Why would you buy Raleigh RSP’s Look lookalikes when you could get the real things or some of the Keo clones out there? The most obvious reason is cost. A pair of Look Keo Classics will set you back £69.99, twice the price of the RSPs. If you’ve got more than one bike and don’t fancy switching pedals between them continually, having a cheaper set or two available makes perfect sense.
These are some of the best budget road pedals on the market. They’re also a good option if you’re trying to put together a road bike without breaking the bank. Clipping in feels exactly the same as it does with the Keos – it’s straightforward and you’re met with a satisfyingly crisp click. They’re equal for unclipping too.
As for compatibility, we found that Look’s cleats worked well with the RSP pedals, but that the RSP cleats were only okay with Keos. A little bit more effort was required to engage the Raleigh cleats fully with the Look pedals. Release tension is easy to adjust using a 3mm Allen key, and while Look’s pedals have no spanner flats and require an 8mm Allen key, you can use either a 6mm Allen key or a 15mm pedal spanner for these.
The RSPs are a little heavier than the Keos – 326g per pair compared with 280g. However, you’d have to be an obsessive weight weenie to worry about the extra 23g per pedal. Thanks to high-quality bearings the pedals are smooth running, and when you’re riding it’s pretty much impossible to determine any differences between these and much more expensive alternatives.
They’re well sealed and shouldn’t need much upkeep, but if they do servicing should prove easy. The result is a set of pedals that would be great in keeping costs down on your training bike but are also good enough for your best machine. These ones were supplied with red cleats, which offer six degrees of float. Black (zero degrees) and grey (nine degrees) options are also available. A similar RSP version comes in black and is compatible with Look ARC pedals.
