A Proper Endurance Road Bike - My LOOK 765 Optimum Custom 

Worth the wait. Looks very nice 👍

Lol someone asked if my Look 765 was a Amazon bike the other day.. needless to say I was heartbroken inside but politely laughed and said yep

As a tour mech for forty years plus, at sixty I still ride a lot with my knees Permisson, I just wanted to say I love your appreciation and passion for quality, people like you a getting rare nowadays, keep getting your enthusiasm out , good job…..

This is super nice! Congrats!

So I did it and bought one today! Although just the stock alloy rims but will change them out next year! Thx for a great channel I love seeing all your videos!

Nothing better than seeing all those happy smiles. Great series of vids Paul thanks for sharing loved watching them. Great looking bike optimised for your specific uses. Some bikes keep pulling you back again and again suspect you’ve got one there. Happy rides ….give us an update 3 years down the line, suggest you try it in North Gran Canaria, fantastic endurance rides in the mountains. 😎

Wow what a gorgeous bike you have there! Love the fact that you are giving an honest, 360 degree review from a rider's perspective and that is very helpful to us enthusiasts

Great looking ride!! We shared the same philosophy on what an endurance road bike geometry should be. Best wishes with it!!

Ah, what a lovely weekend: getting in the zone minding own business. Yet still able to make a video for us👍

I'm glad to see what you have done with your 765. I just took my 765 Gravel RS out for it's first long ride yesterday and am still evaluating it. I put 32mm tires, rather than the 40s, on it but everything else is stock. I like the SRAM rival shifting, and the low gearing for climbs. I look forward to seeing more content on the 765.

Love hearing this, as it’s exactly what I wanted in my Cervelo Caledonia. Almost identical geo except the Caledonia has a 1 degree steeper head tube, and subsequently a few mm less trail. But your expert take backs up my choice… even if you probably got a better whole package with the custom build, and I’m gonna need to tweak and upgrade bits over the years ahead to dial it in!

was wondering about this build after the previous video where you did a rundown of the frame. Thanks for the update and what a great bike!

I’m the least technical person in the world but I just love these bikes on aesthetic grounds. I have just bought a 2020 765 Optimum and will ride it until (hopefully) supplies of these catch up with demand. Thanks for taking the time to do this video properly ❤.

LOOK bikes are like Aston Martin DB9.. They make absolutely astonishing goodLOOKing bikes. When you ride that bike in the bunch in the philippines. Your bike is an instant celebrity. Not so many have one, yet so many aspire to have one. 😂

Shame about disconnecting the brakes when changing headsets but its only a psin in the arse for us home mechanics 😂😂 enjoy the new bike hopefully it inspires you to ride it into the ground this year :)

Thanks for this little series. It convinced me to add the 765 to my search for a new bike. I've been riding a Roubaix for the last 11 years and wanted something that felt a little faster, more aggressive, and better in hilly country. I tried the BMC Roadmachine with SRAM Force, it was very solid, capable, etc., but in the end too close to the Roubaix. The 765 (with Rival eTap) on the other hand just wanted me to dig in. I had the shop swap the stock rims with some Enve SES 3.4s and was able to tackle hills up to 12 percent with no real issues. And the straights are so much fun, especially in the more aero position this bike puts you in. Very happy with this bike!

Really lovely looking bike. As an engineer I have come to accept that if it looks good it is good! This is one good looking bicycle!

Lovely bicycle. Good to see another member of the 1x team;)

I absolutely love this bike. This is what 90% of riders should be using. Also some pros, like Fabian Cancellara, actually raced on slacker geometry. The stability of this type of frame just makes power transfer feel so good.

Congratulations on build

Really nice bike and great video and content.

A stunning bike😍

Oh great now I want one😂, nice bike Paul, might have to put on my next next Xmas list build

Great review and explanation. Now I got a other bike to consider... ;)

I have a 795 blade and it's really comfortable for a race frame. Love the large head tube. Look make fantastic frames but you don't see many of them about.

Looks great enjoy 👍

LOOK at that beauty

It LOOKs great!

Brilliant bike, for me almost perfect, I would have chosen a set of wheels around the 45mm range, I would get more of a snap for the hills. To each Thiers, keep enjoying.

Nice bike 👍 I can't help but drool Enjoy 😉

Your bike looks amazing. Mine is scheduled to arrive within weeks. Thinking of pairing it with a set of Reserve 40/44 😊.

