Already one of the most popular road bike pedals on the market, the Look Keo Blade Carbon gets a generous update to offer an amazingly lightweight option on one of the largest contact patches available.
The 2018 Keo Blade Carbon gets a massive 700mm² contact surface in stainless steel, measuring 67mm wide…which is significantly wider than the cleat, so no matter your foot’s angle, it’s resting on the platform. It also gets a more streamlined carbon fiber body that integrates the carbon blade to improve aerodynamics. The spindle is redesigned to bolster the platform’s support and improve durability – it uses a new end cap that’s unto 120% more waterproof, and a dual lip seal on the inside, all protecting a ball bearing and needle bearing combo.
The tension is not adjustable, so you’ll need to choose from three blade tensions when you buy them. But you can choose chromoly or titanium spindles, putting individual pedal weights at 95g and 110g, respectively. System weights with cleats, hardware and both pedals are claimed at 248g (ti) and 288g (ch). Stack height with cleats is 14.8mm.
The Keo 2 Max Carbon follows suit with a wider 60mm stainless platform, up from 57mm on the prior model. That creates a healthy 500mm² platform in total, and it keeps the wider nose and adjustable tension from before.
The body gets slight refinements to be more streamlined, built around a new, more robust chromoly spindle. It shares the same ball- and needle bearing combo as the Blade pedal, but there’s a new composite conical spacer separating the two bearings here. They say this new part reduces friction inside and improves tolerances, so there should be less play development over time. Claimed weight is 125g per pedal (312g system weight). Both are available by end of year.
