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review

Look X-Track Gravel Pedals

8
£40.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Solid and durable gravel/off-road pedals that won't break the bank
SPD compatibility
Positive cleat retention
A bit weighty
Weight: 
392g

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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What you see here is a limited edition gravel version of Look's X-Track entry-level off-road pedals. Other than the colour there is little to differentiate them from the standard mountain bike version, which is fine, as they offer a wide platform and solid cleat retention. They aren't a bad price either.

The gravel market is growing so it's no surprise to see some companies branding existing mountain biking products as gravel-specific. This is exactly what Look has done here, taking its X-Track pedal designed for cross-country and giving it a bronze paintjob. It's not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, though, it's more to do with promoting Look's latest range of gravel bikes.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The X-Track is a good pedal anyway, and totally suitable for a bit of adventure riding or cyclo-cross, and they even work well for road use too.

With a platform area of 350mm2 there is plenty of material for you to push against to get the power down, and this also reduces pressure points compared to pedals with much smaller footprints. This is what makes them good on the road and when you get to faster sections of gravel.

The X-Tracks come with adjustable tensioning for the cleat mechanism, which can go from 6Nm up to 14Nm – a good range, I found. It's all controlled by a small hex bolt marked with +/- which is easy to tweak out on the trail.

2020 Look X-Track Gravel Edition pedals - detail 2.jpg

I mostly had it set about mid-way but if I found myself on an unknown, rocky section of gravel with plenty of descents it would literally take a couple of minutes to tweak before heading off again.

Look supplies the pedals with cleats, as you'd expect, but the pedals are also compatible with SPD variants. The standard cleats give you 6 degrees of float, which takes the strain off your knees.

The main body is aluminium, paired with a chromoly spindle and double sealed bearings. This all adds up to a weight of 392g (447g including cleats) per pair, so they aren't exactly light.

2020 Look X-Track Gravel Edition pedals - detail 3.jpg

Weight isn't everything, though, especially when it comes to gravel riding – I'd happily sacrifice an extra few grams for the robustness that these pedals show.

Weather conditions have swapped from wet and muddy at the start of the test period to warm and dry at the end, so the biggest challenge has been dealing with dust rather than water, but the bearings certainly haven't been grumbling, although it is early days.

The X-Track Gravel pedals cost just £40 (exactly the same as the mountain bike ones) which isn't a bad price, especially considering the overall quality.

> Buyer’s Guide: 11 of the best clipless pedals

They are 40g heavier than the Shimano M540 SPD pedals but a fair chunk cheaper than the M540s' £62.99 price tag.

Perhaps a closer comparison would be Shimano's M520s, last reviewed by us in 2011, which now have an rrp of £39.99 and a similar weight to the Looks.

Other pedals with a large platform are the Crankbrothers Candy 1 which are quite light but don't offer adjustable tension and are still more pricey at £56.

Overall, the Look X-Track Gravel pedals are really good for gravel riding, and the limited edition bronze finish does look pretty cool. They aren't the lightest out there, but everywhere else they perform very well indeed without costing a huge amount in the first place.

Verdict

Solid and durable gravel/off-road pedals that won't break the bank

road.cc test report

Make and model: Look X-Track Gravel Pedals

Size tested: One size

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Look says, "The X-TRACK is LOOK's entry level off-road pedal, which does not mean technology is left aside. The aluminum body and Chromoly+, double-sealed axle are robust and ensure total fluidity thru the pedalstroke. Tension can be quickly and easily adjusted from 6 thru 14."

They are not specifically gravel pedals, but they work very well when on that type of terrain.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Look:

Technology: X-TRACK

Tention: X-TRACK

Body: ALUMINIUM

Spindle: CHROMOLY +

Platform Material: ALUMINIUM

Platform Area: 350mm2

Platform Width: 57mm

Stack Height + Cleats: 16,8 mm (10,7+6,1mm)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

A great off-road pedal that works well on the road too.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Solid cleat retention.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A bit weighty.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They are comparable with some of Shimano's models and cheaper than the Crankbrothers mentioned in the review, which don't have the adjustable tension.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The X-Tracks are good solid all-round pedals that work everywhere from the road to gravel tracks and a bit more beyond. Having adjustable tension is a bonus and good to see at this price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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