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On show: Eurobike 2009 Part 3

By:
James Huang
The carbon spring looks susceptible to crash damage in our eyes but Look's Arthur Espos says it's fairly well protected - and reasonably easy to replace if needed.

The carbon spring looks susceptible to crash damage in our eyes but Look's Arthur Espos says it's fairly well protected - and reasonably easy to...

  • The carbon spring looks susceptible to crash damage in our eyes but Look's Arthur Espos says it's fairly well protected - and reasonably easy to replace if needed.
  • Alberto Contador (Astana) ran a special yellow pair of KéO 2 Max pedals at this year's Tour de France, though his were also equipped with (currently unavailable) titanium spindles.
  • Instead of a wound steel spring, the new KéO Blade uses a leaf spring made of carbon fiber.
  • Look's new KéO Blade pedals use a carbon fiber leaf spring, carbon fiber body and titanium spindle to hit a superlight 195g per pair.

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Look debuts new KéO Blade pedal

Look's latest KéO Blade pedal uses an innovative carbon fiber leaf spring (the 'blade') instead of the usual wound steel retention plate spring. This reduces weight as one would expect but only slightly so. Complete with a long carbon fiber body and titanium spindle, the new KéO Blade weighs just 195g a pair – a single gram lighter than the current KéO Carbon Ti.

However, the carbon material's unique spring curve does lend a distinctly snappier and more positive feel when clipping in and out as compared to a conventional KéO. Entry and exit are smooth and fluid as usual but it's more of a digital scenario than before with the KéO Blade – you're either very much 'in' or very much 'out' with no vagueness in between.

Release tension is non-adjustable in the typical sense but Look will offer two different blades to suit rider preferences: one roughly corresponding to the lower range of adjustment in the conventional KéO and the other one more towards the stiffer end. Pedals will come with one or the other pre-installed and a properly equipped Look dealer can perform spring changes as needed.

Look's new KéO Blade pedals use a carbon fiber leaf spring, carbon fiber body and titanium spindle to hit a superlight 195g per pair.

Of course, the KéO Blade body also incorporates the wider platform and stainless steel upper plate of the newest KéO 2 Max for additional stability.

The new KéO Blade will be available around January. Retail price will be around US$499/€269.

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