# Look Keo Pedal Failure and Replacement



## jkk (Apr 2, 2007)

*Look Pedal Failure and Replacement*

Yesterday 40 miles into my ride my right pedal, Look CX6 Carbon, started to feel odd. Dismounted, took a closer look, and both cleat and pedal visually appeared fine. When I clipped back in and applied power trying ride off, the pedal flew off the spindle and into the roadside ditch. I was able to retrieve the pedal and push it back onto the spindle/axle just securely enough to have a platform to rest my foot, and "limped" home. 

Examining the pedal at home, the end of the spindle/axle had broken off. I'm now needing to buy a new set and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations, good or bad, on the Look Keo 2 Max? (Can't seem to get any results using the search function within this forum.)


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## new2rd (Aug 8, 2010)

I'm 100% satisfied with my Keo 2 max pedals, well maybe only 98%. 2% of me wishes that I chose black since my white ones look a mess. I also had the Keo classics and they had no issues.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

jkk said:


> When I clipped back in and applied power trying ride off, the pedal flew off the spindle and into the roadside ditch.


Any idea how the pedal managed to uncleat itself from the shoe?


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## bikerjohn64 (Feb 9, 2012)

I'm on my second set of Keo pedals. My first one lasted about a year. The bearings failed on the right pedal and unfortunately; they were past warranty and they are not serviceable. I now have the Keo Max Blades and have my fingers crossed that these ones last somewhat longer.
I'm so used to being able to service my pedals having been on Shimano Dura Ace for so long; I almost went back to them but my heart kept calling for Looks......what can I say?
I ride with all my other buddies and they have had better luck with their Looks. Several years with no problems.


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## jkk (Apr 2, 2007)

wim said:


> Any idea how the pedal managed to uncleat itself from the shoe?


It happened so fast I have no idea. I couldn't believe it when I saw that the entire pedal body had separated from the axle. I had about 6000 miles on these pedals so I guess they served me well but the failure could have resulted in a far worse outcome.


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## NEO Dan (Jun 10, 2010)

I've had Keo 2 Max pedals a couple years now and I like them allot, they are holding up well. I've ridden in the wet several times but never submerged them. I will be needing a new set of cleats sometime this year so I bought them over the winter when they were on sale. My bike has white accents and these pedals really go well with the bike IMO.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

jkk said:


> It happened so fast I have no idea. I couldn't believe it when I saw that the entire pedal body had separated from the axle.


Thanks, appreciate the reply. Did the pedals have a Ti spindle?

/w


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## jkk (Apr 2, 2007)

wim said:


> Thanks, appreciate the reply. Did the pedals have a Ti spindle?
> 
> /w


No not Ti, these were the middle of the line models, either steel or cro-mo. I really liked them, and they were great until the final sudden failure.

Thank you all for your inputs. I went ahead ordered a pair of Keo 2 Max pedals in white. If I get half the life out of them that I did from the CX6's I'll be happy.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

I would have hunted out a good deal on the Look Carbon Blades. Personally, I think they are a substantial upgrade over the Keo Max. Also, I don't think the bearings in the Keo Max are as good as those used in the original Keo Carbons. Still good pedals, the Max's, but the Blades are fantastic.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

jkk said:


> It happened so fast I have no idea. I couldn't believe it when I saw that the entire pedal body had separated from the axle. I had about 6000 miles on these pedals so I guess they served me well but the failure could have resulted in a far worse outcome.


When the pedal started it's outward movement off the spindle you may have pulled your foot inward causing the ankle to move in while the pedal bound on the spindle causing the cleat to disengage by twisting inward. Your foot disengaged and there goes the pedal.

Just a guess though.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Serving well*



jkk said:


> I had about 6000 miles on these pedals so I guess they served me well.


Really? If I had a set of pedals fail after 6K miles I would be seriously pi$$ed! My last set of pedals went well over 120,000 miles and the bearings were still just fine. People seem to have REALLY low expectations for how long equipment should last.


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## NEO Dan (Jun 10, 2010)

How did you get 120,000 miles out of them, maintenance?
What were they anyway???
What museum are they on display in?


