Submitted by
Aaron McGraw
a Weekend Warrior
from Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2001
Strengths: Okay, these are the rare SL2 pedals, fisrt of all. The are easy to engage, easy to disengage, and the large platform is very comfortable. VERY adjustable (this is a BIG plus)!
Weaknesses: Plastic on pedal-outboard is hokey and scrathes up easily.
Bottom Line:
So good that I want another pair. New or used, I don't care, as long as the price is right. If anyone has a pair of S2X, SL2, or SL3 pedals they want to unload, I'm the man. Don't worry about cleats, I have spares. These puppies are getting hard to find, and it is a real pity. They are a fantastic pedal. Much more comfortable than any Shimano offering. If you are a serious off-roader, a racer, or just a weekend rider, I'd look into these bad-boys. If YOU don't want them, drop me a line at aaronmcgraw@hotmail.com (I'd love to get my filthy paws on another set).
Similar Products Used: Shimano Deore LX SPD pedals. Look road pedals.
Bike Setup: Shimano Deore LX 7 speed derailleurs, Grip shift SRT-100 Shifters, SBI Son-of-a-Strong arm cranks with Avitar inner chainrings, and a Deore LX Outer ring. Avid 2.0 Cantilever Brake levers, Scott/Pederson SE Cantilever brakes, SBI GX 26 Rims with DB spokes and LX hubs, Suntour-made Shimano sapced 7spd 12 x 28 cassette
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jaime
a Cross-Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2000
Strengths: Float
Weaknesses: Weight Occasional Release
Bottom Line:
After reading the postings I think my pedals are more of the exception than the norm, but I've had these same pedals for over 3 years, taken them through mud, downhill mountainbiking at Big Bear and Tahoe. I never had a major problem getting out or getting in the pedals. I appreciate the float since I have bad knees from road biking, also I ride Time Pedals on the road so I am used to the float. I actually bought 2 pairs of these used so I can have backups if they ever discontinue the pedals.
These were the first clipless pedal I bought for off road. i bought them on the strength of my Look road pedals, which I bought in 1987 and still use. I will never give up my old Look road pedals. On the other hand, I will NEVER by Look offroad pedals. Every time I rode it was a new problem. One side would not let go, the other I couldn't get out of. Getting clipped in again was a real adventure. I would have to literally STOMP into these pedals. There are plenty of good offroad pedals out there. Don't give these a second glance. I would give them zero chilis, but that is not an option
Submitted by
fat betsy
a Cross-Country Rider
from nc
Date Reviewed: August 11, 1999
Strengths: heavy duty no accidental realeases because you can not get out of them
Weaknesses: they suck heavy cleat breaks clog with mud
Bottom Line:
these things suck ass. do not buy them they clog with mud and you can not escape. after a few rides the huge cleats started turning then they actually broke.
Submitted by
Alan
a Cross-Country Rider
from Lawrenceville, GA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 1999
Strengths: good in mud good click in feel
Weaknesses: heavy. French directions incorrect.
Bottom Line:
I bought these pedals 2 years ago for $100. So far I have had no problems like a lot of these reviews. I didn't try to adjust them until I started popping out of them accidently. My directions actually gave the wrong way to adjust the tension. They said counter-clock wise to increase. By the time I realized what I was doing I popped the cheap-looking retaining screws out of the pedal. So far nothing has happened. Maybe I have been lucky so far. These pedals are middle of the road.
My friend got these and hit got hurt more times because he wasn't able to clip out, he would bunny hop and clip out now he probably won't have kids, these pedals sux dont' buy them, the cleats are cheap, the pedals are always to tight to clip in and there not SPD so you can't share what a rip these sux ass i hope all look users die in a bike accident so they couldn't clip out
Submitted by
Brent
a weekend warrior
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: October 31, 1998
Bottom Line:
I bought these back in March or so when Performance had them on sale for $40. They replaced a set of Onzas. The only problem I've had with them is the retaining clip hitting rocks and being held out by the tension indicator. I have them set real light. Increasing the tension to get the indicator back in its slot is the easy fix. If you like to run your clipless light and like to play on the rocks, you might want to consider something else. I'll be running mine light for awhile longer until my broken foot gets stronger. 3 stars for the inconvience.
