Look Keo Blade Ti Carbon Pedals

At 70x54mm the wide, square-bodied platform Keo is a good size, and the cleat design is super stable, with no rocking of the foot when engaged; in fact the cleat fit makes the Keo one of the best riding pedals you can buy.

Being the flagship of the Blade range, this titanium axle version weighs in at a very light 186g per pair. Even the more affordable chromoly axle version (£174.99) only pushes the scales up to 227g a pair, still a very light setup. Rather than using a heavy metal spring the Blade has a carbon leaf spring, set at 12Nm. In use it feels about the same as a standard Keo’s engagement, but there’s a 16Nm option for those who prefer a stiffer sprung pedal for a snappier feel.

The Keo Blade system feels remarkably similar to a standard Keo pedal to ride in, with all the benefits of its excellent oversized engagement, slick entry and some of the best wearing cleats we’ve ever used. We wouldn’t necessarily upgrade to these from a standard set of Keos – the main reason to buy the Blades would be for their lighter weight – but when the time comes to replace our pedals they would be a serious consideration. Included in the price is a pair of grey 4.5 degree float cleats, with covers for walking in.

(Posted on 13/07/2011)

Engagement is very positive, but the weaker 12Nm springs released too easily for my liking, so a swap to the 16Nm was required. This is the only alternative if you want a stronger retention spring, but I still felt I could still have done with a smidge more - was it so hard to include a tiny tension adjust screw? I miss the ability to fine tune.
The pedals are incredibly light. Our test set weighed under the stated 95g per pedal, at 180g for the pair. The wider body provides a huge contact patch, with a 60mm wide stainless steel platform, which will resist wear and gives you a really reassuring feeling under cleat. They've got that bit spot on. The oversized titanium axles are another welcome addition, strengthening the pedals against flex, which helps both power transfer and improves bearing life.

(Posted on 16/02/2011)

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.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.

(Posted on 16/02/2011)

I bought these pedals for the light weight factor and was sceptical as to whether there is really any significant improvement in the clip in/out performance. However after having actually used them, I must say I do notice I can get in and out of the pedals much easier. I find I am able to hook into the pedal faster than the Keo 2 Max Carbon which I was using previously. The elimination of the heavy spring in the back makes the pedal more balanced with its pivoting thus allowing the back of the pedal to move up and meet the back of your cleats quickly and smoothly. There is no more fighting to get the back of the pedal up to clip in. Also the carbon spring does give a very positive feel in engaging and disengaging; the effort required feels smooth and light, yet very secured. I am using the 16nm carbon spring and the tension feels just right for me. I also think that this carbon spring design will totally eliminate the typical annoying squeaky pedal you get with traditional clipless pedals. I am very happy with these pedals and have even ordered another pair for my other bike.

(Posted on 27/07/2011)

These really are the business when it comes to race pedals. I've used mine for a year now and they are still perfect.
I of course went for the 16nm version as I like my feet well locked in; even at this tension it is so easy to clip in and out of them with the added bonus of that snap when your foot is in. I compared these to a pair of brand new Keo Classics that got put on my old race bike when my new one arrived. The Classics have a huge resistance on the pedal motion unlike these; they won't spin over by hand more than two revolutions; compared to the Blade's 10 or so.
For a price no object race bike; these are a must!

(Posted on 10/06/2011)

Picked these up recently from PBK - Have owned several Look pedal models in the past from the early delta to the Keo Carbons. These are the ultimate evolution, with a super light weight, snappier engagement due to the blade mechanism and a wide, metal cleat contact plate. The bearings are super smooth and they feel very stable. The blade mechanism is also very 'defined' in whether you are clicked in or not and I am yet to pull a foot. Overall these are brilliant pedals. The only question remains as the whether they are worth the premium over the cro-mo blade version which is only a little heavier and considerably cheaper.

(Posted on 29/05/2011)