Look 585

[robt57]

Use it correctly negative and get some S-Works Hover or other similar bars with rise to them??

Rise of the Riser_drops


https://www.slowtwitch.com/Gravel/Th...Bars_7280.html

[johnnylarue]

Originally Posted by robt57

Use it correctly negative and get some S-Works Hover or other similar bars with rise to them??

Rise of the Riser_drops


https://www.slowtwitch.com/Gravel/Th...Bars_7280.html

(This forum really needs the exploding brain emoji)

These look amazing—I had no idea “riser drops” were a thing.

Will definitely investigate if the fit calls for it. I’ve never been a huge fan of the look of angled stems on racing bikes but, much like the author of that article, long legs/short torso means I usually wind up having to reach more than I’d like to. So this is very promising.

Thanks for the tip!

[johnnylarue]

Johnny’s a happy camper today:
E74013B2-68C8-4F24-A5A8-E23E2740DF7C.jpg

Picked it up yesterday after taking it for a 5-minute spin in the seller’s extremely roughly-paved neighbourhood, mainly to verify the fit. I was in sneakers and he suggested I take it down and back up an absurdly steep nearby hill to test its climbing ability. Suffice to say, it was work! And combined with the maximally inflated 23mm tires and rough road, I thought to myself, “Okay I can tell this is a nice bike, but is it really that much better than my $300 Scattante CFR?”

Still, the frame was in nice shape apart from a small chip in the fork paint (shipping damage, it turns out), it was clean and nicely built up with a pretty 7800 Dura Ace group, a period-correct Look carbon cockpit and some rather fetching Ksyrium K10s. I figured I could get my $850 back pretty easily if it didn’t work out.

Today, after hiking up the stem and plopping on my dusty old (conveniently matching) Avatar saddle, I took it for a ride along my usual 10-mile circuit.

Holy. Heck.

This bike is like warm butter gliding across a freshly toasted slice of bread. What a beautiful ride. Its 23mm tires feel significantly smoother than the 25mm I was riding on my beater. At speed, it glides over the bumps and cracks I’ve come to know (and brace for) with nary a jolt to the hands or seat. And equally noticeable, when my legs are nearing that point at which they turn to jelly near the top of a hill, one hard push on the pedal immediately takes me back to cruising speed. I’m... quite smitten.

I still remember the thrill I felt the first time I stepped onto a “real” Italian road bike (my ‘81 Colnago Mexico) after riding various commuter/cruiser/mountain bikes all my life. The thing just jumped out of the gate like a horse on a sugar high. The first couple of weeks, I would go on pleasure rides with friends and my gf and obnoxiously race up hilly side streets “for fun” while they slogged it out on the main route. The 585, being the lightest and most “pro” bike I’ve ever ridden, is giving me that thrill all over again. Granted, the improvements are less drastic than switching from a 50lb Dutch commuter to a 20lb vintage racer, but they’re just as noticeable and euphoria-inducing.

Long story short, way more bike than I’ll ever need, and I can’t wait to get back on the thing! A big hearty thanks to this forum for putting it on my radar.

Now, to the build:

- I acknowledge that the oversized Look stem is pretty hilarious (charitably speaking) and I may end up swapping it out for a more normal stem with a slight rise to better suit the traditional look of the frame. That said,

- the cockpit is impressively forgiving and surprisingly stable, and I really dig the flat tops on these bars. Super comfy on the hands/wrists.

- I don’t love red bar tape, but I keep thinking, “Red bar tape.” Bad idea?

- I think I’m gonna touch up the white portion of the chipped Look logo on the fork.

- Carbon crank would have been my first choice (to match the cockpit), but I kinda dig the all-DA vibe, and there’s just enough metal on those K10s to make it work. Just.

- Seat will eventually become something nicer...

And that concludes this instalment of “Johnny’s 585 Honeymoon Diary”.

[robt57]

Due respect, which is it? Or did you think to yourself the first one before you actually rolled the 585. Best known for the second thing you said.

This:

I thought to myself, “Okay I can tell this is a nice bike, but is it really that much better than my $300 Scattante CFR?”


Or this:

This bike is like warm butter gliding across a freshly toasted slice of bread. What a beautiful ride. Its 23mm tires feel significantly smoother than the 25mm I was riding on my beater. At speed, it glides over the bumps and cracks I’ve come to know (and brace for) with nary a jolt to the hands or seat.

BTW, you want more 585 glide, try some known nice riding tires, which those ain't.

[mhespenheide]

Ditch the Look stem and, if you're willing to risk flats, put on some Veloflex 25's. Then {air kiss}.