Submitted by
moneyman
a weekend warrior
from Wyoming
Date Reviewed: September 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
I bought these March 13 from Performance. My first clipless, so I have an emotional attachment to them. I rode on them all summer without a problem. Then in August I noticed I could not clip in on one side of my left pedal. Upon examination, the back side of the retaining clip is bent so it won't hold my shoe in place. I attribute this to hitting a rock, so I don't blame anyone. I also noticed that the tension indicator on that pedal is now MISSING! I pounded the retaing clip back in place and called Look about the tension indicator. They said they would send me a new one. Now while I am waiting for that to show, I notice that the retaining clip on the left pedal is loose. I went to tighten the front screw and can't - it is stripped. I flipped the pedal over and found the same problem. When I bought the pedals, I read the reviews here and put some loctite on the screws. Doesn't matter - they still came out. I called Performance and they said send them back and they will give me credit. During the same phone call I ordered a pair of 747s. Goodbye Looks, hello real pedals. Five chilis to performance for customer service, one chili to Look for real bad engineering.
Submitted by
John
a cross-country rider
from Toronto, ON
Date Reviewed: September 15, 1998
Bottom Line:
They were great for about 2 months, then the troubles began. I stripped the screw out of the retention plate on the left pedal. My shop replaced it NC. 2 weeks later the same thing happened on the right pedal. Again, my shop replaced the screw. But then, all hell broke loss. I stripped 4 more screws. And by now the actual pedal was stripped. By then it was a year since I purchased the pedals, and the only recourse I had was to get new pedals. I went for speedplays. I've ridden them all year without a snag.
While I was on vacation, the cleat retention plate on the right pedal broke in half. I don't know how or why. I called Look after I got back and told them what happened, and four days later I had a new plate. There is certainly something wrong with these pedals that this happens all the time, but it's easy to replace the plate and Look was great about getting the new plate to me fast. So many people praise the Times up and down I'm starting to wonder whether Time hasn't found the ideal design; maybe other pedals are just obsolete? The SL3's are rugged (but heavy), good mud performers, and Look's customer service is excellent. I'll use them until they wear out.
I had written a review of these pedals before and I thought they were pretty good. They are the first clipless pedals that I have used and I had no problems with them for two months. I loved them. Then today in a race, I had the screw strip out on the left pedals retension plate and I lost the plate about 3 miles into the race. Then the other side lost one screw. Now these pedals are a waste of space. They suck if they can't last more then two months. If i could, I would give them zero stars!
I've been using these for about three months, having bought them (of course)from Performance when they were $39.95. It's been a wet, wet June and July here in the Northeast, and these have had some problems clipping in in the mud; overall, nothing that I haven't been able to clear with a few taps on the crank. No problems clipping out, even when I've wiped. Good, solid feel under the foot, good grip, positive click to let you know you're clipped in properly. Look recommends 12 hours of riding time to break them in, and there were definitely A LOT of problems during that time, but since then they've been working great. If you're short of cash, I'd say get 'em (if you can still find 'em). My only reservations are the weight, and the number of lousy reviews, but my expereince with them has been very positive.
Submitted by
Brett
a cross-country rider
from Sheboygan, WI
Date Reviewed: June 18, 1998
Bottom Line:
I've been using these pedals for about a year now and I'm very pleased with them.. my previous pedals were 737s, which were nice, but not nearly as reliable.. the SL3's have very easy entry/exit and have never given me a problem in the mud, unlike the 737s.. my only problem was when I first got them I didn't tighten the cleats tight enough on my shoes and the cleats twisted when I tried to exit, causing me to swear a lot until I figured the problem out.. but a few twists with an allen wrench on the cleat and I've never had a problem since.. one note, the main reason I bought them (other than the color matches my bike perfectly) is that I like some float with my left foot, but due to flexibility problems I can't have any float with my right foot.. these pedals will give you that choice
Submitted by
Greg Thrash
a cross-country rider
from Sebastopol, CA
Date Reviewed: June 9, 1998
Bottom Line:
I just wanted to qualify the last post by Steve.. Contrary to what he thought, the tension adjustment really is a 3mm allen bolt. He may have been confused because the plate that captures the cleat is held on by torx screws. I've been riding these pedals for about two years, and until recently I haven't had any complaints. The only problem I've had is that recently one of my pedals has been less than easy to get out of in emergencies.. This is probobly due to worn cleats. Other than that they have been good pedals. Unfortunately I bashed one on a rock and now it only clips in on one side, so I'm retiring them in favor of some ATACs!
To follow-up on my earlier post, I just want to add that I completely stripped the rear cleat retainer away from the elastomer when I hit a rock in a pretty slow technical situation. When I tried to loosen the tension (with a torx driver, not a 3mm allen wrench like the instructions misstate!), and stick the elastomer back in, the head of the screw immediately rounded out. What a piece of crap! I don't see how one of the previous posts could give this pedal five chilies when by his own admission, his screws were falling out, too! I strongly suggest you save your money and buy a better pedal. I'm back to using my four year old Shimano 525s. They certainly never fell apart. I guess I should have known better than to buy anything engineered and manufactured in France (for example, Renault, Puegeot, etc.).
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