PRO RIG - Kirk Nelson's LOOK 596

PRO RIG - Kirk Nelson's LOOK 596
Kirk Nelson's LOOK 596.
Specs
  •  LOOK 596
  •  Zipp VukaBull + Clip Aerobars
  •  Zipp R2C Shifters
  •  Zipp 1080 + Sub9 Wheelset
  •  Adamo Podium saddle
  •  SRAM Red Brakes and Derailleurs

It's always fun to see what Boulder-based pro Kirk Nelson is doing with his rig. He's particularly choosy about the gear he uses, especially on the bike. His LOOK 596 frame is at the heart of a rig that not only looks fast, but plays the part quite convincingly when Nelson is riding it.

About the Rig:

Kirk's front end is 100% Zipp.

 

  • Nelson rides a lot of Zipp gear. His entire front end up to the stem is filled with some pretty posh equipment, all of it made by Zipp. Starting at the very front, Nelson uses the Zipp R2C shifters, mated to the sleek VukaShift extensions. These extensions keep the shift cables completely internal, hiding them from view completely. They're also made of a textured carbon fiber which eliminates the need for bar tape. And of course, the R2C shifters stay pointed forward at all times for superior ergonomics and aerodynamics. Nelson tilts his extensions up a few degrees for comfort, but because his extensions are mated to a VukaBull bar, the bar stays level to the ground.

The LOOK 596 frame was one of the most exotic bikes around when it was released, and it still sports some features not seein in other bikes. The most notable of these is the ZED crankset, which mates LOOK's one-piece carbon crank to the bike using a proprietary bottom bracket. Nelson rounds out his race setup with Zipp's highest-end wheels: the Sub9 disc and a 1080 front. He reports he can handle crosswinds of up to 20mph with wheels that deep.