2008 Look 555 Owner Review
Aushiker | July 12, 2008 4:24 pm
Froggie’s Maintenance History can be found here.
The latest edition to my bike fleet is a roadie, a 2008 Look 555 [link takes you to more photos], named "Froggie" which I purchased in June 2008 from TBE Belmont. This post reflects my purchase experience and life on the rode with Froggie my 2008 Look 555. Froggie’s role in my fleet is as a fine weather commuter (no load), "Sunday" ride, and hopefully as a masters level racer and Audax style ride in the relatively near future.
In respect to Look bikes, there is a Look forum for those wishing to discuss Look bikes.
Description and Ride Impressions | Purchase Experience | Specifications and Modifications
Description and Ride Impressions
Look describe the 555:
The 555 uses "tube to tube" technology. So, for this model there are no Aluminium lugs, nor monobloc construction. For the 555, oversized tubes are molded then cut, shaped at the ends in order to be assembled as if they were welded. Welding is replaced by bonding, reinforced with carbon strips to ensure a perfect cohesion of the frame assembly. To optimize frame comfort, our engineers have developed a special geometry for the chain and seat stays. The Comfort Concept chainstays present a center section inversion which is achieved by flattening. This creates an inflection point at the middle of the base and so improves vertical flexibility. At the same time, this shape increased the base horizontally, and improves lateral stiffness. The seat stays are slightly curved in order to encourage the absorption of vibrations and so optimizing comfort.
Purchase Experience
I purchased the bike from TBE Belmont and only came across the bike by chance as I was passing the store, decided to drop in for a bit of look, was about to leave when I spotted the 555 and decided to give it a bit of a ride. Took it for a quick spin around the store and it didn’t feel right. The salesperson adjusted the seat and off I went again. It felt much better this time and given the spec, feel of the ride, and the price I asked them to put a hold on it. I phoned the next day, putting a deposit down arranging to pick it up on Friday and I was expecting the bike to be set-up to suit me then. Wrong!
I get there Friday and basically there was no one there to set-up the bike. Not a good look. The best they could offer was for me to take the bike over to their Osborne Park store which I did. After some mucking around my in-seam was taken, some measurements done on the bike and basically it was determined the stem length was wrong (too long) and the implication being the frame size wrong for me. They offered to get in a replacement stem at my cost since Belmont did the sale. I initially agreed to this and left with the bike, deciding this was not the right place or time to push my concerns The next day I phoned TBE Belmont and expressed my concerns and was invited to bring the bike in for David Rice to look at it and myself riding it. So back to TBE I go. A lap or two up the front and yes the stem needed shortening. The took the bike about the back and fitted a 100 mm stem and I tried it again. It felt okay at the store and so I went with that. However after a few rides now, I am of the view the that the stem is still to long and a 90 mm would be more suitable. I am going to take this back up with TBE at the first service.
Whilst TBE did sort the problem, I felt their handling of the sale on the Friday pickup was really not up to expectations, they have attempted to remedy the situation. I have learnt a couple of lessons from this experience … make sure you have a good handle on what bike fit is all about and make sure that the bike shop knows that you expect them to fit it properly when pick-up is arranged.
It will be interesting to see what happens when it goes in for its six week service and I request that the stem gets swapped out for a shorter one.
Specifications and Modifications
June 29, 2008
- Fitted two Token TK943 Pyrotec carbon bottle cages. I purchased these from Torpedo 7 for $29.66 each delivered.
- Fitted Garmin GSC10 speed and cadence sensor for my Garmin Edge 305. The mount was purchased from Geomangear.com for $47.50.
- Fitted Cannondale Airspeed carbon pump. I purchased the pump from Chain Reaction Cycles for $44.74 delivered.
The 555 was purchased or is now with the following specifications [click here for the geometry chart]:
Frame: HM (High Modulus) HR (High Resistance) Carbon Fibre
Forks: Look HSC-4 Full Carbon
Size: XL 58 cm
Colour: Black/White
Front Dérailleur: Shimano Ultegra SL 10 speed
Rear Dérailleur: Shimano Ultegra SL 10 speed
Gear Levers: Shimano Ultegra SL
Shifters: Shimano Ultegra SL STI Dual Control
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra SL
Cranks: Shimano Ultegra SL 39/53T
Chain: Shimano Ultegra Super Narrow Chain for 10-Speed
Hubs: Mavic Ksyrium Equipe – 9 x 100 / 9 x 130
Rims: Mavic Ksyrium Equipe
Spokes: Mavic Ksyrium Equipe – 18 / 20
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 4000 S
Cassette Sprocket: Shimano Ultegra CS-6600 11-23
Handlebars: FSA SL-K 31.8mm
Stem: FSA OS-150 100 mm
Saddle:Selle Italia Maxflite Gel Flow 2008 Black – Vanox Rails
Pedals: Look Keo Sprint
Retail: $4399 – Purchased for $3079.30
Popularity: 22% [?]
