Look MI-960...an American cousin of the MI-90?

[Obi-Juan]

I was away most of the week, so I wasn't able to make much progress on the project, but it's ready to be wired and fine-tuned. Hopefully, I'll give it a final push this weekend.

 

[aguycalled80]

I will admit to not being an expert on LOOK MTBs, but I thought they were made in Canada.

The fact that it says 'PROCYCLE' on the seatstay is more evidence to support that.

 

[Obi-Juan]

I will admit to not being an expert on LOOK MTBs, but I thought they were made in Canada.

The fact that it says 'PROCYCLE' on the seatstay is more evidence to support that.

Well, it seems that's how it was.
Here's a more or less explained explanation:

W

Thread 'Info on Look MTB's ?'

Aug 4, 2008

Anyone know anything bout the original Look Cromo Mtb's? They were hand made in Canada, but who by? I have the chance to own one, I believe they were pretty rare. Frame looks very Rocky Mountain, dropped top tube, very light, triple butted, Inch and Eighth head tube, nice finish? Any views peeps?

• Wold Ranger
• Replies: 17
• Forum: Retro MTB Chat

It seems that Look belonged to the Cycle-Europe group, a very powerful group at the time, and which truly believed that an MTB should have its origins "on the other side of the pond" to be of quality.
This was seen, for example, with the Spanish bicycle brand BH, which was part of the Cycle-Europe group and suddenly started manufacturing under the Grisley brand and put a little US flag on all its bikes... the truth is that, at least in Spain, the move was a good one, as they flooded the market with their BH Top Line and Grisley bikes, all with the US flag on the top tube.

 

[Obi-Juan]

Well, I think the place where it's manufactured isn't the most important thing as long as it's the right one. If it were a determining factor, we'd have to throw all our Explosif, Team Marin, Apex, Stumpjumper, etc., etc. in the trash. Honestly, I don't mind seeing a "Made in Taiwan" label on my Team Marin.
But as a more fun fact, Giant, a Taiwanese giant, came to Holland to be manufactured for distribution in Europe, avoiding tariffs. In fact, I can't find the "Made in Taiwan" label anywhere on my ATX 800, although I don't know if those were already manufactured in Holland. My Team ATX is certainly European.

 

[aguycalled80]

The bad thing about the Hutchinson is that they have front/rear position but they only have the logo on one side... that looks a bit strange.
On the bikes with canti's the problem was braking, so I respect the position of the front wheel and at the same time it improves the grip in curves. I have also seen that putting that position in the back seems to give better traction even if they wear out sooner (well, since I will hardly use it...)

Another steel in my family and this one is peculiar with its quadruple butting
View attachment 937517

"Molecular Integrated Brazing."

What the heck is that?

 

[Obi-Juan]

"Molecular Integrated Brazing."

What the heck is that?

It sounds nice, really... but I honestly don't know what it really means.
I imagine it's Peugeot's internal welding system, implemented in the early 1980s under a new name.

 

[Obi-Juan]

I made a beginner's mistake. The frame came with a tightly tightened seatpost. Of course, the original seat clamp is very sturdy and has a very tight "road bike" type bolt.
But when I replaced it with a lighter Hope seat clamp, I realized the seatpost wasn't tight enough.
It wasn't the right size, so I quickly searched for one and found a Zoom. In 48 hours, the problem was solved for €10.
I know it's not as legendary as a Control Tech or IRD, but for now, it's doing the job, and I've honestly always liked that seatpost a lot. It's also a '90s icon, featured on countless bikes.
One more thing...well, it was a NOS. And the color matches the stem and handlebars well.

 

[Obi-Juan]

On a separate note, a friend told me there were some S2R pedals for sale. I was thinking about silver S2X pedals. They would really look very serious and pretty, but I can't resist adding the iconic red Look pedals. I think it's the right fit.
That's changed my mind a bit, and I looked around the garage for a saddle that had some red in it:
An red SLR. No, too modern.
A red Flite. No, it needs restoring; red leather ages badly.
A Mythos. It would be ideal, but it's the black version, not the one with the red tip.
A Ferrari Novus!!!
It might look good.

For now, I've put the saddle on, waiting for the pedals to come out and see how it looks. I've also rewired and adjusted the brakes. You know, "ancient astronaut" technology takes time, and adjusting the brakes took all Sunday morning.