Pricey? Yes. The lightest? No. The fastest? Probably not. But as a whole the Look 795 Blade RS 3 Dura Ace Di2 is one hell of an all round package. It’s real world quick, ruthlessly stiff while managing to deliver an impressive ride quality, and the handling is absolutely spot on. We could well be looking at my favourite bike of 2026 so far.
Look 795 Blade RS 3 Dura Ace Di2: The ride
Any bike costing five figures has got to be pretty damn special and even two miles into my first ride I could tell that this Blade RS 3 wasn’t going to disappoint.
The stats don’t do it justice. Weighing in on our own scales at 7.4kg, the Blade RS is far from hyperbike status, especially when we are used to seeing top end models from other brands dipping below the UCI’s 6.8kg weight limit.
Alongside that, Look does have some wind tunnel data of a 15W saving at 50km/h over previous iterations, but it isn’t making any massive claims about saving watts compared to other brands, or how this is the fastest bike on the market at a certain speed if the wind is in the right direction and it happens to be the second Tuesday of the month with a full moon. A refreshing change if you are like me – a middle-aged non-racer who likes to ride hard but isn’t too worried if you get home 25 seconds later than you would on the world’s slipperiest superbike – when wind tunnel claims are generally irrelevant.
You can argue that Look hasn’t made these claims because this wouldn’t be the fastest bike in the wind tunnel, but it is the fastest I’ve ridden on all of three test routes I use for reviewing, with PBs set on virtually every segment. I said the same thing about Merida’s new Reacto 9000 a couple of months back, but the Look has upped the game again.
It has focused on creating a bike that’s fast and aero in real world conditions, and that is something it’s achieved.
When it comes to bike fit, I’m really flexible. I don’t worry too much about 5mm, or even 10mm here or there as I just seem to be very adaptable and can still get the power out even when the position is different from another bike I’ve just ridden. I did luck out with the Blade RS though as it immediately fitted me like a glove, which is always going to boost efficiency.
In addition to that, the Blade is incredibly stiff. It’s one of those bikes that when you hammer on the pedals, the response blows your mind. Nothing feels wasted and I don’t think I’d be lying if I said that the performance on offer is intoxicating. I wanted to give the Look a little dig all of the time, whether that was attacking a climb, a sprint to… well, anything really, or absolutely nailing away from the traffic lights just because I could.
The real masterstroke though is the handling.
It’s a bike designed for the pros, which means the geometry is set up for a fast-steering front end, especially when paired with the current trend for narrow handlebars.
This bike is so direct. Pushing through rush hour traffic at speed highlighted just how nimble the handling is. ‘Razor sharp’, and ‘handling like it’s on rails’ are the clichés I’m going to chuck in here because they’re so true. The speed with which the Look changes direction is awesome.
Even subtle interactions give a big response. For instance, when on the hoods, applying pressure through the heel of my hand allowed me to make subtle changes to my line mid-corner, and if I was in the drops doing the same would give a more pronounced response. It’s just so controllable. I’d argue that it is one of the best handling race bikes on the market right now.
It never feels twitchy at all though – not even in the slightest – and at more relaxed speeds it behaves like an endurance bike, allowing for smooth control where it feels really easy to live with.
All of this means that on a ride I could enter corners faster, carry more speed through them and therefore exit quicker. I’m not saying other bikes I’ve ridden aren’t as capable – the difference is that the control and feedback of the Blade RS gave me the confidence to push harder and carry the speed.
As a climber, it’s not worth worrying about that extra 400g or so it’s carrying over something like Canyon’s Aeroad CFR as the stiffness on offer means that it still feels efficient when climbing in or out of the saddle.
That handling comes into play again on the descent in any case, so any seconds I might have lost on the way up were easily made up on the way down.
One thing I have found about Look over the years of riding its bikes is the firm knows a lot about how to build a frame and fork that marries that stiffness with compliance. It’s rare to find a poor carbon fibre from any of the big brands these days, so the benefits I’m talking about are very marginal, but I get to ride many bikes side by side and I can pick up on how slightly more refined the Look is against some of the best out there.
It’s a subtle suppleness. Riding over broken tarmac sections, the Look takes just a little bit more of the resonance off, for instance.
In a nutshell, it’s a comfortable bike. More so than I was expecting before I started riding it. Yes, it’s still a firm ride, as any race bike is going to be, but it’s still a bike I could use as a grand tourer, covering a lot of miles at speed.
Overall, from a ride point of view, this is a stunning machine and one that I could live with regardless of where my route took me on any given day.
Look 795 Blade RS 3 Dura Ace Di2: Frame and fork
Look manufactures its frames within its own factories, with the painting, assembly and quality control taking place in Burgundy, France, which it says gives it 100% control over the entire process from start to finish, and it is this that you are paying the slight premium for.
It doesn’t go into full details of what carbon grades are used, and that’s its prerogative, but the medium frame we have here weighs 890g, plus around 340g for the fork, depending on steerer length. That’s a 160g drop over the previous iteration.
