I have no experience with the Look pedals, but have been using the Shimano (the cheapest ones they make to try them out). I have had no issues with them. I would not think twice about purchasing them again. The only issue with them that I have noticed was when they were new, they took a bit of use before they would quickly drop to the correct position to clip in (after a few rides they started to drop front up much quicker - assuming that the bearings and lube had to get "broke in" a little).

They are stiff and give a great platform. They feel like they transfer power very well. The tension to clip out is easily adjusted.

The next time I purchase pedals I will probably purchase these in a upper line.

Haven't used the Look Keo's - I actually started using clipless pedals back in the era when the old Look pedals were the only ones on the market - did one season on the Looks and destroyed the bearings in them - fortunately Shimano had started licencing the mechanism from Look, and had built a cleat compatible pedal but with much improved bearings, serviceability and materials. I've still got them somewhere in the big box of bits!

When I came back to riding I initially returned to the Shimano/Looks but they only had the old style cleats which were HUGE and didn't really fit sensibly on modern shoes. So, I swapped on recommendation of a friend to the Time pedals. Big Mistake - they lasted all of 2 months before I snapped the plastic (sorry, fibre reinforced resin) body 20 miles from home, leading to a long uncomfortable ride with my shoe zip-tied to the remaining bit of the pedal.

So, I returned to the Shimano SPD-SL's - the Ultegra versions to match the rest of the bike (as if you couldn't guess) - though in fairness, there's little or no difference between the 105 level (or indeed right down to the PD540 level at around £20 at the moment from wiggle...) The cleats are a bit prone to wearing - but as the furthest I walk normally is from the front door to the roadside and back, and always unclip on the kerb-side foot, I tend to go through a kerb-foot cleat every 5-6 month, the other side lasts probably double that. The cleats are identical, last time I bought 3 sets and just fit one at a time as needed.

Whichever set you go for, consider getting a set of cleat-covers to match if you're likely to do any "cafe stops" that may involve wheeling the bike a bit... not so much for wear prevention (though thats also an issue) as the fact that NO cleats are particularly easy to walk on, and all of 'em are bloody well lethal on the typical tiled cafe floor, especially if it's a bit wet from the rain outside!

Of course, one other consideration is, if you ever get to go to the velodrome, the hire-bikes have Keo pedals iirc. so there'd be no swapping cleats to use your own shoes...

Honestly Fran, there's not much between any of 'em - just get something with some "float" on the cleats, not the fixed ones, that way lies sore knees if you slightly mis-align them. And as to the "how they hang" - well - road clipless pedals have a slightly different "knack" to clipping in compared to the MTB derived SPD's - instead of the basic "get the pedal flat and stamp on it" of the SPD, both the SPD-SL and the Look hang with the nose of the pedal up, and you sort of "hook forward" into the loop at the top and press down into them. Practice on the Turbo. 5 minutes and you'll have the hang of it. It's really, really no biggie.

Hi Fran!

Just wanted to say I use Look Keo's and I love 'em! :happy:

Good luck in your search!

Both types have 3 sorts of cleat - the non-float, Full floating and a half way house.

With the Shimano, the red is fixed, blue is 2° and the Yellow 5° ( at one point I had Yellow on my left leg and Blue on my right, while the physio was trying to re-train my legs to move in a straight line!)

The Look Keo is Black (fixed), Grey (4.5°) and Red (9°)

Personally, I'd go, initially at least for the most float - at first it can be difficult to get the cleat positioning "just right" and a little bit of float on the cleats can make all the difference between comfortable and painful knees. I tried those speedplay pedals once, on a borrowed bike (and shoes... eeeewww) and they had been set up with 15° of float - it felt like trying to pedal on roller skates and I couldn't get on with 'em at all... though they are actually a bit wierd - the float is set IN the cleat itself, and is adjustable from 0 up to 15°...

Thanks for posting Fran, and thanks for all the info everybody! I think I'll grow up and start using road shoes & pedals this year...

Whatever you do, replace 'em before they end up this Knackered...


Probably 500 too many miles on this one... by The Big Yin, on Flickr

the front part of the cleat had bits falling off, the rear "outriggers" were worn almost flat, and the bit at the back where the retaining springs clip into was so thin that I lost the pedals 3 times on yesterdays ride. Yes, I'm a gear obsessive, No - that doesn't mean I occasionally forget to check things properly.

My physio (who is also a bike fit whiz) suggested the Look Keo pedal & red cleat (more float).

Of course, one other consideration is, if you ever get to go to the velodrome, the hire-bikes have Keo pedals iirc. so there'd be no swapping cleats to use your own shoes...

Just remembered, they have Look Delta pedals at the velodrome, as my colleague has Look Keo and so he couldn't use his own shoes and had to hire

Ah, the delta's - that's the original ones... I've still a couple of pairs of unused cleats for them somewhere in the big box of bits... on the basis that they may not get manufactured for ever, and I wanted a pair for the ancient Raleigh with the Shimano pedals on 'em...