A head of the upcoming Tour de France, we’ll start to hear more from brands about new product launches and official partnerships with the event. French pedal and bike manufacturer, Look, has recently launched a special Tour de France Edition of their Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedals.
Look has a long history of making race winning pedals and bikes, including their first pedals used by Bernard Hinault to win the 1984 race and the original KG86 frame that Greg LeMond used to win in 1986. Look riders and teams have continued to see success throughout the years, and the brand hopes to add more with pro teams AG2R La Mondiale, Astana, Team Lotto Soudal, Movistar Team, UAE Team Emirates, Cofidis Team, and B&B Hôtels-Vital Concept p/b KTM using their pedals this year.
The Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic is the brands range topping model. Similar with all Keo Blade models, it features a 700 mm² pedal platform to provide a stable bade for your pedals stroke. The Carbon version uses a full carbon body with Look’s Blade spring. Instead of a traditional metal spring design, the Blade uses a thin carbon blade like a leaf spring. It is anchored against the front of the pedal, is curved to bend around the axle, and then anchors into the rear mechanism that locks your cleat in. This makes for a lighter and more aerodynamic pedal.
The Ceramic version adds ceramic bearings to reduce friction and improve bearing life over traditional steel bearings. A chromoly steel axle version is available at a claimed 115g per pedal, or 300g for both, including cleats. A titanium spindled version is also available, brining weights down to a claimed 95g per pedal, or 260g for a full set with cleats.
The Tour de France Edition pedals celebrates Look’s partnership with the race as the official pedal. The inspiration behind the lightning strike graphics on the blade and pedal body is that they are “a rare phenomenon to capture, just like victory at the legendary cycling race.”
“The Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic Tour de France is a blend of technology, extremely light, with a great contact surface and ceramic bearings for an unrivalled efficiency,” explains pedal product manager, Alexandre Lavaud. “It makes the perfect choice for the Pros in the Tour de France. We are extremely proud to provide every cyclist with the same performance products as the Pros through this special limited edition.”
The Tour de France Edition pedals come with the 12nm blades installed, but 16 and 20nm blades are available separately. For cleats, you get the 4.5 degree float versions, with 0 and 9 degree available, along with “Grip” versions that help provide more traction when walking.
Keo Blade Carbon pedals start at $150, and climb to $375 for the Ceramic with titanium axle. The Tour de France Edition will run $250, a $25 upcharge over the standard Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic. They are available now worldwide.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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