Other details include a T47 bottom bracket from Praxis and tyre clearances of 34mm.
The Blade RS 3 comes in six sizes, ranging from XXS to XL, covering top tube lengths of 491mm to 577mm. The medium I rode has a top tube of 543.5mm and when paired with a 137mm head tube you get stack and reach figures of 549mm and 391mm respectively.
The angles are quite aggressive with 73.5 degrees at the head, while the seat tube sits at 74 degrees, giving a position that really gets you over the bottom bracket to get the power down.
To help refine your fit, Look allows you to configure the components to get everything perfect. Seven stem lengths are on offer, along with three handlebar widths, three fork offsets and the aero seatpost has two offset options.
Look 795 Blade RS 3 Dura Ace Di2: Pricing and finishing kit
The 795 Blade RS 3 range starts at £4,750 for a frameset, while complete bikes begin at £7,990 for a Shimano Ultegra equipped model with Look’s R45S wheelset.
Upgrade to Fulcrum’s Speed 57 wheels and it’ll cost you £8,690. SRAM Force AXS and Scope Artech 6.A wheels bump the price to £11,690, while going for Campagnolo’s Super Record and Bora Ultra WTO 60 wheels will require a spend of £13,299!
This model is ‘middle of the range’ at a mere £10,190.
For this you are getting a Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset with a 52/36T chainset paired with an 11-34T 12-speed cassette giving plenty of gears for the types of speeds the Look is capable of, without leaving you struggling on the climbs.
This is Shimano’s flagship groupset, so it’ll come as no surprise that the shifting is fast, smooth and very lightweight at the lever. The braking is incredibly powerful and offers loads of modulation. I’m pretty sure I got all of the buzzwords in there, but you can’t get away from the fact that this is a top level groupset and behaves exactly as it should for the price. You can read our full review here.
The wheels are from Mavic – a set of its Comete 50s, which have a 50mm deep carbon rim with a 23mm internal width. The spokes are bladed carbon fibre, while the freehubs are running ceramic bearings.
I have written a separate review of these, but the condensed version is that I was very impressed with them. The ride quality is really good and there is a noticeable aero boost without them struggling with things like crosswinds. They also proved to be reliable and durable, and their all round nature suits the Blade’s personality.
Fitted to them are a set of Vittoria’s Corsa Pro tyres in a 29mm width. “Fast, supple and confidence inspiring – a superbly rounded race tyre package” was how Sam described them in his review earlier this year, and I’d go along with that.
Their open tubular design gives them a supple feel and overall grip is impressive. Due to the way our summer went, I didn’t get to ride them in the wet, but in the dry they give loads of confidence and helped me get the best out of the bike. With a retail [roce of £89.99 per tyre, they aren’t a cheap option, but definitely worth it.
Moving over to the components, you’ll find that pretty much everything is made by Look with the Aero Carbon RS3 handlebar and Aero Carbon stem comprising the cockpit. They may look like a one-piece system, but they are in fact separate items.
I found the handlebar to be very comfortable with available positions easy to hold comfortably when in the hoods, while the drops are within easy reach and don’t make the ride position too extreme. The carbon used in the lay-up allows a bit of damping without affecting the overall stiffness of the bar when it comes to hard braking or out of the saddle efforts.
The seat post is full carbon fibre and basically does its job holding the saddle secure and being easy to adjust. The saddle is a Shortfit Dynamic 2.0 made by Selle San Marco. I’ve ridden these on quite a few occasions and felt straight at home with this one. Its shape lends itself well to fast riding and the minimal padding fits my idea of a quality perch.
Look 795 Blade RS 3 Dura Ace Di2: Alternatives and conclusion
When it comes to aero road bikes, we are spoilt for choice with pretty much every brand featuring one in its line-up.
That new Merida Reacto 9000 that I mentioned earlier is a very good bike and I was really impressed with every aspect of it. That model was a lower spec than this Look with Ultegra Di2 fitted and it cost £6,250, which compares well with the Ultegra specced Blade RS.
The Reacto Pro model comes with full Dura Ace Di2, DT Swiss ARC 1600 wheelset, Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR tyres, a 4iiii power meter and Merida’s own SL 1P integrated cockpit for £7,500.
Felt has recently launched its new Nexar FRD, an aero road bike with geometry to suit the everyday rider. With its Dura Ace Di2 groupset, Vision Metron 45 RS Carbon wheels and a carbon cockpit, it’s slightly cheaper than the Look at £9,899. It’s light too at 6.62kg.
Canyon’s Aeroad CFR is a stunning bike to ride, which I found out when reviewing it a couple of years back. That model was fitted with SRAM Red and cost £9,749, but since then Canyon’s pricing has dropped a bit. The latest CFR with Dura Ace Di2, DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut 55 wheels and carbon finishing kit now costs £8,500.
Giant’s aero racer, the Propel, comes in at £9,999 for its flagship model. The Advanced SL 0-DA has a Dura Ace group, deep section Cadex wheels with carbon spokes and a carbon integrated cockpit.
