Wednesday, April 1, 2009

BSNYC Product Review: Look 566 Road Bicycle

Well, it's April Fools' Day--unless you're French, in which case it's Poisson d'Avril, or unless you're from New Jersey, in which case it's "Bathe Your Pet Day." (For some reason, everybody in New Jersey bathes their pets on April 1st. Feel free to insert your own Jersey-themed wet pussy joke here:________) Obviously, pranks are the order of the day on April 1st, and on the various cycling-themed websites in particular hijinx and tomfoolery abound.

I have no inclination to engage in contrived hijinx or tomfoolery today (mostly because I pretty much do that every day anyway). However, since this is a day when people do things they might not ordinarily do, I'd actually like to be uncharacteristically straightforward and take a look at a bike that a company was foolish enough to lend me for testing. If this offends you, you're certainly welcome to pretend it isn't happening and move on to James Huang's wacky April Fools' post. If not, please read on.

Firstly, I'd just like to say that the fact I received a bike to test has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my shark-jumping or my Dark Corporate Overlord (DCO). What happened was, shortly after I "tested" my Scattante, a publicist emailed me and asked if I'd like to try a Look 566. Since I like riding bikes I figured there was no harm in what really just amounts to borrowing one for awhile and riding it around, so I agreed. Plus, even though I maintain I have no interest in becoming some kind of serial product reviewer, I am interested in staying on top of what these companies are trying to sell. And I vastly prefer having stuff sent to me than going to bike shows or wherever else you see this stuff, since it allows me to avoid people. (People-avoidance is a passion of mine).

Anyway, after I agreed to try the bike I checked it out on the Look website:



Ride a century on Saturday. Race it on Sunday. This bike does it all.

With speed and efficiency, comfort is sometimes forgotten. At LOOK, we prioritize comfort just as high as speed and efficiency. Without comfort comes fatigue. Made of a secret blend of High Resistance and High Modulus carbon, and constructed by our proven tube to tube manufacturing method, the 566 is not only light, but extremely compliant while not sacrificing pedaling efficiency. The tuned flattened top tube and seatstays equate to a smooth ride, while the new Twisted Stay chainstay design means that no forward energy is lost under any pedaling load by resisting lateral flex and allowing vertical flex. We’ve also taken our proven Pro Tour geometry and shortened the top tube and heightened the head tube to ensure all day back and neck saving comfort. Ride the local century on Saturday and race the local criterium on Sunday. This bike does it all.

In understanding any bicycle (at least from a marketing perspective), we must understand the concept of the bicycle, and this can generally be found in the form of a catchy phrase contained in the marketing copy. So the concept of the Look 566 is a bike that "does it all," and that can be ridden all day comfortably as well as raced. While I can certainly appreciate this concept, I also thought that's what a road bike was supposed to be anyway. And as far as all the other stuff about a "secret blend" of crabon and "resisting lateral flex" while "allowing vertical flex" and so forth, that just means none of the tubes are round. Ultimately, the way they arrive at a bike that "does it all" is by making the headtube on the 566 taller than all their other bikes, which they finally mention there towards the end. Anyway, they sent me the SRAM Rival complete bike, and here's what the whole thing looks like once it's been put together and ridden for awhile:


The bike came with pedals (guess what kind?) but because I don't use that kind I installed my own. Also, the stem the bike came with was too short for me, so I used a longer one. And obviously, I added the bottle cage and dork-tastic saddle bag. Otherwise, though, this is the bike as Look sells it.

Obviously, when it comes to crabon fiber road bikes, rule #1 is that the bottom bracket shell must be..."beefy." And rule #1 when reviewing crabon fiber road bikes is that this..."beefiness" must be photographed up close and commented upon. So here goes:



The oversized bottom bracket...is beefy.

Big freaking deal.

The next rule of crabon fiber road bikes is that the frame must be covered with acronyms or buzzwords that highlight certain elements of the bike--kind of like real-life mouse-overs. The Look did not disappoint in this regard either:




Up front, it had "F2D Frontal Flex Design," which apparently means that it has a fork. A real reviewer would doubtless also comment on its "ingenious" cable guides as well. I, however, am not a real reviewer.



