LOOK CYCLE

LOOK CYCLE | PEDALLING INNOVATION SINCE 1983

At the forefront of innovation in cycling technology since 1983, LOOK Cycle began manufacturing frames and components for racing bikes in the 1950s. But it was in fact a skiing accident in 1960 that acted as the catalyst for the company’s innovations in pedal technology.

LOOK’s founder, Jean Beyl, a mountaineer and skiing nut, broke his leg on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez, a location we shall return to later. Beyl realised his fracture was due to a problem with his ski-shoes, fixed to his runners with laces. Beyl, from his hospital bed, conceived of a plated ski-binding, the ‘anti-fracture’ shoe. In 1963, LOOK developed and patented the N17, its first pivot-binding for skiers.

During the 1960s and into the 1970s, the company based in Nevers, located perfectly between the lights of Paris and the peaks of the Haute Savoie, pioneered the use of automatic ski bindings, working with boot manufacturers to improve the performance of amateurs and professionals throughout the Alps and beyond. By the end of the 1970s, however, the company was floundering, its ambitions melting away in a crowded market.

But in 1983, French entrepreneur Bernard Tapie stepped in to purchase the company. Using his other businesses and love for cycle sport to leverage and inject new life into the LOOK brand, Tapie enlisted the help of another Bernard; French cycling hero, Bernard Hinault. With Hinault, a big personality and huge force in the peloton, as the captain, Tapie launched a new French super-team, named after his organic food retailer, La Vie Claire. With a bold modernist kit inspired by the art of Piet Mondrian, and LOOK’s state-of-the-art PP65 pedals, they arrived at the 1984 Tour de France with audacious ambitions.

During the sprint at the end of stage 14 to Saint-Etienne, Hinault crashed heavily, but after crossing the finish line with a fractured nose, he declared to the press: “Without the PP65, I probably wouldn’t have been able to continue. It’s the most important technological evolution of the last 30 years.” Hinault and La Vie Claire went on to win the Tour that year. They had also, along with innovative team coach, Paul Koechli, set the bar for a modern, more advanced approach to the sport of bike racing. The PP65 quickly became the gold standard in clipless pedal technology.

In 1985 young American rider Greg LeMond was signed to La Vie Claire with a then-astronomical $1 million contract. With LeMond’s help, Bernard Hinault and the team won the Tour yet again, with the Frenchman making it five Tour de France victories to equal that of other greats of the sport including Jacques Anquetil and the Belgian ‘Cannibal’, Eddy Merckx.

A visibly dominant force in the sport, La Vie Claire’s success brought further funding and exposure to LOOK Cycle technology. With the team’s management pushing the boundaries and searching for further performance gains, a group of LOOK engineers worked in secrecy with a little-known material called carbon-fibre. At the ’86 Tour Grand Depart, La Vie Claire and LOOK revealed the KG 86, the first ever bike frame made using carbon fibres. Entirely built by hand, Kevlar was also used with the carbon tubing, with alloy lugs used to join the tubes. Along with the Japanese-made Shimano Dura Ace components, this was a machine of the future.

And the 1986 edition was arguably the greatest Tour of the 20th century. Hinault and LeMond battled it out for supremacy in the Alps, with the American wonder-kid winning a crucial stage on Alpe d’Huez. That moment LeMond, in the same place where the company’s founder fatefully broke his leg, LOOK and the KG 86 became legendary. The first US star winning Europe’s grandest race on the first carbon racing bike gave the team and LOOK a global audience.

LOOK continued to innovate with bikes and componentry, with other French stars such as Laurent Jalabert riding to numerous victories using LOOK technology; along with Olympic successes in the velodrome. Fast forward to 2004 and the LOOK KEO pedal system is unveiled; just 95 grams of concentrated carbon technology. Soon half the professional peloton is connected to their machines with the KEO pedals and cleats. The 21st century continues to see LOOK breaking the mould with innovations such as the L96 track bike for the 2012 Olympics, and 2014’s 795 AEROLIGHT, the most aerodynamic road bike ever built. The frame featured an integrated stem and handlebar design, reducing the overall weight of the bike and reducing drag.

As LOOK continue to move forward with relentless invention and cutting-edge technology, it’s intriguing to pause and reflect that it all started in the Alps with a skiing accident and exploded into orbit 20 or so years later in the same place but going uphill with the world’s best bike racers.

A magical marque of innovation, and style, Café du Cycliste are proud to collaborate with LOOK Cycle in 2023, fusing both brands’ audacious design and creativity. Two special edition bundles combine footwear and pedal technology with a signature twist for both road and gravel riders.

Click here to see more.

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