Unlike its rivals, Look’s 765 Optimum doesn’t rely on squishy suspension or gizmos to deliver its comfort, instead focusing on good ol’ frame flex.
The 765 Optimum is an endurance road bike with clearance for 34mm tyres, with the French brand saying the bike is ideal for long-distance riding in comfort. There are mudguard mounts and the beefy tyre clearance means the bike should be capable on rougher surfaces.
Although the geometry is endurance bike in feel, Look hasn’t forgotten its racing roots. It has a slightly longer reach compared to its competition and there are some neat aero touches.
The 765 Optimum I’ll be testing over the next 12 months costs £4,690 / €4,690 / $5,500 and is specced with a SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset.
The bike is available in five different models, starting at €3,790 for a Shimano Ultegra R8000 build and topping out at £6,290 / $7,300 / €6,290 for a Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 groupset and own-branded carbon wheels.
Look has also released a 765 Optimum+ with an even larger clearance for 42mm tyres and geometry that’s further relaxed.
Look 765 Optimum specification and details
Manufactured in Taiwan, Look says the 765 Optimum has an ‘endurance-specific’ carbon layup.
The seatstays and chainstays are flattened and the seatstays also kink inwards as they clear the top of the rear tyre. Look says this is to increase compliance.
The flexibility of the seat tube (and, by extension, seatpost) is a key determinant of rear-end comfort. To this end, the seat tube is nice and thin.
There are recessed mudguard mounts on both the fork and stays. These are only compatible with Look’s own mudguards, due to be available from May.
Like most current high-end road bikes, the front end is integrated. Because this model uses a wireless electronic groupset, there are just the two hydraulic hoses to route.The round steerer tube means you can run a conventional stem if you prefer. A neat headset compression sleeve performs double-duty, securing any cables and hoses, meaning they shouldn’t rub on the steerer tube.
To my delight, Look specs a 27.2mm round seatpost – this means you’re not locked into a proprietary post and there’s plenty of choice if you want to add some more squish.
This particular model sees a SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset specced, which is par for the course, with 46/33 chainrings and a 10-36t cassette.
You get Fulcrum’s Racing 900 DB OEM wheels with 30mm-wide Hutchinson Fusion 5 tyres.
The finishing kit is all own-branded and aluminium, with the exception of the Look-branded San Marco ShortFit saddle.
This paintjob is called Chameleon Green Blue. It’s luxurious when seen in person – subdued on a downcast day, but the flip colour really pops in the sun.
Look 765 Optimum full specification
- Sizes (*tested): XS, S, M, L*, XL
- Weight: 8.79kg (without pedals)
- Frame: Look 765 Optimum
- Fork: Look 765 Optimum
- Shifters: SRAM Rival eTap AXS
- Derailleurs: SRAM Rival eTap AXS
- Crankset: SRAM Rival eTap AXS, DUB, 46/33
- Wheelset: Fulcrum Racing 900 DB
- Tyres: Hutchinson Fusion 5, tubeless-ready, 700c x 30mm
- Brakes: SRAM Rival, 160 rotor front, 140 rear
- Handlebar: Look LS2 Alloy (XS-S 40cm, M-L 42cm, XL 44cm)
- Stem: Look LS3 Alloy (XS 80mm, S 90mm, M-L 110cm, XL 120cm)
- Seatpost: Look LS3 Alloy, 27.2mm, 350mm
- Saddle: San Marco ShortFit
Look 765 Optimum geometry
The 765 Optimum’s geometry is really interesting. Look closely at the numbers and you’ll notice it bucks convention in certain areas, striking a fine line that balances endurance bike convention with a longer reach and exciting handling.
Most notable is the seriously slack 70.8-degree head tube angle. This is significantly slacker than other brands’ endurance bike efforts, with the Cannondale Synapse clocking in at 73.2 degrees and the Trek Domane SLR at 71.9 degrees.
Look says it has opted for this slacker angle to “ensure stability on rough roads or when riding with a handlebar bag”.
The reach is slightly longer too at 389mm in this size large. The Domane is shorter at 377mm and the Synapse at 367mm.
The stack is particularly generous at 606mm to keep you more upright, with the chainstay length a rather middle-of-the-road 415mm on all sizes.
The seat tube angle is relatively steep at 74 degrees and the horizontal top tube length is 562.4mm.
The seat tube length is 535mm, which is much taller than other endurance bikes and will mean there is less seatpost exposed.
Look specs a longer 110mm stem on a size large. You’d typically expect to see a 100mm stem on a L frame, with a longer stem putting you in a slightly more aggressive position, as well as slowing the steering.
I opted for a size large for my 5ft 11in height.
Why did I choose this bike?
The majority of the road bikes I have owned and ridden to date have been lightweight, race-oriented options.
One of my aims for this year is to ride more audaxes and longer-distance gravel bikepacking trips.
I’ve set myself the ambitious challenge of completing at least one 100-mile ride a month. The aim is to get acclimatised to riding this distance regularly, which should hopefully pay off in the long run.
I’d like to complete these rides in comfort, hence my interest in an endurance bike.
Technically, the Pinarello GAN K I built in 2022 is an endurance bike, but I ended up downsizing to achieve a slightly racier position.
I still like riding fast though, and the Look needs to be capable of smashing out club runs and holding its own on the Tuesday evening summer pacelines.
I’m really intrigued by the wider 34mm tyre clearance. The wider tyres will undoubtedly improve comfort and it’s always wise to have slightly more clearance than you need to avoid worrying about a maxed-out tyre abrading the inside of the chainstays.
I tend to shy away from integration and would rather do without it to avoid the hassle of having to undo the hydraulic lines every time I service or replace a headset bearing. Some systems are needlessly over-complicated, making adjusting the handlebar height difficult too.
