper cleats, the difference being a rubber pad at the front and rear of the cleat. These provided a bit more grip than the standard cleat supplied with the Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic but the grip section was again very short-lived compared to the Shimano cleat. And after a single slip on a smooth surface, one of the grippers was cleanly removed from the cleat. The cleats supplied with the more expensive pedals have a harder wearing section on the retaining sections of the cleat so these fared better - wearwise - but were the worst on test for grip when walking. It seems Look customers must choose between cleat wear or grip, unfortunately, you can’t have both.

The distance between the crank and the centre of a pedal varies very little between models of clipless pedals. It’s 53mm for all Kéo pedals, and all SPD-SL pedals except Dura-Ace, which is 52mm. The pedal weights are almost indistinguishable with the Shimano coming in at 124g for the pedal and the Keo 2 Max Carbon at 125g on our scales. Interestingly, these are both exactly on the claimed weight, something that doesn’t happen too often. Once cleats are included, Shimano gains the plaudits with a marginal victory. Total weights are 142g for the R8100 and 145g for the Look Keo 2 Max Carbon. The closest competitor to the Keo 2 Max Carbon is the Shimano R8100 pedal, both in terms of where it sits in the range and the price point. Both options can be sourced online for similar prices if you find the right deal. Burt agrees, adding that he thinks the longer-axle version came about “because we used to request them specially made for Mark Cavendish” when he worked for British Cycling.Of the above poiints, Look have admitedly closed the gap in recent years, adding pontoons to the cleats so you dont directly walk on the pedal / cleat mating surface as before.

For me, ceramic bearings still have a tough job beating the Shimano system that has served me well for years. My XT cyclo-cross pedals go through awful conditions every winter and my Ultegra 6800 pedals have done four long years of road riding. Look's claim that its ceramic bearings will last '4 to 6 times longer than standard steel bearings' will take quite a few years to test. The two months that I've been riding and racing with these pedals have caused zero issues, so all good so far. The pedal platform is 67mm wide (Shimano Dura-Ace, for comparison, is just a millimetre narrower) and has a surface area of 700mm 2 meaning that the pressure is distributed over a large area and you can get plenty of support. I made the switch for the exact same reason this year. The Faveros are fantastic pedals, but they are a pain to clip in to, just because they spin soooooo freely.

Look Keo 2 Max Carbon

Engagement and disengagement are pretty trouble-free and will be familiar to those who've used other Keo pedals; the shape of the jaws are pretty similar through the range. Unlike the coil-sprung models, the weight of this pedal isn't so concentrated at the rear, but they hang at a similar angle so it's relatively straightforward to clip in without looking, something that can be an issue with Time Xpresso pedals, for example. One thing that I really liked about the blade design is that the underside of the pedal is flatter and less treacherous than most road pedals if you put your weight on it having missed the clip-in. Furthermore, the carbon blade sits in the bed of the pedal, supported by a 67mm steel plate. Combined with a broad platform, means these pedals offer maximum power transfer from your hard-working legs to forward motion. Shimano don’t specify the range of release tension of their pedals anywhere we’ve been able to find. On initial set-up, the Look Keo 2 Max Carbon is every bit as secure as the Shimano pedals with clipping in and release feeling very similar. Over the duration of the test though the Look cleats did wear noticeably faster than the Shimano, this resulted in some play between the cleat and the pedal with no amount of adjustment removing it. This isn’t something you notice when you’re just riding along, unless you concentrate hard on how your feet are moving or ride with a Kéo pedal on one side and an SPD-SL with yellow cleat on the other.