Quote:
Originally Posted by kramnnim
I rode a 585 for quite a few thousand miles and then switched to a 586, which I thought was an improvement.
Since then, I've been riding more modern monocoque frames like the Supersix Evo HM, R5, S5, Z5, Helium, Foil...and honestly I wouldn't pick the 585 or 586 over any of them.
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I will admit that my personal fascination with them is based on the fact that I liked these lugged composite bikes and lugged aluminum bikes way back into the early 1980s, when we would see Sean Kelly on a Vitus and Robert Millar and Phil Anderson and Duclos-Lassalle on the Peugeot carbon fiber frames. Then Lemond and Hinault in 1986 and from there they became more and more ubiquitous in pro racing. Lemond won the 1989 Tour on a TVT carbon frame and the Looks were derivatives of this technology.
I first rode one in 1989 when I tested a Look KG96 in Madison, WI. It was amazed at the smooth ride and the springy, light and lively feel of the frame. Over the years I always wanted one and when I got my 381 in the fall 2006 I wasn't disappointed even though it was already outdated. I enjoyed it on hard rides for several years and the main reason I moved on was that the seat post clamping mechanism left me nervous.
I still love the aesthetic of the lugged carbon and the level top tube. I'd love to get a Seven SLX622 or whatever they're called these days. They totally re-create that art/science fusion to my eyes.
This is my old 381, which I no longer have. I enjoyed this very much and I enjoy my 585s but I'm also under no illusions that there aren't better bikes. My fascination with them is entirely personal to me.
