# Cervelo R3 vs. Look 595



## AZ Cruiser (Apr 20, 2006)

I currently ride a Cervelo R3. I love it; however, I want to get a Look 595 Ultra. Is there anybody out there that has ridden a R3 and a Look 595? Please share with my your opinion on both. Any input would be appreciated.


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## nrspeed (Jan 28, 2005)

Sell the R3 on ebay and get the look- non ultra though. You wont be disappointed.


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## AZ Cruiser (Apr 20, 2006)

nrspeed-
Could you elaborate on the Look 595 origin? Do you have one? How does the Look ride compare with the R3? How do they compare in the front end? The only weakness with the R3 is that it can be a bit to flexy in the front end and the Wolf SL fork is very harsh. I don't know why the guys at Cervelo put a better fork on their bikes. The lateral flex in the front end ticks me off. Does the 595 have any lateral flex? Is the bottom bracket with the 595 pretty solid? Thanks again for any input.


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

If it's just the fork that you don't like then why not change it to something you like? It would save you the trouble of selling your R3, buying the 595 etc. Not to mention all that money you would loose. 
On the other hand if you have money to burn then go ahead and add the 595 to your arsenal.


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## nrspeed (Jan 28, 2005)

Cervelo just upped the price on the R3. Good buy- With some luck you could sell it used for very little out of pocket. The 595 ride is amazing and there is very little in the front end that gives. Teh larger bearings help with that supposedly. It has an intuitive/connected to the road feel that comes from the integrated post. A weakness of the R3 is that the post you ride has a huge influence on the feel, especially with the degree of sloping/compact frame. I have tried Easton carbons, Thompson aluminum and Specialized zerts posts and all make the bike feel very different. The craftsmanship on the Look is second only to Colnago IMO. Don't even look inside the R3 headtube if you want to keep riding it with confidence- ignorance is bliss. 
PM sent


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

There are 2 factors that make that distinct "look ride" really stand out - their Carbon frame Know-how and their forks which are second to none even as a very expensive aftermarket product. Even colnago do not make their own carbon - they just bond it and buy the tubes from a belgian producer.


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## AZ Cruiser (Apr 20, 2006)

I did it! I sold the Cervelo R3 yesterday. I'm ordering my Look 595 Ultra tomorrow. I'm so stoked! I'm convinced that the Look 595 is the best frame on the market. It came down to the Look or a Time and I think the Look is a lot better value.
No offense, the R3 is a great bike but it's lateral stiffness in the front end just sucks! The bottom braket stiffness is great. All in all, it is a good bike but the Look is far superior.


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## Zwane (Jun 30, 2006)

How did you notice the frontend flexiness?


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## nrspeed (Jan 28, 2005)

Good job. Post pics when it arrives!


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## AZ Cruiser (Apr 20, 2006)

When I'm riding in the big ring with speeds about 25 mph and above, it would get sketchy at times- almost like a speed wobble. The wobble originated in the head tube/top tube area. Again, it's a great bike- but Cervelo needs to address the lateral stiffnes- possibly by increasing the diameter of the top tube.


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## AidanM (Aug 11, 2006)

man if its good enough for fabian should be good for you, might be your wheels instead of frame


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## Zwane (Jun 30, 2006)

AZ Cruiser said:


> When I'm riding in the big ring with speeds about 25 mph and above, it would get sketchy at times- almost like a speed wobble. The wobble originated in the head tube/top tube area. Again, it's a great bike- but Cervelo needs to address the lateral stiffnes- possibly by increasing the diameter of the top tube.


Do you recall what your handlebar/stem setup (spacer count, stem length etc) was like?


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## AZ Cruiser (Apr 20, 2006)

Yeah, I had it set up with a Ritchey Carbon Evolution handlebar, a FSA carbon K-Force stem and about a half inch worth of spacers. Again, the R3 is the best frame I had ridden in the past 20 years. The only thing wrong about the ride is that when I was going pretty fast and maybe a car came close to me or there was something I had to dodge quickly & I had to adjust my steering very quickly, the front end would laterally flex. Kinda scary a few times, but overall not a big deal. No frame is perfect... except the Look 595 Ultra.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

AidanM said:


> man if its good enough for fabian should be good for you, might be your wheels instead of frame


Only difference is that one is being paid lots of money to ride it and the other is paying lots of money to ride it.


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## nrspeed (Jan 28, 2005)

AZ Cruiser- Wheel shake like that can be caused by the aerodynamics of the front wheel. What wheels are you riding? Kysriums?


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## AZ Cruiser (Apr 20, 2006)

I got the Look 595 Ultra. No comparison. The Look is a way better bike. It is so much stiffer laterally and at the bottom bracket. It shocked me how much stiffer it is. It makes the R3 seem like a noodle. All I can say is that I'm so happy I got the Look. The R3 is a very good bike, it's just that the Look 595 Ultra is the perfect bike.


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