Look Keo Classic 3 Road Clipless Pedal

The Look Keo Classic 3s are good mid-level pedals that offer a decent base for power transfer, have an easy-to-use adjustable mechanism, and are well made and robust.

I've used the Keo Classic 2 pedals for the past few years, and one of the first things you notice is the different shape, which has changed dramatically. The new pedals are more angular with a wider contact area in the centre – the edges of the Classic 2s are relatively curved and the entire pedal body is slimmer, with only a slight taper from centre to toe. According to UK distributor Zyrofisher, this change in shape is to bring the pedals in line with those higher up the Look range, as well as to create a wider contact area in the centre of the pedal.

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This wider contact area creates a good platform for power transfer. I found I could put the power down easily, even when using a set of 9-degree cleats that were moving around fairly freely. There is a slight improvement on the previous pedals, with a claimed '400mm2 surface area which is almost 40% more than the competition'.

I cannot verify the numbers, but one of the key reasons for doing this is comfort: spreading power transfer over a larger area is meant to decrease hot spots on longer rides. This isn't something I tend to suffer from, but I certainly didn't notice it while using these, so it might work...

The pedals attach to the cranks through an oversize steel spindle, tightened with an 8mm Allen key; as with all Look pedals, you can't use a pedal spanner. They are simple enough to fit and once properly on leave 53mm from crank to pedal and a stack height of 15.7 mm: no forcing your feet into strange positions.

To add resilience, Look has fitted the spindle in a new way internally, with a needle bearing cartridge within the spindle itself. Look says: "The Kéo Classic 3 spindle is made up of an oversized steel axle with miniature ball bearings (12 mm inside x 18 mm outside) and a needle bearing cartridge for improved wear resistance." It also claims to have performed "a rotational test of 2 million cycles at 100tr/min with a load of 90kg on the center of the pedal and an eccentric rotation (creating a shock on each rotation)". This is to guarantee longevity and robustness. I can't vouch for this from the limited review time I had, but I can confirm that the bearings worked well with a smooth rotation throughout the review period, with no issues even when used on muddy lanes.

As with the previous Classic pedals, they have an adjustable float from both the bolt at the rear of the pedal and from the three different cleat options in the range: 0° (black), 4.5° (grey) or 9° (red). The pedals themselves come with grey cleats, but I also used them with 9° cleats and they worked well. Engaging and disengaging from the pedals is simple and the mechanism has a sturdy hold and a reactive click to let you know you are clipped in properly. They also have a decent degree of adaptability, with some fairly destroyed overshoes not impacting on clipping in, despite the shreds of material sometimes getting in the way of the mechanism at the front.

> How to set up your cleats correctly

At 276g for the pair, they are almost exactly the same weight as the Classic 2s. Shimano's 105 5800 pedals, which are more than twice the price, weigh 11g per pedal more – which shows that the Looks are strong in this area, despite their low price.

You can buy cheaper pedals, but £40 is a really good price, especially bearing in mind that they are genuine Look units; the Classic 2s had an RRP of £64.99, so these are 38.5% cheaper than their predecessor.

Overall I think the Classic 3s are really good pedals. They look good on the bike, perform well and have a good contact area for better power transfer. Many of the internal improvements of the pedals cannot be accurately tested in a limited time review, given that they are intended to increase longevity, but from what I've seen these are a good upgrade to a trusted beginner/intermediate pedal design.

Verdict

A great update to what was already a reliable and sturdy offering