Look has released the latest addition to its current 765 range, the 765 Optimum.
Those familiar with Look’s line-up of bikes will note that this is a redesign rather than a brand new model in the range, with the new bike replacing the existing 765 Optimum.
As before it’s marketed as a high-performance endurance road bike, and features a full carbon frameset, relaxed geometry and generous tyre clearance - all de rigueur in a category that now sees increased competition from the best gravel bikes.
We reviewed the outgoing Look 765 Optimum+, giving it three stars out of five and noting that: "Perhaps curiously for an endurance bike, there does seem to be an enduring emphasis on rigidity and power transfer. The bottom bracket area is so overbuilt it wouldn’t look out of place on an aero bike."
Although the Optimum+ is a different platform from the Optimum (it's shorter and higher), Look appears to have directly addressed this: it claims that by using its 3D Wave carbon tubes the new Optimum is now 20% more compliant that the previous model.
(Image credit: Look)
“The new 765 Optimum is the ideal bike for daily rides as well as the next sporting challenge,” says Look product manager Frederic Caron. “It offers a compromise between rigidity and flexibility that will allow endurance cyclists to fully enjoy the long distance rides that lie ahead”.
So what has Look done to improve on the existing model and create the compromise Caron refers to?
The frameset has been redesigned “from the ground up” according to the French marque. This means using what it describes as a “ultra-high strength carbon compound and an endurance-specific carbon layup to dampen vibrations more efficiently than previous materials”.
(Image credit: Look)
Comfort is said to inform the Optimum’s geometry too. Although we don’t have any numbers to substantiate this, the outgoing model in a size medium had a stack height of 578mm and a reach of 375mm; if this update follows suit then it’s a bike that should offer the more upright and 'back friendly' riding position that cyclists drawn to this category of road bike are looking for.
Alongside the “endurance-optimised geometry” is clearance for up to 34mm wide tyres. This is in keeping with current trends and should aid Look’s desire to create a smooth ride over longer distances.
Cable routing used to fall into two categories, integrated for those looking to save watts and largely external for those more concerned with saving time in the workshop.
(Image credit: Look)
Look has joined the growing number of brands opting for routing that finds itself plotting a course through both camps. While the cabling is integrated, the cables enter the frame below the handlebar so the cockpit can be removed and adjusted without having to mess around with the brake hoses. A small but not insignificant win for the home mechanic.
Given that endurance bikes are often used as winter bikes or light tourers, it’s encouraging that Look has chosen to equip the 765 Optimum with mudguard / fender mounts. Other noteworthy details include the T47 bottom bracket. Adopted by the likes of Trek across its latest line-up of road bikes, it’s another nod from Look to both ease of maintenance and general reliability.
(Image credit: Look)
The 765 Optimum is offered in five different builds, including two mechanical options.
The top-tier model uses Shimano Ultegra Di2 12-speed groupset and retails for $7,300 / €6,290, with a 105 Di2 option also available for $6,400 / €5,390. Fans of SRAM are restricted to its Rival eTap AXS groupset, which retails at $5,500 / €4,690.
The mechanical groupsets come in the form of 12-speed Campagnolo Chorus and 11-speed Shimano Ultegra; the former costs $4,600 / €3,990, the latter $4,300 / €3,790.
For those who preferring to opt for a custom build the 765 Optimum is also available as a frame-only option, offered in either Black and Red Satin and retailing at $2,400 / €2,150
Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.
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