Look launch 795 aero road bike + video

Look are launching a new aero road bike called the 795 which integrates all of the French brand’s latest technology, and they’ve updated the design of their 566 endurance bike for 2015 too.

Look 795

The 795 is the new high-end aero road bike in Look range for 2015 (don’t confuse it with the existing 695, in any of its incarnations, or the 675). It’ll come in an Aerolight version with a front brake integrated into the fork and a rear brake mounted behind the bottom bracket, and in a Light version with conventional brakes.

Look are describing the 795 Aerolight as “the best aero road bike ever made” – although they would, wouldn’t they?

It is designed with NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) airfoil profiles to reduce drag. These profiles are used for the head tube, down tube, seat tube, extended seatmast, seatstays and fork legs. The seat tube is cutaway around the leading edge of the rear wheel to manage airflow in that area.

As you can see, the Aerostem monobloc carbon stem integrates with the frame, sitting in a notch that’s cutaway at the top of the head tube with a rubber shield filling the gaps. There’s hardly any external cabling to disturb the airflow – just a small amount between the end of the handlebar tape and the top of the head tube, where the cables burrow inside.

The Aerostem, an existing Look design, is made from hollow high-modulus carbon fibre with hidden stainless steel clamp screws. You can set the height from -13° right up to +17°, doing away with the need for headset spacers.

See that little block behind the rubber shield? So, you have the stem, then the rubber shield, then a small rectangle right at the front of the top tube and sitting flush with it? The Shimano Di2 A-junction lives in there, again, to keep it out of the wind (plus, integration generally looks cool).

Look’s own front brake is integrated into the fork, as it is on Look’s 695 Aerolight, while the direct mount Shimano rear brake is attached underneath the chainstays.

The idea in both cases is, of course, to minimise drag. That front brake is amazingly well hidden away.

Look have patented the cable routing. As you can see on this cutaway frame, the cables head inside the frame right at the top of the head tube and a guide takes them around the fork steerer.

The front brake cable then remains fully internal while the rear brake cable emerges just in front of the bottom bracket. The gear wires pop out very close to each of the mechs. Although it looks like a nightmare, we’re told that it’s actually very straightforward to set up from a mechanic’s point of view.

The 795 also gets a new version of Look’s E-Post. They’ve called it E-Post 2, appropriately enough.

The E-Post got its name because it incorporates elastomers to dampen road vibration. The E-Post 2 retains the vibration damping but it’s about 30% lighter than before at 139g. Versions are available for both standard 7mm rails and for saddles that use Selle Italia’ Monolink system (as shown here).

The 795 uses Look’s lightweight and stiff Zed 2 Monobloc carbon cranks which are adjustable: 170mm, 172.5mm and 175mm.

So, just to reiterate, the bike shown here is the 795 Aerolight. It’s also available as a 795 Light with conventional brakes – so you get a different fork with the brake mounted to the front of it, and a rear brake that’s mounted to the seatstays.

Of course, we’re not talking about low prices here. The Look 795 Aerolight (the one with the integrated brakes) in a Shimano Dura-Ace build is priced at £6,999.99. Call it seven grand, shall we? The 795 Light (the one with conventional brakes) in a Dura-Ace build is £5,999.99. They’re expected to arrive in the UK in September.

The Cofidis pro team will use the 795 Aerolight for training but they’ll race on the 795 Light because it makes it easier to fit wheels coming from neutral service during an event.

Look 566

The 566 is an existing bike in the Look range that has been redesigned for 2015.

Look describe the 566 as a ‘luxury sportive bike’ that’s designed for both performance and comfort. It has a taller head tube than you get with Look’s standard geometry and a top tube that’s a touch shorter while the X Design stays are designed to flex and add more comfort. The same goes for the fork.

There are three big changes to the 566 for 2015. First, Look have made the top tube both wider and taller and the bend is much more subtle than before – there was a big kink previously. Look reckon that the new, bigger top tube increases the lateral stiffness by 10% and the head tube stiffness by 25%. That last one, in particular, is a massive increase. The idea is to improve the responsiveness and handling.

The second change is that the rear brake cable now runs internally through the top tube, whereas it was external before.

The final change is that Look have switched the 566 from a BSA external bottom bracket to a Press Fit 30 design for increased stiffness and better power transfer.

Here are those X Design stays. You can see how Look really flatten them through the central section, the idea being to allow them to flex upwards to absorb bumps and vibration.

The 566 will be available at lower price points than before. A complete bike with a Shimano 105/FSA build is £1,999.99 while the Ultegra version shown here is £2,499.99.

For more info go to www.lookcycle.com or visit the website of Look’s UK distributor Fisher Outdoor Leisure.