Look 585

Price Paid:  $2200.00 at Online

Favorite Ride:
Mt Weather, VA

Bike Setup:
DA 7800 group (Ultegra brakes...for practicality), DA 7850 wheels with Hutchinson road tubeless tires, toupe gel saddle with Thompson setback post, 3T alloy bar/stem. Right at 15 lbs as built, though I picked parts for durability vice weight. Could easily be built to 14-14.5 lbs.

Summary:
Built this thing up about a month and a half ago and have about 800 miles on it...long enough, I think, to learn its character and hopefully provide some useful information. First, a little about me (for perspective): 38yo, 5-11, 165 lb, roadie for about 3 yrs now. Haven't raced (yet...maybe next yr) but ride very hard, put in about 6000 miles this year, and am considered very strong by my peers. Previous bike (which I still ride of course) is an Aluminum Scott.

Ride: taut, alive, communicative, beautiful. A real strong point, I think. This bike feels like a living extension of me. Its hard to describe but if you ride a bunch of nice bikes, then this one, you'll understand. But this is not a "plush" ride. In fact, its vertically stiffer than I had hoped (due mostly I think to a Toupe saddle and uber-stiff Thompson seatpost...these really affect perceived comfort, as do wheels). But it isn't at all uncomfortable. Another reviewer on this post nailed it when he said you feel the road during the ride, but never after the ride. Road feel and feedback are superb, but I felt great after a brutal 111-miler last weekend. Look has nailed the subtleties of ride quality, and I think the lugged design allows them to perfectly tune each tube.

Handling: Agile and aggresive, but very stable. Response to the lightest control input is precise and instantaneous. The front end especially has a very light feel yet its not at all twitchy. Looks tend to have a slightly longer effective top-tube length and I think this results in better weight distribution and better handling. Descending is also sublime. So stable and confidence-inspiring. I've had it well into the 50s. Perfectly balanced. Almost Cannondale-good here (admittedly, nothing I've ridden descends as well as a 'dale).

Stiffness: Excellent. The BB area looks pretty small by today's standards but the frame is very stiff laterally. Torsional stiffness is also very good and the bike feels like one solid piece when rocking under you out of the saddle. This stiffnes makes it an excellent climber (and as mentioned above descending is a blast). On the flats the frame's efficiency manifests itself in alsmost effortless cruising at higher speeds than my other bike. I feel like I can get into the drops and motor this thing all day in the low 20s. Torque it up from there and it goes, right now, and accelerates like a champ. I'm no sprinter, but this frame takes all I can give...and laughs at me (or maybe with me). Thor Hushovd won a green jersey on this bike...nuff said.

Fit/Finish: Top notch. Mine is the White/Nude carbon 2008 model, which is gorgeous without being flashy. Frame/fork arrived perfect, not so much as a scratch. I really like the low-key look (no pun intended) of the round tubes, as I prefer to let my legs do the talking, not the bike bling. But make no mistake, she's a looker and you really need to see one in person for the full effect (pics don't do it justice). The thinner tubes a striking.

Can you tell I really like this bike?

Strengths:
Ride, handling, and efficiency. A superb machine. And you won't see many of these out there.

Weaknesses:
Had to buy online, but customer service is said to be very good in the USA.

Similar Products Used:
New Madone (stiff, but dead-feeling to me), Tarmac SL2 and Super Six (both very nice with their own strengths, but too expensive to build-up myself), Cervelo R3 (thought the ride was very jarring...still puzzled about this).

Price Paid:  $1850.00 at On line Bike Shop

Favorite Ride:
A hilly loop through the plains in Va

Bike Setup:
Deda Stem and bars, Easton EC90 post, full SRAM Red except FSA K Force Cranks, Mavic Carbone Wheels dressed in Vitoria Corsa EVO tires.

Summary:
This bike has been on my short list for some time. It was well worth the wait. I replaced my Orbea Opal with this 2008 585 origin. This bike looks very traditional and round tubesets...It is anything but. It has a very stiff front end, and BB area. Which helps ensure the power gets the road. Climbs like a goat, sounds cliche...It is the best climbing bike i have ridden due the stiffness in the fork, head tube, and bb area. It also decends fantastically, gives added confidence going down hill. On the flats it is fast in sprints(although I am not), and is easy to hold at speed. All the reviews you read are spot on. I have ridden a ton of other bikes and this is the best all around of the lot. Also a very light frame to boot.

Strengths:
Climbs and descends well, fast on the sprints and flats, handles well, stiff, but not harsh, and light. Also helps it looks great especially in the white and nude carbon scheme.

Weaknesses:
none that I can find at this point, except the rider. Working on that..

