Inexpensive road bikes with carbon frames on test: The Stevens Izoard offers tuning potential

Oldie, but Goldie: Stevens is the only manufacturer to send a carbon racing bike with rim brakes to the test - and beats the disc models in terms of weight. At 7.9 kilograms, the Izoard, named after a French Alpine pass, is not yet a smooth-running mountain bike, but it comes close to aerodynamically optimised racing bikes.

Stevens Izoard benefits with wheels

The Stevens benefits from the outdated braking system, especially when it comes to the wheels. The flat aluminium DT Swiss rims are up to 1000 grams lighter than the disc versions of the competition, while fast tyres from Continental support the lively and direct handling. The competitive concept is rounded off by a relatively stretched seating position. With an STR+ of 1.11, the Izoard is much closer to a sporty competition bike than a marathon model.

An old-school racing bike

The ride comfort is passable, but overall the Stevens with aluminium handlebars and seat post feels quite hard and is in the tradition of the classic road racing bike. The Izoard, which the Hamburg-based manufacturer only offers in its in-house custom programme, can be optionally equipped with a more flexible carbon seat post (69 euros). There is no leeway when it comes to tyre width, as more than the 28-millimetre tyres (59 euros) cannot fit through the fork and frame. This is a tribute to the rim brakes, which are also more hesitant than disc brakes and require significantly more manual force for the same braking power.

A little more attention to detail could be paid to the handlebar tape, which is quite slippery, and to the routing of the cables; the wide cable bend on the cockpit can come into conflict with your knees when you're pedalling. You should also bear in mind that the supply of spare parts can be problematic. The Izoard is one of ten models that can be customised in Stevens' configurator. The basic version with impeccable 105 shifting technology starts at €1999 and is €600 cheaper than the Counterpart with disc brakes. Exciting: For an attractive 3350 euros, the Izoard can be converted into an old-school racer with aero wheels and lightweight carbon components.

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Stevens Izoard - Info & test grade

• TOUR grade: 2,3
• Price: 2058 Euro
• Weight of complete wheel: 7.9 kilos
• Frame sizes: 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 (test size bolded)

Geometry

• Seat/top/head tube: 533/560/159 millimetres
• Stack/Reach/STR: 587/385 millimetres/1.52
• Stack+/Reach+/STR+: 641/579 millimetres/1.11
• Wheelbase/caster: 990/59 millimetres

Equipment

• Drive/gear shift: Shimano 105 (2x11; 50/34, 11-34 t.) | Grade: 2.0
• Brakes: Shimano 105 | Grade: 3.0
• Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 5000S TR 28 mm (eff.: 28 mm) | Grade: 1.0
• Impellers: DT Swiss P 1800 Spline
• Impeller weights: 1084/1642 grams (front/rear)

Advantages and disadvantages

• Plus: Lightweight, many options in the configurator, seven sizes
• Minus: poor braking performance, long-term spare parts supply

>> How TOUR tests: We have a new test procedure. You can find the details here.