Look 461 or Specialized Tarmac Comp/Pro

Hello

I hope this is correct place for this post.....

Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461 or 2004/2005 Specialized carbon
Tarmac Comp or Pro out there?

Can you share any thoughts on these two road cycles?

Am I paying for the name/badge if I choose Look 461 over Tarmac Pro? How do
I compare these two carbon frames in quality, ride, stiffness, comfort, etc?

This is just my personal short list (Specialized Roubaix is all sold out in
my size else it would also be here)

many thanks in advance!

Yuri Budilov wrote:

Hello

I hope this is correct place for this post.....

Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461 or 2004/2005 Specialized carbon
Tarmac Comp or Pro out there?

Can you share any thoughts on these two road cycles?



nothing wrong with a 461 until you crash: $$$$$! Look don't do repairs
and there isn't a crash replacement programme.
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

m-gineering wrote:
Yuri Budilov wrote:

Hello

I hope this is correct place for this post.....

Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461 or 2004/2005 Specialized carbon
Tarmac Comp or Pro out there?

Can you share any thoughts on these two road cycles?



nothing wrong with a 461 until you crash: $$$$$! Look don't do repairs
and there isn't a crash replacement programme.
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

Specialized don't do repairs either. Choose the one that fits, from the
shop that has the best support. Otherwise, questions on 'how does it
ride' are subjective at best.

BUT most 'pro' shops are likely to sell Look, whereas most 'man's
warehouse' type shops sell Specialized, Trek, Giant, type. Nothing
wrong with that but a proper fit/great service might be hard to find at
the high volume type shops.

Yuri Budilov wrote:
Hello

I hope this is correct place for this post.....

Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461 or 2004/2005 Specialized
carbon Tarmac Comp or Pro out there?

Can you share any thoughts on these two road cycles?

Am I paying for the name/badge if I choose Look 461 over Tarmac Pro?
How do I compare these two carbon frames in quality, ride, stiffness,
comfort, etc?

I can't offer comparisons, but notes on the KG461, which I have been riding
a season and a half. It is VERY stable and steerable in all environments
and speeds. It is pretty demanding : if you have to relance, then you have
to do it then, not later, or you will find it stiffer than you. Especially
when taking long hills over 7-8%. Get wheels that don't give too much, or
you'll find out how close your brake pads are, and quickly. Comfort is
super, but you may well find people who think that the frame does nothing to
augment comfort.

One good thing about the sizing - you really can fit lots of people on this
frame, as the size to size difference is (memory&) by 2 cm.


--
Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine
*******

La vie, c'est comme une bicyclette,
il faut avancer pour ne pas perdre l'équilibre.
-- Einstein, A.

"Sandy" wrote in message
...
Yuri Budilov wrote:
Hello

I hope this is correct place for this post.....

Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461 or 2004/2005 Specialized
carbon Tarmac Comp or Pro out there?

Can you share any thoughts on these two road cycles?

Am I paying for the name/badge if I choose Look 461 over Tarmac Pro?
How do I compare these two carbon frames in quality, ride, stiffness,
comfort, etc?

I can't offer comparisons, but notes on the KG461, which I have been
riding a season and a half. It is VERY stable and steerable in all
environments and speeds. It is pretty demanding : if you have to relance,
then you have to do it then, not later, or you will find it stiffer than
you. Especially when taking long hills over 7-8%. Get wheels that don't
give too much, or you'll find out how close your brake pads are, and
quickly. Comfort is super, but you may well find people who think that
the frame does nothing to augment comfort.

One good thing about the sizing - you really can fit lots of people on
this frame, as the size to size difference is (memory&) by 2 cm.


--
Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine
*******

La vie, c'est comme une bicyclette,
il faut avancer pour ne pas perdre l'équilibre.
-- Einstein, A.

many thanks for your comments (everyone).

re wheels: Mavic Equipe or Elite ok? Any comments on seat post to choose? Do
I really need a carbon seat post for this frame to get a comfy ride or save
money and get alloy one?

Yes, sizes go by 2cm. I got measured and was recommended a size-53cm frame
in Look 461/555 (effective top tube length =54cm). It is meant to be
slightly sloping top tube as I understand it.

Should I spend extra $500 and go for 555 frame?

Yuri Budilov wrote:


Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461
read my other posting about irritating sounds coming from the headset/fork
...

Greetings, Derk

Yuri Budilov wrote:

Do I really need a carbon seat post for this frame to get a
comfy ride or save money and get alloy one?

Here, LOOK recommends _against_ carbon posts for the 461, as the plug will
not hold them against slippage. Collar clamps do well, but that's not what
the 461 has.

Should I spend extra $500 and go for 555 frame?

Top Vélo and Le Cycle are luke-warm about the 555. Too rigid to allow
average riders an easy time making a jump back to speed, on hills,
especially. Being average and having a 461 are not sins, remember.
--
Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine
*******

La vie, c'est comme une bicyclette,
il faut avancer pour ne pas perdre l'équilibre.
-- Einstein, A.

Derk wrote:
Yuri Budilov wrote:


Are there any owners of 2004/2005 Look 461
read my other posting about irritating sounds coming from the
headset/fork ..

Greetings, Derk

Not everyone buys the wrong fork, Derk !
--
Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine
*******

La vie, c'est comme une bicyclette,
il faut avancer pour ne pas perdre l'équilibre.
-- Einstein, A.

Sandy wrote:

Not everyone buys the wrong fork, Derk !
Yeah, right: my LBS phoned the importer while I was present to ask if they
could mount the HSC 4 SL and they said it was no problem. How the ****
should I know about which fork goes into which frame? If the importer
doesn't know it and my LBS say it's OK, why would I have that knowledge? I
pay them for their expertise. There should be info on the LOOK website
about what is compatible and what isn't.

But I took a drastic measu I got so sick of this whole problem that I
traded in my 461 for a hi-end frame: a Colnago C40 HP B-stay.

Greets, Derk

Sandy wrote:

Here, LOOK recommends _against_ carbon posts for the 461, as the plug will
not hold them against slippage. Collar clamps do well, but that's not
what the 461 has.
As a matter of fact that isn't the case: on the LOOK forum, it is even
recommended by the moderator to use a carbon seatpost with this clamp of
the 461, in spite of all the evidence against it. I warned for it several
times on the LOOK forum.

The plug will crush the seatpost according to TOUR magazine, because it
applies pressure on one point, which carbon can't handle. TOUR received
their test 461 with a crushed carbon seatpost. the picture can be found in
the magazine.

Greets, Derk