Similar Products Used:
TCR Advanced, Cannondale Six 13, Orbea Opal, Cervelo R3, Specialize Tarmac Pro, Specialize E5, Colnago CLX, Cannondale Caad 9...Yes there have been many in a short time.

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at Replacement from Loo

Favorite Ride:
Skyline Drive (VA)

Bike Setup:
Mavic SSC SL wheels (most excellent)
Shimano Dura Ace group (excellent)
Terry Fly saddle (comfy)
FSA Carbon Wing bars :-/
Specialized seat post (excellent)
Thomson stem (excellent)

Summary:
I'm your basic 185-lb weekend road warrior on a budget... I purchased a Look KG486 for $1,300 in a private party sale (after lusting after the frame for about a year), and promptly destroyed it in a Maryland pot hole on maybe the 10th ride... It cracked in about three places - even though I didn't know it at the time.

Chris, at Look Cycles USA, asked no questions and replaced the 486 with a brand new, all-white, 585 Pro Team. Now that it's properly set up, I couldn't be happier.

My first major ride was Mountains of Misery - Double Metric Century (128 miles, 14000' climbing - so they claim). I went with a 53/39 x 12-25, and I should have known better... Ouch!! I was also in a very bad position with my bars way too low. MoM finishes on a big climb (lots of 12%), and I was toasted, (head, shoulders, feet, legs...) and very discouraged with the bike.

I raised the hoods a bit, turned the stem over so I am more up-right, and viola - a new machine.

Just finished Bike Virginia (379 miles, with back-to-back centuries), followed three days later by Blood, Sweat & Gears (105 mi, 13000'), and I felt great!!! With almost 400 miles in the previous week, I was still able to manage a 6:28 at BS&G over 105 tough miles...

The bike is comfortable, fast, and an excellent climber - even for a lard ass like myself!

Strengths:
Somewhat rare... you won't see yourself coming and going! Looks good in white. Stiff, but compliant enough to ride all day. Energy-efficient and stable on the descents.

Look (Chris Wehan) REALLY stand behind their products! Thanks again, Chris!!

Weaknesses:
None, once set up properly... I don't like the carbon wing bars - they send vibrations right to my shoulders.

Similar Products Used:
Look KG486 (nice, but fragile)
Salsa Campeon (a good first road bike)
Serrotta HSG-IT (just got this one on the road...)
Kuota Kharma (a great frame for the $)
Lemond Zurich

Thus far, the 585 is the best bike I've ever ridden...

Price Paid:  $1800.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Orchard Mtn

Bike Setup:
Sram Red, Ksyruim Sl's, Ritchey bar and stem, Hutchinson tubless tires, FSA K-lite cranks.

Summary:
Solid lightweight all-rounder. Can easily be setup at a lite hill climber, crit/RR racer, or all day Rec rider

Strengths:
Comfort, Suprisingly stable decender. Liteweight (14.25lbs). Stiff enough

Weaknesses:
None, We'll maybe the fact that it is French.

Similar Products Used:
Specialized S-work

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Look 585

Bike Setup:
585 Origin Medium
Campy Record
Ritchey Protocol wheelset
Ritchey WCS 110mm stem
Specialized Toupe Saddle
VO2 carbon seatpost
Gp4000 tyres

Summary:
Ridden bike for a month now. It is running Campay Record 2006. Bike frame is December 2007. I have built this bike up to a tad over 7kg with bottle cages and Ritchey protocol wheelsets. I spent a bit of time fiddling with the position of the seat. I alos ride a 56cm Trek but this is a Medium 54.5 c-c and it fits like a glove. I first thought it might be too small but it actually suits me better and does not stretch me out on the bike. My first impression were "This bike descends like a demon" I always thought going downhill was something anyone could do but this thing does it with so much ease. Its almost point and shoot and you are there. I then had a race demanding a loop taking in a big climb 3 times. I am not a bad hill climber but am definately not the best out there either. However my rear cluster was 1n 11-23 which is normally on the 34/50 crank but I just seemed to fly up the hills and in a higher gear than what I would normally ride in. The other great thing was that the race was a 70km race and I still felt relatively fresh. No back pain or sore legs etc.
If you are looking for an all rounder I dont think they come any better. I have ridden bikes that are great on flat terrain but taken on the hills proved to be crap. The next best ride to this bike has been my Trek 5200 which does all things well but the Look has the edge by about another 50%. I can now stop searching for the ultimate ride. Er in doors is happy about that!!!

Strengths:
Where do I start.
Great descender and climber
Great looking bike in white.
Nice and light but you feel the ultimate strength of the frame when you get out of the saddle.

Weaknesses:
Zero. Nada....early days but this is my ultimate bike

Similar Products Used:
Trek 5200, BMC SLC01, Lapierre Ultimate, Cervelo Soloist, Cannondale Caad3