Look 765 Gravel RS – Go Fast on All Roads

Update – We had some additional time on the 765 Gravel RS to be able to try some various bags, so we updated the article to include some perspective, along with some other small updates.

As gravel riding continues to grow around the world, there was definitely a split emerging between adventure and racing. Gravel has always been finding new roads and the adventure it takes you on, but as more events pop up, racing focused products have begun to take over more of the category. With this, brands are also looking to diversify into each of these sub-categories. The Look 765 Gravel RS is definitely a speed-focused bike but doesn’t give up all of its functionality and durability to gain that speed.

To be clear, this isn’t going to be your bike packing bike. It has multiple mounts for water bottles, and a set of bosses on the top tube for a bag behind the stem, but you won’t be mounting any panniers or racks. You get some fender mounts, but that’s it. But that is not what this bike is made for.

The sporty nature of the bike is apparent just by looking at the name, as the RS stands for Racing Sport. This denotes a higher level frame for Look, with more high modulus carbon included in the frame for a lighter and higher performing bike. You can see it in the geometry as well. While it still has the long-wheelbase you typically see on endurance, cyclocross and gravel bikes, Look keeps the same stack and reach of the endurance-focused 765 Optimum to give it a sportier feel. The front end is a little slacker to handle rougher terrain, but it doesn’t take away from the bike’s speedy feel.

Since this is a gravel bike though, you still need room for big rubber. The dropped chainstay accommodates 700cx40 or 650bx2.1″ with room to spare, yet still allows you to run up to a 50 tooth ring. This is another nod to speed, but also to its versatility to be able to handle anything from road to gravel, and even a little cyclocross. A front derailleur mount is included to handle a 2x set up if desired.

Out back, the 3D Weave seatstays feature flattened flex zones to provide 15% more compliance over a straight tube. Just looking at it from the side, you can see the two flex points at opposite ends of the stays. When paired with the stout chainstays, it makes for an efficient, yet comfortable backend.

Overall, the look of the 765 Gravel RS frame is a mix of traditional and modern. High seat stays and classic fork crown/head tube junction give it a classic look, while the dropped chainstay, flush top cap, and sculpted cable ports give it a modern feel. The size of the downtube reminds me of my first ride on a Cannondale back in the 90’s coming off of a traditional steel-framed bike. It is huge, but no so big you’ll bang your knees on. Instead of a loud, garish paint scheme, Look gave it a classy matte dark green with orange logos and white trim for a bit of pop. It has a classy appearance on the road or covered in mud on the trails. One other thing I appreciate is the Mavic SpeedRelease dropout which will make wheel removal quicker than traditional thru-axles. These bolt-on versions have one open dropout that allows a thinner section of the axle to drop through when it is completely unthreaded. This allows you to keep the axle in the hub. I prefer the handled version I used on various Van Dessel frames over the bolt-on, but it’s still my favorite solution for thru-axles.

The cockpit is more speed than comfort. The Look branded bars and stem are aluminum, with a Look carbon seatpost. The LS2 Gravel bar features a 12-degree flare to provide stability on the drops on rougher terrain. The chunky Look Design Stem definitely adds stiffness to the front end and I love the look of the proprietary design with the spacer and headset cap all matching the shape of the stem. It gives the front end of the bike an integrated look, though it might not look as polished if you swap in an aftermarket stem.

For the wheels, the bike comes with the Mavic Allroad Disc wheelset. It’s a workhorse wheelset that is well suited for road, gravel and cyclocross, due to it’s 22mm wide internal width. My only complaint is that they are a bit heavy, with a claimed weight of 1860g. For everyday riding and training, they are great, but if speed is your goal, you may want to look towards something like the Boyd Pinnacle, Hunt 35 Carbon, or Astral Wanderlust Carbon (White Ind Hub) would save you close to a pound and provide just as wide or wider internal width. Both the Boyd and Hunt wheels would also add some additional depth for some aerodynamic improvements, which gains some efficiency that will add up throughout your ride and help you get to the end faster or fresher.