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21 Responses to “2008 Look 555 Owner Review”
[...] in Bicycling I have a set of Continental Grand Prix 4000 S “Black Chilli” tyres on my Look 555. These are the tyres that came new with the bike. I use this bike as my “weekend [...]
[...] In 2008 I completed the 60 km on my 2007 Giant CRX 1 in two hours and seven minutes at an average of 27.7 km/h and rode back to Fremantle. This year I will be looking at riding from Fremantle to the start and then back again from Joondalup as well as looking to complete the ride under two hours and of course on my 2008 Look 555. [...]
[...] mistake. Had meant to order a pair of Grand Prix 4000 s to replace the ones currently fitted to my Look 555. Why do Continental use such similar names for tyres? What is really the difference between the [...]
Nice choice, Look started by making ski equipment and then moved into clipless pedals for bikes. Look was probably the company who made the clipless system so popular and is, as you know, now making top class frames. The geometry looks good for the four different sizes, small, medium, large and extra large, this covers many different people sizes and with different stem lengths and seat adjustments. If you are thinking of buying a Look 555, then I can’t see why not, I don’t think you would be disappointed.
[...] 555 “500 km” Winter Service Aushiker | July 31, 2009 5:29 pm Froggie, my Look 555 today received his first winter service for 2009 at 8,864 km / 5,508 mi. Winter [...]
[...] new Look Keo Max and Blade Pedals. I differently wouldn’t mind checking out the Max pedals for Froggie for sure. If they are good enough for Contador … Share and [...]
[...] x Continental Grand Prix 4000 S (Folding) with Black Chilli 700 x 23 tyres destined for Froggie at a cost of $45.16 [...]
[...] 555 “500 km” Spring Service Aushiker | October 23, 2009 5:17 pm Froggie, my Look 555 today received his first spring service for 2009 at 9,481 km / 5,891 mi. Spring [...]
[...] was time to replaced the original equipment (OEM) Shimano CN-6600 10 speed chain that was fitted to Froggie my Look 555. The chain was showing 1% wear according to my Park Tools CC-3 chain wear indicator and [...]
[...] the meantime whilst cleaning Froggie, the cadence sensor just fell apart. I know I didn’t give it a wack or anything of that nature [...]
[...] 28, 2009 11:58 am I admit, I am a Brooks saddle tragic and have a Brooks B17N on Froggie and a Brooks B17 on Sir Lancelot and plan to purchase a Swift or a Swallow for Froggie, moving the [...]
[...] at a total $225.00 and one was expiring soon. I am also a customer of the store having purchased Froggie from them and Anne brought her bike there as [...]
[...] post reflects life on the road with my Froggie, my Look 555. The bike itself and its build, specification, modification along with links to other [...]
[...] Froggie, Look 555 [...]
[...] 555” Regular Maintenance Service Aushiker | January 22, 2010 3:50 pm Froggie, my Look 555 today received his first service for 2010 at 11,390 km. The last service was at [...]
[...] on January 23, 2010 I got a puncture in a Vittoria Zaffiro which is fitted to the front of Froggie, my Look 555. As I was in a hurry to get to the Freo Wheelers group ride I thought it was a good [...]
[...] Aushiker | February 17, 2010 6:27 pm I am looking to replace the wheels on Froggie and as I am want to do, following some research I posted details of the wheels I was considering [...]
[...] Look 555 [...]
[...] to Joondalup commute on the Look 555. No evening commute due to work [...]
[...] “Froggie” 2010 #2 Service Aushiker | February 26, 2010 3:06 pm Froggie, my Look 555 today received his second service for 2010 at 12,534 km, approximately 1,100 km since [...]
[...] to Joondalup commute on the Look 555. No evening commute due to work commitments. Commute shortened due to the need to get the car home [...]
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