While the omen of replacing the headset looms in the future, at first glance, Look’s system seems to be better designed.
Although I’ve ridden and owned bikes with electronic groupsets before, I don’t have long-term experience of SRAM Rival eTap AXS in its 2x guise. I have experience of this groupset in its 1x XPLR variant on the Berria Belador Allroad gravel bike I tested last year.
Truth be told, I originally requested the 765 Optimum in its Campagnolo Chorus build because that really sung to my heart, but it sadly wasn’t available. In my opinion, Campagnolo’s hydraulic disc brakes are the best of the Big Three and I really get on with the lever ergonomics.
Look 765 Optimum initial setup
The 765 Optimum was easy to set up out of the box. All that was required was to install the seatpost and set the saddle height, play around with the angle of the handlebar and pump up the tyres.
As with any bike, I checked the bike thoroughly with a torque wrench and made sure the brakes and gears were optimally adjusted.
The bike came supplied with Look carbon bottle cages.
The handlebar height is higher than I’d typically run and I may experiment with lowering the bars by a spacer or two soon.
The reach is on the longer side for me, although I suspect reducing the stem to 100mm would shorten the reach too much. I will probably look to swap out the handlebars for ones with a shorter reach, which should do the trick.
Look 765 Optimum ride impressions
The 765 Optimum felt at home immediately, with a reassuringly stable ride feel.
My first two rides were in my home territory of the Chilterns – the first a glorious 55-mile shakedown before stepping up to an extended club run to tick off my February century.
Since then, I’ve been riding on the roads around Bristol.
The 765 Optimum is a comfortable, if not the most exciting platform to climb on. It lacks some of the sheer pace of a race bike, which tends to encourage you uphill. I’d put the slightly lethargic handling uphill down to the slacker head tube angle and the heavy stock wheels.
The 765 Optimum excels downhill. The slacker head tube angle, longer stem and wide 30mm tyres make the bike easy to handle and it corners beautifully.
Compared to racier bikes, the 765 Optimum doesn’t require a lot of rider input, and it feels as though you can ride more on autopilot.
Make no mistake, I still admire a race bike’s nimble feel – it’s simply a case of swings and roundabouts, and the 765 Optimum offers a different descending characteristic than I’m accustomed to.
The 765 Optimum holds its speed well on the flats, and is more than up to the job on higher-speed rides, even with the heavy stock wheels.
My impressions of the SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset are mixed so far. The rear shifting is precise and crisp, albeit noticeably slower than Shimano’s Di2. The brakes are also terrific, with ample power and modulation.
I was worried the jumps between cogs on the 10-36 cassette would be too large, but I haven’t found this to be the case. It’s refreshing to be able to crest most climbs generally, having a gear or two to spare.
However, I don’t love the shifter ergonomics – I prefer the more bulbous construction and supple hood material of Red and previous-generation Force. The slight ridge at the base of the hood is uncomfortable, especially on longer rides.
Although I’m yet to ride the latest generation of Force, I’m worried SRAM is moving away from a good thing with its new hood design.
While acceptable, the front-derailleur shift speed and precision just aren’t on a par with Shimano, and it’s definitely best to avoid shifting under load.
The bike is heavy at 8.79kg, but you don’t really notice the extra weight when riding. The Fulcrum Racing 900 DB wheels contribute to this at a portly 1,950g, especially compared to wheels specced on similarly priced bikes. They are also 19mm wide internally, which is pretty narrow by today’s standards – most modern road rims tend to be around 21mm.
I’ve found the short-nosed San Marco saddle is fine for rides of up to four hours, but my behind really began to complain on the century ride, which was over six hours.
While the stem has a sleek aesthetic, I’d prefer a 40cm-wide handlebar. My arms felt splayed out on the own-branded 42s specced.
The aluminium seatpost inevitably transmits more feedback than a carbon one would.
There’s some unwanted rattling when riding over bumpy surfaces. I’ll be taking a look at this shortly and have a few suspicions as to what it could be.
The £4,690 asking price isn’t especially competitive if you compare the bike to the likes of Giant, Canyon or Cannondale. The quality of the own-branded finishing kit also isn’t quite up there with its competitors. However, it is important to bear in mind you’re investing in a flagship frame, with lots of attention to detail.
If you spend more on a different model in the range, you’re still getting the same frameset and not many brands offer their flagship frame at this price point.
Look 765 Optimum upgrades
I selected the Look 765 Optimum for a long-term test because it’s a perfect platform with which I can indulge in upgrades.
It would be easy to mark a bike down for being under-specced, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a negative in this scenario.
The money is going into the frameset and that’ll always have a greater influence on the ride quality than a swanky groupset.
My first swap will be the saddle – if I’m going to ride more centuries this year, I want to do so in comfort.
The wheels are also ripe for updating, but I can see why Look specced them. At £180, they keep the asking price of the bike sensible(ish), but a fancier set will really liven up the bike.
I’ll be looking for a much lighter, and possibly slightly deeper, wheelset. A wheelset under the 1,500g mark would knock almost 500g off the bike’s weight.
While the Hutchinson Fusion 5 tyres are fine, they’re not the grippiest and I’d like to experiment with wider tyres. A set of Continental GP5000 S TR tyres in a 32mm width sounds just the ticket.
I’ll also upgrade the handlebar to a narrower 40cm option and likely carbon too for the extra compliance. A carbon seatpost would also take some of the sting away on longer sojourns.
BikeRadar’s long-term test bikes
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We also use our long-term bikes as test beds for the latest kit, chopping and changing parts to see what really makes the difference – and help you decide which upgrades are worth spending your money on.
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2023-04-01 14:00:56Z
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