The heart is under the bum. Around five centimetres below the saddle is the "E-Post", the central organ of the Look "986 Red". This seat post stub with elastomer insert, which also serves as a damping element, is located at the top of the continuous carbon seat tube. A continuous seat tube means that it has to be meticulously cut to the height of the seat, which alone leads to an increased heart rate on the 2300 euro frame. Once cut to length, the seat position can only be changed in small increments using spacer discs. A decision for life and a decision against hairy downhills - lowering the saddle is no longer an option.
But perhaps that is precisely the fascination of this bike: a racer that belongs only to you. Perfectly customised for you. No ifs and buts, a pure sports machine. If you look at the geometry, it immediately becomes clear what Look marketing man Thomas Wilkens meant when he said: "The bike demands distance, not trails!" In size L, the riding position stretches you out, the narrow cockpit and short fork smell of racing, the light wheels quickly pick up speed. If you then turn off the forest track into the bumpy roots, you constantly ask yourself the question: "Can I feel it? Or can't I feel it?".
The objective answer is provided by our comfort measurement in the test lab: with the softest elastomer, the Look has damping values like one of the more comfortable carbon hardtails with a thin seatpost, such as the Merida "FLX". The damping element in the seat tube is intended to filter load peaks, but of course it is not real suspension. But there are less comfortable frames. The "986" offers a successful compromise between comfort and stiffness (87 Nm/degree, STW 62.3), but at 1399 grams it weighs more than the competition - albeit in the largest available frame size.
The selling points are certainly the flat look and the voluminous tube shapes; with the continuous seat tube, the construction looks as if it has been cast from a single mould. A pity: there is no plate to prevent chain jamming. The equipment is reasonable, but most customers will build the bike completely according to their own ideas anyway - and will certainly cherish it for a long time!
CONCLUSIONS: A bike for specialists: The Look "986" is an investment in your career, a sporty partner for fans of special bikes and long-term relationships.
Photo: Markus Greber
