Clueless about cleats. Help?
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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?
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?
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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.
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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.
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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?
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?
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Originally Posted by cccorlew
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?
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?
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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.
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.
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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.
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Originally Posted by HillRider
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.
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Originally Posted by capwater
Chapstick will solve that problem.
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Originally Posted by HillRider
No it won't. Neither will oil, grease, talc, graphite, silicone spray,............. I tried EVERYTHING.
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Originally Posted by mateo44
How about earplugs?
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Originally Posted by HillRider
No it won't. Neither will oil, grease, talc, graphite, silicone spray,............. I tried EVERYTHING.
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^(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).
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).
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Originally Posted by capwater
Another classic case of buying new stuff to replace perfectly good stuff due to operator error.
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.
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Originally Posted by capwater
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.
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Originally Posted by Zouf
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?
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Originally Posted by mateo44
How about earplugs?