[joevers]

Originally Posted by robt57

BTW, you want more 585 glide, try some known nice riding tires, which those ain't.

Truly mind blowing how one can ride 23 gatorskins and comment on how smooth they are. Quite literally one of the most jarring tires you can buy at the moment.

[Latestart]

Amazing the bikes you can get for short money these days. I picked up almost the exact same bike a few months back. Haven't really gotten out on it much, but looking forward to adding it to the rotation in the Spring.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by joevers

Truly mind blowing how one can ride 23 gatorskins and comment on how smooth they are. Quite literally one of the most jarring tires you can buy at the moment.

And if you need that kinda meat for crappy crud ridden pave that is flat happy, even better...

Originally Posted by Latestart

Amazing the bikes you can get for short money these days.

I've had one for a few seasons. Last year late I upgraded it with some tubular Rolfs that presented themselves and tubeless tubular LGG Clement/Donnely and only ride twice before breaking out the off season meat/bikes. I can not wait to roll it when spring time comes, expect it will be chosen a lot.

[johnnylarue]

Originally Posted by robt57

Due respect, which is it? Or did you think to yourself the first one before you actually rolled the 585. Best known for the second thing you said.

This:

I thought to myself, “Okay I can tell this is a nice bike, but is it really that much better than my $300 Scattante CFR?”


Or this:

This bike is like warm butter gliding across a freshly toasted slice of bread. What a beautiful ride. Its 23mm tires feel significantly smoother than the 25mm I was riding on my beater. At speed, it glides over the bumps and cracks I’ve come to know (and brace for) with nary a jolt to the hands or seat.

BTW, you want more 585 glide, try some known nice riding tires, which those ain't.

It’s the second. My initial (5 minute) impression was coloured by the rough road, steep hill and overinflated 23mm Gators. It was a rather jarring experience, but I knew the bike’s reputation, recognized that it fit me and that the odds were good I could make it work. The ride today was the polar opposite—better roads, slightly deflated Gators, and most importantly a frame of reference: I know what this route felt like on my “crappy” bike and could easily discern the differences.

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Ditch the Look stem and, if you're willing to risk flats, put on some Veloflex 25's. Then {air kiss}.

Very tempting. Not a big flat fan, but my daily ride right now is very predictable and not a huge flat threat. It’s honestly hard to imagine how sweet this bike might feel with nicer tires... As for the Look stem, it’s a bit of a dog but I find it oddly charming...? Gonna keep it around for a few weeks and see, though there’s no denying that beluga-shaped bulge ain’t doing much for this bike’s otherwise fetching silhouette.

Originally Posted by joevers

Truly mind blowing how one can ride 23 gatorskins and comment on how smooth they are. Quite literally one of the most jarring tires you can buy at the moment.

I’m used to riding 25mm Gators on all my commuter bikes and I’m struggling to remember the last time I had a flat on one of them. They’re heavy, but they’ve served me well (esp in heavy Vancouver rain). I didn’t realize the 23s had a reputation for a harsh ride, but my five minutes on them at max inflation yesterday would support that assertion. And I suppose it’s also a testament to this frame’s ability to absorb buzz that they actually felt pretty good on my ride today—again, probably 5-10psi lower than they were yesterday fwiw.

Originally Posted by Latestart

Amazing the bikes you can get for short money these days. I picked up almost the exact same bike a few months back. Haven't really gotten out on it much, but looking forward to adding it to the rotation in the Spring.

I agree. It hurts my brain that a bike this good has lost so much value in 10+ years. It doesn’t make any logical kind of sense to me. (Meanwhile, its direct rival C50 commands three times the price? ***!?)

[johnnylarue]

Anyone think red tape will work on this thing or should I keep it minimal black up front?

[thegunner]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Ditch the Look stem and, if you're willing to risk flats, put on some Veloflex 25's. Then {air kiss}.

i think you mean {air hiss}, but yeah, they're nice when they aren't cut.

[johnnylarue]

Originally Posted by thegunner

i think you mean {air hiss}, but yeah, they're nice when they aren't cut.

Nicely played.

What’s the consensus fast/comfort/flat-resistant tire these days?

[johnnylarue]

Forgot to mention the seller threw in the original ‘limited edition’ tires and tubes that came with those K10s which he never used. Speaking of flats...
BA9D0604-BD89-4E07-AC67-837B381F0AD5.jpg

[weisan]

Johnny pal, if the LOOK 585 is good enough for the pro teams at the 2005 Tour de France, it's good enough for you. No more excuses, enjoy your new bike and ride the heck out of it!

[dave thompson]

I like red bartape on my 585.