In the rear, it had STSC, which stands for "Special Twisted Section Concept." This sounds like a metal band, but it just means that the stays were a weird shape.





On the downtube was reassurance that this was no ordinary carbon fiber. It was "performance tuned" carbon fiber.

Now, you can buy the Look 566 as a frameset, but if you buy the complete bike they sent me it will come with these handlebars:



I couldn't find these on the FSA site, so I suspect they're some kind of OEM special. As you can see, they're carbon (or at least carbon wrapped) with flat tops, and the tape stops in plenty of time to leave the tops bare and show off the logos. This means that not only are the tops slippery, but also that when you're holding them you're also holding a handful of cable housing. Obviously, you can always buy new tape and wrap the bars completely, but there's still no groove for the cables. Sure, you can also just switch the bars, but I don't understand why a "does it all" bike designed for comfort would come set up this way in the first place. Perhaps worst of all, Look missed a chance to use another acronym: SCS (or "Stupid Cockpit Setup.")

Otherwise, though the components were fine. The wheels weren't exactly Jobst Brandtian, but at least they seem relatively serviceable and stayed perfectly true. Also, the Rival stuff was excellent. As far as the compact cranks, a 50/34 with a 12-26 cassette in the rear means that when you're going easy on the flats you're either crossed over in the big ring or crossed over in the small ring, but that's mostly just a consequence of living in a relatively flat area. Gearing can always be changed, and I certainly can't blame Look for my local topography.

So How Does It Ride?

The main reason bike reviews often sound so ridiculous is because they inevitably veer off into those sensuous descriptions of the bicycle's ride quality.  Either that, or they attempt to quantify something that is essentially subjective, which is often even more ridiculous.  

The truth is, any bicycle that fits well and is set up properly will ride well, provided it's being used in a reasonable way.  (Your well-fitting road bike is not going to ride very well through a rock garden, for example, just as your mountain bike is going to be sluggish on the road.)  All a frame really needs to do is place your components where they need to be and not break.  For this reason, the whole business of evaluating slightly different bicycles with slightly different combinations of components and attempting to discern those differences is mostly pointless.  

What you can do, however, is evaluate a bicycle's marketing.  So does the Look 566 do what it was designed to do?

Well, the Look rides well.  This is not because of the twisted stays and frontal flex and "performance carbon," because my other bikes that have none of these things (or if they do they're not called any of those things) also ride just as well.  So we can file those in the "subjective" drawer and safely forget about them.  The "objective" difference between the Look 566 and a lot of other road bikes, and the thing that really makes it what Look call a "does it all" bike, is the tall headtube.  And it is tall--it's about three centimeters taller than my own otherwise comparably-sized road bike.

This is certainly not a bad thing.  Higher bars can be more comfortable for some people.  Moreover, Look say you can "ride a century on Saturday" and "race it on Sunday."  This is true.  The bike was perfectly comfortable on long rides, and I was indeed able to race it as well.  Granted, I was a lot higher up than I usually am, which felt weird, but it really wasn't a problem and I'm happy to say I even passed.  So in this respect the bike did exactly what it was supposed to--while few people would want a headtube this tall on a race bike, it is a raceable bike.  So job done there.

However, the problem I have with the Look 566 is that while it's not a race bike, it looks like one, and it has all the limitations of one.  Certainly, pro bikes must be covered in decals and attention-grabbing color schemes.  And certainly, crabon fiber bikes do make good race bikes.  So if you need a pure race bike it's not surprising you wind up with one of these pro bike replicas, even if you don't particularly like the way they look.  You're also not going to worry about things like frame clearance or fender eyelets, since you're mostly using the thing to race.  On the other hand, if you're searching for a bike you can ride all day comfortably that can be raced as well on occasion, you don't need to settle for a misshapen crabon fiber billboard.  You're free to consider other bicycles that won't look dated next year, and that are versatile in other ways as well.  

