Look 695 bicycle

The basics

The Look 695 is a carbon fibre bike available in two versions: an SR (Super Rigid) version for racing and a regular, more flexible edition for general road use. The frame weighs a incredible 900g.

The good

Lightweight, stiff and responsive, the Look 695 feels like a purebred race bike. It’s agile too, encouraging you to cycle at speed without fear of losing control.

Despite its looks, it’s also suitable for use on British roads, because the elastomer-equipped seatpost cuts down on vibration – in other words, this is one racing bike you can ride down some of our poorly-maintained thoroughfares without shaking your fillings out.

This dampening, however, doesn’t extend to the pedals – so you can still “feel” the road adequately through your feet.

The bad

The bad? Well, this is clearly a bike for serious enthusiasts only – you could pick up a fairly nice second-hand car for the same price. In fact, it’s so expensive that we wouldn’t even want to take it outside in case it got dirty or scratched, let alone stolen by one of London’s many light-fingered tea leafs.

The bottom line

A fantastically engineered road bike that’ll have you feeling like Lance Armstrong. You might need his bank balance to afford one, mind you.