# Look 585 Ultra--Tragedy



## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

I received my brand spankin' new 585 Ultra back in late October. I had waited months and months, as mine was one of the four XXL's being shipped to the US, and when it arrived, there was nothing else like it, like you've surely read.

However, this past Sunday, racing at the Bariani Road Race in Zamora, CA, I was crashed, with 400m to go. Someone crashed me from behind; I didn't see it coming, and I was down fast. I'm alright, with standard-issue road rash leaving its mark on my body, but the bike...not so lucky. I looked down to find the seat stay completely severed, with someone's front wheel through it. Also, at the wishbone, two major cracks. (Not to mention a busted Shimano shifter, Easton handlebars, and Time pedals, and perhaps a Mavic rear wheel.) I was devastated. I saw the damage to the most essential part of the most essential aspect of my life--cycling. Nonetheless, my love for the sport of cycling became all the more apparent; I knew that my bike was in trouble, thus so was I.

My first thoughts were simply that the dream was over. I'm a junior racer (17), and my parents had been generous in helping me with this bike, but I knew that the crash replacement deal that Look would give us would still go beyond our limits. (Let me just say, I'm a racer of 6 years, with pro aspirations, so please don't just judge me as a spoiled kid.) Later, it was confirmed that Look's replacement deal was simply unreachable, and I thought the love affair was over. But...

We dropped the frame off in Santa Cruz today, at Calfee Design's factory on the coast. We realized that the idea of repairing a frame of that caliber today is radical. In the first moments after the crash, I certainly believed so. But considering Calfee's resume, the huge difference in cost to a new frame, and all those other factors, we decided it was for the best. I'm not sure what Look's position on it will be; perhaps to their chagrin, I'm not sure. What they should note is that I am so in love with this bike that I'd rather have a repaired frame than anything else. 

So Calfee pledges they've fixed frames broken in half; that they can repair it to new condition--or better! I know that Craig Calfee has been doing carbon for longer than just about anyone else, at least in the US. Perhaps the only company doing it longer is Look! But anyways, they will place an insert in the right seatstay, rewrap, and completely re-mold the rear wishbone at the brake mount. I will post results and pictures when it is finished, perhaps in 2-3 weeks, but for now I can only show the destruction...Beware, it's not pretty...


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## chas (Aug 10, 2006)

Damn Ethan, I'm really sorry to hear about this. I know how much you loved your bike, and it really sucks for it to get taken out like that. Let us know how it turns out.

*[email protected]*


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## HammerTime-TheOriginal (Mar 29, 2006)

What is Look's crash replacement policy/pricing?


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

interesting to note the plastic bladder that gets left inside the stays after molding.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*expensive...*

Sorry for your loss. I've got a 585 myself, but don't race. My advice to racers has always been to ride a frame you can afford to crash and trash, because it is likely to happen. Aluminum frames under a $1000 make a lot of sense. Let us know what the repair cost.

I just had a crash myself, but it was a solo left-hip slide, caused when I had to make a change to my line through a sharp curve on a mountain descent. An oncoming UPS truck and I were both close to the centerline. I hit thick sand and that was it. Fortunately, the damage was limited to heavily scratched ergo levers, a helmet, jersey and new shorts. Lost more skin than I could believe - left hip, shoulder, forearm, knee and both hands are scrapped up good.

OOPs, my post should be tied to the OP.


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## gibson00 (Aug 7, 2006)

Craig Calfee knows his shite. If he says it'll be better/stronger than new, then believe it.


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## wuggabugga (Oct 3, 2005)

Sad,

That's a hear breaker to see a great frame have that happen to it.


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

Calfee repaired a big ugly puncture in the seat tube of my CF Tetra. Good as new - you're in good hands.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Sorry for your bad luck, but Calfee should be able to fix it without any problem. You may not now have a pristine Look, but repairing it is certainly do-able. I've worked with carbon and epoxy in the boat industry and gone on to make lots of racecar parts for myself as well as modified a few frames and repaired some with good sucess..It is not rocket science.

I have one DeRosa frame (my Crit bike now) that I crimped the downtube on in a crash and re-worked two seasons ago. I've since done a lot of racing without any problem on that frame. In fact, the repair gave me a chance to stiffen up the headtube area and make the fork slightly stiffer and now the bike works better than when it was new..Carbon is amazing stuff and pretty easy to work with (if you know what you are doing)

Good luck with it, don't worry. If Craig is as good as his reputation, you'll have your ride back soon, in fine shape...Getting taken down from behind...that is rare, the guy musta really been spacing out and hit you hard...

