Look Keo Carbon Blade Review

I've been partial to the Look platform for several years. I've tried most other systems and I just like this one better. That is not to say that Speedplay or Shimano have bad systems, but for me and my ergonomic preferences I like the Look system. So this review is really intended for those that are already using Looks, but are considering dropping......lots of money to go the the Keo Blade system. I've been riding these for right at a year now and finally feel like I can make an objective comparison between the Blade and traditional Keo systems.

It should be noted that I am a larger rider and usually race between 183-190 lbs. For this reason, I opted for the 16nm blade rather than the 12nm version.

To begin with, these are really nice looking pedals. The carbon fiber weave and color looks fantastic, way better than the gray color of my Keo Carbon pedals. Examining the pedals next to the standard Keo, you immediately notice the larger axle diameter, wider body, smooth stainless steel contact points and light weight.

My pedals came in at 187grams which is pretty light for anything outside of a Speedplay pedal and when you compare cleats as well the weights are very close. Installation is the same as with any other Keo pedal.

When I first started using the Blades I was immediately drawn to the positive feedback given when clipping in. There is no ambiguity here, you are either in or out and I love this. The second thing I noticed is that when clipping in quickly, I hit the pedals much more consistently. I always hated starting crits because I knew it was 50-50 for me hitting the pedals the first time, but with these I have yet to miss. I was concerned about the 16nm choice on the first few rides. It absolutely takes more force to clip out, but I got used to this quickly. I do think this might be a challenge for a smaller rider, but probably not for most and is a good choice for the big boys and sprinters.

For a long time I was switching between the Blades and my Carbon Keo's as I would go from road to TT bike so this allowed me to compare the two as I often do split workouts on the two bikes. Other than the feedback difference when clipping in, one of the big differences is the feel of float when pedaling on the larger surface area of the Blades. With the standard Keo I felt like I had more float. I realize that the cleats dictate the float, but using the gray cleats with the smaller surface area, it simply felt like my heal moved more. Also, I would occasionally come unclipped with the standard Keos when I mashed out of the saddle on climbs, but this has never happened with the Blades.

So what don't I like about the Keo Blades? Nothing yet. Some riders may not like the very harsh entry/exit feel of this system. I don't think these would be good pedals for a new rider that was just learning to use a clipless system. I've also heard a lot of people say that the placement of the blade on the outside of the pedal is a concern. The fear being that if they stick a pedal they could damage the blade. When you look at the location, it is pretty well protected, but I could see it happening and if you were to break the blade the pedal would be useless as you would loose all tension. However,  I think that would be very unlikely and would not be enough to concern me. However, if crit racing is your thing, these may not be the choice for you. I doubt you could swap pedals in the pits in less than one lap.

The pedals are very pricey, especially compared to the entry level Keo system. Is it worth it? I think that is an individual decision as to what value means to you. However, I spend a lot of time in the saddle of my bike and I don't compromise on equipment very often. In this case, I do not regret the purchase and my next set of pedals will be Keo Blades. For me, the benefits of these pedals outweigh the additional cost

-Tony


*********Update 2/9/12 CroMo Axel version************************************

I wanted to update this post now that I have a set of Blades with the CroMo Axel. Everything is basically the same as the original review. They are excellent pedals. They are a little bit heavier hitting my scale at 228g out of the box so 40 g heavier than the Ti version. Is the 40g worth the price difference between the two? That is up to the buyer I suppose. Neither version have a weight limit so it really comes down to a value equation. Regardless of which version you choose, I think you will be pleased with them.

-Tony