Look KG76 Bernard Hinault Carbon Kevlar bonded frame

[stringfellow1946]

Dibs on the Saddle PM Sent

he says a rolls but I see a Turbo special pictured .

Correct he PM'd me so I've un dibs it.

 

[sworth1]

Hi,

I am highly interested in purchasing this bike. I live in the US and can pay no more than $500 total, plus shipping, I am a student with limited funds and this is a huge investment for me (I'd literally have to take out loans). Please feel free to email me at sam.worth.13@dartmouth.edu if it is still for sale. And if you could accept a slightly lower price, I would be forever indebted. Please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Sam Worth

 

[heatrider]

The bike came in two versions as TVT built the bike. Look had most of the distribution rights and sold most of the frames as people wanted the cache or riding the same bike as Hinault. Eclipse had rights to sell in the US. More discerning buyers bought it to save $. Some merely changed out decals. The only option was the fork - carbon or aluminum. Frame retailed for 3000-3500. Fork was 600 cost, retailed for 1000 in the States. Most frames, regardless of being Look or Eclipse versions, were outfited with shimano dura ace or campagnolo super record.

Value? Wide range based on size. Groupset and condition in the right size, if original, is very collectable. The difficulty, is finding the right buyer as there are not many and most are not serious collectors, thus, they do not see the long-term value of this rare frame.

The Eclipse tends to go for less as most do not know about the brand or rarity. It is very rare compared to the Look. Watched both sell for the past 15 years and it is all about timing and matching a great model with the right buyer. $300-$3500. Had a serious collector offer $3K a while back which in today's market is very good. As it was my 30th birthday present and my first top-of-the-line bike, I was not willing to part. About the only time I might consider parting is before I die to give the kids some cash or if I see a perfect C-59 and dont have the pocket change to cover.

Eclipse provided me with the last frame in the US, a 56cm. Also, provided a second set of Eclipse decals as well as the Hinault Look Decals. Good luck on trying to find which serial numbers were provided to Look v Eclipse. If found, please share as well as the source. Thanks

 

[gridno27]

@headrider - sorry but I think that's not correct. My passion is to collect Plastic Probike Replicas, esp. I have a hand of TVTs in different labels and some LOOKs too
Within this I have learned a lot about the history of these French bonded lightweight frame sets too. Their are a lot of small French manufacturers of such bike types within the area of Lyon too.

The LOOK type KG76 was a down grading version of the type KG96 Team Replica with a lower quality of carbonfiber manufactured by LOOKcycle in Nevers.
The most collectable types are TVT LOOK, LOOK KG 86 and LOOK KG 96, which had been chosen by Pro-Teams like LaVie Claire, ONCE and Panasonic

LOOKcyle announced in a former version of its website, that they began to produce own frame set in 1986. The first own carbon frame set produced by LOOK in Nevers was the KG 86 Bernard Hinault. This had been made of TVT parts (you can see TVT stamp on rear fallouts and right chainstay) but the KG 86 has the LOOK typical rear brake bridge (embrace and riveted with seat stays - the same in later types like KG96, KG 176, LDS KG 171 ...) not the same like the first TVT Carbon 7 or 9 which has an integrated bonded bridge of aluminium between both seat stays.

The KG 86 offered first time with the 1987 LOOK catalogue - other offered frame sets from Aluminium and Steel. The year before in 1986 they offered the TVT LOOK frame set only - this was the TVT Carbon 7 with a Vitus Fork of Aluminium labeled as LOOK which had been presented in 1983 by TVT. This frame set has been produced from TVT in Lyon - you will find such advise within the LOOK catalogue. Sometimes it will be called also TVT Carbon 9 or TVT9 or TVT LOOK when it equipped with a TVT carbon fork. The 7 or 9 stands for numbers of carbon tubes.

And this TVT Carbon 7 had been also labeled "Eclipse" within US market - I have such a "Eclipse" frame set bought too in California, to have a base for a 1985/86 LaVie Claire TVT LOOK Replica. In my opinion LOOKcycle bought from others like TVT or THT (the Titanium made type KG 292) but never made frames for others. From 1987 LOOK sold their own products like LOOK KG 86 and from 1989 the bonded carbontube made types KG96, KG76 and KG66 also within US