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review

Look Kéo Blade carbon pedals

8
£249.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Stable, super-light and secure with a positive entry and release – but they’ll cost you
Weight: 
190g
Contact: 
www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Look ditch the usual coil spring in favour of a flexible carbon leaf spring on their new high-end Keo Blade carbon pedals, and the result is a superbly positive action and a very light weight.

It’s a pretty simple change, really. The cleat retaining mechanism – the back end of the pedal – still pivots and snaps around your cleat in the same way as before, it’s just that the tension is now provided by a short, bowing strip of carbon fibre. You don’t get any adjustment but the blade comes in two types with differing tensions – the standard is 12Nm, but the 16Nm version is available at exactly the same price.

Clipping in and out is really easy, snappy and clear-cut – you always know if you’re engaged or not. It’s totally secure too; we never pulled a foot out accidentally when giving it the beans on steep climbs or sprints.

The Kéo Blade Carbon has a pedal platform that’s 31% larger than the existing Kéo Carbon’s, and it’s 17% wider for a slightly more stable feel that you notice most when you’re riding out of the saddle. A stainless steel plate across the contact area adds durability to the long carbon-fibre pedal body while the oversized titanium axle spins super-smooth on triple bearings – two roller bearings and a needle bearing. Oh, and the weight? 190g for the pair – mega-light.

We’ve really got nothing negative to say about these pedals so far. We don’t know about the long-term durability of the carbon fibre blade yet, but Look reckon they’ve done their homework and it will continue performing from now until Doomsday without the need for replacement. We’ll let you know if things don’t turn out that way. It’s just the price that might make you flinch.

Verdict

Stable, super-light and secure with a positive entry and release – but they’ll cost you.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Look Kéo Blade carbon pedals

Size tested: 12Nm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes - my favourite pedals right now

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 190cm  Weight: 96kg

I usually ride: whatever I\\\'m testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with Ultegra 6700

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Jo Burt has spent the majority of his life riding bikes, drawing bikes and writing about bikes. When he's not scribbling pictures for the whole gamut of cycling media he writes words about them for road.cc and when he's not doing either of those he's pedaling. Then in whatever spare minutes there are in between he's agonizing over getting his socks, cycling cap and bar-tape to coordinate just so. And is quietly disappointed that yours don't He rides and races road bikes a bit, cyclo-cross bikes a lot and mountainbikes a fair bit too. Would rather be up a mountain.

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