So while I can see wanting a bike that fits like the Look 566 and is geared like it, and that allows me to ride hills slowly all day yet still jump into a race or a fast ride when I feel like it, I can't see wanting this one, since I don't really see the point of a bike that looks like a pro race bike but really isn't.  A number of companies make road frames with taller head tubes that also have eyelets here and there and are less expensive than this one to boot, and I'd much rather have one of those instead.  Still, if you do love everything about modern race bikes except for the fit, then the Look 566 is certainly a better choice than getting some pro bike replica and getting all kludgy with your stem setup.

In any case, I still enjoyed riding the bike, and I'm grateful to both Look and their publicist for letting me rub this one.  I also managed to find a use for the... beefy bottom bracket shell, which was actually wide enough to accommodate this pentabike sticker sent to me by my partner in bromance, Stevil:



I also used it to test a prototype front wheel I plan to bring to market:



I personally feel that the sticker and the wheel go great together and help mitigate the aesthetic effect of that giant headtube:


In any case, thanks for reading, and for suffering through my "review."  I can assure you that nothing was harmed during the course of this extensive test--except possibly my dignity.

Happy Bizarro April Fools' Day,

--BSNYC



140 comments:

Brendan said...

1?

Visegripmikey said...

2!

Anonymous said...

podium

hinc said...

hincapie!

g said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Luck E. Seven said...

April's Fool!


A

Luck E. Seven said...

Lucky 7!!


A

Slappy said...

10!!

rainer said...

top 10!!!

Doug said...

Nice penmanship on the rims. Not a lot of room to work with there.

Anonymous said...

what?

BadBeard said...

FiercePant1st!

Anonymous said...

top 200

Strayhorn said...

An honest bike review which points out that such reviews are mostly personal preference?

This is indeed Bizarro Day. Hope your new overlords at Bicycling don't see this. Without bike reviews they will be forced to rely on sex ads for a revenue stream, just like the local alternative papers.

Anonymous said...

laterally stiff, yet vertically complacent, with tube-to-tube technolgie

Anonymous said...

You have to return the bike right? Will they mind the sticker? Sorry for asking such a dumb question...but I had to ask.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Bikesnob! You are so hip that you didn't even put a rag to the bike before snapping your photos. That's what I call a nonchalant dismissive attitude that we can all aspire to.

ant1 said...

Snob - "As you can see, they're carbon (or at least carbon wrapped)"

Do you mean crabon?

grog said...

Happy monkey washing!

Anonymous said...

I'd like to buy a new road bike, but I can't imagine ever spending good money on something so god-awful ugly—even it it can do it all. I recently flipped through Bicycling's buyer's guide and wondered: does anyone make a road bike that you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen on?

brother yam said...

Do you think Rivendell will send you a bike to test? I bet it wouldn't be crabon...

Surly Bastard said...

Are there dirt and gravel roads in NYC? You sure got that pig filthy. Nice job returning a grimy bike with "All You Haters Suck My Balls" scribbled all over the wheels. Your days as bike reviewer are numbered.

Either that or you'll be appearing in the next Leopard / LOOK ad campaign. Make sure you're wearing your Rapha scarf for the photo shoot.

Brendan said...

Is that like a 130mm stem?

BikeSnobNYC said...

Surly Bastard,

We had a messy winter. I'll tidy the bike up before returning it. And that AYHSMB wheel is from my personal wheel stash. They'll get their Fulcrum front wheel back good as new.

--BSNYC

Anonymous said...

Flipping through Bicycling's buyer's guide made me wonder if there's a bike out there I'd want to buy if I had the money I'd be willing to spend. My price-point is crowded with these tall head-tube short top-tube dentist wanna-be bikes.

I guess I'll just have to upgrade my current frame until it falls apart.

But what will other people think when they see me on a (gasp!) aluminum frame!?!?!

mikeweb said...

About the 'ride feel' component of bike reviews, I couldn't help but recall the bike review videos I recently perused on the bicycling.com website. A choice comment about the new Campy 11 speed brifters: "You just wanna get your hands all over them".

Anonymous said...

"Pass"

Anonymous said...

Wow. I don't know how long you were allowed to test that bike but it's already seemed to have developed a hipster cyst, and just underneath the saddle too!

I don't know, BSNYCRTMS, maybe you should go see a doctor. You did get that pig filthy.

