Dream pedal?

[BdaGhisallo]

I am in the process of trying out a set of the new Look Keo pedals. I have never been a Look user. I used some Mavic branded Looks for about 3 weeks in 1987 when I started cycling, but quickly changed to Time and never looked back. I like coke and it was coke vs pepsi, and Look tasted like pepsi!

I stayed on the times for 15 years with equipes, then impacts up until the new shimano pedals arrived in late 2002. By then I grew quite tired of the lateral 5mm float in the Time pedals. I liked the spd-sl a lot, except for the float sensation. The spd-sl floats at the toe with the nose of the cleat moving, not the rear like Looks.

So far the Keos are working out well. The lower stack height versus older Looks is a definite plus. I quite like the toe based float - a whole lot better than the spd-sl float. If I do have some reservations about it, they would be the lack of adjustment of the float allowed, like on other Looks ( 9deg feels a tad much. 6deg might be better) and the lack of any type of cleat pontoon, ala shimano, to make walking easier. I don’t walk much at all in my cycling shoes but, damn, those look cleats are treacherous on tiled floors!

Anyhow, all of this pondering, and a boring afternoon, got me dreaming about what features I would have if I could design a pedal, and here is what I would like. I know everyone has been dying to hear my wishes!!!

Float sensation of Look Keo
Low stack height of Time Equipe.
Easy entry and exit of Shimano Spd-SL
Bearings of Dace spd-sl
Look and finish of spd-sl.
Cleat pontoons of spd-sl.
Adjustable float like Look fre-arc.
No lateral movement like Look
Cleat durability of Time brass cleats.
Elegance of the spd-sl pedal body.
Universal fitting of the delta type cleat fixing.
Secure retention of spd-sl
Cornering clearance of coombe or speedplay

As you can see, I really liked 95% of the spd-sl features. Oh that damn float. I tried fixed cleats, but I do like float.


Any thoughts?

[Kevin]

Speedplay.

Kevin

[Big Dan]

Good old Time Equipes, just the right amount of float...None of the dreaded squish, squish!!! :cool:

[jerk]

I am in the process of trying out a set of the new Look Keo pedals. I have never been a Look user. I used some Mavic branded Looks for about 3 weeks in 1987 when I started cycling, but quickly changed to Time and never looked back. I like coke and it was coke vs pepsi, and Look tasted like pepsi!

I stayed on the times for 15 years with equipes, then impacts up until the new shimano pedals arrived in late 2002. By then I grew quite tired of the lateral 5mm float in the Time pedals. I liked the spd-sl a lot, except for the float sensation. The spd-sl floats at the toe with the nose of the cleat moving, not the rear like Looks.

So far the Keos are working out well. The lower stack height versus older Looks is a definite plus. I quite like the toe based float - a whole lot better than the spd-sl float. If I do have some reservations about it, they would be the lack of adjustment of the float allowed, like on other Looks ( 9deg feels a tad much. 6deg might be better) and the lack of any type of cleat pontoon, ala shimano, to make walking easier. I don’t walk much at all in my cycling shoes but, damn, those look cleats are treacherous on tiled floors!

Anyhow, all of this pondering, and a boring afternoon, got me dreaming about what features I would have if I could design a pedal, and here is what I would like. I know everyone has been dying to hear my wishes!!!

Float sensation of Look Keo
Low stack height of Time Equipe.
Easy entry and exit of Shimano Spd-SL
Bearings of Dace spd-sl
Look and finish of spd-sl.
Cleat pontoons of spd-sl.
Adjustable float like Look fre-arc.
No lateral movement like Look
Cleat durability of Time brass cleats.
Elegance of the spd-sl pedal body.
Universal fitting of the delta type cleat fixing.
Secure retention of spd-sl
Cornering clearance of coombe or speedplay

As you can see, I really liked 95% of the spd-sl features. Oh that damn float. I tried fixed cleats, but I do like float.


