Since creating the very first clipless pedal in 1984 - so called because it did away with toe-clips and straps - Look has retained its position as one of cycling’s most iconic pedals brands. Helped, to no small degree, by its innovative Keo Blade model line: first released in 2011 and utilizing a ‘carbon blade’ instead of traditional metal springs to retain the cleat.
Now, after three years of development with professional athletes from four different pro teams, this latest iteration of the Keo Blade is claimed to bring the "best power-to-weight ratio in the road pedal category".
More cryptically, the brand also claims that the pedal is "60 per cent easier to clip into." Of course, speedy entry is something which we can all appreciate - but how exactly do you quantify ease of clipping in, let alone improve it by 60 per cent!?
Well, the answer is that this number actually refers to the tilting torque, which has been reduced by 60 per cent, thanks to a shift in the pedal's centre of gravity by a few millimetres. This means that the pedal will tend to naturally rest at an angle which is more amenable to snapping the cleat into place.
With that headline stat unpacked, what else is new with the Keo Blades?
Well, not the design and manufacturing, both of which were done in la belle France - leveraging all the engineering experience of Look’s forty years producing clipless pedals. Also not the tensioning system, which still uses that carbon blade which Look introduced over a decade ago.
(Image credit: Look)
Elsewhere, though, there have been many little tweaks - and the sum of all those changes is claimed to make the new Keo Blade Look’s "fastest ever pedal", according to the brand.
First, a lower frontal surface and an “all-new leading edge aero profile” are said to work together to reduce drag, “saving two per cent” over the previous Keo Blade design - which, with its smooth lines and surface, already boasted of aerodynamic performance. Exactly how many watts this two per cent improvement saves isn’t disclosed.
Already relatively lightweight thanks to that carbon blade rather than using metal springs, Look has shaved off even more weight, with the new Keo Blade starting at 95 grams per pedal. For context, Shimano’s range-topping Dura-Ace pedals are claimed at 114 grams per pedal. With a width of 64mm, the new Keo aims to offer a more supportive pedaling platform and eliminate shoe hotspots - again for context, the Dura-Ace pedals have a width of 65mm.
(Image credit: Look)
More important than the weight, perhaps, is the distribution of that weight - and long time users of the previous Keo Blades will be happy to hear that Look has made this a focus, and the resting position of the pedals should be much easier to clip-in from, “60 per cent easier” is what Look promises - although, as mentioned, that stat specifically refers to the tilting torque, which is 60 per cent lower than previously.
Finally, there are the improvements to durability and reliability. To resist water intrusion, Look has developed a new spindle design, internal and external dual-sealed bearings, and re-formulated a new long-lifespan water-resistant grease.
The “high-grade stainless steel contact surface” has been upgraded and a new, strengthened body design has been introduced. Altogether, Look claims a 200 per cent improvement in “robustness and impact resistance”.
The pedals
There are three levels of pedals which Look is releasing, with the details listed below. More information can be found on the website at lookcycle.com
After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back.
But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia.
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