Look Keo Blade Ceramic Ti: One of the lightest road bike pedals on the market

On most pedals, the release mechanism works with a preloaded spring at the back of the pedal body. The more this spring is preloaded with a screw, the tighter the click mechanism holds the cleat and pedal plate in place. The technical term for this is release force, which can be between 10 and 25 Newton metres. On the new Blade Ceramic Ti, this is 16 Newton metres as standard; replacement springs with other hardnesses are optional.

The top model Keo Blade Ceramic Ti (>> available here) has, as the name suggests, a ceramic bearing and a titanium shaft. There are two other model variants, one with a steel shaft and a ceramic bearing and one with a steel shaft and a normal steel ball bearing. The stainless steel contact surface has been enlarged on all models and, according to the manufacturer, now measures 705 square millimetres, which is about a tenth of the surface area of a credit card.

Last week we presented the new Look Keo Blade pedal. Now we have also tried it out.

Look's new top pedal weighs just 255 grams

The new top model from Look is sensationally light, weighing in at just 190 grams as a pair. Together with the pedal plates (65 grams), this results in a system weight of just 255 grams. For comparison: Shimano's top-of-the-range Dura-Ace model weighs 300 grams including pedal plates. Without the titanium axle, the pair weighs 40 grams more; we haven't yet had the entry-level model in our hands.

After a few test rides, we can attest to the secure and firm footing of the pedals. Getting on and off the pedals is almost perfect in every riding situation without much fiddling, but not quite as smooth as with the competitor Shimano, whose system also offers slightly better running characteristics. We liked the perfect finish of the pedals and their low weight. The closed pedal body is supposed to improve aerodynamics, but this has not yet been measured independently. The practical advantage of this design is that no dirt can penetrate from below. The fact that the release force cannot be adjusted is a minor disadvantage, but it is bearable as there are retrofit springs with release forces of 8, 12, 16 and 20 Newton metres. The price including pedal plates is 310 euros.

Plus

• System weight
• Processing
• Storage
• Safe stand

Minus

• Trigger hardness not adjustable