LOOK’s new Cezal G85 gravel bike blends road-bred sharpness with off-road style. Boasting 50mm tire clearance, suspension compatibility, integrated storage, and a ride thats built for speed without draining the fun out. Plus, our review bike came in a paint job that speaks to my (and hopefully everyone’s) inner Macho Man.
A Tale of Two Bikes
Gravel bikes are getting pulled in two directions right now. One side wants speed; race numbers, KOM’s, aero bars, you know the drill. The other wants comfort, gear mounts, big rubber, and the freedom to wander off the cue sheet. The tricky part is building something that can live in the middle without feeling confused. The new LOOK G85 Cezal walks the line and might satisfy both camps without watering down the recipe.
LOOK G85 Cezal – What Is It?
The G85 Cezal is LOOK’s new carbon gravel bike, built around a UD HM carbon frame and fork, gravel-specific geometry, full internal routing, and a downtube storage box with pouch. LOOK says it was designed for everything from long-distance adventure riding to flat-out racing.
The new frame is compatible with 700c or 650b wheels, 1x or 2x drivetrains, and up to 60mm of front suspension travel without changing the bike’s geometry. Tire clearance goes big, up to 50mm rear in 1x, 45mm rear in 2x, and more than 50mm up front (though you can fit a 57mm/2.2in if you’re pushing it). In other words, the bike has room to get rowdy if you want it to.
That is a pretty broad operating window for a single frame, which is what makes the G85 Cezal interesting.
LOOK is not trying to sell this as a hyper-specific niche bike. It is not pretending to be the ultimate pure-race gravel missile, nor is it leaning all the way into an expedition rig either. It is trying to be the bike for riders who want one good gravel frame they can tune toward whatever kind of dirt habit they are feeding this season.
LOOK G85 Geometry
LOOK says the goal was a fast bike, both maneuverable and stable, with a ride experience centered on geometry and handling. The G85 has a fairly short wheelbase and chainstays, which translate into responsiveness and fast cornering. When you pair it with a 70-degree head angle and 50mm of trail, it’s slack but playful.
The 74-degree seat angle and 5mm seatpost offset are meant to keep the rider centered for efficient pedaling, and it does (more on that later). But the stack and reach are designed to support everything from a more comfortable setup to a lower, racier cockpit position. It’s a bit of an odd horse, with feet in both camps, but it works, and it’s fun.
The short rear end gets the bike up to speed quickly and keeps it feeling alive underneath you. The slacker front end keeps things calm when the road turns loose, rocky, or generally not awesome.
How does this translate into actual riding? More in the ride notes.
Road Pedigree But Not Design
LOOK has a massive road racing heritage, and the G85 Cezal comes from the brand’s road DNA, and you can see that in the frame shape and overall intent. It looks sleek, lean, and performance-minded. But the good news is LOOK didn’t let that road background override the design. The G85 gets the details that a good gravel bike should get.
There is a T47 bottom bracket, UDH dropout, 160mm rotor compatibility, a 27.2mm seatpost, and the frame is designed around actual mixed-surface use rather than a marketing idea of it. The stock cockpit uses a LOOK LS3 stem and Deda Superzero Gravel bars, which is a smart choice, though semi-integrated, so there will be some tears if you need to swap bars.
It keeps the setup simple, practical, and easy to live with, while still allowing full internal frame routing and compatibility with aero bars. For riders who want something racier, LOOK also offers an Aero Carbon stem/bar option that saves 200 grams. The Aero Carbon bars feature a racey 13-degree stem angle and are pitched as the move for those who want to turn the G85 Cezal into a full-blown gravel race bike.
Storage And Snacks
The bike also gets something most riders have come to appreciate very quickly: in-frame storage. The downtube storage box and pouch are among the more useful features on the G85 Cezal.
The storage is large enough to hold a tube, plugs, a multitool, a CO2, and maybe a snack if you’re riding with ambition and not much self-awareness. Once you have in-frame storage on a gravel bike, it becomes one of those features you start missing almost immediately on anything without it. I used it for everything from food storage to a rain jacket stash.
It’s Already Raced & Raced Well
LOOK also has a good launch card to play here: Russell Finsterwald.
Finsterwald joined LOOK in 2026 as both a privateer racer and a development partner, and he won the Belgian Waffle Ride in February 2026 in the G85 Cezal’s first “appearance”. Russell raced the full production bike, just with some cleverly placed stickers to hide the exact bike. Hopefully, it’s a sign of good results to come.
G85 Cezal – Build Options & Pricing
LOOK is launching the G85 Cezal with three complete builds and a frameset option.
At the top is our review ride, the Speckled Purple / Neon Orange SRAM Force 1×13 model, built with a 40T crank, 10-46 cassette, Fulcrum Soniq Carbon 2WF wheels, and Hutchinson Touareg 700x45c tires. Price: €6,490
There is also a Speckled Sand/Black Shimano GRX Di2 2×12 model, with 48/31 chainrings, an 11-36 cassette, the same Fulcrum carbon wheels, and Hutchinson Touareg tires. Price: €5,730
The more accessible Petrol / White Shimano GRX 820 1×12 version lands at €3,490, and LOOK will also offer the frameset alone for €2,490.
The launch has a smart spread. The top-end builds are race-ready; the Di2 2x option should appeal to riders who want more range and a stronger road-to-gravel crossover feel; and the mechanical GRX model offers a more accessible entry point without cheapening the concept.
