Review: LOOK S-Track pedals

LOOK knows a thing or three about clipless pedals: the French brand was the first to make a widely adopted clipless road pedal in the mid-1980s. For 2013, it has redesigned its mountain bike offering with versatility and durability in mind.

Anyone familiar with twin-spring style pedals from crankbrothers, TIME or even LOOK’s previous generation Quartz should be familiar with how the S-Track system works. However, these pedals have some features that set them apart: The composite body has a stainless steel, reinforced contact surface, and the cleats feature elastomer pads to keep things quiet and aid in traction between the pedal and shoe.

By using the provided shims under the cleat, riders can also adjust stack height so their shoes make more or less contact with the pedal body, depending on sole lug thickness. The cleats allow for plus or minus three degrees of free float, and a 15-degree disengagement point. While easy to release, they have a more firm feeling with less free float than the TIME pedals I typically use. The compact body also allows mud to shed quickly, though riders wanting a more ample platform can purchase an attachable cage that adds more surface area. Eventually I snapped a tiny portion of the composite body off, but the performance was in no way affected.

Ease of ingress in sloppy conditions was a key design goal, and I had no trouble riding them through a sloppy winter and spring. The chromoly spindles spin on two bearings and one bushing each, and developed no play or resistance.

According to LOOK, the springs are stress-tested to 18,000 cycles. At 320 grams per pair, with cleats, weight is competitive. Racers or weight weenies can also opt for versions with Ti spindles or carbon fiber bodies to shed a few grams.

If you’re in the market for a new pedal setup for cross-country or all-mountain riding, the S-Track pedals are definitely worth considering. The based model tested retail for $110.