R96
Origin
LOOK is a storied French company from Nevers, founded in 1951, that revolutionised cycling in 1984 by adapting its ski-binding expertise into the first successful clipless pedal, then became a pioneer of carbon-fibre frame construction. The R96 is the flagship of that heritage on the track. It descends directly from the L96, a velodrome frame the French national team rode to countless world and Olympic titles. For the 2016 Rio Games LOOK reworked the platform - the 'R' stands for Rio - shaving around 150 grams by moving to a higher grade of carbon and redesigning the integrated seatmast, while borrowing the head and aero language of its 796 Monoblade time-trial bike. The result dominated Rio: it was the single most-used track bike at the Games, with roughly 80 R96s in the velodrome ridden by nine different national teams. The later SPEED EVO and TT EVO revisions refined the aerodynamics and paired the frame with the ZED monobloc crankset that is now central to LOOK's track identity.
Specifications
- Frame
- 100% HM (High Modulus) carbon fibre monocoque, made in France
- Drivetrain
- Single fixed gear (track chainring + fixed cog); no derailleurs
- Brakes
- None - track/velodrome bike, run brakeless single fixed gear
- Wheels
- Not included in frameset; owner fits track-specific tubular/disc wheels
The verdict
- Proven at the highest level - the dominant track bike of the Rio 2016 Olympics.
- Exceptionally stiff, aerodynamic HM-carbon frame with an integrated cockpit and the ultra-rigid ZED monobloc crank.
- French-made pedigree and a direct lineage from LOOK's medal-winning L96 track program.
- Pure track machine - useless on the road (no brakes, no gears, brakeless fixed only) and irrelevant to almost all Baltic buyers.
- Sold as a frameset only and priced accordingly (~7,000 EUR before wheels/drivetrain), putting a complete build well into five figures.
- Extremely niche: no local dealer support, spares (ZED crank, seatmast, bar-stem) are proprietary and hard to source second-hand.
Generations
R96 (Rio 2016)
- Original Olympic frameset built for the Rio velodrome
- Frame
- 100% HM carbon, ~150 g lighter than L96
R96 SPEED EVO (current)
- Evolved all-round/sprint track variant, ~7,000 EUR frameset
- Frame
- Refined aero HM carbon track frame
R96 TT EVO (current)
- Most aerodynamic variant, aimed at pursuit/TT track efforts
- Frame
- Wind-tunnel ultra-aero HM carbon frame
Versions & builds
Every official build side by side — differences highlighted.
| Spec | CurrentR96 SPEED EVO | CurrentR96 TT EVO | R96 SPEED (original / L96-derived) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2024 | 2024 | 2016 |
| Frame | 100% HM carbon aero track frameset | Ultra-aero HM carbon frameset (wind-tunnel developed) | 100% HM carbon, made in France |
| MSRP | €6,999 | €7,499 | — |
| Purpose | Balanced | Flagship | Value |
Tags
Related models
Where to buy LOOK R96 in Latvia
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