Look Geo City flat pedals review – nicely made pedals but not as grippy as others

The Look Geo City pedals are an everyday, urban-use model aimed at commuters and utility riders going about their business in a city environment. They are reasonably lightweight and affordable – plus they combine a dash of Look's style with quality and durability kept closely in mind. These come recommended as the some of the best flat pedals for commuters. 

Look Geo City: construction

The Geo City pedals use a composite stud and moulded rubber multi grip system to provide a safe and secure platform whatever the weather. They are made from a durable composite which is lightweight but still built to survive city life. They use high performance bearings to give smooth and efficient riding every day. The spindle (axle) is made from Cro-moly steel.

The platform area measures 110x107mm and they weigh 338g/pair (author's measurement). There is a stated Q factor of 61.5mm, which is the distance that your feet sit apart while pedalling. I'm not sure how useful that is in this context but it is interesting to know...

They retail for $40 / £32 at time of writing.

Look Geo City: the ride

Out of the box and with cranks ready for the fitting, these pedals had me slightly perplexed. There is no 'L' or 'R' stamping, no left pedal knurling, and no obvious clues as to which side was which. I looked at the threads to find the left handed one and then, once fitted, I could also see that the 'LOOK' logo, stamped on the pedal face, was readable from the riding position. It made sense now! The pedals are only able to be fitted using an 8mm Allen/Hex key, winding them on from the inside of the crank. 

They felt well made. The bearings turned very smoothly by hand, and once fitted to the bike that impression remained. The bearing end cap is easily removable with circlip pliers. It is a threaded item with a seal and shows good design for both maintenance and keeping out the weather.

When riding, they pedalled very smoothly and felt good in this regard. I tried a number of different shoe types and found that I didn't feel overly secure grip wise when using flat soled office shoes. It was better using trainers and (very grippy) moutain bike trail shoes. 

The file like surface on the pedal is rather hard and not very grippy by itself, meaning the grip needs to come from the shoe. Aside from that, the large platform was good for placing the foot.

Look Geo City: value and conclusion

These pedals are nicely made and show all the hallmarks of being able to have a long life, which is an attribute of many of the best commuter bike pedals. However I never felt that secure with my foot placing with them. It was fine with trainers, although nothing special, and with flat soled office shoes I had to pedal very carefully. It felt as if you were to put any power through them that your foot might slip off. A little more 'rubberiness' in the composite body material would help that foot placement security. 

If you compare them to the Upgrade Crosstown Poly pedals which are extremely grippy and two thirds of the price ($21.34 / £20.00 compared to the price tag of $40 / £32 for Look's offering) then you start to see a problem. I know which I'd choose to ride with...