For tires, our demo came with WTB Riddlers in 700×37, but the current spec is now Vittoria Terreno 700×40. I applaud Look by going to wider tires, though the Riddlers were able to handle gravel and the road very well. Both are tubeless tires, though we stuck to the tubed set up the bike came in. Depending on the type of riding you normally do you may want to swap something more or less aggressive, but the Riddlers are a decent middle of the ground.

The SRAM Force 1x with hydraulic disc brakes are rock solid. It’s a groupset that has been around for years and is proven as a high performer. It was a solid choice for the bike, and the 42 tooth ring is a good compromise for on and offroad use, with plenty of range for climbing with the 11-36 cassette. For pedals, we used Look’s X-Track Race Carbon for offroad and the Keo Blade Carbon for the road. We’ll have reviews coming for both, but they complemented the bike well. A second option is available with Shimano GRX in a 48/31 double if you prefer.

I put the 765 Gravel RS through a lot over the span of the review. On the road, it saw a mix of short, fast rides and a century, all on 60mm deep wheels and 28mm tubeless Schwalbe One Pro tires. For cyclocross, I kept the stock Mavic wheels but added some Schwalbe X-One Allround tires. For gravel, it saw a mix of Schwalbe G-One tires. I did swap the stock SRAM 1x chainring for an absoluteBLACK chainrings at times and changed up the saddle a few times, but saddles are really a personal thing.

On the road, the bike felt like an endurance bike but also felt fast. It wasn’t as snappy as a typical road bike, but with a longer wheelbase than even the 765 Optimum, you can’t expect that it will. Still, when you get on the pedals, the bike wants to go. The bike felt planted through sweeping corners and was comfortable on rough tarmac thanks to the 3D Weave seatstays and high volume tires.

On the cross course, you can tell that the 765 Gravel RS is a gravel bike. I had a chance to compare it with a proper cross bike, the Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, and it just couldn’t get through twisty corners as easily. Comparing frame geometry, the bike is a little slacker, with a taller and shorter stack and reach than the Boogie. Granted, the Boogie is what I would consider a grass Crit bike, made for cornering and fast accelerations, but the Look was just a bit too slack on the front end to be as snappy. If it needs to pull double duty though, the Look can handle it, and the 3D Weave seat stays do help take a little buzz out of the rear.

Let’s face it though. This bike isn’t made for being a pure road bike, or a cyclocross bike, it is made for taking on long gravel courses with speed. That is where the bike shines. The long-wheelbase and slack angles provide a stable platform and give you the confidence you need when things get rough. When paired with some high volume tires at the right pressures, it soaks up the rattle of the gravel and keeps you moving forward. I loaded it up with a range of bags we have in for review from Topeak, and it still felt fast and stable, even when loaded down a bit.

One of my small complaints though is the bottle mounts. With any frame and frame bag, it can be hard to use both bottle mounts and a frame bag. Small bottles and composite cages that you can drill additional mounting holes in help. Instead of being able to mount two small bottles on the downtube, I would have liked to see the third mount shift to under the downtube above the bottom bracket.

Our test bike, in size medium, weighed in at 19lb 11oz. with bottle cages. This isn’t horrible for a gravel bike, but swapping in a lighter weight wheelset and possibly some lighter carbon cockpit components would definitely help lighten to the mid-18lb range.  But gravel bikes aren’t about being weight weenies. They need to be durable, adaptable, and functional too handle any of the challenges that you throw at it.

At $4500, the 765 Gravel RS is on the premium end of the gravel market. It is a bike that wants to go fast and be ridden hard, but it isn’t going to punish you when the path ahead gets rough.

Look isn’t as common of a brand in the US for bikes as others like Specialized, Trek, Giant, or Cannondale, but they are a premium brand that has a lot to offer. The 765 Gravel RS is well thought out and excels on gravel, but can also pull double duty on the road and even a little cyclocross. Its go fast focus gives up some functionality, but you are rewarded with that go fast feel you want when racing. It’s still practical enough for your next adventure, wherever it may take you.

http://www.lookcycle.com