Choosing new pedals - please advise

Jane

I need to buy a set of pedals for my 2nd bike, so thought it was probably time for an upgrade (and I'll relegate my 'entry-level' Look Keo Easy pedals to my winter bike). I want to use the same cleats for both bikes, so I considered:

Look Keo Classic RRP £70/pair inc cleats ... £41 at Wiggle - adjustable tension, 140g/pedal http://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-classic-pedals/
Look Keo 2 Max Composite RRP £110/pair inc cleats ... £66 at Wiggle - adjustable tension, 130g/pedal http://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-2-max-pedals/
Look Keo Blade Carbon RRP £160 /pair inc cleats ... £100 at Wiggle - tension isn't adjustable, 115g/pedal http://www.wiggle.co.uk/look-keo-blade-carbon-pedals/

I assumed you pay more for lightness, but then realised that Keo Easy (RRP £55/pair inc cleats ... £31 at Wiggle) weighs only 120g/pedal! The tension isn't adjustable, which has always made me feel that I'm missing out on something that everybody else has, but actually it might be what keeps the weight down?

So I'm now wondering why anyone would pay more ... and is it really worth it? Any advice is much appreciated

wilburtrump

Blade all the way... Really firm hold in place and makes you feel really connected to the bike unlike the others. I run all of these on my bikes and would go for the blade pedals over any other pedal every time.

Andrew R

I think if you find them easy to get into but they feel secure then you're not missing out on anything.

I just changed to Look Keo and have a pair of the 2 Max's and a pair of the Blades with the lower tension (12Nm) blades, both easy to get into though I have some irritating creaking that I need to diagnose & fix sometime.

I have the adjustable ones at about 1/2 way in order to give a reassuring engagement and the blades are just fine for me.

I thought that the Easy's had a lower tension which makes them easier to get into and out of and not sure I'd like that - though I might get a set next winter.

geoffg

I think it depends upon the distance and torque you put in ...for example, a long ride with many steep and long climbs puts a lot of concentrated pressure on the ball of the foot. The larger the surface area or cleat/pedal support the more the load is spread. Shorter, flatter rides use the lightest and smallest ...just a thought

Robbie L

Got most of the Keo range... can't really tell the difference apart from the titanium version is a tad lighter and harder to unclip which pros probably prefer. Oh and they're double the price of the standard.

LukeDanckert

I have the basic Keo, the Carbon Max and the Blade. There is a clear difference in the basic to the Max in my opinion, but I don't think I'm good enough to notice the difference with the blades other than the dent in my bamk account. I'd go carbon max!

Vam Polecat

ooooh carbon!

I love the Blades.

Jane

Thanks All

Interested in the 2Max at this stage (composite probably - not convinced that carbon version is worth the extra £s). Partly cos I can't resist the opportunity to try something new ... but mostly because it sounds like it might have a bigger contact area than the Easy, which I reckon will be kinder on my feet, as well as allowing better power transfer

Look's promotional info doesn't allow me to compare contact areas for Easy and 2Max though, so I'll be pedal-spotting on the next few rides in the hope of a side-by-side comparison with my Easys

J

geoffg

Is this the same Jane it took 2 months or more to get out of toeclips?????

Jane

Hey, clipped in for just over a year now. Calls for a celebration, that

Ellis

I've got speedplay pedals and really like them. They allow quite a lot of movement which helps protects the knee but feel really secure and allow good power transfer. The actual pedal is small but has a large cleat ( makes walking in them a bit harder).

Thought I'd mention it just for another idea

Gilgamesh

Keo Classic.
What a vast difference over the mtn bike / Crank Bros pedals.
Never tried the other, more £ versions as my 2x pairs came from eBay at around £28 or so. Cleats extra.
But then, my bike is an eBay £350 special too.
Were I staying and having read the above, I too would be tempted to try the other versions.

From this Friday, you can borrow my pedals, try them out and return them to my folk's - see what you make of them perhaps?

timA

Just as an FYI the July issue of Cycling Plus has a group test of 16 pedals, including the Keo 2 Max which they give 3 stars "easy to use, grippy cleats", but "cleats wear quite quickly". Their winner is the Time Xpresso 6.