The success story of LOOK has been ongoing for 35 years. Their breakthrough came with the invention of the first clipless pedal. Shortly thereafter, they created their first prototype carbon bikes, which laid the foundation for the success of the brand. Everything is still being developed at the headquarters in Nevers and the first prototypes are also built there. With the production taking place in Tunisia and the final assembly in Nevers, they’re able to guarantee the highest quality for every bike. The LOOK headquarters in Nevers are like a museum
It’s become difficult to imagine a world without eMTBs, and promising concepts have also been finding their way into the road bike segment. They give you more range compared to conventional road bikes and helping to compensate for any lack of fitness. The LOOK brand has been all about performance from the start – from working with legends such as Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond and Laurent Jalabert to working closely with the French national teams. Now the LOOK e-765 Optimum promises to bring that same performance to the eRoad sector. After introducing the prototype at the Eurobike, they’ve now released the production models.
As we found out in our reader survey, for most of you, having fun is your highest priority when cycling. With the slogan “Ride your Dream” LOOK want to make having fun on a road bike possible for everyone. Whether it’s the daily commute to work, a quick after work ride, a long ride on the weekend or the long-awaited Gran Fondo – with the e-765 Optimum, LOOK brings high-performance smiles to everyone.
LOOK e-765 Optimum – concept and spec
LOOK married their carbon expertise with the integrated motor of the Munich-based start-up FAZUA, which FOCUS are already using in their PARALANE2. The concept aims at supporting the rider during the hard, tormenting moments of nasty climbs, in headwinds or other inconveniences. If you choose to ride without the electronic assistance, however, you should be able to forget about the motor: the agile handling and lightweight carbon frame reminiscent a conventional road bike.
With a nominal output of 250 W in the highest support mode and a peak output of up to 400 W, the motor will support you up to the 25 km/h limit. A major advantage of the FAZUA motor is that there is no noticeable drag when riding above the 25 km/h threshold, allowing you to have just as much fun on flat roads and downhills as before. LOOK have developed their own motor tuning in close cooperation with FAZUA, which enables LOOK to control the motor according to their own requirements.
The French developers wanted to create an eRoad bike that is as similar as possible as that so-beloved road bike feeling. They tinkered with it for more than a year and rejected quite a few ideas. LOOK decided against the wider Boost-Axle concept on the rear because it would negatively affect handling and performance. Instead, the e-675 features a conventional road bike axle to retain the Q-factor of a normal road bike.
The e-765 Optimum will be available in two different build specs in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL. With tire clearance of up to 34 mm, it promises to be comfortable and fun even on rougher surfaces. In terms of pricing, the French carbon ebike ranges from € 6,499 to € 7,699.
The FAZUA motor can easily be removed from the downtube and, if desired, replaced by an optional aftermarket cover. While the battery has a capacity of 250 Wh, the motor delivers a maximum of 60 Nm torque and adds an additional 4.6 kg to the bike, including battery and bottom bracket. The aftermarket cover is hollow mould which replaces the motor and battery if you decide to ride without it, weighing 500g it makes the bike 2.8 kg lighter and offers additional storage space.
With regards to comfort, LOOK have completely redesigned the rear triangle. Calling it 3D Wave Design, the French engineers have designed the seat stays in such a way to allow them to flex in two different directions and add up to 15% vertical compliance, all without sacrificing direct handling in the corners.
As we’re already familiar with from the competition, the LOOK e-765 Optimum offers two different positions for the front water bottle. If you only want to use one bottle, you can mount it closer to the bottom bracket. This should improve both the aerodynamics and the centre of gravity of the bike.
LOOK e-765 Optimum – prices, weight, features
We tested the flagship model, with its brilliant red paint job and the stock Shimano ULTEGRA Di2 groupset consisting of 50/34 chainrings and a 11-28 cassette. LOOK rely on their in-house experience for the componentry, speccing the e-765 Optimum with a LOOK carbon.
Both should guarantee the necessary compliance at the rear and aggressive, direct handling at the front. The stem was developed in-house in Nevers specifically for the requirements of eRoad riding to provide the agility and stiffness despite the increased weight.
The bike rolls on Vittoria Elusion 42mm tubeless-ready carbon rims, fitted with 32mm Hutchinson Sector tubeless-ready tires. The e-765 Optimum comes with tubes but can be converted to tubeless without the purchase of any additional components.
All in all, the e-765 Optimum ULTEGRA Di2 weighs 13.4 kg in size M. Look are offering the following two builds:
e-765 Optimum ULTEGRA Di2
Price € 7,699
Motor FAZUA Evation
Groupset Shimano ULTEGRA Di2 R8070
Crankset FSA Carbon 50/34
Cassette Shimano ULTEGRA 11–28
Wheels Vittoria Elusion Carbon 42 mm Tubeless
Tires Hutchinson Sector 700 x 32 Tubeless
Seat post LOOK LS1 Carbon Ultra Light 27,2 mm x 350 mm
Stem LOOK Aluminium LDS
Handlebar LOOK Aluminium LS2 Compact
Colour glossy red
Weight 13.4 kg (Size M)
e-765 Optimum ULTEGRA
Price € 6,499
Motor FAZUA Evation
Groupset Shimano ULTEGRA R8000
Crankset FSA Aluminium 50/34
Cassette Shimano ULTEGRA 11–28
Wheels Shimano RS 370 Tubeless
Tires Hutchinson Sector 700 x 32 Tubeless
Seat post LOOK LS1 Carbon Ultra Light 27,2 mm x 350 mm
Stem LOOK Aluminium LDS
Handlebar LOOK Aluminium LS2 Compact
Colour black red
Weight 13.6 kg (Size M)
LOOK e-765 Optimum – first ride review
One thing you should be aware of when first riding an eRoad bike: it weighs much more than a normal road bike. At 13.4 kg, the LOOK e-765 Optimum is a lightweight compared to many other eRoad bikes. However, anyone who is accustomed to their bike weighing 7.5 kg will be surprised when first trying to lift this bike. But do you really feel the weight while riding? Or does that extra power cancel out the additional kilos?