I’m currently riding a Propel from the latest launch – albeit from the next tier down, the Advanced Pro range – but the review should be up in a few weeks, and it’ll have some comparisons to the Look.
It’s not that everything is cheaper than the Look though. Pinarello’s Dogma F Dura Ace Di2 had a retail price of £13,000 when I reviewed it at the end of 2024 and looking at the online prices, you’re still going to be paying at least £12,349 for the privilege of owning one. I liked it, but I feel that the Blade RS wins out on ride quality, as I would argue it does against all of these bikes by the tiniest of margins.
And that’s exactly what we are talking about here: tiny margins. Having ridden all of the bikes above, I would say if price wasn’t a consideration I’d go for the Blade RS and wouldn’t regret my decision. The fact is though that price is nearly always at the forefront, and you really can’t argue with the cost of that Merida.
To sum it all up then, the Look is an amazing bike, one of the best on the market, and if you can afford the best then I highly recommend it.
Test Report
What does the manufacturer say about this product?:
Unleash your speed. Save watts. Climb faster. Ride longer. The 795 Blade RS 3 isn’t just built to be fast — it’s built to make you faster. A pure race-bred road bike, engineered to win and to deliver a thrilling experience of performance you can measure in seconds saved and watts gained.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:
Advanced carbon layup
34mm tyre clearance
T47 bottom bracket
Six sizes available
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:
Many brands’ aero bikes fitted with this level of kit are nearing five figures, so while the Look is priced higher than most, it isn’t by a massive amount. Merida comes in strong with the pricing on its Reacto Pro though.
List the components used to build up the bike:
Seatpost: LOOK AEROPOST 5 carbon with Offset
Saddle: LOOK Shorfit Dynamic 2,0 by San Marco
Handlebar: LOOK Aero Carbon RS3 handlebars
Stem: LOOK Aero carbon stem
Wheels: LOOK R45S
Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro 29mm TLR
Chain: Shimano M8100 12sp
Crankset: Shimano Ultegra R8100 12sp. 52/36T
Bottom bracket: PRAXIS T47
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra R8101 11/34T
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170
Derailleurs: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150
Tell us what the bike is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?:
Look says, “Wind tunnels tell one story. The road tells the truth. The 795 Blade RS 3 is built on LOOK’s holistic gain philosophy — aerodynamics, lightness, and power transfer in perfect harmony — but lab numbers only matter if they hold up where it counts.
That’s why we took our prototype out of the lab and into real-world conditions, chasing gains you can actually feel: in the breakaway, on the climb, into a headwind, at kilometer 180. Every rider, every road, every race — one purpose: making you faster.”
It’s a bike designed for the pros but with so much customisation it should be easy to make it fit those who don’t race for a living.
Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options:
This model sits in the middle of the line up, with a couple of bikes below it fitted with Ultegra and topping out with Super Record and Bora wheels. Full pricing details are in the main review.
Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork:
Built and finished to a very high standard, with the inclusion of an eye-catching paintjob which I really like.
Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork:
Look keeps things close to its chest and describes both the frame and fork as using an advanced carbon fibre lay-up.
Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork:
The geometry is race orientated with steep angles, and a relatively long and low position.
How was the bike in terms of stack and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?:
The stack and reach measurements are bang on where I’d expect them to be.
Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality:
For such a stiff bike, I was impressed with the level of compliance on offer, which means that I found the Blade RS comfortable enough to ride for many hours at a time.
Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?:
This is a very stiff frame and fork with no hint of flex anywhere when pushing hard on the pedals.
Was there any toe overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?:
No.
How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive?:
Responsive.
Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?:
The handling is brilliant. Quick, direct and controllable with the smallest of inputs.
Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike’s performance? Would you recommend any changes?:
The Mavic wheels offer some aero bonus, but the supple tyres give confidence allowing you to carry plenty of speed into the corners.
Any issues with drivetrain durability?:
No.
Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn’t like? Any components which didn’t work well together?:
Dura Ace has a very light action offering quick and precise shifts, plus the braking power is impressive.
Any issues with wheel durability?:
No.
Tell us some more about the wheels. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels? If so, what for?:
A great allrounder set of wheels offering performance and a good ride quality.
Any comments on tyre durability? How much did the tyres wear during testing?:
No signs of wear after covering around 500 miles.
Tell us some more about the tyres. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the tyres? If so, what for?:
Great tyres with loads of grip and a very supple ride feel. When they wear I probably wouldn’t replace them like for like due to the price though.
Any issues with brake durability?:
No.
Tell us some more about the brakes. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change anything? If so, why?:
Very powerful braking with loads of modulation.
Any issues with controls durability?:
No.
Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?:
The handlebar shape worked well for me, offering plenty of comfortable positions and I found the saddle to be comfortable.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
Use this box to explain your overall score
From a riding point of view, the Blade RS 3 is flawless and the only slight sticking point is possibly the overall price. There are some exceptionally good bikes out there doing the same job for quite a bit less if value is your ultimate concern.
