Look 795 Blade RS review: great handling and supreme stiffness

When Look unveiled the 795 Blade RS at the 2023 Tour de France, the brand embraced the trend of prioritizing optimal aerodynamic design but in a more versatile package. Rather than opting for large truncated tube profiles, Look managed to engineer smaller tube profiles to craft a bike reputed to deliver consistent efficiency throughout an entire race. Undoubtedly, the Look 795 Blade RS is still an aero bike, but the latest iteration remains competitive over a much wider range of parcours. This adaptability helped it claim our Cycling Weekly award for Best Aero Bike of 2024. So, let’s take a look at exactly what makes the Look one of the most fun road bikes to ride in 2024.

Look 795 Blade RS: Construction

Where other brands have opted for more iterative changes in recent times , Look went for a total redesign with 795 Blade RS. The latest generation aligns closer with modern-day, all-around race bike parameters, with a strong focus on aerodynamics without compromising weight or stiffness.

The updated frameset, while notably slender, tips the scales at 945 grams for a size medium. By today’s standards, this is certainly on the heavy side. Many bikes, particularly those released in 2024 see frame weights in the 700s, but where Look has invested extra carbon fiber, the returns have been significant. The new frameset features 25% Ultra High Modulus carbon in specific areas of the frame to refine both stiffness and compliance where it matters most.

Look says the Ultra High Modulus carbon fiber in the 795 Blade RS has been used to achieve "optimized responsiveness, efficiency, and comfort," and the results are impressive. The 7% boost in bottom bracket stiffness is markedly noticeable compared to other bikes I have tested this year, and I think this really helps it to deliver the snappy ride feel I expect from an ‘aero bike’.

As well as those relatively slender tube shapes, aerodynamic improvements are noticeable in its carbon cockpit, now complete with fully internally routed cabling. It’s versatile too, with the separate bar and stem making customization slightly easier than on a fully integrated setup. Look says the design tweaks and optimised cockpit result in a bike that’s 10% more aerodynamic than the previous model.

It has also made some vital improvements to the bike’s geometry. As you might expect from a flagship race bike, the 795 Blade RS features an aggressive, short stack and long reach setup, which I found to be brilliant for on-the-rivet-riding. For a size medium, Look has managed to keep the wheelbase at a relatively short 987mm for the 410mm chainstays. The significance of this is that on descents the bike changes direction nice and quickly, yet remains stable at the rear end, which provided me with a secure base from which to push the bike on technical roads, and while sprinting.

Look 795 Blade RS: the ride

So, how did the bike perform? I must say, the Look 795 Blade RS surprised me right from the start, exceeding expectations in several categories. Despite its slender appearance, which initially made me doubt its ability on fast, flat roads, the bike proved me wrong. It performed exceptionally well, combining aesthetics with impressive speed and efficiency.

A fantastic example of modern-day design, the 795 Blade RS deceived me with its looks, providing a rather magic carpet-like ride feel on faster roads. From the first fast descent, I was immediately aware of its unwavering handling, even at high speeds.

Aero bikes are predominantly designed for fast-paced riding of course, and to properly test that, I took the 795 Blade RS on my local chaingang. A varied 38km loop, with the full complement of harsh road surfaces, steep climbs, and descents, along with a free-for-all final 6km allowed me to put the bike to the test with a little more anger. What this showed was the Blade’s sheer prowess when it comes to stiffness and acceleration. Look has been an important player in the track cycling game for many years now, so when it comes to rigidity the 795 Blade RS now clearly shares some of that track DNA.

Sprinting revealed the bike's ability to accelerate without any hint of movement from the bottom bracket, something that I have found to be a little bit of an Achilles on other race bikes I have tested this year.

The bike’s refusal to yield side to side also does a stellar job of hiding the slightly heavier weight of the bike. Even though the 795 Blade RS tips the scales at 7.48kg for a full Dura-Ace Di2 build, the bike climbs remarkably well, and I attribute this mostly to how responsive the bike feels. Look has managed to create a bike that performs well all-round, with stiffness to cater to the most explosive racers out there.

Look 795 Blade RS: Value

For all this, of course, there is rather a large price tag - £11,237 to be exact. Though this is firmly within the realms of other top players in the aero bike space, I do think that when spec is considered, you are paying a premium. A lack of a power meter and slightly narrower than modern-day standard Corima 47mm MCC Evo wheels makes the Look less bang for your buck than a Canyon Aeroad, but there is no doubt that you are getting a premium product for the premium price.