# My new 486 -- hot off the workstand!



## Look fast (Sep 20, 2005)

Hey everyone,
Just thought I would post some info and photos of my new Look 486 for you all to drool over....!

Stats:

2005 Look 486 frame
Custom wheels built by Yours Trully (one of my favorite pastimes)
front: DT rim, DT (Hugi) 240 radial hub, 28 radial Aerolite spokes​rear: DT rim, DT (Hugi) 240 hub, 32 Aerolite spokes (x2 drive side, x1 left side)​
Dura-Ace 7800 levers, cranks (180mm) and deraileurs
GoreTex Ride-On shift cables
Look KEO IronMan pedals
Mavic chain
Mavic SSC brakes
Aztec brake cables
Easton EC90 stem
Easton EC90 Equipe bars
Look Ergopost
Fizik Aliante saddle
Fizik bar tape
Zipp bottle cages
Conti Force and Attack rubber
(no-name skewers; Salsa skewers on order)


The ride is, in a word, *AMAZING* -- I can't believe I waited this long to get a Look!

As a large-ish rider (200lbs of sprinting goodness!), I chose parts more on the basis of reliability and past experience than
on the basis of weight; still, the bike weighs in at a mere 16.6 lbs (7.5kg)!

The Look 486 frame is trully fantastic: perfectly stiff and capable of massive sprinting power, yet still soaks up
vibration and harshness like a sponge. But the other components are also all excellent: the EC90 stem (not at all
easy to install, but worth the pain) and bars no doubt contribute to the excellent ride and lack of vibration; 
the Mavic chain is practically a joy to swap on and off; the Mavic SSC brakes are the best I have ever used, bar none;
the Fizik saddle and tape are both super comfortable; and the Look KEO pedals are worlds better than my old Speedplays.....

Anyway, just thought I would give you all a chance to drool on my new bike!

-frank


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## trojanlete (Sep 2, 2005)

*486 vs. 585?*

Great looking bike!

What made you go with the 486 vs. the 585? Did you compare both frames prior to going with the 486? Did you consider any other frames/bikes?


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## Look fast (Sep 20, 2005)

Actually, I agonized over the 585 vs 486 and even 555 for quite a while; I think I called Veltec about twice a week for the past few months.... (They were super helpful!)

Reasons I chose the 486:
- Mono construction will last longer for a large rider according to Veltec
- Slightly better at soaking up vibration
- Significantly stiffer for all out sprinting
- Outrageous looks!

Geometry is almost exactly the same in my size (570) which made the decision all the more difficult, and I really didn't care (honest) about the 560g weight difference. As for other brands, I looked at lots (every carbon bike, I think!), but focused on Time, Kestrel, and Cervelo. At the bitter end, I felt that Look and Time had the best market experience with all-carbon construction, and both were far and away more helpful/responsive to my inquiries. To nail down the decision, I ended up going with the Look probably on the basis of style and slightly better geometry versus the Time bike.

There are lots of super-light very cool all-carbon bikes out there; some are even relatively inexpensive. But I think carbon is a difficult material to get right; cycling is a very demanding application in terms of both looks/style/finish as well as performance. So, I definitely felt more comfortable going with one of the leaders in the field, rather than one of the more esoteric brands....

As for a carbon blend, I tried a few, but never really found any that felt quite like the super ride of all-carbon.

-frank


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## BugMan (Feb 16, 2004)

Look fast said:


> Actually, I agonized over the 585 vs 486...


I have both! Well, actually the 585 will be ready in a few days.

Seriously beautiful bike, Frank! I've got an '04 486 - black like yours. I can't agree more with you regarding the ride. I've got it built as a dedicated TT bike now, but when it was setup for road it did everything. I couldn't believe how smooth it was when I first got it, yet super stiff for all out sprints efforts. I also didn't care about the weight difference (which gets far too much attention in my mind) and never felt like it took anything away on the climbs.

180mm cranks!


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## funknuggets (Feb 4, 2004)

*you suck...*

Really you do. Thanks for throwing your good fortune in our faces... sheesh.

Hey, did you see JS is coming to StL next tuesday... are you a bob mould fan (husker du, sugar)... I guess he will be at Mississippi nights. Any interest?


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## trojanlete (Sep 2, 2005)

*486 More information*

Would you say the 486 is a smoother training machine vs. the 585 (i.e. comfort vs. race)?

I would agree, it would be easier to have one of each. Need the big boss to o.k. the first one, than we will work on the second. 

The LBS has a 585 built-up, but not a 486. Just trying to understand how much difference there is in ride quality? I would also agree that the frame ("Looks") of the 486 is unique and amazing. Is there anything that you wish one frame had over the other or is everything negligible?


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## pogoman (Sep 1, 2005)

I was thinking about the 585 as well but I'm going with the 486. Definetely sounds like a great ride and I'm all about sprints so it would do the job.


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## BugMan (Feb 16, 2004)

trojanlete said:


> Would you say the 486 is a smoother training machine vs. the 585 (i.e. comfort vs. race)?


The rides are quite different from each other, but both are very comfortable. I just picked up the 585 yesterday and did ~40 miles. My legs were already toast from a 3-day race weekend, so I couldn't really put it through the wringer, but the 585 struck me as more "nimble" while the 486 is more "gliding" (kinda hard to put into words). The nimbleness of the 585 made me wonder if descending might feel twitchy, but it was rock steady. I think the 486 is stiffer, with that massive BB and beefier tubes. It'd be my pick if sprinting was key. Not that the 585 is not stiff - and it certainly feels lighter.

I think either bike can "do it all" and will be quite comfortable regardless of ride length and road quality. The 486 offers "space age" looks, while the 585 has more of a classic look (esp. in the white CA Team issue). I like them both very much and really can't find a negative for either.

funk -- yes, Mississippi Nights tonight. I was a big Husker Du fan back in the day. Now my tastes are more along the lines of Satriani, Petrucci, Iommi, etc. By the way, my "good fortune" involved getting hit while descending at 30 mph by a landscape truck driver who was trying to harass me, spending 3 months off the bike as I recovered from my injuries, and then suing his @ss. I love the bikes, but the route I took to get them is not one I'd recommend.


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## bleckb (Jun 13, 2005)

*got my look by getting hurt too!*

Except it was a recycling truck that pulled in front of me as I was doing about 30 mph headed downhill to work. Considering I could have died, it's not the way I'd go about getting a new bike either. The bike, KG 381 Jalabert, is now with veltec for warranty considerations resulting from crushed seatpost (not the best design) that seems to have resulted in cracking in the seat-tube. Hope to have something back by end of October's first week, but commuting and mtn biking are kinda filling the void.


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## Albert See (Sep 29, 2005)

*Latest Look KG486 '06*

Hi there

Do you know that the Look 486 '06 is now available?
No offence?

Checkout
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/p.php?make=look


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