Love the bike Paul, also your approach to the build. Interesting your comments on understeer/oversteer as I had previously never considered this in respect to road bikes, but I think I also experience this on my winter bike (Focus Paralane), I did take that bike to the Alps last year and to be fair it did a fine job of coping with the descents if a little slow on turn in. I like the comparisons to cars too, out of interest where would you see a BMC Roadmachine? BMW M3 perhaps?

Delighted to hear your feedback. I just purchased last year’s model 765 Optimum+. Now I need to get it built.

I used to ride a scott cr1, it was a race geometry oriented frame, then I switched to a Cannondale synapse, the synapse put a smile on my face it was so smooth on straight line, easy to manage in cross winds etc. But two things I miss with the scott is the liveliness and precision cornering. The synapse had the same understeer issue. The bike feels laggy in the corner. Great build mate, appreciate and applaud the thought process you put in selecting and building this bike.

Very nice bike. This frame could be the replacement of my Synapse next year. I’ll stay with 2x11 DA, because with grouprides I want the possibility to ride above 50 kmph and ride in the mountains like the Dolomites.

I'm glad you like your bike. I called Andy at Zyro and they can't get frames this year or next year! I didn't ask why. Can't find any online either.

Beautiful! 765 Geometry roughly matches the (ugly) Merida Silex gravel bike, but 2 sizes smaller. Quite agreeable geo for endurance riding, especially when I lived on a windy island w/ 50mm wheels. That geo but lighter, with a better BB standard, internal cabling, and being much more aesthetically pleasing is a real winner. Have to agree about cornering though.

Nice looking bike, the green-blue colour looks even better I think, but appears to be hens teeth rare.

Nice bike. I just got a Time ADHX for the same reasons as you and love the ride. One thing I noticed is that it's nearly impossible to push the bike around while holding the saddle without the front wheel immediately flopping over. And on very steep climbs (15%+) the front wheel does wander about more easily at slow speeds. Not a big issue, but interesting tidbit about the geometry.

Hey Mapdec, thank you for another great video. I have never tried 1x systems. I am sure the weight savings will benefit and the number of things I need to maintain will decrease, but I don't know if the decrease in the number of gears will affect my performance badly. Can you make a video about 1x systems? Which ratios should we choose, what you like and what you don't like, etc.

great review

Good review but I have a couple of comments on the handling, which differ a bit, and there are a couple of compromises with this bike (as you say). I have a 765 Optimum+ and live in Switzerland, so am lucky to have lots of climbs and descents to enjoy. My main point of reference is a Ridley Helium SLX, my other bike, and have had in recent years a string of other bike including a couple of other Ridleys, Canyon Endurace, an older Look 481SL. First off, this Look 765 is extremely fast and confidence inspiring going downhill, with the caveat that this applies only if the bends aren't too tight. Fast sweeping turns, larger radius hairpins - perfect! - and it's very easy to turn in at speed, find and hold a line, make adjustments. (The Ridley is probably just as fast but requires more concentration). Where it become "interesting" is when the bends tighten up and your speed at turn in drops, then the bike feels very sluggish to turn in and you have to really lean the bike over/push the inside handlebar down and even then it's not great. This is compromise number 1: high-speed cornering, great; low-speed cornering poor. Compromise number 2 is kind of related: when the road kicks up (I'm also "lucky" to have quite a few 20-25% gradient climbs nearby) and your speed drops, it's really hard to steer and requires maximum focus (vs eg the ridley which dances up hills) and this is not due to the heavier bike weight, it's a function of the steering geometry. This is unnerving to say the least, especially if there's traffic/narrow road/drops of the side. A few times I wondered if I was going to hit the deck because I couldn't control the direction and was veering across the road and/or the front wheel felt like it was going to crab. Compromise number 3 is that this is not a bike for fast group riding because of the slower handling, I take the Ridley every time in a group. For the right kind of riding, this is a really great bike - outstanding actually - but I'd be disappointed if it was my only bike for the reasons above.

Nice video buddy

Far too late now of course but one way of dealing with the front mech hanger when going 1x is to leave it on and fit a chain catcher. Looks fine and adds functionality.

