Look

The bike is fantastic, it has just the right amount of stiffness and give to make longer rides comfortable, but the bike is responsive when getting on it.

Since I was in between a Medium and a Large frame, I ended up replacing the stem with a 20mm shorter one along with the handlebar to a 46cm CF one to make it the perfect ride. Added a couple water bottle cages, some Garmin power meter pedals, computer, speed sensor, and lights and it is ready to go.

The CF wheels and DI2 system are fantastic. The only thing I wished for were additional frame colors, but all that is available is the grey/black, so the new handlebars got some orange tape to make the bike a bit more visible.

Here is to many more miles and smiles.

Since I have Look pedals on my other two road bikes, opted for a new set of Looks for my new Turbo Creo E-bike. I have the full-carbon version on my 2023 Aeroad, but chose these more-basic Looks for the Creo. These were a good value from BTD on sale, and solid performers.

All Look pedals I've had have always been a bit "stiff" when new, and reluctant to rotate to the desired clip-in position when off the bike. I've always inserted a tiny bit of silicone lubricant into the spindle area when new, that seems to work just fine. Pretty sure that the bearings are sealed, so any non-original lubricant shouldn't affect bearing performance.

The Look G85 really surprised me in how it rides. Given the slack head tube angle, I was worried that it would feel sluggish but instead its very responsive without being twitchy. I needed a more relaxed geometry than what many of the more race oriented gravel bike provide (more upright and less stretched out) and this bike provides that but the reduced chainstay length keeps it more agile than expected. The transverse stiffness is excellent for getting the power down but somewhat less compliant vertically than my previous Ti bike - perhaps an Ergon seatpost may be in my future. Tire clearance will easily accommodate 50mm, more on the front. The Sram Force 13sp UDH shifts noticeably more quickly than the previous generation 12sp. The handlebar shape is ideal for me with flat tops and a reasonable spread. Its also nice that the crankarm length and handlebar width are more sensible for the bike size (170mm & 42mm respectively for a size large). Overall, this is a great bike at a fair price. Oh yeah, the paint looks awesome as well!

As a cyclist with decades of experience on clipless pedals, I wanted to love the LOOK X-One-G Max. From a performance standpoint, they deliver exactly what they promise: they are incredibly lightweight, provide a rock-solid platform, and the power transfer is outstanding.However, they lack the convenience of a quick clip-in. Because the mechanism is single-sided, the pedals don't rest in a consistent position when you stop. If you are at a crossroads or a stoplight, you'll find yourself fumbling and flipping the pedal over to find the right angle to lock in. If you do any urban riding, commuting, or casual cycling, these are not for you. They are a purebred race pedal. For everyday ease of use, you are much better off sticking to a traditional double-sided system.