LOOK’s new pedal, the Kéo 2 Max Blade, is now available, using a leaf-spring design similar to that of the top-end Kéo Blade 2 which Nairo Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador rode to Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta Espana victory in 2014 respectively.

By using a leaf-spring ‘blade’, rather than the traditional spring retention system of the existing Kéo 2 Max, the new Kéo 2 Max Blade, which costs £109.99, is said to have a snappier feel when engaging.

While the flagship Kéo Blade 2’s body and blade is made from carbon fibre, the Kéo 2 Max Blade’s is made from a carbon composite. The result, LOOK say, allows for a lower engagement tension than carbon fibre, resulting in foot engagement which is smoother than the Kéo 2 Max, but less radical than the Kéo Blade 2.

The spindle is made from chromoly and is 14mm-long, which enables the pedal’s Q-Factor to be adjusted from 53mm to 55mm by using a 2mm spacer available as a spare part. The spindle uses two ball bearings and a needle bearing and is tested to two million cycles at 100 rpm with a 90kg load – the equivalent, LOOK say, of a 1,700-watt sprint by Mark Cavendish at 100rpm for 333 hours.

LOOK say the Kéo 2 Max Blade is designed for racers and sportive riders alike. The platform area increases to 400mm², with a width of 60mm, from the existing Kéo 2 Max (340mm², 57mm), though the Kéo Blade 2 remains LOOK’s broadest pedal (700mm², 64mm).

The Kéo 2 Max Blade has a claimed weight of 120g per pedal, and 308g for both pedals including cleats and screws, and is available in two preset blade release tensions: 8Nm and 12Nm. The use of a leaf-spring blade means the tension is not adjustable, unlike most pedals further down the range, including the Kéo 2 Max, that use a spring, but the blades (£16.99) are interchangeable. Finally, the pedal is available with either a black or white body.

Website: LOOK
UK distributor: Fisher Outdoor