Look’s new Keo Blade Power is “the lightest power meter pedal on the market”

Look has introduced new Keo Blade power meter pedals for the road – and X-Track power meter pedals for riding off-road – which, it says, are extremely lightweight, feature a standard Q-factor (pedal stance width), and offer data that are accurate to within +/-1%. Aside from the strain gauges, all of the clever gubbins (it's a technical term) is integrated within the pedal axle. Available in single-sided and dual-sided options, the Look Keo Blade Power costs from £599.

Look says that both the Keo Blade power meter pedals and the X-Track Power pedals use “the latest generation of electronic components combined with proven algorithms to allow consistent power measurement and reliable data with an accuracy of +/- 1%, regardless of air temperature or altitude”. 

> Best power meters for cycling 2024 — maximise your training with on-bike data to track your efforts 

There are already power-measuring pedals out there from the likes of Garmin, Wahoo and Favero, of course, and Look and SRM launched their Exakt pedals back in 2018, but Look believes that the Blade Power offers something new. 

Look’s global product manager Alex Lavaud said, “When we started the project, the aim was to get the lightest pedal with a standard Q-factor and stack height – which is really important because none of our competitors are offering that – while being easy to install and simple to use daily. This new lineup will establish itself as the benchmark to access power, which is the smartest way to train and progress.”

Romain Simon, Look's bike products manager, said, “The key point to this pedal is that it’s the best on the market as far as power sensing goes. It is also an absolutely uncompromised pedal. We did not want to put a pod on the side to store all the electronics, we wanted to hide everything. We did not want to compromise on mechanical resistance or durability, so what we have is a power-sensing device and also a perfect pedal that is virtually indistinguishable from a normal Keo 2 Max Blade. You would be hard-pressed to know it's a power meter from the outside."

Look says, “[Our] Research & Development team has developed a proprietary auto-calibration algorithm to introduce a quick and easy set-up of the pedals, installing them in just 30 seconds with a 15mm wrench.”

Thirty seconds? That’s going some. We’ll have to put a timer on it when we get a set for review. The idea is that you can quickly move the pedals between bikes and easily swap between power measurement and normal pedals.

The French brand says, “There’s no need for rider position adjustment when moving between pedals as the Q-factor and stack height for X-Track Power and Keo Blade Power are similar to those of the standard Look pedals.”

The Keo Blade Power pedals add no additional width while the stack height is 10.8mm, compared with 8.5mm for their non-power measuring cousins. The 705mm² contact surface is the same whichever route you go down.

> Look launches “fastest-ever” Keo Blade pedals that also offer “increased rider comfort and durability” 

Look claims a weight of 260g per pair of Keo Blade Power pedals. That compares with a claimed 230g for the base-level non-power Keo Blades (£139.99) and 190g for the super-posh Keo Blade Ceramic Ti (£299.99) – so the weight penalty is small.

For comparison, we weighed the Garmin Rally RK200 Dual-sensing power meter pedals at 330g and the Favero Assioma Duo power meter pedals at 300g.

The X-Track Power – the off-road version – has a pedal body that’s made from recycled aluminium. The contact surface is 550mm² and Look claims a weight of 400g a pair.

Naturally enough, Look says its new pedals can stand up to the most severe conditions.

“The electronic components and batteries are integrated within the pedal axle to eliminate the risk of water, mud and dust infiltration,” it says.

“X-Track Power pedals meet the requirements of IPX7 testing, while the Keo Blade Power pedals have been upgraded from the previous model with a new lever shape to improve durability and an updated centre of gravity for easier clip-in.”

An IPX7 rating means a product can be submerged in a meter of water for 30 minutes without harm or, more relevantly, cope with wet riding conditions.

If you damage the pedal body, it can be replaced. Look offers a three-year extended warranty and a graduated three-year crash replacement programme as long as you register your pedals.  
 
As you’d expect, both types of pedals communicate via Bluetooth and ANT+ for compatibility with every major head unit out there. 

Look says, “The dedicated Look App offers riders a complete breakdown of statistics including normalised power, intensity factor, power zones, training stress score, functional threshold power, pedalling smoothness, and torque effectiveness.

“The Look App provides clear guidance on pedal installation, warranty registration, firmware updates, and accessing support materials. Moreover, users can carry out tasks such as product calibration, customise settings and monitor battery status.”

Speaking of the battery, Look reckons you get a whopping 60 hours of use before you need to recharge via USB-C. It says a full charge takes two hours or less, depending on the current.  

Both Keo Blade Power and X-Track Power (above) pedals are made in Look’s factory in France, and they are available with single-sided or dual-sided power measurement. The single-sided option provides a power sensor in just the left pedal, the system doubling the measurements to give your totals.

Keo Blade Power Body Carbon
Cleat Keo Grip 
Axle Steel
Retention 16Nm - Carbon
Contact surface 705mm² 
Q-factor 53mm 
Stack 10.8mm
Weight 260g (pair)
Price single £599
Price dual £899

X-Track Power Body Aluminium
Cleat SPD compatible
Axle Steel
Retention 6-14Nm
Contact surface 550mm² 
Q-factor 53mm 
Stack 10.7mm
Weight 400g (pair)
Price single £674.99
Price double £999.99

www.lookcycle.com