LOOK
From Free net encyclopedia
LOOK, established at Nevers, France in 1951, was originally a ski equipment manufacturer. They produce bindings both under their own name, Rossignol, and Dynastar. This partnership with Rossignol (which later merged with Dynastar) makes LOOK one of the leading binding manufacturers in the world with Marker. In the 1980s they pioneered the use of "clipless pedals" for cycling applications, based on the equipment originally developed for ski binding. Essentially they used a spring-loaded device on the top of the pedal to hold a "cleat" which is bolted to the soles of a cycling shoe, requiring the user to twist their foot to force the device to release the hold. This is an improvement to the prior method which is to use clips to bind one's foot onto the pedal, and was touted as a safety improvement, called "pédales automatique" as it was easier to release.
This design was released to the market in 1984, and in 1985 Bernard Hinault used it to his victory in Tour de France. He credited the pedals for preventing further injuries in a crash that he suffered in the middle of the race, and today the same idea is in widespread use in road cycling, track cycling and mountain biking.
In the 1980s LOOK was acquired by the Tapie group, who also sponsored the La Vie Claire professional cycling team which had Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond in its roster. It started producing bicycle frames made from carbon fibre, and is considered a pioneer in this area. In 1994, the ski attachment division was sold to Skis Rossignol, and the cycle division was spun off as an independent company, Look Cycle S.A.. In 1998, Dominique Bergin purchased the company in association with LOOK management. The name of the company is now LOOK CYCLE INTERNATIONAL S.A., and is identified closely with Laurent Jalabert, a French cyclist who in the 1990s rode LOOK frames to many victories and is currently a consultant for LOOK.