Also.... you review was okay, but it really could have used more big cats.

Jaminben said...

Hail Satan!

mikeweb said...

Snobby, I just checked the pass/fail racing pointers post - pure gold!

Anonymous said...

On modern bikes the cranks are tripples with out the middle rings? Is this normal?

wishiwasmerckx said...

Snobstalkers, here's the break we have been waiting for. Snob slipped up. All we have to do is locate the bike in the greater Brooklyn/Manhattan area with a headtube precisely 3 cm. shorter than a Look 556, and we will have our man.

Disgruntl Ed. said...

This bike has F2D Frontal Flex Design? Isn't that a craboner?

Greg said...

Snob-

By the end of the second paragraph I was sure it was going to be the Gold Bike Crystal Edition that had arrived...

Is it still in transit? You have found "...a cycling publication [to}foot the bill" have you not?

Surly Bastard said...

Gee, Pee Wee, Dottie and I were thinking that you were more of a rebel ...

wishiwasmerckx said...

I liked the way the website transfromed "laterally stiff and vertically compliant" into "resisting lateral flex and allowing vertical flex." You say tomato, I say tomato.

The Look sounds just like my girlfriend. She does it all and can be ridden all day.

hillbilly said...

prospect park sat race? damn630 start time. congrats on passing. "sitting up" is my new favorite term, and i like to employ it in work, marriage, everything...

Anonymous said...

you probably put hipster cysts on your girlfriend too, wishiwasmerckx.

wishiwasmerckx said...

And, thanks to all those hours at the gym working on her obliques, she is laterally stiff and vertically compliant.

hillbilly said...

sounds kinda like a hybrid for racers/nycc club member types to me. i hate that 'best of both worlds' shit...kinda like "cities with small town feels" always suck.

Anonymous said...

Like climbers who can time trial?

CommieCanuck said...

Snobbie, you're on the "B" list. If LOOK really wanted your positive review, they would have put your name on the top tube, like James "the Wang" Huang.

No point in technology if it isn't spelled out all over the frame. Acronyms are better.

High
Efficiency
Racing
Performance
Enhanced
Speed

So, does the quality scream, "made in Tunisia"?

hillbilly said...

how would you explain the lack of crashes at the Red Hook Criterium?

Jason Pearlman said...

Tall head tubes are another way of saying "we are marketing our blingy-ass road bikes to non-cyclists (read: dentists) who want to show-off their blingy-ass road bikes while still being able to ride as upright and lazily as possible and not have to actually assume a real road riding position". In other words, the dentist who pays thousands for a bike like this is not really concerned about going the little extra money for a fit kit.

no one said...

nice!

this bike looks particularly nice for all day riding too!

http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2009/04/two-new-frames.html

CommieCanuck said...

Jason.

Feh.

Taller headtubes have more to do with cracking CF steerers from the 99.9999999% non-pros running too many spacers rather than a non-horizontal stem, which offends "roadies" everywhere.

Anonymous said...

That bike is as filthy as your Sidis. Is everything you own filthy? Can you even see through the dirt on your computer monitor?

CommieCanuck said...

also, I remain open with my offer of CDN$100,000 to anyone who can find a negative review of any expensive bike, anywhere.

Anonymous said...

What's $100,000 Canadian worth in real money?

flaco said...

man, cyclists are such frickin woosies! what the hell is up with all the comments about dirt? do you guys ride? isn't that how your bike looks after a ride? it's ny in late march, there is salt and mud, etc everywhere. get over it.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 3:25pm,

Yes, everything I use a lot is really dirty. Insert joke about cleanliness of genitals here:________.

--RTMS

Anon. 3:25 PM said...

Pristine?

Anonymous said...

Snobby--Goodness me, you are a dirty boy today.

Anon. 3:25 PM said...

Better get that dirt out of your system. Rodale's all about clean living.

bikesgonewild said...

...how wonderfully ironic...a man who revels in his anonymity riding around nyc, one of the most popular cities in the world, on a bicycle that sez LOOK all over it...

...& publishing the results of his "test" on april 1st...

...that, sir, is an excellent april fool's joke...

...i get it...just sayin'...

