Look has launched its new G85 Cezal gravel bike today, and I’ve managed to test ride one already. While gravel bikes are increasingly differentiated into gravel race and gravel adventure specialisms, Look aims to offer a generalist that can be used for everything from racing to gravel adventure rides and light bikepacking.
Can one bike span the range of modern gravel riding? I rode the G85 Cezal in Tuscany to try and find out.
All boxes ticked – except one
Look claims that its updated gravel geometry, with a 70-degree head tube and 50mm trail in size M, offers stable handling but without losing playfulness.
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At the rear, the seat tube angle is 74 degrees, and the seatpost has a 5mm offset. Look claims these figures ensure maximum pedalling efficiency.
For comparative purposes, a size M frame has a 590mm stack and 380mm reach.
Look claims a 1,090g frame weight for the G85 Cezal’s carbon frame in size M, painted. It includes Look’s 3D Wave shape to the seat stays, which it claims offers up to 15% greater compliance than a straight stay.
Gravel tyres are trending ever wider, and Look has engineered the bike’s clearance for a 50mm rear tyre into the new gravel bike, despite keeping the chainstay length down to 425mm. The fork has 57mm clearance, allowing a mullet tyre configuration with mismatched front and rear tyres.
There’s the usual array of mounting points, a UDH rear hanger, a T47 bottom bracket, and in-frame storage. A removable front mech hanger allows Look to sell two 1x and one 2x specs. You can swap in 650B wheels and fit a wireless dropper post too.
All of these features could be considered almost mandatory for a gravel bike launched today.
What Look doesn’t claim are any aero features. While adventure gravel riders probably don’t care, gravel race bikes often include aero frame features, as many brands claim that speeds in gravel races are now sufficient to warrant aerodynamic considerations.
Handling for tricky gravel race stretches
Despite the all-rounder…
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