In the first few meters, it soon becomes clear that LOOK have hit the nail on the head with their concept of the performance eRoad bike. Even without support, the E-765 Optimum is quick in getting up to speed. The frame converts every watt your legs produce into forward propulsion. The bottom bracket area is stiff and direct, and even with the battery removed it doesn’t lack any stiffness.
The advantages of the centrally integrated FAZUA motor with the battery in the down tube also have a positive effect on the handling. The bike sits securely on the road and both the rear and front feel agile and manoeuvrable. In contrast to many other eRoad bikes, it’s a lot of fun on the downhills too and you quickly forget that you’re on a 13.4 kg bike. Predictable and agile – LOOK seems to have found a good balance, with which eRoad is just as much fun above the 25 km/h limit.
The Shimano ULTEGRA Di2 completes the overall picture of the eRoad bike and suits the concept perfectly – if you’re going electronic, go electronic all the way. You can feel the extra weight of 4.6 kg when you’re braking, but thanks to the easily modulated braking power of the ULTEGRA disc brakes you’re always in control, no matter the conditions.
On the test route not far from the headquarters in Nevers, we soon encountered our first climb. A perfect opportunity to try out eRoad power! Depending on the selected support mode, you can still do most of the work yourself or glide up effortlessly. In the highest mode, it was easy to keep up with Bernard Hinault. Looking at the somewhat bulky remote of the FAZU motor, we quickly realized that the five-time Tour de France winner was in the lowest support mode. Anyway, the riding was fun, and the only reason our conversation didn’t flow as well was because of our rusty French. That we are sure of. Getting back to the bike: in the lowest mode, the LOOK still offers enough support to compensate for the extra weight. With the support switched off, you’ll soon feel the negative effects of gravity and the agility is lost.
On flat terrain, the bike feels fast, allowing you to ride comfortably or really get on the gas. From 25 km/h and up, the disengagement of the motor is silky smooth thanks to LOOK’s specially programmed motor tuning.
How far will the battery get you? Good question, but unfortunately, it’s a difficult one to answer. The battery range varies massively, depending on a variety of factors: the altitude, the support mode, the weight of the rider, the cadence and over 20 other parameters. With the help of the FAZUA app, however, the range is clearly displayed on the overview of the map, showing approximately how far the battery will last. On the first 20 km test ride together with Bernard Hinault, our 80 kg test rider selected the middle support mode and used up 2 of the 11 bars of the battery capacity indicator. So there was plenty of potential left to have a lot more fun in the hills of central France.
In terms of noise, the whirring of the motor hints at the additional power – there is no secretly cheating here. Disengaged, however, the bike rolls as silently as a conventional road bike. The only downside is the additional freewheel in the bottom bracket which sometimes disengages before the freewheel of the rear hub and is quite loud.
When it comes to comfort, we were impressed with the newly developed 3D Wave rear triangle, easily compensating for any irregularities on the rough asphalt. In combination with the LOOK carbon seat post, the rear end of the bike is truly comfortable. The front end is stiff, which makes for direct and agile handling, but at the cost of comfort. At least the 32 mm wide tires provide a bit of additional compliance.
After being on standby for some time, the system has to be reactivated at the front of the battery. Thanks to the simple latching mechanism, however, this isn’t much of a problem. You might have a bit of trouble at first, but you quickly get used to removing the battery.
While we couldn’t be happier with the performance, we would like to see a better-integrated design for the FAZUA remote. It is simple and intuitive to use, but it still seems like a bit of a prototype. Shimano’s latest STEPS firmware update shows how it’s done, allowing to select the support mode via your ULTEGRA Di2 brifters.
LOOK e-765 Optimum – Conclusion
LOOK’s e-765 Optimum Disc ULTEGRA Di2 makes a playful and agile handling – “Ride your dream” – accessible to everyone. With lots of attention to detail and a high-performance carbon frame, eRoad is a lot of fun, even with the motor switched off or when riding above the 25 km/h threshold. The only point of critique is the FAZUA remote, which could be integrated more neatly. In terms of compliance, the carbon expertise of the French brand shows, successfully combining efficiency and comfort. From beginners to dedicated roadies, everyone can benefit from the extra power. The additional support even makes it possible to go on a relaxed ride with Tour de France legend Bernard Hinault.
The LOOK e-765 Optimum is now available from the dealer of your choice. Further information on the French eRoad machine is available on the manufacturer’s homepage: lookcycle.com
How do you feel about the eRoad trend? Give us your opinion: hello@granfondo-cycling.com
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