CommieCanuck said...

anon 3:28 - 59.000 Euros.

CommieCanuck said...

BGW..you're right, he should have put on stickers that indicated, "don't LOOK."

Mutt said...

Uh...I live in NJ, have all my life and I have never washed my dog on April 1st, nor have I ever heard of that. But we do have dirty bicycles here because that's what happens when we ride them. What a shock! Egads! Those dirty Jersey roads, ya know.

bikesgonewild said...

...& somewhere in this land, there is a man w/ no watch & no cares riding around on a TIME...

...life is just that way...

Anonymous said...

Or a small man on a Giant?

Seanywonton said...

BikeSnobNYC said...

"Anonymous 3:25pm,

Yes, everything I use a lot is really dirty. Insert joke about cleanliness of genitals here:________."


Snobby, I warned you not to ride in a Utili-kilt without fenders, but you just wouldn't listen. Now you know!

kale said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kale said...

Snob, I recently acquired a new bike with some shallow drops like those tested on the LOOK. I'm kinda confused by that trend, as to where it's going. I'm thinking it'll be like the razor wars, where eventually there'll be an extra set of drops, because where the hoods are is "sitting up" and "comfortable", the "shallow drops" are pretty close to where my other bike has it's hoods, but where are the "real" drops? Or are companies just thinking that dentists are too busy crouched over gaping pieholes all day, they would rather be positioned like they have a tailwind all the time? I've had it a week now, and I'm not convinced about this whole upright setup on a road bike thing that's going on here. I mean, isn't the point to lower your center of gravity, as well as improve aerodynamic efficiency?

Meh.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Kale,

They are for people who have not come to terms with the fact that they really want flat bars.

--BSNYC

bikesgonewild said...

...that too, anon 3:53pm...

...the man w/ no watch & no cares also did a bike review...
...they asked him "what do you think of your new bike compared to your old one", to which he replied "there is no TIME like the present TIME"...

hillbilly said...

bgw - that was a long way to go for a not very punchline.....just sayin

Anonymous said...

I been to NJ. They have dirty dogs there because that's what happens when they ride them. Those dirty Jersey dogs.

Anonymous said...

69!

bikesgonewild said...

...LOOK, pal...pour moi, it was but a short ride but i defer to you as the expert on "not very (much) punchline" every TIME...

Udder said...

Yes, all properly set up bikes ride "well" but this ignores the fact that real differences can be felt.

For instance, I can feel the difference between, say, a super stiff aluminum frame (jarring), and a carbon frame with a longer wheelbase (smoother). Can I feel twisted chain stays? No. (I ride a Look 555 with these).

Also, bars with less low drops are regularly ridden by pros, as well as dentists, as a quick scan of race photos will attest.

Anonymous said...

Be nice if you would swap out those bent over bars for a pair of risers, slap on a top tube pad, and bolt on the Gigunda... I'd like to get a feel for how the Look would slot into my harem.

Anonymous said...

'kludgy'? what are you, some programmer from the seventies?

Willy B. Hardigan said...

BikeSnobNYC said...

"Insert joke about cleanliness of genitals here:________."


Who do you think are you kidding? You don't actually "use" those things at all.

hillbilly said...

whoa, easy there big feller bgw...just ribbin you a little , you really FELT that one, eh? LOOK, i coulda said that was a heck of a TREK for not much payoff

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:28

that comment is pure porno

BikeSnobNYC said...

Udder,

Agreed. I didn't mean to imply that materials don't make a perceptible difference, though some people do get carried away with that stuff when undoubtedly the longer wheelbase as much as or more than the carbon is what makes the bike feel smoother.

Of my bikes, the one that feels "stiffest" happens to be steel, despite the fact that it's "real" or should be "drawing circles" or whatever that Keo guy said.

--BSNYC

bikesgonewild said...

...hillbilly...starting to sound like you've SPECIALIZED in this kinda behavior before but beware as i am a SURLY fuck...

...i could list SEVEN good reasons why this kinda thing will never be a MOOT(S) point (ok, that was kinda stretching it) w/ me...

...just sayin'...

ant1 said...

BGW - More like Bike Puns Gone Wild!