Don Hanson


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

I forgot to mention in my last post...After my crash I was really bummed, and ordered up a brand new DeRosa to replace my broken one..Well, I built that one up and in the mean time did the repair and modification on the broken one. Rode the two back to back and found I liked the repaired one better! So, I kept that one and sold the replacment!...
Don Hanson


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## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

Yes, I'm quite optimistic about the repair. I think Calfee is a classy company--LookUSA, too--so I expect I'll be pleased, at least considering the alternatives. The bike will take on a more intrinsic value, too; a little DNA from both.


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## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

Oh yeah, about the crash. I tend to think that someone's front wheel was taken out, and he fell body-first into my rear wheel. It would have taken lots of force to take me out simply by nailing the wheel. BTW, we were moving at 31+ mph when it happened.


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## Johnnysmooth (Jun 10, 2004)

Calffe will do you well. He repaired my '96 vintage C-40 on a couple of occassions. Once a chip in the chainstay, drive side, the other, rebonding the rear dropouts that came loose due to torsional forces. 

Interesting point on that last repair as Craig told me over the phone that he had the same problem with some of his earlier models (design was round peg in round hole) and subsequently went to a design of a square peg (drop-out) into the seat and chain stays to eliminate the possibility of the bond breaking free.

Sorry to hear of your crash Ethan. I have the new 595 and am seriously considering using it for racing this season, but after your story, may wait a few years before I take her out to the races and rely on my older trusty stead, a DeRosa Primato.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

Ethan, a roommate's alu/carbon Cyfac had its left-hand side seat stay severed in a crash, very similar to what happened to your LOOK. He sent it off to Calfee and I'm very impressed with the service and the repair. The finish is not as perfect as a newly-made carbon piece, but one can't tell without paying special attention to it. 

The best news is, as far as I can tell, he still rides the bike and races it very hard.

Hope you'll get your ride back and in tip-top shape soon!


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## HighFlyer (Sep 5, 2002)

Ethan keep us posted on the repair of your frame. Truly sad to see but I hope it all works out for you in the end.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Funny how little regard we have for our bodies when we crash a bike that we love. Nice to see that frames can be healed as well.

Contrary to what others have said, the risk of really messing up a frame in a race is generally overstated. Most crashes are survivable for framesets.


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

How'd your bike come out?


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## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

filtersweep said:


> Funny how little regard we have for our bodies when we crash a bike that we love. Nice to see that frames can be healed as well.


It is funny, isn't it. I crashed hard in a crit, cracked my helmet tore my clothes, etc. I landed about 15 feet from my bike. Two teammates stopped as well. One went to check on me, the other on the bike. His comment was "Don't worry, everything's fine. The bike's not damaged."

Needless to say, I was very relieved. It was my beloved Fondriest P4. Still ride it.


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## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

CaseLaw
The bike came out great. I created another thread with photos from the rebuild, something like "Look 585 Resurrected." I can't find it for some reason on this forum right now, and I apologize but I'm not in the mood to go through uploading them again. I'll post the link to the other thread if I find it.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

this thread?



ethanweiss90 said:


> CaseLaw
> The bike came out great. I created another thread with photos from the rebuild, something like "Look 585 Resurrected." I can't find it for some reason on this forum right now, and I apologize but I'm not in the mood to go through uploading them again. I'll post the link to the other thread if I find it.


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## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

that's the one


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## HighFlyer (Sep 5, 2002)

Hey Ethan if you don't mind me asking what can one expect to pay for a repair like that and did he have a rate sheet of suggested fix prices? Not that I need to fix anything right now but I always wondered what the consequences of a bad crash would be to my cherished 585.
Cheers.


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## ethanweiss90 (Aug 14, 2006)

Calfee has a rate sheet of prices for fixes on their website. Look for the Repair Service, and a non-Calfee frame.

The complete fracture in the seatstay was considered a major tube repair, but the crunch at the wishbone was the bigger problem. I believe they called that a major fracture repair as well. The final bill, including clearcoating, was $515. Considering they essentially rebuilt the back of my bike, it was fairly easy to make the decision, especially when a frameset is another $1500+


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## HighFlyer (Sep 5, 2002)

Hey that's not bad at all and definately the right decision. Are you still racing crits with her?


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

Thanks for the update Ethan. I'm glad everything seemed to work out for you.


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