# Look's Interbike Coverage on MTBR (link inside)



## Tino Chiappelli (Apr 25, 2005)

For those of you who couldn't make the show, here's MTBR's photo coverage of our booth. Let us know what you think.

http://content.mtbr.com/TRD_13_278crx.aspx


----------



## molddr (Aug 3, 2006)

*VHM head tube*

View attachment 66786
]Great pic's at interbike! What's up with that horrible pic of the head tube with a bad gate blemish and die line! Where's QC on that one! I hope my 07 585 doesn't come through like that]


----------



## jimbonnet (May 9, 2005)

yeah... that is kinda gross. My 595 doesn't have the line.. nor did the 585 I had.

jim


----------



## ico (Feb 6, 2005)

jimbonnet said:


> yeah... that is kinda gross. My 595 doesn't have the line.. nor did the 585 I had.
> 
> jim


Jim, 

can you compare 585 and 595? I'm riding 585 and expecting 595 frame for christmas  some pics would also be nice


----------



## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

Yikes @ that picture.


----------



## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

*ugly line on look's headtube*

the line down the front of the headtube is a result of the unidirectional carbon used on those "ultra" designated frames. it is what it is, there's got to be a seam somewhere, and if you think about it, a spot where a line goes with the general direction of the decals, like on the head tube, is probably the best place to put it. you wouldn't want a random line, out of whack with all the rest of the tubing and decals would you?


----------



## haz a tcr (Sep 29, 2005)

ethanweiss90 said:


> the line down the front of the headtube is a result of the unidirectional carbon used on those "ultra" designated frames. it is what it is, there's got to be a seam somewhere, and if you think about it, a spot where a line goes with the general direction of the decals, like on the head tube, is probably the best place to put it. you wouldn't want a random line, out of whack with all the rest of the tubing and decals would you?


exactly.

Look at any UD carbon frame and you will find one somewhere if it isn't painted - for example the Cannondale System 6 has one right down the length of the top tube. It doesn't even look that bad anyway but Look has done it better of course!


----------



## molddr (Aug 3, 2006)

*die line & gate blemish*

At close to 4K for a frame and the leader in carbon technology,all it comes down to is a little finish hand work.(time = money -- money = time) Yes,The die line and gate has to be some where, but trust me it should of looked a lot better than that! Especially at a major show,that's all.


----------



## rensho (Aug 5, 2003)

That would cause a severe second look from me, and play some type of role in me buying a frame. It is one of those things where, every time I look at it, it would bug me.


----------



## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

I just want to make sure I'm understanding right. You guys think it's ok to pay close to FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS for a frame with a finish like that?

Seriously.


----------



## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

*look CF lines*

remember, this is with a flash camera, i'm sure. any oddities are probably accentuated.


----------



## Tino Chiappelli (Apr 25, 2005)

Ethan is correct, that's enhanced (in a negative way) by the lighting. It's really not that noticeable in person. I never noticed it until that picture.

BTW, that's the 'Ultra' version of the bike. It's identical to the standard 585/595 except that it is 15% stiffer & @ 30grams heavier. Pricing remains the same.


----------



## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

Sorry, I have to laugh at some of this marketing crap. I'm not saying I wouldn't love to own a Look. I think the 595 is sweet-looking, but "it's the lighting" just makes me want to laugh.

Hey in the wrong light, your bike will look like it came from a junkyard, but don't worry, you spent your four grand on a great frame. Really.


----------



## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

the fact is, i don't work for look. to tell you the truth, i'm 17. 

i've got a 585 ultra on the way, yes, but that doesn't change the fact that i didn't even notice the seam in checking out the bike _in person_ before someone put the picture up on this thread. i guarantee you'd have to be looking for it in normal light, because it blends with the direction of the graphics. i imagine you've heard of red eye, a negative effect of flash? 

also, seams are not a unique characteristic of UD carbon fiber. have you ever seen a clear coated bidirectional CF frame without seams? i doubt it. if you haven't, i don't think you're looking very hard.


----------



## Tino Chiappelli (Apr 25, 2005)

FondriestFan said:


> Sorry, I have to laugh at some of this marketing crap. I'm not saying I wouldn't love to own a Look. I think the 595 is sweet-looking, but "it's the lighting" just makes me want to laugh.
> 
> Hey in the wrong light, your bike will look like it came from a junkyard, but don't worry, you spent your four grand on a great frame. Really.


There's no marketing spin behind this at all. In that picture it looks really bad, in real life it's barely discernable. You can see the line, but it blends in with the natural characterstics of the UD carbon really well.


----------



## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

Hey, like I said, I'm not knocking Look. Their bikes are sweet. Overpriced, but sweet.

Personally, I think a 4-grand frame shouldn't have "redeye" and it should be absolutely perfect. It's four thousand dollars for a carbon mass-produced frame.

But that's just me.


----------



## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

redeye is not the fault of the subject, but rather the conditions and type of camera. i think it's fair to carry the same idea over to these bikes.


----------



## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

No, it's not. Redeye isn't an actual physical event. If you look very closely at someone's eyes, they're not going to be red. That seam is. Look closely and it'll be there.


----------



## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

*A final word on the merits of a Look, and its finishing*

Well I must say you've got me on that. I guess it simply comes down to whether you're able to recognize the particular properties of a material and accept them for what they are. Carbon cannot be welded, sanded, and smoothed to look like one single piece. If you want that, buy a Seven titanium. At the same time, though, a Seven fits the same $2500-$4000+ price range of a high-end Look, such as the 585 or 595 Ultra. Carbon has to be monocoque, lugged, and/or wrapped. If you don't want to see the composition of the material, you should paint your bike as white as a doctor's office. 

And ultimately, a bike is meant to be ridden, not put in a picture frame. It will get scratched, dirty, and, compared to when it was new, unacceptable. Sure, you can put it on a pedestal, but my opinion is that anyone buying a bike for its capabilities as a tool for speed and precision will see beyond minor cosmetic "disfunctions." As much as the Look is a thing of beauty (as I think it to be), its true purpose is performance.


----------