CommieCanuck said...

Udder said...
For instance, I can feel the difference between, say, a super stiff aluminum frame (jarring), and a carbon frame with a longer wheelbase (smoother).


So all aluminum frames and all carbon frames are the same?
Bullshit.
Tire pressure and wheels make more of a difference.

How many bike reviews compare two frames with different wheels? or different tires?

meh.

Carlos from Philly said...

Tip: "guess what kind" isn't a legitimate question.

Correct:
(guess what kind!) or (guess what kind...) or, most appropriately, (guess what kind)

Incorrect:
(guess what kind?)

yours,
carlos?

CommieCanuck said...

BGW..man, you think that stuff up at LITESPEED, a really INDEPENDENT thinker...makes me sound like I've been huffing ARGON until I'm BLUE.

You SCHWINN...you have effectively kicked me in the ball SACHS.

Toronto Cyclist said...

Is that a hipster cyst I see thar?

hillbilly said...

man, yall are a bunch of geniuses, i'm gonna call you MERLIN, bunch a wizards. lucky for me i'm KONA leave work now, oKHS?

Anonymous said...

...Hillbilly...if you think that was a long way for BGW to get to a point...you must be a newcomer to this comment board...Sometimes... he never makes it there at all...

AnnaZed said...

Long ago I came to terms with the fact that what I really want is flat bars in the city. It's a funny thing; I have this NEED to look around me to see what is happening and what the other people (people in cars specifically) are up to.

As for that Look test bike, I do not see a hipster cyst on there. I'm not saying it's not there...I'm just sayin' ... I ... don't ... see ...it.

Just sayin'

Wes said...

What is it with these Looks? Even a non-lookalike Look would get looked at with a seatpost like this.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320337652156&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:Watchlink:middle:uk

This guy must be about 8' tall, mostly leg. I guess he needs a new seatpost as the current one is not long enough.

bikesgonewild said...

...bikegonewild thinking to himself:::...
..."man, oh, man...i don't even drink CALFEE but if i hadda big cup a' VANILLA flavored KONA i'd certainly be faster than this A.N.T. speed i'm workin' at now...it's like i'm in SOMAsville...

...hillbilly & this commiecanuk guy from the TRUE NORTH are kickin' my ass...if only i had more COURAGE, i could be less SINISTER, less of a VILLIN about this stuff...even MERLIN the magician couldn't get me outa this mess...

...oh, well, now that PUCH has come to shove, if it's BAREKNUCKLE time, i'm gonna have to have a little one ONONE PARLEE w/ our LEADER...see if i can RALEIGH the troops behind me"
...

...dialing..."hello, eddy...mr MERCKX, i need yer help, sir !!!"...

Dongoose said...

Do any of the frame stickers tell you what drugs to do between the century on Saturday and the race on Sunday?

jolene said...

i road my BIKE to visid a quantens ner the PACIFIC andjakit but wen i tried to by it the clerk got all HUFFY becus i had bin singin IRON HORES no wait that wasnt it it was bon jovey that jersey hunk with the dirty SCHWINN inhis jeens NEXT he caled me a KENT so i showed him and he ROADMASTERbated

Wes said...

bgw

You sir have us RALEIGH round you like MONGEESE around a snake, and with old Red there and Jolene, still single as they're not the MARIN kind.

Right, I'm off to walk my dogs, RIDGEBACKS.

Wes said...

Ah, well, about that Raleighin duplication, I didn't NIGEL DEAN to do it, sometimes these things, they just happen.

Gentlemen walk through DAWES, opened by their BUTLER, CLAUD, who will also pour them a glass of ORANGE juice.

After dialling, you have DIALLED, in much the same way that post-contriving you have contrived.

bikesgonewild said...

...right now, i'm hoping & praying that somewhere out there, there is a bike called a TOAST...i doubt there is but that's what i am...& that would be the perfect final name...toast...

...

Wes said...

You could then propose one, with wine, which is what I've had. Australian, Peter Lehmann. Sorry Ant1.

urchin said...

Re short drop bars: sure, those of us who, due to steric hindrance, don't bend as far appreciate them, but that's not all they're for.

