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Product Review: Look KEO Classic 2 Road Pedals

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Lightweight, durable, entry-level road pedal from the world renowned Look brand. As one of the early pioneers of clipless road pedals, Looks designs have been at the forefront for decades.

Features:

  • New bi-injected body
  • New dimpled bearing surface
  • Resistance adjustable from 8 to 12
  • 100% made in France
  • Large contact surface area for a high level of pedaling comfort
  • Very easy to use, ideal for beginners
  • Use: road – leisure
  • Body: Composite
  • Spindle: Steel
  • Threads: 9/16 x 20mm
  • Roller bearing: 1 ball bearings, 1 needle bearing
  • Height spindle/sole: 17.5mm
  • Multitensor: Adjustable from 8 to 12
  • Cleats: grey keo grip cleats
  • Angular freedom: 0°, 4.5° or 9° according to type of cleat (black, grey or red)
  • Pedal weight: 139g per pedal (346g per pair with cleats and hardware)
  • Accessories: one pair grey keo grip cleats + hardware (6 screws 5 x 11mm and 6 washers)
  • Warranty: 2 years

Look Keo Classic 2 Pedals Review:

The Look KEO Classic 2 Road Pedals I purchased at a very reasonable price from Chain Reaction Cycles also include cleats. I purchased both grey and red cleats because I wanted to get a feel for both.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was that these pedals were packed in what I would call ‘Oh ride’ packaging. No air bags, no protective foam, no paper crumbs, no cardboard cutter to give me finger injuries. Just in there, quietly waiting to be ripped. I was happy with this. I pulled them out and they immediately looked smart. Look included 4 extra protective washers and clearly outlined what went where as well as what type of screws were to go where. Each pedal has a spanner flats and a 15mm or 9/16″ socket fitting. This is pretty good because I always have a few loose spanners I use for stuff and I have no idea which one is normal or not. There was another happy bonus. The B fitting is the same size as those annoying pedal washers that go around virtually every bolt you can imagine in a car, except these were 15mm instead of 17mm. Win.

I mounted these onto my Bontrager Affinity Elite rims. They fit very nicely. There is a smooth connection between the keo cleat and the pedal axle. I took about a day of riding to get comfortable with the position of the cleats on the sole. These Look Keo Classic 2 Road Pedals are fitted with Look KEO Classic 2 grey cleats rather than the Look KEO Classic 2 red cleats I purchased separately. I preferred the feel of the grey cleats in comparison to the red. I should note that in both cases I always have the same experience with Look cleats. They are generally loose on the soles of my shoes and this is most likely caused by the amount of clearance between the shoe and the cleat. I have heard of this being a problem with other manufacturers of sole for clipless systems.

After a while I came to really like how easy these pedals were to get into and look incredibly light. Getting out was a little tricky though. It took me a while to find a technique that I could use repeatedly and easily. They are lightweight and this is my only hesitation about them. The bike felt a little unbalanced when sitting still or putting power through the pedals with such light pedals. Having said this it was only something I noticed when I began to think about it for this review. I would have already thought this if I had not been doing this review. Racing, rolling, standing, seated….doesn’t matter where or what you are doing, the Look Keo Classic 2 is performing just as well as you want it to.

I have been riding these pedals for about 6 months and they have stood up to my rain, sweat and mud in the face rather well. The soles of my shoes are pretty well worn and I know that it’s time to replace my shoes. This is common with pedal systems. It has not been a reason to not keep using these pedals. The rubber cleats are holding fine and they are much easier to clip in than the harder plastic cleats I typically use with other shoes. Although I have only ridden 2 other brands of clipless pedals that might be worth comparison, the other two feel very similar to me.

The Look Keo Classic 2 Road Pedals and Look KEO Classic 2 red cleats review was done over the course of several months. I tested them in a mixture of conditions from moderately hilly to descent. I went through a range of temperatures and humidities, some dry, some rainy and some muddy. I used them over roads, trails and different kinds of grass. They have long been been on my bike and I have enjoyed them the entire time. They have not been as much of a curse as I anticipated they might be. The only true issue I have is that they are not compatible with the Look Keo Blade 2 lever and thus you have to buy the entire Look Keo Blade 3 system to use these pedals. yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh probably not.

Read more or buy here

Look Keo Classic 2 Pedals Review:

  • Weight – 139g per pedal with cleats and hardware.
  • Resistance – Yes, adjustable from 8 to 12.
  • Durability – Excellent, very little wear.
  • Front end – Minimal movement.
  • Rear end – Minimal movement.
  • Ride – Comfortable, easy to fit in and out.
  • Easy to use – Yes.
  • Pedal position – Excellent.
  • Crank arm – No discernible horizontal movement.
  • Crank arm to shoe – No discernible horizontal movement.
  • Crank arm to pedal – No discernible horizontal movement.
  • Brake – No discernible effect on the pedal.
  • Pedal position – No discernible or horizontal movement.
  • Money – An excellent entry level road pedal.

The Look Keo Classic 2 Road Pedals have long been a favourite of mine and I was not disappointed when I learned they were going to be my next pair of road pedals after using various types of Look pedals for decades. They’ve stood up to the test of time on and off the road. Its good to have the option of a metal or plastic cleat. I love that they were easy to clip in and out of. What I didn’t like was that they did not offer the full range of motion of a full mountain bike pedal.

Although its the best to order the pedal and cleat separately, together they are also a bit more economical than a brand new system to a non-pro buyer and better for the environment in the long run.

While I don’t think these pedals are worth upgrading from if you already have the cheaper Look Keo Classic pedals, I do think they are a worthy purchase for those who are interested in road, especially if you haven’t made the purchase yet. I purchased mine before price increases occurred and paid what I consider to be a very reasonable price. But I though them to be great value regardless. If you are just starting to ride more road and need a great pedal, start here.

The Look Keo Classic 2 Road Pedals and the Look KEO Classic 2 grey cleats are really great. I’ve been using them for quite a while and they have stood up to my rain and mud really well. If you need a set of pedals, these are great for either riding on the road with some of the best possible grip, or getting out there and riding around on your bike in all kinds of conditions.

The Look Keo Classic 2 Road Pedals and Look KEO Classic 2 grey cleats have met my expectations more than the rest. I did not expect them to provide the solution to every problem I encountered during the test period. They are not a perfect set of pedals. They are however the best over all option I tested. I recommend this pairing for the price.

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Written by Mark Adams

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