I was glad you talked about the understeer. As a short arse rider, we often end up with bikes that have slack head angles but a fork without enough rake and end up with slow handling bikes (and I hate it). It's getting better though. The Look is nice but defo not for me 😀

My 2017 Ridely Fenix SL is a endurance road bike that is very comfortable but has also won a stage of the giro with Andre Greipel (2015)

Really enjoying all your videos but especially the ones focusing on Time and Look, you are really doing a lot for those brands. Have you any updates on the 765 planned and will you be riding it through the winter, with mudguards?? I'm seriously considering this for a winer ride or is it too good to be dragged through the crud of the English roads? Keep up the good work!!

If Eddie Merxx had one of those during his career, none of his records would have been tied. It seems so ridiculous that they were constrained to 42/52, and either 13,14,15,16,17, or 13,15,17,19,21. They shifted terribly and the shifters slipped and came out of gear during efforts! On balance, some of those old bikes are still being ridden with adapted newer components. Some of the upgrades I wouldn't consider riding without.

Very nice bike. Since you asked, if it was mine, I’d of kept the 2x. I’d also angle the shifters up and back more. Also angle them in more, in line with current trends in the world tour. Doing both of those has made my current bike much more comfortable to ride.

Thanks for the nice video. Would you make a comparison video between 765 optimum plus and 765 RS gravel? It is bit confusing a endurance bike getting a wider tire clearance and mug guard mounts but the gravel counter does not. I am more inclined towards to Gravel just because it is RS frame but on the paper optimum plus looks more versatile bike due to mud guard and tire clearance option.

Observation only but the Look carbon frame is said to be one of the best if not the best after that its all about your choices not other peoples i wish you many years of great fun and safety .

Great review as always! I see you went from Cannondale to Look, which is what I'm planning to do as well! Although I'm not really sure about the size - I have CAADX size 56 now and I'm not sure whether to go for M or L sized 765. Which one do you think would be better? I've ridden M-sized Canyon Endurace for a week and it felt relatively good (even though the geometry was quite off)

Throw in a pair of Conti GP 5000 AS TR, 35mm! 🥰 and please let us know how it’s like that

Bought Endurance version (Emonda SLR H2) aswell; bonus: i can run it slammed. 👍🏻

Not keen on the T47 BB cups - especially if they're torqued to 40nm. Could be a struggle to remove in a few years. Nice bike though - a good bike for our climate with the mudguard fitment

Wow the head angle is less than my two late-noughties mountain bikes I've not long moved on from and sold! I'm considering a Mason Definition or Revolution now for what little road riding I now do. I find my CAAD9 a bit scary downhill now I'm not riding it enough to stay tuned into it.

Hi Paul, Congrats on the build, the NEW 765 paint options are not that exciting, but your's LOOKs great built up. Just wondering what size bike you purchased and how tall you are?

Bike looks great Thought of a chain catcher ?

This may sound heretical, but what about replacing the Ryots with Ryot 33s? Lighter, but strong enough for gravel and cross ( and therefore extended trips on our lanes). Might give you the uphill zip you’re looking for and be less affected by the wind. I’ll get me coat…..

Great videos. I have a frame on order… should be road ready for next month. Does the LS3 stem allow for a specific type of direct mount for your Garmin?

I ordered my frameset today. Apparently the distributor in Switzerland only has one per size in stock. Looks like they’re in high demand. Anyway, wondering if I could get that neat cable routing using a Deda Superbox stem…

Lovely bike @Mapdec . So I am pretty sure you also looked at the Time ADHX. What tipped you towards the 765?

How does this compare to the 785 huez? Been riding that frame for 3 years now. Absolutely love it

T47 with GXP! Alll makes sense now.

I have ordered TIME Alpe d'huez 2023 frameset made of Dyleema, Carbon HM and Kevlar. which has a bit more racing geometry for 2023 model, but very comfortabke composite combination, and BCS technology.

I would love to come to Lake District for a ride

I really love the Look bikes and I'm getting a new bike but I can't afford a Time adhx and the 765 seems just a bit too slack to my taste so I think Cervelo Aspero might just scratch the itch

Can you run dura ace mechanical shifters with this frame or is it electronic only? im still not a convert to electronic yet. i like the simplicity of cable actuated shifting and its easy to tweak when out and about

Very nice sir. Look 586 rider here. What is your height of interest and what size frame is that ? Thanks J.

