Pedals, again

[CJV]

My Look 396 pedals are driving me crazy, a short drive some might say. They squeak, even after I Dremel the cleat to remove that black stuff on the outside edges. I am looking at the Time Impacts or the Shimano "Lance" pedals (even though my Campy equipment would sneer). I see mixed reviews on the former but not much on the latter. Please advise. Thanks.

[pale scotsman]

I'd go with the Ultegra spd-sl. Switched from a pair of Looks to these and I really like them. No squeek! I've had mine since last summer and the cleats are doing fine.

If you are happy with the float of the Looks then the spd-sl shouldn't be a problem. :beer:

[Climb01742]

heartily second the recco on ultegra spd-sl. i have both the da and ultegra pedals on my bikes and honestly can't tell a bit of difference, so why not save some dough on ultegras? super easy entry, nice click tells you you've in, crisp exit, big solid platform, lots of release tension adjustment, cleats do wear well, and walking in them is more sure-footed than most. one note: i do find you need to keep an eye on the cleat screws. every few weeks, just tighten them a bit. they seem to work themselves loose faster than some other cleats. or maybe its just that i'm such a power monster...not. :p

[Ray]

My Look 396 pedals are driving me crazy, a short drive some might say. They squeak, even after I Dremel the cleat to remove that black stuff on the outside edges. I am looking at the Time Impacts or the Shimano "Lance" pedals (even though my Campy equipment would sneer). I see mixed reviews on the former but not much on the latter. Please advise. Thanks.

The Shimano pedals are one way to go, you may want to stay with Look. I've been using Look for several years and tried the Shimano pedals last season for a couple of months and didn't like them as much - something about the float just felt different and seemed to bother my knees.

In any case, the non-metal Looks don't squeak. At the high end, I think they have a couple of carbon models that you can pay through the nose for and have all sorts of adjustments you may never use. At the low end, you can get the plastic body 206 that costs about $70-80, is as light as any pedal Look makes, and doesn't squeak at all. The most underrated pedal out there, IMHO - I have them on three bikes. When you're riding, they feel just like any other Looks I've tried, but the platform may be slightly larger even.

-Ray

[saab2000]

...and I like the Times. The platform height, or stack height, is lower by several mm. This may not be important to you, but for me it makes for a more natural pedalling feel. The float on the Impacts is natural, with a very light centering action of the spring tension. If your feet tend to point in or out, this may not be the pedal for you.

The upper end Looks are very expensive.

As far as Shimano, well, I am a big Campy guy, but I think that Shimano has a winner here with this pedal. AFAIK, none other than Johan Museeuw and a few other big dog racers are using Shimano pedals this year even though their teams are sponsored by Campagnolo. Don't base your decision on not wanting Shimano on a Campy bike. Those pedals are good, though whether or not you like them is another story.

If I did not have so much money invested in Times, I would certainly try the Shimanos. Also, I would get DA, though the others are right that you won't be able to tell the difference. But again, I have read that the stack height is a bit less on the DA pedal than the Ultegra pedal.

[davids]

I've been using Ultegra SPD-SLs for a year now, and am very happy with them. Basically, what Climb said... I haven't noticed much loosening, although just today I was having to use a little more effort than usual to unclip.

[Larry D]

Take a look at the Look Cx6s. Look is offering a $50 rebate if you turn in any set of pedals at the time of purchase. I picked up a pair to replace an old set of 296s and they are working fine.. :)

[Keith A]

This past summer I decided to try out some new pedals and bought the SpeedPlay Zero's and the Dura-Ace SPD-SL's. I've been using both sets of pedals (on different) bikes since then.

If you like the float of the Looks, then the SPD-SL's are the most refined version of a Look style pedal. The entry and exist is so easy, the best of any pedal I've ever tried. The float is somewhat limited and you will need to make sure you get you cleats in the correct position. I have noticed that the pedal/cleat interface shifts a little during hard sprints -- nothing to troublesome, but noticeable.

The SpeedPlay Zero's offer fantastic float that can be limited to your taste. Even with the free rotational float, the pedal/cleat interface is rock solid. The entry is double sided, but isn't as easy as the SPD-SL's. The cleats are NOT designed to walk on and the cleat covers are a must.

Both pedals have the strengths and weaknesses and if I was to choose an overall winner, I would go with the SpeedPlays.

[flydhest]

I'm a Campy guy, but have Shimano SPD-SLs. They are great. This is the pedal that Looks should have evolved into. I had a pair of Looks for 13 years. Rode the crap out of them. I didn't even hesitate when I needed new pedals and got another, newer set. I had some problems with bearings and while I was trying to decide, I tried a few other pedals, including Speedplays. If you don't hate the way Speedplays feel, you'll likely love them. That seems to me to be the experiences people have expressed. Lots of friends (and my wife) use and love Speedplays. Not this fella.

The SPD-SLs are great pedals.

[zap]

I agree w/flydhest.

My Record Carbon cranks and SPD-SL are getting along quite well so far.

I've been riding Looks for 16 years and am slowly installing SPD-SL's on all my bikes. The SPD-SL are lighter, have 9mm lower stack height and use better hw compared to Looks.

[dgauthier]

Just as an aside - have you noticed it's really hard to find Look pedals on pro bikes this year? Check out the pro bike p0rn pages on cyclingnews. You'll see loads of Shimano SL's, Time Impact Mag's and Mag/Ti's, and a few Speedplays. It's as if all the pro's who used to ride Looks have, en masse, ditched them for Shimano's

You've heard the phrase "Silver is the new black?" It would seem "Shimano is the new Look".

[CJV]

Thanks to all of you who took the time to reply. I must tell Climb that by using a lock washer on the cleat bolts he'll probably avoid their becoming loose. On just one ride since a zapped off the black stuff on my Look cleats with the Dremel tool (can we create a new verb--to dremel something?), I had to dremel it again today. Doesn't make sense. I will investigate the Shi*mano pedals, although I can be wishy-washy until I order whichever ones.