Look KEO Carbon Pedals

This year, I decided to move from the pedals that I've used for years (Shimano PD-M540s) to a pedal with a bigger platform - more contact area between the pedal and the shoe for better transfer of power, or so the literature says. After consulting with other road bike riders and the folks at my local bike shop, I chose Look's KEO pedals. And, since I seem more compelled to lose grams of weight off my components than pounds off my waist, I picked the lightest ones they offer - the KEO Carbons. I've been riding with them for a few weeks now.

First, while I'm a road biker, I chose the Shimano pedals (made for mountain bikers) originally because they were easy to snap in and out of. Also, I liked wearing mountain biker shoes - mostly because I'm too lazy to take off my shoes to run into the house when I inevitably forget something I need for my ride. Pitiful, I know.

I'm finding the Look pedals significantly harder to get into than my old Shimanos. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but the transition is tough. This is especially bad when starting up in traffic. What makes it even worse is that the carbon pedals are downright slippery. If I attempt to pedal without engaging the cleat to get started (pedaling with my heal for example), my foot often slips off the pedal completely. As you can imagine, if I'm pushing hard, the crotch/seat impact can be unexpectedly painful. I can imagine that if you wear a shoe with a carbon sole, this problem would be even worse. Ouch!

The Look system has been around forever, of course, and while I may not the most coordinated guy on the planet, I'm sure I'll get used to it like everyone else has. I'm not so sure about this slippery thing, though. When I get better at engaging with the pedal, I won't run into the other problem as often . . . I hope.