What 1x gear ratio do you have? Have a similar idea for my build. Wonder if 10-44 and 48 chainrings are enough for climbing (up to 18%). Currently riding 11-30 and 50-34. P.S. Your reviews on bike geometry and handling are nothing like on the rest of the internet 👍🏻

I see pros lean the bike in like a motorcycle, I do this on a mountain bike. they lean bike keep the grip, hit the apex, while commentator is going crazy, they steer by leaning the bike, which is what slack head angle is made for, steep is like driving a bus as Chris Porter(Geometron) says. not sure how much the offset of the wheel in relation to the steering axis. I've never tried a road bike. 11:01 I had a mountain bike that did that, 2014 Fuel EX, it was horrible.

Excellent video, thanks a lot. What a gorgeous bike! This frame would be awesome here in the Swiss alps. What made you choose the frame size L? I’m 184cm with an inseam of 86cm. When I look at the manufacturer’s recommendation, I normally find myself choosing one size smaller. What would you recommend?

I've been riding a 2022 Domane with recently added FFWD 44 wheels. I like the bike, but have an opportunity for a Look 765 Optimum Plus. With the Domane and 765 being similar, any thoughts on swapping for the Look? I've always wanted one and the additional tire clearance would be great as well.

I'm considering this bike for a winter/rain bike. It has fender mounts and Look says it's only compatible with Look's fenders. Can you confirm this and do you have a set that you can show what they look like and how they mount on? Thanks.

Very nice! Are those tyres 28mm tubeless?

Huh, interesting geometry figures. My Fairlight Secan is almost exactly a BMC Roadmachine, whereas this 765 is... well, more upright and progressive. Hmm hmm hmm. Need to test ride.

What size is the frame and whats the seat height from the BB? I’m looking at one of these and want to check how much seat post will be exposed

What be the car equivalent to my Scott Addict? Would u prefer a 52mm or a 38mm carbon wheelset on an endurance road bike?

This is what I was looking for! I wish I could have a fast and sharp race bike. But to be honest, roads around Northampton here in the UK are very rough and terrible for a race bike. Your bike choice seems perfect for all day in the saddle. I really appreciate you took your time to do this video and go through everything in a detail. Nobody told me this when I bought my bike a few years ago. Thank you a lot🙏 I have now Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 2019 with Mavic Ksyrium wheels and it feels a bit sluggish. (probably because of the wheels). I'm thinking if I should upgrade it with some parts and new wheels or just get a new better bike. Hard to say. Looking for something similar to yours. I'm just a bit limited with my 97kgs to find any decent wheels. Do you think is a good idea to upgrade? Thank you

What is the largest tire size it would accomodate? Would it work with 650b wheels and a large volume tire?

Nice looking bike, what is the weight in this combination?

I had a synapse hi mod 56 a few years ago. Is the geometry of the Look 765 similar??

What is the main difference(s) between the Optimum+ and their Gravel RS?

Where did you buy it? It doesn't seem to be in stock in the UK.

With the internal cables coming out of the headset like that, how is it for travel and general removing the bar? Also, would attaching clip on aero bars be easy with that setup?

Whats the Tire clearance on this one? Can you use this as a Gravel bike with fatter tires like 38mm?

I spy with My little eye, something beginning with X..... Xert data fields 👍

What other bikes fit this "in between" category you spoke of?

Can you guys tell me if I can sqeeze some 35 mm Slicks without fenders into the Look 765? I know Look say 34 mm but maybe that's conservative? I would love to use it as an All Road Bike.

CAN i ask you between this look and Time alpes d’huez 21 what is the better in term of geometry and absorption/feel ride?

If you wanted lighter wheels, which ones would you take?

Shouldn’t that dale have a 5mm spacer above the top cap?

🙈 Please pay a pro to touch up the frame 🤪 I've only seen 1 Look bike close up, funny in pics and videos 'yep that's a bike, what's the fuss about' but seeing it in front of me, now that is a different matter, just oozes quality and style.

How is the bike headset if you wanted to run stay a metron 5d 6d etc

Would the frame accommodate 35/38 c tyres without mud guards?

What was the total cost of the build?👌

How does the geometry of this bike compare to the Time ADHX ?

what cassette is used on this 1x setup?

I bought the frameset but im missing the spacer under the stem. Where can I order it? I live in the netherlands

What's the difference with this and the Optimum+?