LOOK again

First off, two explanatory notes:

Today was a pretty nice day, a day on which an obsessed bicyclist could easily have gotten in some significant December miles for the first time in many years.

Second, there is a reason I published that LOOK appreciation a couple of days ago.

The explanation for both the fact that I didn't ride on a nice December day and for the appreciation post is this:A signature was required to receive this package, I had to stay home. And sure enough the UPS guy arrived at a time when I would have been riding had I chosen to ride. According to the UPS package tracking site, the entire package weighed 23.5 pounds. This box was seriously, seriously light.

The top of the box was crammed with crushed up brown wrapping paper and bubble wrap. After digging though all of that I lifted out the contents and placed the rear wheel in the stand, front wheel alongside just to show that it is, indeed, a two wheeler.I snipped the zip tie for the handlebars, removed some packing material from the fork and stood the whole thing up onto, now, both wheels. Attach the handlebars, seat post goes in the seat tube and . . .I do fit for a new bicycle by standing it next to one of the bicycles that I already own that I already know fits. I line up the fit points on the new bicycle with the fit points on the one that already fits and assume that the results are going to be satisfactory. The process puts the two bicycles side by side, so here, next to the Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel Special Edition Custom Build, I present LOOK 585, LOOK again.I ride a LOOK full carbon fiber bicycle, an extremely light weight machine. At least I thought it was extremely light weight. This new LOOK is seriously, seriously light weight.

I actually did get a few miles in today as once I had it all together I could not resist a short neighborhood cruise to check on fit. The fit is absolutely fine. The new saddle is the same brand that I have been riding albeit a different model. The initial report is that I think it is going to be fine.

I have more than 18,000 miles on a bicycle that I deeply appreciate. The only thing about that bicycle is that I have ridden beyond, in some cases far beyond, the design life of some of the parts. I am not worried about the drive train, that stuff is all re-buildable. The problem is the aluminum parts, the handlebars and the stem. I have seen recommendations for replacing those after as few as 5,000 miles. On the one hand I don't ride in a manner which requires replacement on that schedule but on the other hand catastrophic failure of one of those parts could have a severe negative impact on my health. The bottom bracket has a 10,000 miles design life, even the frame itself isn't really intended to last forever.

I started to look for a new frame on eBay thinking that I would build again, another new bicycle from parts. I ride a LOOK KG 381i, a 2002 frame. I was looking to update to the LOOK 585, the current LOOK frame comparable to the KG 381i. An eBay search for LOOK 585 brought up not just frames but also a couple of complete bicycles, including one that was already built mainly with the components I would have chosen, namely Campagnolo Chorus drivetrain and Mavic wheels. It is a 2007 which the former owner advertised as having been ridden about 400 miles. The price was right for a 2007, the price was an excellent bargain for a 2007 with 400 miles.

LOOK again.