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## jkk (Apr 2, 2007)

Kerry Irons said:


> ..... My last set of pedals went well over 120,000 miles and the bearings were still just fine.....


Wow that lifespan is amazing. As asked in the previous post, I'm also curious what kind of pedals are those? Did you do any servicing/parts replacement?


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## NEO Dan (Jun 10, 2010)

Kerry noted elsewhere that he averaged 40,000 miles on a set of cleats. He must turn perfect circles and practically never walk on the cleats. You'd have to run lights and stop signs, maybe he's a cop?  I can't wait to hear the rest of the story - obviously not a typical user.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Campy Record ProFit*



jkk said:


> Wow that lifespan is amazing. As asked in the previous post, I'm also curious what kind of pedals are those? Did you do any servicing/parts replacement?


I'm always amazed how people get such poor mileage out of their components and simultaneously balk at the price of something that will last.

My previous (and current) pedals are Campy Record ProFit. They are light, low stack height, anti-false release, durable, large contact area, low maintenance pedals with low cost cleats but everyone thinks they are too expensive. 

I have completely disassembled the pedals a couple of times but the grease was still white so the non-contact seal design makes them virtually maintenance free. There are essentially no other moving parts than the bearings (3 sets) and the release/retention spring adjustment. There is nothing to maintain or replace.

My cleats last a long time because I wear cleat covers whenever I have to walk - it's more for my safety since those floors in convenience stores are pretty slippery with plastic cleats. I don't drag my foot when coming to a stop like a lot of people do, nor do I do some sort of push off with my foot to get started from a stop. With the design of the ProFit pedal there is essentially no wear on the cleat from the pedal itself (large chromed steel contact area so very smooth and non-abrasive to the plastic cleat. The contact between the release/retention spring and the cleat is metal to metal (there is a metal insert in the cleat that doesn't have to be replaced when the plastic wears out).


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## bikerjohn64 (Feb 9, 2012)

Kerry Irons said:


> .
> I have completely disassembled the pedals a couple of times but the grease was still white so the non-contact seal design makes them virtually maintenance free. There are essentially no other moving parts than the bearings (3 sets) and the release/retention spring adjustment. There is nothing to maintain or replace.


Now that's a great pedal! One that you can service!!


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## jkk (Apr 2, 2007)

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I'll have to look into getting some next time my pedals "self-destruct" or wear out.


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## klasse (Jun 27, 2013)

jkk said:


> *Look Pedal Failure and Replacement*
> 
> Yesterday 40 miles into my ride my right pedal, Look CX6 Carbon, started to feel odd. Dismounted, took a closer look, and both cleat and pedal visually appeared fine. When I clipped back in and applied power trying ride off, *the pedal flew off the spindle* and into the roadside ditch. I was able to retrieve the pedal and push it back onto the spindle/axle just securely enough to have a platform to rest my foot, and "limped" home.
> 
> Examining the pedal at home, the end of the spindle/axle had broken off. I'm now needing to buy a new set and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations, good or bad, on the Look Keo 2 Max? (Can't seem to get any results using the search function within this forum.)


My LOOK Keo 2 Max pedal failed in precisely the same way you described, except I was arriving home, coming to a stop, unclipping. Surprisingly, the pedal body had unthreaded from the spindle and shot straight off the spindle. LOOK recalled pedals for spindle breakage: Bicycle Pedals Recalled by Look Cycle; Pedals Can Break Causing Cyclists to Fall

I've spoken to a number of LBS who are familiar with LOOK pedal failures, particularly the LOOK KEO. In my experience, LOOK does not document the reports it receives, nor does it care to investigate why/how the pedal body came off the spindle. My person recommendation is to try Shimano Ultegra 8000 or Dura Ace or any Shimano SPD-SL pedal. If you compare the axle --> pedal body interface, I think you will opine that Shimano is significantly higher quality compared to LOOK. 

Excuse for bumping up the thread from the dark, but thought it may be helpful or save someone from a very bad accident. You may wish to inspect your LOOK pedal body and just make sure it is securely screwed onto the axle.


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Well, I'd postulate that with only 2 similar failures in 9 years, that would qualify it as a "once in a blue moon" type of event. Probably no more common than, say, breaking a crank, or a steerer.....


