Let's be honest. When it comes right down to it, the tiny difference in grams between Look Cycle's Keo Blade Road Pedals and the superlative Carbon Ti model is small enough that its actual effect on a ride is negligible. The impact on the weight of the old' bank account is another issue, though, and if your finances (or a significant other playing the fiduciary role) can't quite justify the price of exotic wonder materials, that added 30g per pedal isn't a significant penalty. (It's also worth noting that the Keo Carbon Blade pedals used by Greipel, one of the peloton's most prolific powerhouses, are a mere 10g lighter than the standard Blades.) In short and to use a bad metaphor, the standard Blade is the same cake as the Blade Carbon Ti, just without the icing on top. Weight and material aside, for now, the Keo Blade Road Pedals feature the same leaf spring engagement found in the top-tier Blade models. This eliminates the heavy steel coil springs that traditionally tension pedals in favor of a lighter yet perfectly reliable alternative. The design's benefits extend beyond shedding grams to include reducing stack height and more responsive engagement. As anyone who has toppled over in slow-motion at a stop light can attest, the latter is especially valuable. The standard Blade pedals do make one final concession to the more expensive models: the surface area is somewhat reduced because the contact plate drops from 64mm wide on the carbon models to 60mm on the standard Blade's composite body. The pedals still present a reasonably accommodating 400mm contact patch to the cleats, putting them comfortably in the standard range for road pedals at this level. There are benefits to going with an expanded platform particularly for sprinting but most ambitious recreationalists and aspiring competitors won't be able to capitalize.
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