After presenting their first eRoadbike, French cult brand LOOK is now launching its electric-gravel counterpart. The LOOK e-765 Gravel shares many shares many genes with the road version and designed to bring a lot of fun off the beaten track with its wider tires and the 250 W FAZUA mid-drive motor.. But how did LOOK’s electric off-road racer fare in our test?

LOOK e-765 Gravel | 13.6 kg | € 5,799

LOOK spent the best part of 35 years developing pedals, components and high-end carbon bikes in their HQ in Nevers, France. With the launch of the LOOK e-765 Optimum e-racer, which we’ve already tested for you, the French manufacturer started a new chapter in its company history – and it’s all about e-bikes! And now, the French surprise us all over again: LOOK presents the e-765 Gravel.

Since gravel bikes have generally lots in common with road bikes and the e-765 Gravel inherits many of the traits of the e-765 Optimum road bike, this test will mainly focus on the differences between the two e-765 versions.

Whilst eMTBs are already considered mainstream and eRoad-bikes are becoming increasingly popular, eGravel bikes are about to make the gravel-fun more accessible to the masses. Is eGravel the latest hype? Is it the perfect blend of both genres?

„Ride your Dream“

LOOK e-765 Gravel – Concept and spec

The overall concept of the e-765 Gravel is promising. Based on the e-765 Optimum Roadbike, LOOK’s new eGravel-bike relies on a mid-drive motor from German start-up manufacturer FAZUA. The 250 W motor sits in the bottom bracket and churns out a maximum torque of 60 Nm. Off-road, the motor provides pleasant support on steep climbs and difficult sections on loose terrain. With its 250 Wh battery the FAZUA motor provides lots of fun and sets you up for longer rides. In order to address the specific needs of gravel riders, LOOK teamed up with FAZUA’s engineers to work on a special motor-setup, which is very different from the eRoad version. Its smoother character was conceived to allow for better grip on loose terrain.

The FAZUA- mid-drive motor allows for a nimble handling

According to product manager Frederic Caron, he and his team spent endless hours developing the e-765 Gravel, using their extensive knowledge in carbon technology to keep the total weight of the eGravel as close as possible to the road version. The chainstays of the e-765 Gravel are just 5 mm longer, a small mod that allows for nimble cornering performance. The bottom bracket drop is the same as on the e-765 Optimum and provides an ideal balance between single-trail nimbleness and road-fun. Unlike other models from the competition (i.e. FOCUS Paralane2), LOOK sticks to the Roadbike concept and renounces the wider Boost-axle on the rear wheel. On one hand this makes for a sportier riding behaviour, on the other it allows you to use the wheels of your non-electric gravel bike – if you have one!

In the highest support level, the motor churns out up to 400 W

The e-765 Gravel will be available in two versions in sizes S, M, L and XL. Thanks to the generous tire clearance, you can run tire widths of up to 40 mm on 700c wheels and 2.1” on 650b rims. This makes the e-765 Gravel fit for any sort of scenario. The e-765 Gravel features Mavic’s clever Speed Release system with a 142×12 mm through axle at the rear and a 100×12 mm axle at the front. The system allows for fast and straightforward wheel changes. Prices for the e-765 Gravel start at € 5,799, the top-spec version sets you back € 6,499. For the time being, LOOK makes their e-765 Gravel available just as a complete bike in two different spec versions. More specs and options are planned for 2020.

Prices for the French eCarbon gravel-racer range from € 5,799 to € 6,499.

With a tire clearance of up to 40 mm on 700c wheels, the e-765 Gravel promises tons of fun and lots of comfort on rough surfaces

As with the e-765 Optimum, the FAZUA drive-unit consists of a motor, a 250 Wh battery, and a bottom bracket, which add a total extra weight of 4.6 kg. At the touch of a button, the battery and motor can be removed from the down-tube and replaced with a cover if necessary. This means you have the option of riding your e-765 Gravel without the motor unit. Once you removed the unit, you can cover the housing with a plastic cover. This weighs just under 500 g and can be used as a practical and rather generous storage unit. With this setup, the bike is a whopping 2.8 kg lighter.

The FAZUA Evation drive-unit weighs 4,6 kg

In order to provide a good level of comfort, LOOK relies on their newly-developed 3D wave rear-end technology. A 3D seat-stay design and different carbon layups are used to increase the vertical compliance of the rear-end by up to 15%, without compromising the cornering behaviour of the bike.