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

On the other hand, whenever I have had a problem with a Look pedal, their customer service has been exemplary.

I once had a retention issue with a model just below their legendary 386pp. They asked me to ship to them and they sent me a brand new set of said 386pp pedals. Then somehow their accounting got off and they sent yet another pair of the 386pp. Being honest and grateful to have received the first pedal to correct the retention problem, I offered to ship back the duplicate package.

Their response was, “keep them and enjoy”.

I know have 2 of my bicycles equipped with Look Keo2 Max pedals.


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## klasse (Jun 27, 2013)

No Time Toulouse said:


> Well, I'd postulate that with only 2 similar failures in 9 years, that would qualify it as a "once in a blue moon" type of event. Probably no more common than, say, breaking a crank, or a steerer.....


Attached is a lawsuit filed against LOOK for injuries sustained after a LOOK KEO 2 MAX pedal axle broke: *"Suddenly, the spindle on the right LOOK KEO 2 Max carbon pedal broke on a downward stroke." * I found three other similar lawsuits in federal court - there are likely many more in state courts. 

Hope everyone stays safe - everyone chooses their own risk factor.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

No Time Toulouse said:


> Well, I'd postulate that with only 2 similar failures in 9 years, that would qualify it as a "once in a blue moon" type of event. Probably no more common than, say, breaking a crank, or a steerer.....


I've actually known two people who have broken a crank arm. They were both FSA cranksets.


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

What were the verdicts in these lawsuits?


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## klasse (Jun 27, 2013)

GKSki said:


> What were the verdicts in these lawsuits?


See below and let me know if you want any of the PDFs. I only ran a search on federal lawsuits. Two of four of these cases were removed to federal from state, so my educated guess is there are more lawsuits out there that stayed in state court. The Mitchell case is compelling because some or many LOOK dealers (and other shops) are not aware of LOOK's 2008 product safety recall. Did the spindles really improve - given that Bower busted his KEO 2 MAX spindle during January 2012? I'm glad I was not injured when my KEO 2 MAX pedal body shot off the spindle. Hate to think what may have happened if I had been doing any kind of hammering or driving in car traffic (which I frequently do). 

Bower v. LOOK Cycle and Chain Reaction Cycles - filed on July 15, 2014, settled on Jan 14, 2015, broken spindle on LOOK KEO 2 MAX on Jan. 12, 2012. "Massive" right shoulder rotator cuff tear and other injuries. 

Mitchell v. LOOK Cycle - filed on May 26, 2016, settled around Aug. 3, 2017, broken pedal spindle on KEO Sprint. The rider was not aware of the product safety recall. Fractured hip and more. 

Van Elnik v. LOOK Cycles - filed on Jan. 11, 2010, settled Sep. 15, 2010, broken pedal spindle on LOOK PP396, femur fracture and more injuries

Smith v. LOOK Cycle - this case involved LOOK Keo Classic pedal, he couldn't get his foot out of the pedal. Hip and knee injuries. Dismissed on procedural grounds.


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

GKSki said:


> What were the verdicts in these lawsuits?


They were both forgotten for 9 years, until some troll exhumed them from the grave.....


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## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

No Time Toulouse said:


> They were both forgotten for 9 years, until some troll exhumed them from the grave.....


And in those nine years, a solution has emerged that will revolutionize pedaling as we know it:

*Pitbull Bike Pedal!!!*











*A new innovative product in the bicycle industry. The Best Road Bike Pedal in the World. We are not just saying it, that is a fact.*


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

xxl said:


> And in those nine years, a solution has emerged that will revolutionize pedaling as we know it:
> 
> *Pitbull Bike Pedal!!!*
> 
> ...


Not just the best...........the FASTEST!!!


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## bvber (Apr 23, 2011)

Lombard said:


> the FASTEST!!!


I think they meant the fastest wearing out cleats.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

bvber said:


> I think they meant the fastest wearing out cleats.


That doesn’t matter. If you use Pitbull Pedals you automatically win. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## GKSki (Nov 12, 2014)

That doesn’t look like Roger. Oh, wait a minute, he isn’t sprinting.


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