RACE-READY CARBON
If you place speed above all else, consider this hardtail. The 986 may be Look’s first foray into the off-road world, but as their road bikes have proven, they know their way around carbon. With dramatically shaped tubing—faintly hexagonal in the top and seat tubes and broad in the down tube and bottom bracket—the frame is pleasingly stiff but forgiving on small bumps. Combined with vibration-damping elastomers in the integrated seatpost, the 986 has a hint of cushiness. With RockShox’s sturdy Reba fork and Mavic Crossmax SLR wheels, the 986 is the quickest, lightest bike in our lineup. 20.7 lbs, M; lookcycle.com