£750 / 29in / halfords.com
NEED TO KNOW
Hardtail of the Year winner with a lighter frameset and revamped geometry
New tapered head tube, triple-butted frame tubing and routing included for a dropper post
Comes standard with Maxxis Ardent tyres and tubeless-ready rims
New wide-range Shimano Deore 11-speed cassette, chainset and clutch rear derailleur
It’s fair to say the Voodoo Bizango is one of the winningest hardtails mbr has ever tested. This bike has won our Hardtail of the Year award on multiple occasions, even when the deck was stacked against it. And the times it hasn’t won, it’s because we haven’t been able to get hold of one due to it being sold out.
For 2022 Voodoo has stepped it up once again. The new Bizango is lighter, has better geometry and more tyre clearance and it even gets a few of the tweaks I suggested the last time I tested it.
Start with a great foundation and you can build a legacy, so at the heart of the new Bizango is a triple-butted aluminium frameset. Only the three main tubes get this treatment but this update and some changes elsewhere means the overall weight of the bike has come down.
To increase torsional stiffness, the top tube has a slightly larger cross-section with subtle profiling and it’s now welded to a tapered head tube. As a result, the frame is stiffer at the front but it’s also more comfortable at the back because Voodoo has dropped the seat stay bridge and also redesigned the chainstay assembly to be more compliant. The added benefit of this rejig is that it adds an extra 13mm of mud clearance and the option to fit fatter tyres if you wish.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Best places to ride with your kids
Five top venues to keep the nippers entertained this summer
CANNONDALE MOTERRA NEO CARBON 2
It’s got more suspension tunes than a Hitchcock movie, but will this Moterra thrill us or chill us?
100% GLENDALE GLASSES
When it comes to eyewear, having a large lens not only offers a lot more protection from trail splatter, it puts the frames further out from your field of view, allowing you to focus on the terrain in front of you. The Glendale is absolutely vast, and actually has a lens size akin to a full downhill goggle, so you literally can’t see the top or sides of the frame.
DMR STAGE 2 MTB RAIL SADDLE
DMR's new Stage 2 MTB Rail is one of those new/old products. The shape and construction are identical to the existing Oi Oi saddle, but the company has wrapped it in a new skin and added some harder-wearing reinforcement to the edges. It's also toned down the lairy graphics; this saddle only comes in plain black.
STRAIGHT TORQUING - GUY KESTEVEN
Has tech taken the hard work and fun out of mountain biking, or should we embrace evolution and roll with it?
STORM FORCE
Manon Carpenter may have retired from downhill competition, but her new role as a trail advocate is achieving results far beyond the race track
SWEAT AND SLATE
We ride 140 miles through Snowdonia on Cycling UK's newest and gnarliest long-distance trail
HEAD SPACE
New guidance reveals how to spot concussion, and how best to treat it
LATE SUMMER LOVIN'
Classic UK holiday hotspots that really shine when the crowds have gone
HOT STUFF
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH
