Wear rate of Look pedals

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userfriendly
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:02 pm
Location: Kingdom of Fife, Scotland

by userfriendly

Hi there,

I've always been using Look Keo compatible pedals made by Exustar. Reason being they're quite a bit lighter - however, they also happen to be cheaper.

Would I be correct in assuming this to mean they wear a lot faster? Something has to give somewhere, right?

My question should be turned around, I guess: do the Look Keo pedals not wear as fast? How long do they last before needing replacing (with reasonably intense use)?

Because I'm starting to get sick of having to replace my pedals every few pairs of cleats as well when I find them worn down almost to the axle.

Cheers!
Cinelli Saetta 6.5kg - nice and dry weather
Reilly T325 7.3kg - nice weather but windy
Spa Audax 9.1kg - all weather steel beauty
Pinnacle Dolomite 7.9kg - flat-pedal chainguard thing
M∆SON Definition 8.5kg - off-road ... thing

by Weenie


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c50jim
Posts: 1015
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:42 am
Location: Calgary

by c50jim

I've used Keo pedals since they came out. I have a number of bikes but ride 11-13,000 km per year, mostly on Keo equipped bikes. I finally wore out my first set of Keo pedals this year. They were on what has been my main use bike for the last six or seven years and are one of my two original sets from 2004 or whenever Keos came out. I go through several sets of cleats every year but this is my first set of pedals. The worn out part is where you clip in. My mechanic said to keep the pedals since the rest of them is still usable and he can use them as spare parts if I need them.

TheKaiser
Posts: 653
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 3:29 pm

by TheKaiser

userfriendly wrote:Because I'm starting to get sick of having to replace my pedals every few pairs of cleats as well when I find them worn down almost to the axle.


So you are saying that the pedal body is wearing down where the cleat contacts it, correct? Your pedals have the injection molded composite bodies, no?

You will find a lot of variation in how many miles people get out of pedals and cleats, both due to conditions, and how much they swivel their feet through the range of float with each pedal stroke, combined with how much varus/valgus lean you have to your foot. All of that, will make it tough to compare apples to apples on mi/km with another rider.

Having said that, regardless I would have to imagine that the Keos with the stainless steel body top plate will wear much longer than any plastic one. I know the higher end shimanos with metal contact points last a lot longer than the cheaper ones with plastic.

Even with very lightly used Keos a lot of riders have complained about the cleats rocking side to side when engaged in the pedals, so that is one thing to keep in mind. In other words, less wear on the pedal doesn't necessarily lead to an equivalent reduction in play between cleat and pedal, and I even recall some discussion of the Exustar cleats being superior in this regard. Not sure if Look may have improved the situation on the current generation though.

icenutter
Posts: 87
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:45 pm
Location: Newcastle, UK

by icenutter

My Look Keo blades have been going for a very long time, much better than assorted Shimano pedals. The silver-coloured part the cleat rests on got scuffed very quickly (from memory), but the bearings and the rest of the pedal keeps going.

The cleats don't last that long though.

maquisard
Posts: 3772
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 8:51 pm
Location: France

by maquisard

I have worn out a couple of pairs of Keo Blades, I usually get about 2 years out of a pair at about 16-18,000 km a year. For me they wear out at the clip in and clip out points, when the front and rear of the cleat clip in. The left pedal wears out first as I unclip this foot at traffic lights, the right pedal is usually fine.

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userfriendly
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 3:02 pm
Location: Kingdom of Fife, Scotland

by userfriendly

Not sure why I didn't get an email notification about your replies, I usually do, I would have responded sooner.

For my new build I've gone with Look Keo with the steel plate. Let's see how long they make it.

TheKaiser, I appreciate the point about the cleats rocking. If that's happening to the degree that it bothers me I suppose I'll just have to bite the bullet and switch back to Exustar.

Cheers, everyone!
Cinelli Saetta 6.5kg - nice and dry weather
Reilly T325 7.3kg - nice weather but windy
Spa Audax 9.1kg - all weather steel beauty
Pinnacle Dolomite 7.9kg - flat-pedal chainguard thing
M∆SON Definition 8.5kg - off-road ... thing

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



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