pedals...look or shimano?



jjayf

New Member
Jun 16, 2006
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I just bought a "new" bike (to me anyway) 99 trek 5500...it came with some look 137 pedals...i have on my old bike some real cheapo shimano...the most basic ones they sell....which happen to be half the mass of the look pedals.....nothing like keeping rotational mass down. The question I have is ....what is the advantage to the look 137's since they cost quite a bit more I figurethere must be something to them ....or should i just exchange them for my old pedals.
thanks in advance for any feedback
 
Look Pedals- have used them for years, like their feel, easy to get into when the lights turn green, always first one to take-off.
Downside- bloody cleats wear out too quick :mad: :eek: don't like having to keep buying them
I believe Shimano SPD cleats will last a long time
someone who uses SPD will tell you the goss about the pros & cons
 
I'd say Look is ever so slightly easier to clip into when leaving an intersection, etc. Non-KEO Looks also have more adjustability that Shimano. Shimano SPD-SL cleats will definitely last longer, and won't land you on your ass in the grocery store, thanks to the rubber-ish traction pads they added. That alone is the main reason I stay with SPD-SL. Other than that, not much difference, I'd say.
 
jjayf said:
I just bought a "new" bike (to me anyway) 99 trek 5500...it came with some look 137 pedals...i have on my old bike some real cheapo shimano...the most basic ones they sell....which happen to be half the mass of the look pedals.....nothing like keeping rotational mass down. The question I have is ....what is the advantage to the look 137's since they cost quite a bit more I figurethere must be something to them ....or should i just exchange them for my old pedals.
thanks in advance for any feedback
Depends a lot on what type of Shimano pedals to which you are referring. For example SPD and the newer road design, SPD-SL are about as different an animal as you can encounter in the wild world of cleat and pedal design.

As was previously mentioned, I find the ease of SPD-SL to be very close to the Looks I've used. The SPD's on the other hand......well the cleats are recessible (hey, I think I invented a new word..okay capable of being recessed into the sole) but for a road shoe there are better choices, IMHO.
 
I'm a long time LOOK user. Used both the Keo and the Deltas. They're a great pedal system and possibly the easiest/quickest to get going with from a stop. They have good adjustability. I am very happy with them and have gotten several sets over three bikes now, currently using Keos. I'm very confident and comfortable in them. SPD-SLs would also be a good choice from what I understand, but nothing has really encouraged me to switch.

Walking in the LOOKs, if and when you ever do, requires the cleat covers to be on and then its no problem at all. Dont leave home without the clovers. ;) You CAN walk in them without, but you have to favor the shoe heels and you will wear down the cleats uneccessarily. SPD-SLs have a leg up on LOOKs in that department, but I dont walk in my shoes enough to have really thought about it. Probably the SPD-SLs with the rubber parts come down onto the road with more forgiveness if you come down onto the cleat, but I come down on the heel and would obviously encourage that with any cleat system, but this too might be looked at as an SPD-SL slight edge. LOOK cleats do wear faster, but if the only real road touches they get are the ins and outs coming off the pedal, its not too big an issue.

All said and done, both are excellent pedal systems, but capwater summed up my sentiment. :cool:
 
I've always used Look, until last year.
I got tired of the noise and the dirty pedals after trying to lube them to stop the historical creak.

No complaints with the Shimano Dura-Ace pedals or cleats.


jjayf said:
I just bought a "new" bike (to me anyway) 99 trek 5500...it came with some look 137 pedals...i have on my old bike some real cheapo shimano...the most basic ones they sell....which happen to be half the mass of the look pedals.....nothing like keeping rotational mass down. The question I have is ....what is the advantage to the look 137's since they cost quite a bit more I figurethere must be something to them ....or should i just exchange them for my old pedals.
thanks in advance for any feedback
 
friedmikey said:
... Shimano SPD-SL cleats will definitely last longer, and won't land you on your ass in the grocery store, thanks to the rubber-ish traction pads they added. That alone is the main reason I stay with SPD-SL. Other than that, not much difference, I'd say.
You can use SPD-SL cleats with the older/traditional, non-KEO LOOK/LOOK-compatible pedals.
 
Really? I never knew that. I'm going to have to test that out. Everybody should be using SPD-SL cleats with their LOOKs, for their own well being!