French federation releases Look T20 track bike for Tokyo
On the heels of the release of Hope’s wild Team GB track bike, French manufacturer Look has something special of its own: the T20 track machine that will be used by the French team at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The T20 doesn’t look as unusual as GB’s bike, but Look has an equally large pile of efficiency and stiffness claims. The new bike is 10% lighter than its predecessor, the company says, with an 11% reduction in drag and a 27% increase in power transfer. Look claims that at full speed, the bike saves 30 watts, and notes that such an improvement equates to about a bike length in a 200m sprint.
The frame was designed in concert with wheel brand Corima. The shape of the frame and fork are optimized for Corima’s 4-spoke and 5-spoke front wheels, and its Paracular and Lenticular disc wheels.
Rather unusually, the design incorporates thru-axle dropouts, rather than the usual bolt-on track dropouts. Look claims this helps attain a 12.5% increase in lateral stiffness over the previous bike. The design also improves airflow.
The frame is designed to work with Look’s track drop bar and its Aeroflat and Aergo aero bars.
Thanks to UCI regulations, you can buy the new T20, though good luck getting one before the Olympics. Bargain hunters rejoice, for the T20 is a steal compared to the £15,550 price tag on the Hope GB bike. The TT version, with aerobars, will set you back just €7,499 ($9,000 or £7,499) while the Speed version, with drop bars, is €6,999 ($8,500 or £6,999).
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