According to LOOK the 3D wave seat-stays improve the vertical compliance by up to 15%

Like the e-765 Optimum, the e-765 Gravel lets you place the front bottle in two different positions. If you’re using just the one bottle, you can place this closer to the bottom bracket. This should improve both the aerodynamics and the gravity point of the bike.

With the LOOK e-765 Gravel you can place your front bottle in two different positions

LOOK e-765 Gravel – prices, weight and specs

The top-spec version of the e-765 Gravel in our test comes in a matt-green finish and features a SRAM Force CX1 groupset with a standard 42t chainring and 11-36 cassette. For their brand-new e-765 Gravel, LOOK developed a special carbon seatpost and alloy stem. This last one is specifically designed for e-bikes and provides the needed front-end stiffness. The gravel-specific alloy bars with a 12° flare follow the latest gravel-bike trends.

The high-end model glows in matt-green
34mm tires and LOOK carbon seatpost for more comfort
The 3D Wave rear-end ensures the necessary compliance at the rear

The e-765 Gravel rolls out of the factory on Mavic All-Road Disc wheels and 37 mm WTB Riddler tires – which came out on top in our “Best Gravel-tire test” back in November 2018. Just like the E-Roadbike, the e-765 Gravel comes with tubeless-ready rims and tires, but LOOK delivers the bike with an inner-tube. This means you can convert your wheels to a tubeless setup without spending any money on extra bits (you just need to buy sealant).

A SRAM Force CX1 sroupset with a 42 chainring and a 11–36 cassette
The developers in Nevers developed the stem especially for e-bikes
The internal cable routing makes for a clean LOOK
With the powerful SRAM brakes and 160/160 mm rotors you feel in control in every situation

All in all, the e-765 Gravel SRAM Force 1×11 weighs 13.6 kg in size M, which makes it just 200 g heavier than the e-765 Optimum. Starting now, the e-765 is available at your trusted LOOK dealer in the following two specs:

e-765 Gravel SRAM 1×11

Motor FAZUA Evation
Groupset SRAM Force CX 1 x 11
Cranks FSA 1 x 42t
Cassette SRAM PG 1130 11 x 36
Wheels MAVIC All-Road Disc Tubeless
Tires WTB Riddler 700 x 34 Tubeless
Seatpost LOOK LS2 Carbon 27.2 mm x 350 mm
Stem LOOK Aluminium LDS
Handlebars LOOK Aluminium LS2 Compact 12° Flare
Finish green matt
Weight 13.6 kg (Size M)
Price € 6,499

e-765 Gravel SRAM Rival 1×11

Motor FAZUA Evation
Groupset SRAM Rival 1
Cranks FSA 1 x 42t
Cassette SRAM PG 1130 11 x 36
Wheels Shimano RS 170 Disc Tubeless
Tires WTB Riddler 700 x 34 Tubeless
Seatpost LOOK LS2 Carbon 27.2 mm x 350 mm
Stem LOOK Aluminium LDS
Handlebars LOOK Aluminium LS2 Compact 12° Flare
Finish grey matt
Weight 13.6 kg (Size M)
Price € 5,799

First test: LOOK e-765 Gravel

Electric racers allow for longer rides and eMTBs make for even more trail-fun. But where does the eGravel fit in the equation? Right in the middle perhaps? We tested the high-end version of the e-765 Gravel on the steep and demanding terrain of the French vineyards… and we’re truly impressed!

Compared to road bikes, gravel bikes put you in a very different mindset. When we ride gravel, we just want to have fun and spend some quality time away from the tarmac – that’s pretty much the spirit at GRAN-FONDO. And yet, it’s important to find the right balance between on- and off-road performance – and the e-765 Gravel seems to be doing this very well. Thanks to its strong road-genes, the LOOK maintains its agile character and superb manoeuvrability, even on the road. Weighing just 200 g more than the E-Road version, the e-765 Gravel picks up speed almost as swiftly and offers plenty of grip with its 37 mm WTB Riddler tires.

On the short paved stretch between the hotel and the first single-track, we realised that LOOK didn’t promise too much. The stiff bottom bracket-area converts every crank-spin into efficient acceleration, and the frame feels nice and stiff even after removing the battery.