I've always found it odd that frames come in an incredible array of sizes and shapes, but somehow it is expected that someone 6'5" and someone 5'5" should both be comfortable with stock 145mm drop.

If you only ride the drops or only ride the hoods, it is a matter of appearance only--fine. But surely physiologically there's more than just flexibility involved in the switch from hoods to drops. Slightly different emphasis on different muscle groups?

Surely Dr. Zinn can find something to write 20 pages on here...

As for the Look, sure you can race it on Sunday. Just install the optional 800c rear wheel to level things out..

NPJ

Anonymous said...

wishiwasmerckx said...
" The Look sounds just like my girlfriend. She does it all and can be ridden all day."

That includes when you're not home :)

kale said...

urchin/npjlrabs-

I thinks it's just one of those things to get used to - yeah it is more comfortable, and the aesthetics are different, but other than that... I just haven't cared to find out until my new bike showed up. I don't find myself riding in the drops too much in NYC (breaks ~ delayed). I was just getting the feel that it was a new gimmick in the industry, like beefy bottom brackets, sloping top tubes, and crabon fibre seatstays - or if there was anything to it, since I get all my component info from Bicycling Magazine, Jenson USA user reviews, and the forums at roadbikereview.com.

Anonymous said...

"Frontal Flex" -- implies flaccidity in a certain "frontal" area of human anatomy. An unfortunate association given the lost rigidity associated with cycling these days:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/health/nutrition/04bike.html

Andy Pandy said...

Don't worry about how it rode , the most important fact required in a review of a crabon bike is its weight... the rest is pack fill. Get out the kitchen scales we need to know

Anonymous said...

The cross-chaining issue with compact cranks is something that you end up dealing with by not using your front derailleur as much (or in the same way) -- you end up doing a lot more two/three cog changes. In any case, a little sad you're using the little chain ring at all looping around Prospect Park.

BikeSnobNYC said...

Anonymous 7:56pm,

What's sad about spinning easy in the small ring in Prospect Park? Far sadder are the guys riding the big ring in Prospect Park in the middle of the day, hunched over their TT bars and screaming at little kids on training wheels to get out of their way.

--BSNYC

red neckerson said...

when ricky gots to take a dump we say he gots to PEUGOT

ok it aint funny so fuck you

TheTye said...

Hey, Super-cool

absolutely no "W@@Ts" today...

how refreshing...

there was a MOOT though....
still, I'm happy

Anonymous said...

what's better then spinning hard in any ring and yelling at milfs on jami hybrids to "hold your line"

Anonymous said...

what's better then spinning hard in any ring and yelling at milfs on jami hybrids to "hold your line"

urchin said...

kale--no doubt the shallow drops are yet another unexplained fad (like super-upturned brifters impossible to use from the drops--yes, I said brifters, back me up, Sheldon). For any irrational fad perhaps there are a few people who finally get the mass-produced component they've been looking for...

Better stock up on FSA wing pros before they go out of style... Or maybe lose a few pounds. Whatever comes first...

Ken Kovar said...

bsnyc, unjump the shark! It was a good review but your talent is not reviewing but skewering ridiculous bike trends/products. This was the first column of yours that really didn't make me laugh... You rock/run best with double butted pure irony!

leroy said...

Anon 7:56 PM --

Wait a minute. You mean you're supposed to go around Prospect Park in the big ring?

Well that explains all the pointing and giggling.

And here I thought it was my baggy tights.

Boy am I relieved.

BSNYC -- next time you should insist that the manufacturer send you a clean bike to test. Honestly, it's like they don't even care.

Fierce Panties OMFG said...

I'm very thankful that I've only seen the crabon-AYHSMB collabo on the internets.
If I saw it on the road I would have made a serious pause and then possibly failed.
It would be a little disturbing and confusing to see the AYHSMB front rim and LOOK frame combo pass by. (I never pass.)

I would have been all like, "hey check out the douche jumpin' Snobs train...err, shark," and shit.

Is this the first viewing of the 4X AYHSMB logo?

Anonymous said...

can you believe this shit! When will people stand up against assaults on freedom? I understand...well supposedly, UCI has banned the wearing of none prescription eyewear in UCI sanctioned events! Burn down UCI!!!

