Look Carbon Blade Pedals

The first thing you notice about the Look Blade pedals is that there is no weight to them, it’s quite unbelievable! We had the Look blade pedals with titanium axles, so they were even lighter, 190 grams per pair…that’s a very light pair of pedals.

The Ti axles is not the only reason that they are so light, the main reason has to be that there is no metal spring to load the back plate that holds the shoe plate to the pedal. Instead of an old fashioned spring there is a flat strip of carbon that flexes to act in the same way as the old metal spring that you find on other pedals. There are two different strengths of carbon spring, the 12Nm which will suit most riders and then the stronger 16Nm for racers and the riders that prefer a stronger grip with a higher tension.

The carbon tension spring feels different from the spring; it seems to be more “snappy” and gives a very solid and secure feel to clipping in and out of the pedals. They give a nicer feel than the older pedals, very secure; you know you are part of the bike.

The pedals use the Look Keo plates which are a little smaller than the older and original Delta shoe plates. There has been some problems concerning the Keo plates, but they seem to have sorted this out through the use of the Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals. They maybe smaller but there is more than enough contact with the pedals. There are three different plates depending on how much play you want for your feet, black for no movement, grey for slight movement, 4.5º and the red for the maximum 9º float. I used the grey as they were close to the old Delta red that I was used too.

The body of the pedal is carbon with a stainless steel platform for where the plate sits. They have a 31% larger surface area and are 17% wider than the Keo Carbon. The back plate is Bi-injected, so the two materials have two different roles; one for strength the other for reduced cleat friction.

The pedals are very slim and give great cornering while pedalling and to give you the best “Q” Factor.

The oversize Keo Carbon Ti axle has two miniature roller bearings and one needle bearing for smooth and reliable riding. There is also a Chromoly steel axle version which works and feels much the same as the Ti axle version, but of course they weigh 230 grams a pair.

So are there any draw backs? The position of the carbon blade “spring” is in a place where it could be damaged in an accident being on the out-side and at the base of the pedal. The blade can be replaced, so it isn’t a big deal as long as the pedal body is not damaged. There is no adjustment of the float or spring tension, as some people do like to have different tension on the pedal that they disengaged to stop, but then you don’t put your feet down that often, so it isn’t a big problem.

There is also an aero version of the Look Blade Carbon, they are smooth on the underside for the aero advantage, but they weigh in 5 grams heavier than the normal Blade Carbon Ti due to the carbon fairing on the base of the pedal, apart from that they work on the same principle as the blade, but they do have a sleeker appearance. They have been tested in the Formula 1 Magny-Cours Racetrack in Nevers, France and have been used successfully by Alberto Contador in the Tour de France.

The only other problem is the damage that the cost will do to your pocket, they are not cheap, but are the top pedal of the moment for weight and looks.