Even without the battery, the e-765 Gravel remains stiff

Thanks to the FAZUA mid-drive motor that sits in the down tube, the e-765 Gravel literally sticks to the ground and effortlessly carves through fast downhill serpentines. Using the same identical head-angle and fork-offset of the eRoad version, the gravel model feels lively and agile. If you took away the humming noise of the studded tires, you’d probably forget that you’re sitting on a gravel bike.

When the FAZUA motor decouples around the 25 km/h threshold, the bike cruises away comfortably. FAZUA’s clever freewheel design allows for drag-free pedalling, which means you won’t feel much difference to a conventional gravel bike – especially when riding on flat trails.

The superb grip of the tires, the pleasant flare in the drops and SRAM’s powerful disc-brakes inspire tons of confidence. Especially for gravel beginners, the extra weight right in the middle of the bike inspires a huge amount of confidence.

Once you hit the trail, you really notice the advantages of the electric support. In this part of France, the vineyards are very steep, and sometimes we even asked ourselves whether we’d made it to the top without the extra support. Thanks to the smoothly-tuned support we never lost traction and got to the top of the hill with a massive grin on our face.

On these steep vineyards we were glad to have the additional support of the motor

Together with legend Laurent Jalabert, we allowed ourselves a few hours of good fun off the beaten track – and sometimes even managed to keep up with the Legen. Well, almost! Just two short clicks on the (rather bulky) FAZUA control unit to switch to the highest support level, and within seconds we were back in the lead. Without the support of a motor however, this wouldn’t have been possible!

On the flats, the e-765 Gravel feels rather quick, and you get the choice of either cruising away smoothly or blazing down the road at full pelt. Once you reach the 25 km/h limit, the motor decouples swimmingly— the main reason for this being the fine motor graduation that LOOK programmed especially for this bike.

And what about the range? Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. As usual, the battery range varies depending on a number of factors including, vertical metres, support level, rider weight, cadence and other 20 + factors. With the help of the FAZUA app, however, you can easily display your riding data on the overview map to see how far your battery will take you. On our short, but crisp 10 km test-lap our 80 kg test-rider rode in the highest support level, using 2 of the 11 bars on the battery display… and there’s still plenty of juice to chase Laurent around the French vineyards.

The Fazua app allows you to recall a number of parameters such as battery range and other motor data

Whilst during our e-765 Optimum road-test the noise level of the FAZUA motor was clearly perceptible, on the trail this is hardly noticeable. The sound of cracking branches and clattering debris drowns out the low noise level of the motor – and you can enjoy the superb riding fun and extra power. The only drawback on the flats and downhill sections is the noise of the additional FAZUA freewheel disengaging a bit earlier than the freewheel kicks in — and this happens a lot more than with the E-Road.

Thanks to the brilliant interaction between the wide tires and the newly-developed 3D Wave rear-triangle, the e-756 Gravel rides just as smoothly as its e-765 Optimum road-antagonist. When riding on rough terrain, you’ll appreciate the additional vertical flex even more; this superbly deals with the imperfections of the terrain and provides great off-road traction. The front-end is stiff and ensures direct, nimble handling. The resulting loss of comfort is largely compensated by the 34 mm wide tires.

You can tell that the French take integration very seriously, everything on this bike is beautifully solved, from the cables to the motor. Our only criticism goes to the FAZUA control unit, which is easy and intuitive to operate, but unfortunately looks a bit clumsy, almost like a prototype. In this respect Shimano is the undisputed leader; their latest STEPS firmware-update allows you to control the motor via ULTEGRA Di2 shifters.

Conclusions

The LOOK e-765 Gravel SRAM Force 1×11 is a real fun machine. Its agile handling, excellent traction and good-natured character harmonise with the 250 W FAZUA mid-drive motor and allow for long technical gravel tours. With its reasonable system weight of 13.6 kg and efficient carbon frame, the e-gravel bike is lots of fun even beyond the 25 km/h threshold. Only the integration of the FAZUA control unit could have been solved better. The 3D Wave rear-suspension offers lots of comfort and provides good amounts of traction even on steep off-road sections. From beginners to hardcore roadies, everyone will appreciate the extra power.


Find more info about the French fun-machine directly on LOOK’s webpage: lookcycle.com

How do you feel about the e-trend in the Gravel sector? Tell us your opinion: hello@granfondo-cycling.com


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Words: Photos: Manuel Buck, Pierre Destrade