Look 795 Blade RS: speed, stiffness, and versatility - first impressions from the road

For this evening’s Bike at Bedtime we’re showing you the Look 795 Blade RS, a professional-level race bike that we got to ride last week in a money-no-object Campagnolo Super Record build. Spoiler alert: it’s efficient and fast.

2025 Look 795 Blade RS static (credit: road.cc)

We recently published an article, Why the aero road bike is making a comeback,  where we discussed how some brands, such as Specialized and Trek, have reverted to a single-model approach at the top of their road bike range, while others, like Giant and Colnago, offer both an aero bike and a super-lightweight race bike.

> Find out why the aero road bike is making a comeback 

Look does have the 785 Huez which is designed as a 'performance' climbing bike, but the top-end 795 Blade RS is intended  (in Look’s own words) “to balance aerodynamics, stiffness and low weight”. It likes to say that this bike is fast everywhere. The 795 Blade RS – the RS stands for ‘Racing Sport’ – is intended for sprints, mountains, the lot, and we got the chance to ride one last week so we’ll give you a few impressions.

> Read our review of the Look 785 Huez 105 Di2

2025 Look 795 Blade RS full bike (credit: road.cc)

Look announced the latest version of the 795 Blade RS back in June 2023. Rather than making a few small tweaks, this was a complete redesign.

“Look’s Research and Development team worked closely with Team Cofidis during training camps and throughout the WorldTour season to fine-tune the geometry and responsiveness of the bikes, as well as to optimise the design for the durability and maintenance requirements of a demanding race environment,” says Look.

2025 Look 795 Blade RS BB (credit: road.cc)

It has been very keen to shout about the bike’s practicality and long-term reliability – the 795 Blade RS uses a T47 (threaded) bottom bracket, for example – as well as the more usual race bike credentials like lightweight and aero performance.

Look says that the 795 Blade RS’s carbon composition comprises 25% ultra-high modulus carbon.

2025 Look 795 Blade RS seatstays (credit: road.cc)

The frame uses shallower tubes than its predecessor and dropped seatstays – meaning that they join the seat tube well below its junction with the top tube.Look says that specific areas of the frame – such as the slim seatstays and seatpost, seat post clamp, top tube and fork – have been developed for optimised aerodynamics. 

2025 Look 795 Blade RS chainstay (credit: road.cc)

“These developments allow the new 795 Blade RS to be 7% stiffer and 10% more aerodynamic than the previous model,” says Look. Where would the bike industry be without a few choice statistics?  

As you’d expect, the geometry is race-orientated. The medium-sized model, for example, comes with a 549.2mm stack height and a 391.2mm reach, giving a stack/reach of 1.40. Yes, the head tube in the bike pictured here looks lengthy, but that’s because it’s a big ol’ frame size. The head tube on the large is 161.8mm, while it’s 198.5mm on the XL. 

Romain Simon, Look’s product manager for bikes, told us that the brand’s approach to geometry is ‘rider-led’. What does that mean? The focus is on putting the rider in the best position because that’s ultimately where you get the greatest performance gains. The thought is that there’s no point building a bike with an ultra-short head tube, for example, if it puts the rider in a position they can’t comfortably hold for long periods. That might get you some impressive wind tunnel figures that you can shout about in the marketing, but it’s of little value out in the real world.

2025 Look 795 Blade RS handlebar (credit: road.cc)

“The 795 Blade RS has been designed for easy adjustments to accommodate different rider sizes or preferences without compromising racing performance,” says Look. “[Our] aero cockpit has been developed for versatility and ergonomics, allowing for different stem and handlebar sizes to be easily interchanged and customised to suit individual rider needs.”

They might look integrated at first glance but the stem and handlebar are separate components with fully internal cable routing. Look is big on fit, offering the 795 Blade RS in six different frame sizes with 35 different cockpit options. You also get the choice of two seatposts to help get the exact setup you need.

Look claims a frame weight of 905g (size small) and 425g for the fork, and says that a complete bike weight of 7kg (size medium) is possible when built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, power meter pedals, bottle cages and Corima MCC EVO 32 tubular wheels.

2025 Look 795 Blade RS UCI sticker (credit: road.cc)

Look says that it doesn’t chase weight savings at the expense of other factors, such as stiffness. Reducing the weight of aero bikes has been a huge theme in the marketplace over the past few years, and Look says it’s more than happy to do that – of course, it wants to offer a bike that’s competitively light – but it won’t make compromises elsewhere or get involved in some sort of lightweight arms race. That’s the big point here.

How does the 795 Blade RS ride? First of all, let me say that this is in no way intended as a bike review. Far from it. I rode the 795 Blade RS for about half an hour or so on Odd Down Cycle Track in Bath when the guys from Look came to visit. For a review, road.cc gives a writer a month to get to know a bike in detail. This is nothing more than a very brief snapshot.

The bike I rode was fitted with a Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset, Bora WTO wheels, Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyres, and a Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow saddle. An high-end proposition.

First of all, that position: it’s not at all extreme for a race-focused bike. Admittedly, I rode a size that was a little larger than I’d usually take, and the fork steerer was uncut with a whole load of spacers underneath the stem, but even allowing for that, the 795 Blade RS’s front end isn’t at all radical. Of course, you could trim that steerer down and get lower and more aero. 

2025 Look 795 Blade RS Conti tyres (credit: road.cc)

In terms of acceleration, all good. The 795 Blade RS is reasonably lightweight but its key features are frame stiffness and reactivity. Serve up the watts and the bottom bracket is solid. There are no hills on the Odd Down Cycle Track  – it isn’t perfectly flat but it slopes only gently – so I can’t tell you how 95 Blade RS climbs. That’s a real shame for our purposes because this bike is designed to do it all. There are a couple of hairpin bends that you need to take slowly, though. Get back on the power when you’re through to the other side and this is a bike that provides a solid platform for your effort.

Comfort? Well, this is a race bike and Look says that comfort is down the list of priorities for most racers. You wouldn’t say that the 795 Blade RS is uncomfortable – it’s certainly not that – but stiffness has clearly been the prime concern here. It’s direct, it’s efficient, but if you want to be cosseted on long rides at the weekend, check out Look’s 765 Optimum endurance bike or, for something more middle ground, its 785 Huez – or go for a different brand, of course.   

2025 Look 795 Blade RS Campagnolo chainset (credit: road.cc)

Those are all the comments on the ride I’m happy to make at this stage. As mentioned, I didn’t have anything like long enough aboard the Look 795 Blade RS for a full review. Early signs were positive, though… as you’d probably expect of a top-level bike equipped with Campag Super Record. We’ll ask Look if we can get a 795 Blade RS in for a full review.

We don’t have a price for the Look 795 Blade RS in the build you see here, but you’re looking at £8,490 for the version with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Corima WS EVO wheels.

Check out loads more Bikes at Bedtime here. 

www.lookcycle.com