Staff member, Guinness World Record holder and former World Tour pro, Molly Weaver reviews the new LOOK G85 Cezal.
The newly released LOOK G85 Cezal marks a new chapter in the iconic brand’s off-road offering. Set to be the cornerstone of a line-up of winning machines, the G85 Cezal is a versatile gravel bike with an MTB-inspired design.
The LOOK G85 Cezal has space for tyres up to 50 mm wide (57 at the front), an integrated storage compartment, the ability to fit either 700c or 650b wheels, and is compatible with 60 mm suspension forks. It can also be specced with either Shimano or SRAM, 1x or 2x drivetrains, with a frameset rounding out the range to offer a platform for custom builds.
With gravel bikes increasingly differentiating themselves as either pure race or pure adventure specialists, the LOOK is instead positioned as a true do it all steed. With the promise of performance across the board, we were excited to be able to test the G85 Cezal for ourselves.
THE SPEC AS RIDDEN:
- Frame/Fork: LOOK G85 Carbon UDHM
- Crankset: SRAM Force 1x, 40T
- Levers/Brakes: SRAM Force E1
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force XLPR E1
- Cassette: SRAM XG 1371, 10-46T
- Cockpit: LOOK LS3 stem, Deda Superzero Gravel alloy handlebar
- Seatpost: LOOK LS1 UD carbon
- Saddle: LOOK x San Marco Shortfit Off-Road
- Wheels: Fulcrum Soniq Carbon wheels
- Tyres: 45mm Hutchinson Touareg tyres
THE RIDE:
I first rode the LOOK G85 Cezal on a familiar loop, mixing up scrappy back lanes with rough double track and a handful of rubbly descents thrown in to really test its grip. It’s a ride I’ve done more times than I can count, on a number of different gravel and mountain bikes, so it gave the Look a fair shake out against some of the best rigs around.
I rolled out of the door and straight into a steep tarmac climb, where the G85 took off with ease from the first few meaningful stamps on the pedals. You can really feel LOOK’s road pedigree running through the gravel tuned frame, but rather than a twitchy turn of speed it brings more of a smooth rapidity under wheel. When settling back into the saddle at a more sustainable pace the bike settled down with me. It’s a stable ride when tapping out those mid-range watts, but by no means a sluggish one.
As I turned onto the gravel forestry trail I could quickly tell that the G85 Cezal was really in its element. It’s a well balanced bike that lets you relax and enjoy the ride: planted enough to cruise over rougher roads, but still playful enough to have fun while doing it. Even after a few hours in the saddle, and a few rides together, the rapid turn of speed still surprised me and brought a smile to my face. The fact that the LOOK doesn’t feel skittish kids you into thinking it also can’t feel fast, but it quickly changes your mind on that one.
The geometry also feels well judged, with a relatively shorter reach providing that control without taking away the agility needed to nip round obstacles on the trail. The controlled handling pairs impressively with the ability to lean into corners at pace, and although it takes a little getting used to the more MTB inspired position I could still hit the drops and get low on long sweeping descents with ease.
Once the going got a bit tougher under wheel the limit of the LOOK’s comfort started to reveal itself a little more. It’s not that it wasn’t capable of tackling the rockier trails, but it wasn’t as smooth a ride as you’d get with a more adventure leaning gravel bike. A bit more concentration on line choice was required, along with an embracing of the scrappiness needed to power through.
The bike could of course be made more capable and comfortable with a different tyre choice, with the G85 Cezal boasting clearance of up to 50mm. I would perhaps have gone for something a little grippier as well given the less than ideal British conditions I rode in.
My overall impression of the G85 Cezal was an extremely positive one. LOOK have created a bike that brings a calm confidence paired with a fun and energetic ride, something that’s not easy to do.
Full details, Epic prices and specs can be found HERE >>