Fierce Panties said...

RTMS,

I'm a little disappointed that the Elite Gilded Cage (BSNYC review from 10/07) wasn't mounted on the LOOK.
I think that would tie in very nicely.
The generic alum cage looks like a wire hanger and and an afterthought.

thejakesnakes said...

Ken Kovar,
Snob has been doing product review from the beginning.
Carbon water bottle cages
Mellow jonny
11speed
That post the end of the first summer where he reviewed several high end road bikes.
Rapha cravat,
Books,
Kevin's tattoos

thejakesnakes said...

Also, I thought this was one of snob's more ironic reviews. he defintely didn't S look's D like they wanted him to.
Not like I need to write more. i'm sure he'd tell you to S his Bs anyway.

hillbilly said...

leroy - wait a minute, baggy tights aren't cool. DAMMIT!

hillbilly said...

that was a question as in "baggy tights aren't cool?" with voice rising at the end

Ka_Jun said...

Nice "burse", i.e. dork-tastic saddle bag.

Anonymous said...

it would have LOOKed better with a real dork bag instead of the unironic one you used.

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize that "Performance tuned carbon". It must handle like your Scattante.

CommieCanuck said...

BGW..MERCKX?, dunno..sounds made up.

hillbilly said...

alright, i've defended all the shark jumping claims til now, but this is a bit disingenuous

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/fashion/02FITNESS.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper

Anonymous said...

Woot! Woot!

Anonymous said...

hillbilly-

lold@ "the pockets are in the right place"

CommieCanuck said...

Urchin: bingo...nail...head.

Style masters who dictate one setup fits all should just fuck off.

Short people got no reason to live.

Anonymous said...

Snob, if you don't want the Look, I'll take it.
GAC

NattyD said...

I've read a lot of bike reviews, and they're almost all creampuffs. Refreshing, this honesty.

HalfWheeler said...

I own this bike and fortunately have a good sense of humor. It's a little flashy but it makes those Cat 5ers at the local crit sit up and fall to the back on first sight. :-) Oh, and I really always wanted to be a dentist, only to inflict torture on small children.

Unknown said...

I recently rode the 566, built with all SRAM Rival components, along with a few friends of mine. We each have a different background in cycling and were able to give some interesting perspectives on it. Personally, I thought it was great. Check out what everyone thought at bikerumor.com. http://www.bikerumor.com/2009/06/09/bikerumor-review-look-566-origin-road-bike/

Anonymous said...

nice post. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did any one know that some chinese hacker had hacked twitter yesterday again.

Florin said...

nice bike ;)

Anonymous said...

Sorry to join in wayyyyy late, or maybe I'm not, who cares. I just have to say that this article was a sheer piece of BS. Getting your respect by bashing a perfectly made bicycle - says something about your audience. In fact, in years of running a roadie shop, 9 out of 10 people on performance/race road bikes need at least an inch (2.5cm's) or often MORE in terms of spacers...it is rare that someone runs a short stack, because it is rare that someone would actually fit that setup well. The 566 was made to be a bike that doesn't need to be spaced-up. It makes sense. The article and all these responses are just examples of retro-adolescent "HATING" without a rational explanation that hipsters do to calm their souls. (I will absolutely agree on just one thing, that ridiculous tech-labels all over frames should be banned.)

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Aanchal said...

The powerful sintered bearings can led to more life for this bycycle.. As it is best said that strong the parts, stronger will be the machinery.

Harddisk Recovery said...

I love biking!

Anonymous said...

this was a fun post and I enjoy the follow up comments. If you take a moment to clean up all of the SPAM that was also added as comments, then the web will be cleaner.

Unknown said...

if you are riding Balance Bikes it means you have the best ride quality along with comfort. A good Balance bike should also offer a natural inclination, which adjusts to any rider sitting on it. The design of the balance bike should be considered the last factor. It should have a pleading look. You can always check reviews on the internet about the best balance bike available.

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I think balance bikes are great but can someone tell me how they “teach skills like…using caution, as well as basic traffic rules”?

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