Equipment/Product Review (1986) The LOOK Pedal System
05-02-22, 04:38 PM
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Equipment/Product Review (1986) The LOOK Pedal System
From Bicycle Guide, Feb 1986.
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05-02-22, 06:23 PM
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I still have my white ones in the parts bin. Clipless pedals are one product on my "Mount Rushmore" of bike innovations; throwing clips and straps in the trash was pure joy!
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05-03-22, 10:04 AM
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One of the new problems that came up with the Look clipless pedal intro was, the shoe technology needed to catch up to work with the pedals. Along with having to adapt the three bolt Look Delta cleat system, the cycling shoe manufacturers had to re-design their shoe's construction so they did not stretch out and fall apart as the straps and clips that took a lot of the stresses was eliminated...... I still remember some riders having to reinforce their shoes during races with some duct tape wrapped over the insteps of their cycling shoes......
The earliest versions on the Look pedals were actually over-engineered and had bearings and spindles that were very smooth, long lasting and reliable. I still have the first Look pedal sets I bought back in 86 on one of my bikes and they still work flawlessly. The weighed a lot for their size because of the robust construction of the pedal body.
Look actually "dumbed down" the design on their later pedals, replacing the outboard bearings on the spindles with plain bronze bearings that wore out much quicker.
The earliest versions on the Look pedals were actually over-engineered and had bearings and spindles that were very smooth, long lasting and reliable. I still have the first Look pedal sets I bought back in 86 on one of my bikes and they still work flawlessly. The weighed a lot for their size because of the robust construction of the pedal body.
Look actually "dumbed down" the design on their later pedals, replacing the outboard bearings on the spindles with plain bronze bearings that wore out much quicker.
Last edited by Chombi1; 05-04-22 at 05:06 AM.
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05-03-22, 02:37 PM
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Yes, I had a small cottage industry solution of a 1" wide webbing strap to help take the load- wrapped around the shoe with Velcro closure.
this bonding problem extended to traditional cleated shoes also- nylon soles and mesh uppers were becoming vogue- but the adhesives were wrong ( nylon is tough to bond to ) or the contact surface area was not wide enough.
I have a favorite pair of two segment adjustable cleat adidas Merckx shoes... took three tries to get them to stay together and this is with traditional straps and cleats.
3M window weld- not cheap!
this bonding problem extended to traditional cleated shoes also- nylon soles and mesh uppers were becoming vogue- but the adhesives were wrong ( nylon is tough to bond to ) or the contact surface area was not wide enough.
I have a favorite pair of two segment adjustable cleat adidas Merckx shoes... took three tries to get them to stay together and this is with traditional straps and cleats.
3M window weld- not cheap!
05-03-22, 04:59 PM
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Mine from 1988 are my favorites. They still have the original grease!!