Tech Details – LOOK G85 Cezal
SRAM Force 1×13
- Frame/Fork: LOOK G85 Carbon UDHM
- Crankset: SRAM Force 1x, 40T
- Levers/Brakes: SRAM Force E1
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force XLPR E1
- Cassette: SRAM XG 1371, 10-46T
- Wheels: Fulcrum Soniq Carbon 2WF
- Tires: Hutchinson Touareg 700x45c
- Cockpit: LOOK LS3 stem, Deda Superzero Gravel alloy handlebar
- Seatpost: LOOK LS1 UD carbon
- Saddle: LOOK x San Marco Shortfit Off-Road
- Rotors: SRAM Paceline 160mm
- Color: Speckled Purple / Neon Orange
Shimano GRX Di2 2×12
- Frame/Fork: LOOK G85 Carbon UDHM
- Crankset: Shimano RX820, 48/31T
- Levers/Brakes: Shimano GRX 825-820
- Derailleur: Shimano GRX 825 Di2
- Cassette: Shimano HG710 12-speed, 11-36T
- Wheels: Fulcrum Soniq Carbon 2WF
- Tires: Hutchinson Touareg 700x45c
- Cockpit: LOOK LS3 stem, Deda Superzero Gravel alloy handlebar
- Seatpost: LOOK LS1 UD carbon
- Saddle: LOOK x San Marco Shortfit Off-Road
- Rotors: Shimano RT-CL800 160mm
- Color: Speckled Sand / Black
Shimano GRX 820 1×12
- Frame/Fork: LOOK G85 Carbon UDHM
- Crankset: Shimano RX820, 40T
- Levers/Brakes: Shimano GRX 820 mechanical 12-speed
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano GRX 820 mechanical 12-speed
- Cassette: Shimano M7100, 10-45T
- Wheels: Fulcrum Lite GR 2WF
- Tires: Schwalbe G-One Perf 700x45c
- Cockpit: LOOK LS3 stem, Deda Superzero Gravel alloy handlebar
- Seatpost: LOOK LS3 alloy
- Saddle: LOOK x San Marco Shortfit Off-Road
- Rotors: Shimano RT-CL800 160mm
- Color: Petrol / White
LOOK Cezal G85 Frameset
- Frame: LOOK G85 Carbon UDHM
- Fork: UD HM Carbon fork
- Bottom Bracket: T47
- Dropout: UDH
- Seatpost: 27.2mm
- Tire Clearance: 50mm rear in 1x, 45mm rear in 2x, 50mm-plus front
- Other Features: Full internal routing, downtube storage box and pouch, suspension-ready for up to 60mm travel
Ride Impressions
The LOOK G85 Cezal is one of those bikes that could sneak up on people, but only in the other paint jobs. Because this purple-speckled black of our review ride is something special. No, it could sneak up because it’s not screaming anything. There are no gimmicks, no weird features that will be looked at as detours in a few years. It’s just a very solid-looking (and riding) bike.
LOOK is primarily known as the French road bike company (even though they did have some time in mountain bikes); they have that road DNA. The G85 Cezal rides like it was designed by a performance road brand, but didn’t skip the off-road class. When you’re on the hoods and chugging along, you feel the power transfer and the comfort. The geometry lets the rider sit balanced within the frame, and you get a good sense of the bike.
Rides Like…
The closest I could compare the ride to would be the Colnago G4X. They are both creations of a primarily road brand, but have an ear to the ground in the off-road world. They have a similar “get up and go” to the response of pedaling and stiffness, but where the G4X missed the compliance mark slightly, the G85 Ceza nails it.
Gravel frames from road (mostly) manufacturers can come off as too stiff and uncomfortable on the actual gravel, or noodly and spongy when you need to give it the beans. The LOOK G85 Cezal gives a balanced ride of both. I could feel the thin seatstays providing support over the medium gravel on most of my rides. Paired with the round 27.2 seatpost, I felt enough support to push harder.
But if you’re not just a racer, you have the option to take the detour. A slight change in the stack and a shorter stem (it’s only a pain to swap if you need to change the bars) will drastically change the bike’s mood. However, the bike’s performance will not. The pedaling response will be there, and the same goes for the features that make it walk the adventure/race line well enough to call it out.
The practical things like the internal frame storage and the seatpost clamp are signs that LOOK didn’t just pull over parts from a previous design. They are fully committed to the gravel game, and we’re glad to see it.
Force AXS XPLR
As for a spec, the LOOK G85 Cezal nails it imo. The SRAM Force AXS XPLR group is one of (if not the best) on the market right now. I personally like the Force shifter more than the RED because the thumb bonus shifter is more pronounced and easier to use. Most, if not all, gravel riders will appreciate the smart build. It would be nice to see a power meter included, but without it, the weight is slightly down, and hopefully, a lower price translates to the rider.
Wheels For The Wind
The Fulcrum Soniq Carbon 2WF were new to me, and I have to say I was a bit taken aback by their performance. I expected a bit of a windsail, especially in the long, wide open slogging sections of the gravel world, but they were not. The engagement is solid, a mix of too much and just enough. The rim width paired well with the 45mm Hutchinson tires, and gave a nice (though slightly narrow) rolling profile. One of the best features of the wheels was how they ate up the flat and rolling miles of gravel. I felt like I had a tailwind sometimes when I got them up to speed, and in strong gusts of wind, they held steady.
I loved seeing the Hutchinson Touareg tire spec on the LOOK G85 Cezal. I’m personally a fan of the Hutchinson gravel line, and it doesn’t get enough credit (or distribution) in the USA. Hopefully, that will change now that more riders will get some time on them.
I would recommend the LOOK G85 Cezal for a rider interested in performance gravel and off-road exploration, where performance and fun are the key factors. You could be doing a two-day trip on the weekend and hitting a gravel race with aero wheels the next.
