Blade retention has always been LOOK's answer to the coil spring, and the current Keo Blade Carbon is the entry point into that technology. Instead of a metal spring closing the rear cleat retainer, a carbon leaf spring flexes as you clip in, which cuts about 20 percent of the weight off a traditional spring mechanism and gives the underside of the pedal a cleaner, more aerodynamic profile. The pedal body is molded carbon, the axle is Chromoly+ steel, and the bearings are steel rather than the ceramic used further up the range.

At 115 grams per pedal, this is the heavier of the current Blade pedals but still lighter than most spring-loaded competitors. The platform measures 700mm² with a stainless steel plate covering the top face, which spreads pressure across the ball of your foot and resists wear where the cleat contacts the pedal. Q-Factor is 53mm and stack height is 8.5mm, so the fit numbers line up with the rest of the Keo Blade range if you're upgrading from an older model or coming across from Shimano or Time.

The pedals ship with a 12Nm carbon blade pre-installed, which sits in the middle of LOOK's tension range and works for most riders. If you want more security for sprints or racing, 16Nm and 20Nm blades are sold separately and swap in with the included tool in a few minutes. That flexibility is one of the reasons pros keep coming back to this platform — you can tune retention without buying a new pedal.... Read More