Just in time for the Tour de France, French bike pioneer Look has unveiled the third generation of its flagship aero racing platform. The Look 795 BladeRS 3 packs a highly modular integrated cockpit which, along with geometry combinations, is said to deliver a whopping 350 different variations.
Look has also extensively tested the bike in the wind tunnel and real world to shave off a claimed 15 watts at 50 km/h (31.1mph), even when the bike is travelling through “turbulent, unsteady air”. It’s already been raced to a stage victory at the Itzulia Basque Country by pro cyclist Alex Aranburu.
Assembled at Look’s facility in Burgundy, France, the bike is configurable via Look’s “à la carte” system. Although you can’t specify if you want it medium-rare, you can choose from seven stem lengths, three handlebar widths, three fork offsets, up to 50mm of headset spacers, an aero seatpost with two offset options, plus six frame sizes to suit riders from 155cm to 200cm.
Look is particularly proud of that handlebar, which follows the general trend towards making things a bit more comfortable for riders as well as saving watts.
“Engineered for three distinct racing scenarios, it features a shape that helps the rider maintain an aero position longer, maximized stiffness in the drops for sprinting, and a tailored sweep and flare to open the chest for better breathing on climbs,” says Look.
With the sizing locked in, Look reckons it’s honed the 795 BladeRS 3 to shed 15 watts at 50 km/h over previous editions. As is usually the case with aero bikes, the company made use of computational fluid dynamics and wind-tunnel testing to take into account various body types, speeds, and drafting positions. The result, according to Look, is a bike that’s consistently faster at wind angles from -15° to +15° (which is what you’ll experience the vast majority of the time when riding).
”A new solution was tested with a real rider and adopted only when the gain was statistically robust — delivering a consistent advantage beyond normal measurement uncertainty, rather than a one-off result,” says Charles Philippe, Look’s R&D Manager. “That is a very high bar to pass, but it is the mission we gave ourselves: to make anyone who rides a 795 BladeRS 3 faster, all the time.”
Maintaining 50 km/h requires a pro level of athleticism, so the watt savings would drop accordingly when you’re bimbling on the Sunday club run.
A medium 795 BladeRS 3 frame weighs in at 890g, and the fork is 340g — a reduction of 160g compared to its predecessor. The frame includes clearance for tyres up to 34mm, while the bottom bracket and front end are said to be 10% stiffer than the WorldTour average. A medium bike starts at a complete weight of 6.9kg without pedals.
Builds range from £7,990 with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Look R45S wheels, to a lofty £12,390 with Campagnolo Super Record and Scope Artech 6.A wheels.
Want to match the pros? Look’s limited-edition Iconic Prisme Replica packs the exact Cofidis Tour de France spec (Campagnolo Super Record wireless, Bora WTO 60 Ultra Team wheels) with lion-proof stripes for an eye-watering £13,299. You can also get the frameset alone for £4,750.
Stu loved the original Look 795 BladeRS frameset when he reviewed it back in 2019, and Mat was similarly impressed with the updated edition when he looked (ahem) at it last year.
We’ll be able to tell you even more when we hopefully get a test bike in later in the year.
