Look’s X-Track En-Rage line of pedals is aimed at trail and gravity riders looking for a little extra support over standard MTB clipless pedals. The X-Track En-Rage range features three models, there's a base trail option and two ‘Plus’ enduro versions which increase platform size and give you two additional pins for extra grip.
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While the best mountain bike clipless pedal of the X-Track En-Rage line gets a fancy titanium spindle it also demands a premium price. Look X-Track En-Rage Plus we have on test features an alloy pedal body and Chromoly spindle and is priced at a far more reasonable $130 / £95. That puts them directly in line with Shimano’s XT Trail options, however, the X-Track En-Rage Plus has a few tricks up its sleeve that could give them the edge over the competition.
Design and specification
Look has kept it simple with the X-Track En-Rage and, just like the other Look X-Track Race pedals, has borrowed Shimano’s durable and ultra-popular SPD mechanism. While Look might have made some small tweaks to the jaw shapes, the two systems are essentially the same, and the Shimano and Look cleats are interchangeable. The single sprung rear jaws feature the same retention hex key adjustment for tuning engagement and release force too. The biggest difference between the Look and Shimano SPD mechanism is that while both have a 13-degree release angle, the Look pedals offer two more degrees of float before they start disengaging.
The pedals have a Chromoly axle and spin on one inboard bushing and a pair of outer sealed ball bearings. There's a plastic cap to keep the crud out although when it comes to servicing the X-Tracks you will need to purchase a special tool from Look to remove it.
Surrounding the SPD mechanism is an aluminum cage which increases the platform size and offers some protection to the pedal. The X-Track En-Rage Plus is 67mm wide with a 55mm Q-factor – which Look says offers a 664mm squared platform, 111mm squared more than the non-Plus trail version. The Plus model also adds two adjustable grub screws to the front of the pedal body for a little extra traction. The X-Track En-Rage Plus is 19mm deep which is just a few millimeters thicker than Shimano’s XT Trails although the 16.8mm (10.7mm pedal plus 61mm cleat) stack is almost the same.
Performance
As with the other Look pedals we've tested, the clip-in action is very familiar if you are used to Shimano’s SPD system. The scooping movement is exactly the same and the engagement and disengagement are crisp and defined. One of our test pedals did come out of the box with a sticky mechanism, but after some use it freed up. I liked the extra two degrees float too as it gave a little more swivel in the pedals when you're really throwing your body weight and working the bike.
I used the X-Track En-Rage Plus pedals with a flat-pedal style trail shoe and still found the platform to be very stable. It's only the center of the pedal body that engages with the shoe but found it gave a good base to spread the load on heavy landings and hard impacts.
Considering there are only two pins, the grip they offered was surprisingly functional if you are struggling to get your feet back in. We aren’t talking about riding the pedals unclipped here, instead it felt like they gave a little extra support and control when trying to wiggle back into the pedal on difficult sections of trail instead of the shoe just sliding off the pedal.
Verdict
Look’s X-Track En-Rage Plus pedal's specs and pricing means they go head to head with Shimano’s XT M8120 Trail pedal, Look has done a great job of taking existing dependable pedal design and offering some additional features. If your looking for an SPD pedal that offers a little more support than an XC pedal, without having to go full DH platform, then the X-Track En-Rage Plus is a great option.
Clipping in and out is almost indistinguishable from Shimano’s own SPD system which is a big win for us. For trail and enduro riding the two extra degrees of float give a touch more freedom and we think the addition of the two front pins adds a little extra guidance and support when getting clipped back in.
Tech specs: Look X-Track En-Rage Plus pedal
- Price: $130 / £95
- Colors: Black, Bronze
- Weight: 451g (pair)
- Float: 6 degrees
- Release angle: 13 degrees
- Key materials: Aluminum body, chromoly spindle