Any thoughts?


yeah you want a thought....how about this. take a pair of red d/a cleats to the grinder and grind away at the back end of them untill you achieve the shape of the rears of the yellows. the front will still be big and round and firm but you can achieve the desired amount of float. the jerk has done this for a couple of his pals and the results have been good although sometimes it takes an investment of tow or three pairs of red cleats to achieve the desired amount of float.

jerk

[csb]

keywin crm @ worldclasscycles.com, $129.99

[BdaGhisallo]

Sir Jerk,

I take note of your comments and grinding suggestions. However I just had a good look at yellow and red cleats side-by-side and the rears appear to be identical. The only differences that I can detect are in the shapes of the nose of each cleat. That would buttress my impression that the float is solely at the front of the cleat.

When you have ground down the rear of the red cleats, just where on the cleat did you grind? On the outer sides by the pontoons or on the back face of the cleat just inboard of the pontoons?
thanks
geoff

[zap]

If you only feel float at the front of your SPD-SL cleat, I wonder if the curvature of the bottom of your shoe is hindering the amount of float. I checked my SPD-SL/shoe (Sidi Ergo 1) assembly last month and found that a good portion of my float comes from the rear.

Note that the stack height of the SPD-SL pedals incl. cleats is roughly 1mm lower than Times.

The one improvement that I can think of right now is less weight. Lance used a lighter version of SPD-SL's in the Tour. Jerks mod of the red cleat is interesting too.

[Climb01742]

i wish the spd-sl had a float adjustment on the pedal: either zero or whatever it has now. i'm toying with going to the red cleat, but finding the exact cleat placement might take some tweaks. being able to "bail" out of a fixed position out on the road -- by adjusting the float/no float on the pedal -- would, i think, make finding the right position safer...meaning you wouldn't have to ride a big chunk of a ride in the wrong, no float position...until you could find the right cleat placement. did that make sense?

[BdaGhisallo]

Zap,

I am currently using sidi energy shoes with them and I don't think there is a problem with sole curvature. However I also have a pair of ergo 1 shoes so I will put a cleat on that and see if the pivot is any different.

i know the cleat does move a little at the rear, but I find that they float is initiated and driven by the shape of the toe of the cleat and that most of it occurs in the front hook of the pedal.

thanks for the tip.

[PsyDoc]

I have been using them for about 600 miles or so and really like them. The Keo's replaced the PP206's and are noticeably lighter. The setup is typical Look and was easy. The only difference I have noticed is having to drop my saddle a little bit as the stack height on the Keo's is lower.

[BdaGhisallo]

Csb,

Just noted your brief post referring to Keywins. Can you offer any feedback on them? What makes them so special? How is the float, etc? Are they easy to walk in, if only for very short struts? Is there any other pedal that you would compare them to in terms of feel and float sensation? I see they have 6deg of float that is centred over the pedal rather than at the front or back so they look promising.

I am very curious so any answers you can provide would be great.

thanks
Geoff

[csb]

i rode looks prior to keywins. looks are VERY heavy _ keywins
are not _ they are super light and so are the cleats.
the cleats make a nice and wide interface. the cleat is always
the same, the float angle (or lack there of) is done via the
pedal itself (pretty simple operation) i ride them fixed.

keywins have a LOW stack hgt, + and a kinda soft plastic outbody
so sanding a pedal is no problem ( this is where jerk steps
in and wags his hairy finger @ me for pedal grinding, but
well, he is a jerk)

the axle is ti ( this is where bigmac steps in and clotheslines
me for gambling with ti pedal axles, well 2 yrs + 17,000 miles later
i'm still smiling)
i am 185#s + hold my own on hills.

they have a similar appearance to looks, and even feel like
them when getting in + out. i believe the tension setting is pre-set,
i like a very stiff release, and they feel just right.

not everyone carries them, and my friends add them to the
'why cant craig get normal stuff like us' list.

richie dont ride them cause then aint red, theys black.
they are designed for biking not hiking. looks walkingcondoms
do not fit.

they were recommended to me by some wackadoo _ kellogg