YT IZZO BLAZE 29

With the IZZO BLAZE 29, YT have added a downhill-oriented bike to their trail range. The latest offspring of the IZZO family is discreetly elegant and styled down to the smallest detail. The sharp lines of the elegant frame cut a distinctive silhouette and the matt black finish highlighted with silver accents perfectly matches the silver tone of the Pike fork, which YT have jacked up from 130 to 140 mm. However, the finish is delicate, especially on the seat and chainstays, where the inside of our shoes rubbed off the paint in no time. In this regard, manufacturers like Nukeproof are miles ahead, delivering their bikes with a standard frame protector. The internal cable routing, on the other hand, is exemplary: all cables remain completely quiet and are neatly arranged at the transition from the frame to the rear triangle. Still, the IZZO isn’t 100% silent downhill. The chainstay protector is too thin and made of too hard a plastic and can’t prevent the chain from rattling on rough descents. Nevertheless, the IZZO convinces with other smart frame details such as the bottle cage mount. A recess on the down tube accommodates the baseplate of the optional magnetic Thirstmaster 5000 bottle, which was designed by FIDLOCK specifically for the IZZO. If you decide to spend the extra, this clever system allows you to preserve the clean silhouette even when the bottle is removed. With your water supply sorted, attach a multitool to the mount on the top tube and forget about a backpack altogether! Awesome.