LOOK KG486 w/ Dura Ace 10-speed components and Reynolds Assault carbon clincher wheelset.

After hanging in my garage for six years with a cracked top tube, I had my 2005 LOOK KG486 frame repaired by Calfee Design. (You may recall that I crashed this bike in the 2008 Missouri State Time Trial.) Calfee did a beautiful job, and the frame looks brand new. All three main tubes were clear coat carbon finish in the middle fading to black at the junction points, and the crack on the top tube was right at the transition from the clear coat to black finish with a LOOK logo on the top tube right at the break point. Replicating the original finish with logo would have been quite expensive, so I opted to just have the whole top tube finished in black without a logo, while the down tube and seat tubes remain in the original condition. I think it looks great and cannot tell where the repaired area is or that it’s not the original finish.

The repaired section of top tube is right in the middle of this photograph.

I had the bike rebuilt as part of a larger project to upgrade my 2009 LOOK 585 Pro Team by transferring the Dura Ace 10-speed drivetrain from the 585 to the 486. I also had the rear rim of my 2013 Reynolds Assault carbon clincher wheelset repaired and put these on the 486. These aero wheels and the aero shaping of the slightly heavier 486 frameset will make this a nice ride for milder, open terrain and the occasional time trial. My 585, on the other hand, is getting all new Dura Ace 11-speed drivetrain with DA-24 carbon clincher wheelset. Über light frame with light, low profile wheels will make this an awesome bike for the hills in my area. I’ll have pics as soon as that bike is done, but first I need to send the replacement fork to Calfee for repainting (original LOOK forks are hard to find, and when came across a silver one I grabbed it!).

© Ted C. MacRae 2014