Bicycle Mechanics - Clueless about cleats. Help?

I'm an older rider with an older bike. I have a set of Mavic pedals with Look cleats (The red ones that float a bit). They are old and weigh about 16 pounds each (OK... maybe not THAT much...) I'm thinking upgrade.

But I'm cleat challenged. Are the old Look cleats still an option? I'm looking at Ultegra, but are the cleats a different style? The model number seems to imply that they are SPD like my mountain bike cleats (fine for the mtb, but not what I want on the road), but they don't look like it. Is there a pedal company that still uses old style Look cleats? Should I care? Do pedals usually come with cleats? Is the float generally in the pedal or the cleat?

Lots of traditional Look pedals and clones out there, check out nashbar.com, performancebike.com and others. There is a newer style Look pedal/cleat called the "Keo" which is a completely different animal.

To answer your question the New Ultegra pedals use a cleat very similiar to the Look cleat. They are called SPD-SL and look about the same as the Look cleat. Here is a picture.

Thanks!
Sooooooo. The new look Keo is different...and the new Ultegra is different from both? Is either, or both, an improvement over the classic look-style pedal?

Thanks!
Sooooooo. The new look Keo is different...and the new Ultegra is different from both? Is either, or both, an improvement over the classic look-style pedal?

Marketing, man, maybe a bit appealing to weight wenies. I have 7 road bikes so switching out the classic Looks to the Keos would be rather expensive.

I don't know if you have ever experienced the famous Look pedal "squeak" but I have and immediately started searching for a different pedal system. :) The squeak was so maddening and there was NOTHING that made it go away long term.

That, plus their weight, one sided entry and fragile cleats sent me to Speedplay Frogs for my good road bikes and Shimano SPD's for my beaters. I never regretted the change.

There are still a few hundred dozen bunches of Look pedals that use the delta cleat out there. Look plans on manking delta cleats for a few decades due to the sheer volume of pedals produced and still used.

I don't know if you have ever experienced the famous Look pedal "squeak" but I have and immediately started searching for a different pedal system. :) The squeak was so maddening and there was NOTHING that made it go away long term.

Chapstick will solve that problem.

I find the SPD-SL much more stable and walkable than my old red Look cleats.

Chapstick will solve that problem.

No it won't. Neither will oil, grease, talc, graphite, silicone spray,............. I tried EVERYTHING.

No it won't. Neither will oil, grease, talc, graphite, silicone spray,............. I tried EVERYTHING.

How about earplugs? :p

How about earplugs? :p

Too simple. The real fix was to get different pedals.

No it won't. Neither will oil, grease, talc, graphite, silicone spray,............. I tried EVERYTHING.

Maybe I'm just going deaf, cuz all SEVEN of my LOOK equipped bikes with eihter of my THREE sets of shoes are smooth and quiet. Another classic case of buying new stuff to replace perfectly good stuff due to operator error.

^(insert word) du jour^, lol

SPD is a nice system but I have found the contact area too small, more prone to hotspots. I have never tried speedplays but I would probably get used to/like them. Their free float is disconcerting at first.

I like the Time systems, great combination of float and platform.

Looks were great in their day, but their are so many innovations since. I'd choose Looks or SPD for recreational and beginners. Simple, reliable and inexpensive.

With Look styles, the only upgrades I am aware of are the ability to adjust the release tension. I think there was some other adjustment available before but I don't see anything other than tension now. Campy, Shimano and Look use variations on the same cleat. Knockoffs should indicate which system they use (Look, Shimano, etc).

Another classic case of buying new stuff to replace perfectly good stuff due to operator error.

Well, a lot of operators shared this error because several years ago bike forums, discussion groups and newsletters/magazines were full of complaints about the Look squeak problem and had tons of suggestions about how to fix it. None of them seemed to work for more than a few rides.

My Looks were 1992 vintage and Look has made numerous changes and redesigns since then, some explicitly intended to solve the squeak problem.

Yours work quietly? Great. A lot of us weren't as lucky or had Look pedals older than yours.

Marketing, man, maybe a bit appealing to weight wenies. I have 7 road bikes so switching out the classic Looks to the Keos would be rather expensive.
It takes about 30 seconds to move a pair of pedals from one bike to another. Have you thought about not replacing all 7 pairs?

It takes about 30 seconds to move a pair of pedals from one bike to another. Have you thought about not replacing all 7 pairs?

Good point and I have considered it. I often decide what bike to ride based on the weather conditions and personal feeling. Sure, a pedal swap is quick and painless, but if traditional LOOKs work fine why change? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If I were brand spankin' new to this sport and was starting from ground zero I'd probably go with Time impacts actually (yeah, got a pair of them too).

How about earplugs? :p

reminds me of my old college buddy. he had this god awful car that had a cronic clunking\scraping sound. he looks over at me and says "i know how to fix that", and then he reaches down and turns up the stero. :lol: