Look Cycle 2016 road bike range first look

French bicycle brand Look's history dates back to 1951 but it was its development of the clipless pedal and carbon fibre frames that most revolutionised the sport of cycle racing during the 1980s that really put the company on the map. Today many people probably know Look best for its pedals, but it produces a range of carbon fibre road bikes, and for 2016 it has introduced the new 765, which at £1,795 is its most affordable bike to date. Here's a look at the full range.

765

The new 765 is the highlight of Look 2016 range. It’s priced at £1,795, making ownership of a Look more affordable than ever before. It’s equipped with a Shimano 105 drivetrain on a frame that weighs a claimed 1,100g, which borrows technology from the more expensive models. There are such features as a press fit 30 bottom bracket and internal cable routing.

 - First Ride: Look 765

The frame has been constructed by adding layers of flax fibre to the carbon fibre layup in strategic places. The goal is to add a level of compliance that the company reckons it’s possible with just a regular carbon fibre frame. It also avoids having to add any ‘features’ to the frame that some other bike manufacturers have done. They have also used a 27.2mm seat post.

- Six of the best £2,000 to £2,500 road bikes

Look hasn’t chased weight with this frame, it’s about 1,100g for the frame and 350g for the fork, but it has given the 765 the sort of geometry that should make it comfortable for longer stints in the saddle.

As well as the £1,799 model, the 765 is also available in three more higher level builds, including Ultegra/FSA (£1,999), full Ultegra (£2,299) and Ultegra Di2 at the top if you’re feeling really flush. Bikes are specced with Shimano and Mavic wheels across the range and compact chainsets with 11-32t cassettes.

You can read the full story of this new bike here and here’s a first ride review

675 Light

Next up in the range is the 675 Light, which costs £2,999 with an Ultegra drivetrain, and rises to £3,499 with Ultegra Di2. This model gets Looks unique stem which is adjustable for height. Reach is adjusted by changing the stem, Look tells us this is something the dealer will do for a customer.

Given the ‘Light’ tag, you’d expect it to be a light bike, and at a claimed 990g for the frame, it’s certainly not heavy. Still, it’s one of the lightest frames in the Look 2016 range if weight is high on your list of priorities.

In appearance, it’s similar to the 796 with the Aerostem merging with the top tube, but the geometry has been tweaked to provide a lower front-end. There’s no integrated seat post on this model, instead it uses a widely popular 27.2mm seat post.

695 Aerolight and 695 ZR

Look provides the 695 in two versions, the Aerolight which features a fork with integrated brake calipers, the same as the 795 Aerolight, and the 695 ZR (pictured below). Look boldly reckons these brakes, which are essentially v-brakes, are 20% more powerful than regular brake calipers. 

The 695 Aerolight gets the Aerostem, with a 17 to -13-degree range of adjustment. Though it’s not as integrated as one the 795, it does provide a more conventional appearance. It has an integrated seat post, and the frame has internal cable routing compatible with mechanical and electronic groupsets.

If integration isn’t your cup of tea, then the 695 ZR takes the same frame but bolts on a regular fork with conventional brake calipers. There’s no Aerostem either, it’s a regular FSA stem. With a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and Mavic Aksium wheels, it costs £3,499. Both the 695 bikes get the E-Post integrated seat post. It incorporates an elastomer in the top section and it can be changed to tune the level of damping it provides.

Look 795 Aerolight

Now we’re at Look’s flagship model, the 795 Aerolight version. It’s a really interesting bike because it features a novel fork with the brake integrated into the fork blades. It’s clearly an aerodynamic feature to reduce front-end drag. The rear brake is a less sophisticated direct mount brake caliper underneath the chainstays.

The frame features the Aerostem, which provides a distinctive appearance and also a wide range of adjustment. Height can easily be adjusted and there’s a wide range of stem lengths if you need to tailor the reach.

The handlebar also hides some of the brake and gear cables from the wind, as they are internally routed from the hoods. The frame also has fully internal cable routing, the cables entering the head tube and only popping out right in front of the rear brake and rear derailleur.

To show us the internal cable routing in all its glory, Look showed us a frame with cutaway sections revealing how intricately the cables are routed inside the frame. This also shows the neatness of the carbon fibre construction.

For 2016, Look has released the updated ZED3 crankset, a one-piece carbon fibre construction that offers easy crank arm length adjustment and is claimed to offer a high stiffness-to-weight ratio.

This bike costs £5,999 and for that you get a full Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain, the ZED 3 crankset and Mavic Aksium Elite wheels. While most top-end bikes aren’t actually supplied with pedals, Look supplies its own Keo Blade 2 pedals.

795 Light

If you’re not keen on the integrated front brake and direct mount rear brake of the 795 Aerolight and want a simpler bike, the 795 Light uses essentially the same frame but with conventional brake calipers. With Shimano Ultegra, the 795 Light costs £4,799, and with Dura-Ace it's £5,499. 

Both versions of the 795 frame use the E-Post 2 seat post, an integrated seat post with an elastomer incorporated into the top section to absorb vibrations and provide a smoother ride. It’s compatible with both standard and Monolink saddles.

More at www.lookcycle.com and watch out for a review of the new 765 soon, because there's one heading into the office for review.