As the Tour de France approaches, teams and companies alike debut their newest products, and Look is no exception. While last year brought the ultimate in integration via the 695 i-pack, it also brought an Everest-steep price tag and a super stiff racing chassis. This year, Look is positioning itself more squarely in the comfort bike market with the new 675. Let's take a look at the new, eye catching offering.
Integration and innovation
According to Look, the new 675 will be placed in the middle of their range, competing with the Specialized Roubaix and the Cannondale Synapse. However, instead of just being another comfort bike, Look has gone the route of full on integration. Deemed the Direct Drive Concept (and introduced on last year's 920 mountain bike) the 675 is the first road bike to feature an integrated stem. Essentially the head tube has been chopped down to the midpoint of the top tube and the Direct Drive stem is slammed down into the head tube.
While Look claims that the design allows for the “optimisation of all cockpit parameters” it certainly is a very odd design. Nonetheless, Look believes that by using a shorter tapered (1.5″ bottom to 1.125″ top) steerer tube without the use of spacers, the front end interface is quicker, stiffer and more direct feeling. Look also states that the front end is reach and stack adjustable without the use of spacers, so an optimal fit can be achieved.
Continuing on the “innovation” front, the chainstays feature a second generation iteration of Look's “Dual Comfort and Stiffness Concept (DCSC).” Essentially, flattened chainstays are said to be more vertically compliant while being more laterally rigid. It has the (now industry standard) internal cable routing for mechanica and electronic groupsets and a slick integrated seatpost clamp. The bottom bracket is press fit 86.5mm standard, so a beefy bottom bracket and tube interface is assured.
Geometry measurements slot it in between the 566 and 586. It is shorter and taller than the more race oriented 586 and more stretched out than the 566 entry level model. Weight wise, the 675 frame is portly, reportedly weighing in at 1,150 grams. That's fairly heavy, although Look makes no bones about it: this is a comfort oriented bike and isn't a range topping machine by any matter of means. Look's goal was apparently a reasonably priced machine offering a smooth ride and a relaxed geometry. Expect to pay around 2,500 euros (around $3,150) for the frameset, all the way up to 6,499 euros ($8,200) for a fully equipped Dura Ace Di2 model.
If history repeats itself, we should expect to see the new 675 in stores around September or October.
