Look KG386i

Price Paid:  $3200.00 at Flatland Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
Hawaii

Bike Setup:
Campy Centaur, Look carbon seat post, Deda stem, Zipp bars, Bontrager Race Lite wheels, Serfas Seca RS tires.

Summary:
What I like about the LOOK is that this was a TDF race proven frame that is comfortable, fast, and stable. I have about 7,000 miles on the bike and have no issues. Everything has held up amazingly well. Yearly tuneups are the only maintenance. Mike at Flatland set up the bike for my age and skill. I ride 2,500 to 3,000 miles yearly with occasional long rides of 50 to 60 miles. I am 60 years old and did not start riding till in my late fifties. So I turned the stem up and went to wide bars (44s) to give me a relaxed fit. The adjuster for the wheelbase is in the middle. The bike is very stable and easy to ride, I sit more upright than a racer so I have not had any back or neck problems.

Strengths:
Stable, fast, stiff, forgiving.

Weaknesses:
None to date

Similar Products Used:
Bianchi Reporto Corse sl

Price Paid:  $1500.00

Summary:
built it up with dura ace and vuelta pro wheels. love this bike - whilst not shockingly light - its stiff, comfortable and light enough that theres no excuse.. I did get a hairline crack appear behind the seat post - but this has not grown in a year or so, which is impressive given this bike takes everything - all winter conditions and I did the lands end john ogroats on it with carbon wheels - great bike - my next bike will be a look...

Strengths:
looks great!! comfortable, light

Weaknesses:
flitish

Price Paid:  $1000.00 at GBCycles

Favorite Ride:
anything in France

Bike Setup:
105, Ritchey WCS, Easton tempest II

Summary:
I bought this as a training bike, with a possible use for time trials. It is a discontinued model so I got it cheaply. I have only made it up with 105 kit, Ritchey WCS and Easton tempest wheels, so perhaps I have not done the frame justice. In any case, it has turned out to be an incredibly light frame, much lighter than you would think given the advertised weights. Even with a far poorer spec on kit, it is just about as light as my Look 585.

It is pretty stiff to ride, but soaks up the worst bumps pretty well. It climbs and descends nicely. Probably not a bike you would want to spend the whole day on, and does not quite have the responsiveness or comfort of the 585. But it is probably as fast on the flat, if not quite as good on the hills. I suppose it falls somewhere between the feel of a decent aluminium frame and a really good carbon frame - if that makes any sense.

Strengths:
Low weight, speed, good for different purposes, in that it is pretty aero. Look great in red.

Weaknesses:
Loses out in comparison to the Look 585 in comfort and responsiveness.

Similar Products Used:
Look 585, Colnago CT1, Specialized tarmac s-works

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Campag Neutron wheels (v nice by the way), Durace throughout. Deda shallow bars

Summary:
I've had the frame several years now and have been extremely pleased. The frame is stiff enough to be responsive but forgiving enough that you can ride all day. After along ride on my previous Cannondale I always needed major surgery to be able to stand normally. I've the adjustable drops set midway and I don't have any problem with skittishness but it is still quick to turn. Looks nice too....

Strengths:
stiff, comfortable to ride

Weaknesses:
nothing particularly but not particularly cheap

Similar Products Used:
you name it I've ridden it

Price Paid:  $3600.00 at Providence Bicycle

Bike Setup:
Look 386i, Full Ultegra 6500
Look carbon seatpost&stem,
Easton carbon bar
Mavic Ksyrium Elites
Vittoria Open Corsa EVO-CX

Summary:
(Price above for complete bike as reviewed)
This bike was purchased when my well loved 853 steel Lemond was laid up after a crash - I had been considering carbon and the geometry was almost identical to the Lemond so the transition was natural and I set both bikes up identically (full Ultegra 6500 and similar wheelsets). Besides the obvious weight savings, the most immediatly apparent difference was the stiffness of the carbon frame. I'm big at 6'2"/225# and standing hard on the pedals to accelerate or climb would often flex my steel frame. Not so with the 386. No matter how hard I mash down, the frame does not flex and I have the feeling that a greater proportion of the effort is transmitted to the rear wheels. This stiffness does not however, translate to an uncomfortable ride. The steel frame subjectivly is a hair more "cushioned" over chip and seal roads than the 386 but the differences are minimal and very subtle - nothing like the buzzing rattling I have experienced on Aluminium frames in similar conditions.
The only other difference of note is the fact that the shorter wheelbase of the 386 (I have the adjustable dropouts all the way forward) makes for snappier turns (as would be expected) and also means the rider needs to pay more attention to the bike when doing thinks like looking over your shoulder. The bike is responsive enough to respond instantly to weight shifts and is less forgiving than a longer wheelbase.

Strengths:
Stiff enough to accelerate well
Light enough to feel the difference
Comfortable enough to ride all day

Weaknesses:
(1)Not for a novice - the quick response to steering and weight inputs requires more rider attention than I think the casual rider wants to give.
(2)There are cheaper similar carbon frames out there (Trek)

Similar Products Used:
No previous carbon frames
Lemond Zurich (steel)
Trek (aluminium)