Young Talent carries the young, wild image in its name. The Izzo radiates a pinch of understatement, like Tommy Lee Jones in his black alien hunter suit. It is the bike with the shortest suspension travel in the Forchheim-based mail order company's portfolio. The Comparison test in BIKE 4/21 attested to the Izzo's sporty personality thanks to the good pressure on the front wheel and smooth running. A powerful trail bike for scrubbing kilometres. Nevertheless, thanks to its slack head angle and long wheelbase, it still has the downhill genes of its YT siblings. So what happens when an editor takes the one-bike-fits-all mentality literally in the endurance test?
In order to find out where the YT Izzo's comfort zone ends, it had to constantly face challenges outside its intended area of use during the test: During bike park fun and gondola weekends, the trail bike covered more than 100,000 metres in depth. To equip it for this downhill madness, the long 60 mm stem was swapped for a short 40 mm model and the fast-rolling tyres had to make way for coarser studs. The Twistloc lever for locking the shock has been removed and the handlebars are now 780 millimetres wide - details that YT also offers ex works on the latest equipment facelift.
YT Izzo in international use
During a month of continuous use on the rugged trails of Madeira, the trail bike showed good handling qualities despite its short suspension travel. Although the active rear suspension constantly transmits feedback from the ground, it works reliably.
That's why the Izzo was promptly used as the race bike for the Northlake Enduro race at the BIKE Festival in Riva. The rough terrain full of rocky steps has brought many an enduro bike with strong suspension travel to its knees. And the Izzo? Solid downhill performance, no defects - amazing!
The trail bike then changed hands for three months for a business trip to Canada. Even the high speeds on the trails around Montreal and in the Bromont bike park didn't upset the bike. Thanks to its stiff frame and razor-sharp handling, it was easy to keep in line. However, one impact ended the life of the front wheel - the result of a riding error and not the fault of the Izzo.
Back in Germany a little later, the Izzo made its comeback as a kilometre-hungry athlete: fitted with lightweight carbon wheels and fast CC tyres, it can also keep up with its colleagues on gravel rides. Although the rear suspension is very lively without a lockout, the stiff chassis willingly converts pedalling movements into propulsion. Even when heavily loaded, the YT was a reliable companion on a bikepacking tour over high Alpine peaks.
Whether Portugal, Italy, Canada, Austria or German home trails: the YT Izzo received little love in the form of care during its tough test bike life. Two or three showers, the occasional drop of chain oil, that's it. So it's all the more surprising that the mail-order bike still rides quietly over the trails. No creaking, no rattling. The noiseless cable routing is exemplary. The complete check in the BIKE test lab revealed a slightly jerky but not yet rough running rear hub and some play in the bushings on the dropper post, nothing dramatic. The other bearings and parts are still running smoothly. Even after continuous use at the limit, the Izzo seems to shrug its shoulders nonchalantly. Like Tommy Lee Jones, who has just eliminated another alien.
CONCLUSION by Max Fuchs, BIKE editor
"Versatility is the key discipline of YT's trail bike. The Izzo can be easily adapted to different riding styles by means of small equipment changes. The carbon frame contains the DNA of a sporty tourer, while the lively suspension offers plenty of downhill potential. In view of the one or other misuse, the Izzo performs exceptionally well after the endurance test."
Relationship highlight with YT Izzo
Four weeks on the rugged volcanic slopes of Madeira were no holiday for the YT Izzo. But the trail bike passed the endurance test with flying colours.
Technical data and rating YT Izzo
General information
- Material: Carbon, size L
- Price / Weight: 3899 Euro / 12.9 kg without pedals
- More info/YT website
Equipment
- Suspension travel: 130 mm /130 mm
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Fork / Shock: Fox 34 Float Performance Elite Fit4 / Fox Float Elite Performance
- Mileage: 3220 km / 82,000 vertical metres
Costs in continuous operation
The many metres of downhill scrubbed off the brake pads. A crash rendered the derailleur hanger unusable. Due to inflation and rising prices, the loss in value is low. YT now charges 4299 euros for the comparable equipment of the Core 3 model.
Max Fuchs
Editor
