just got the look keo carbon/ti pedals on bike today.
coming from speedplays there seems to be much less float. is there anything else i need to know switching systems?
will there be some soreness or anything going from one pedal to another?
(i’ve never switched pedals, hence the questions. thanks for patience)
You’ll need to raise your saddle 5.6mm to account for the higher stack height (thicker cleat/pedal interface) on the Keo’s. That’s probably the most important change…
The Looks have 3 cleats available.
Black = 0 degree float
Grey = 4.5 degree float
Red = 8.5 degree float
So pick which you like best. Speedplays float varies on the speedplay and the year it was made. They typically have the largest float (from what I have used)
Looks are a little “more challenging” to get into then the speedplays. But with speedplays, I kept losing shoes while practicing transitions, that has not been an issue with the looks.
I feel I have better contact with the Looks then the Speedplays, but I think that would come down to personal preference.
My, that was fast! Look’s have different coloured cleats that denote how much float they have, but there will not be as much float as with your Speedplays, nor will the float be as “free”. This is a good thing IMO. Then again, I’ve never liked Speedplays much.
Make sure you have the red cleats and that they’re installed correctly on your shoes (positionally). You should be just fine.
I prefer the grey cleats - just enough float. I like the Keos, very good value. Never liked the concept of Speedplays at all. I do like that lower stack height, though, as that’s half a spacer! Some of those mile-high spacer/stem combos might be able to chop that down a little w/ Speedplays.
Not being a user of Looks, I wasn’t aware of the grey cleat - I just knew red/black (though I thought red was 6deg…).
ok thanks guys; i have the gray cleats. wasn’t aware of the colors and degrees of float!
i got the carbon ti keo because of light weight and (hopefully) durability. they should outlast me!
also, didn’t know about raising the seat…so will have to see about that. thanks jordan!
evaluating shoes with new pedal is next; very well could end up with new shoes by the time this process is over. we’ll see! i’m happy to be on my way to solution though. 
(even if it does cost me a cake or two. lol)
I made the exact same switch, no problems. But I raised my saddle 4.2mm not 5.6 and I’m still good. I was rolling on speedplay zeros before. You’ll find that with looks it is much easier to get your feet in your shoes without them popping off the pedals if you leave them on the bike during T1.
Be also aware that the “plastic” Look cleats wear quite a bit faster than other cleats. That is why I use my Look Keo pedals only on my road bike and use Shimano pedals with metal cleats in triathlon. So I can run on my cleats without worrying about them.
Herbert
Or you could just leave your shoes on the bike so you don’t have to worry about cleat wear at all… 
thanks. i felt my seatpost was actually a smidge too high, so now it might actually be perfect. will have to see! tomorrow night will ride with this set up. hopefully i will clip in and out ok! it is a marked difference in stiffness…
as for leaving shoes clipped on bike for tri, i do not leave my shoes clipped in, as i would probably break my neck trying to get the shoes on. i’m not too proud to make a jackass out of myself (after all i do plenty of embarrassing things to make my friends laugh), but even i have limits.
so, even if i have to run in the cleats, the ones on there now should hold up for IMWI; that event is as far forward as i’m looking right now. it is possible that will be the only time i actually run in these cleats, until next year.
now i’m trying to figure out shoes. hmmmm…
I tried the keos before I went with Ultegra. You’ll notice it’s a little harder to unclip from the keos. You can just step on Speedplays to get in but with the keos it’s more a forward and down movement. You’ll get used to it fast enough alone. So, how many cakes have you committed to baking for all these tips?
172 cakes so far and counting.
and yes, it seems to be a toe down, then heel down, motion. it is much stiffer when clipping out, this will require some getting used to. but at the end of the day, it’s a pedal, not rocket science, so hopefully i can manage.
i told my LBS guy “i learned rollers in 5 minutes, so this should be no problem”
the response was, “yes, but you crashed 8 times in one night this year because you rode the rollers backwards”.
(sigh…i’ve really got to quit tattling on myself
Kitty, one more thing if it’s really hard to clip in is to spray a little WD40 on the front of the plastic cleat. It’ll wear off fast enough, just be careful because you’ll also click out easier, probably at an inopportune time.
ha! Thanks; i wouldn’t have thought of that!
and honestly, i didn’t think about how they would wear down with running (or walking around) in them until herbert was so kind to mention it.
Don’t sweat the cleat durability issue. You’ll learn to put a foot directly down instead of letting it scrape to a stop. If they start to look real worn before an A race though, I’d change them a couple of rides beforehand. I used to carry an extra set of cleats in the bike bag as well as the spare tube if I was going to be a long way from home or a bike shop.
Be also aware that the “plastic” Look cleats wear quite a bit faster than other cleats. That is why I use my Look Keo pedals only on my road bike and use Shimano pedals with metal cleats in triathlon. So I can run on my cleats without worrying about them.
I have about 8k miles on my first set of Keo cleats and just bought a replacement pair. Not because they are really worn down, but because it seemed like a good idea. As long as you don’t scrape them when you come to a stop they are pretty tough. I run on them in transition as long as the surface isn’t slick. They work fine on concrete, etc. Of course my shoes have a rubber pad in the heel so it’s pretty easy to run.
Regarding the float, I always had the red cleats, and the Keos came with the grey ones. I bought the red Keos as the grey ones were too restrictive on my knees. I think I would doublecheck the stack height difference, for some reason 5.6mm doesn’t seem to be the right number. But that could be my foggy Ardbeg-induced memory loss coming back.
thanks alot! this puts my mind at ease!
i’ll go ahead and get some red cleats.
I would avoid spraying anything on your bike with WD-40 its not a bike friendly product.
ha! i’m learning all kinds of things on this thread.
i have pedal wax. maybe use that instead…