YT Izzo Core 3 review: a lightweight trail bike with near-perfect spec, but it needs to be kept within its lane

Setup

Despite the YT’s dampers being ultra-adjustable, it was business as usual with my settings – the adjusters fully open.

After testing the m.2 versions of the RXF36 and RXF38, my experience with the forks help speed up setup for the high-tech TTX18 damper.

I inflated the fork’s positive spring to 100psi – 5psi more than recommended – and the bottom-out ramp-up spring to 200psi, which is 15psi more than recommended.

I fully opened the external rebound adjuster and the external high-speed compression adjuster but had +8 clicks (from fully open) of external low-speed compression adjustment. I left them set like this for the duration of the test period.

To start, I fully opened all the rear shock’s damper adjustments (low- and high-speed compression, low-speed rebound) and inflated the air spring to 136psi.

During the initial shakedown ride, the bike felt especially harsh and wasn’t using enough travel, so I decreased the spring pressure to 130psi to up the sag to 32 per cent. I kept the damper fully open for the entire test period.

YT Izzo Core 3 climbing performance

Despite the on-paper 77-degree figure, the Izzo’s seat tube angle feels relatively slack on the trail.

Set to my preferred full-mast height, I measured it at 74.5 degrees – significantly slacker than claimed.

When you're seated pedalling, you simply need to look down at the cranks and bottom bracket to see your hips sitting well behind them; it's much closer to the rear axle compared to bikes with a steeper seat tube angle.

This fosters a stretched-forward position, encouraging your shoulders to dip down towards the bar compared to more relaxed and upright bikes.

The aggressive position encourages high-paced, lung-burning efforts, and you’re made to hunker down at every opportunity.

But throttle back, and the comfort and general efficiency are lost. With your legs pedalling in front of rather than beneath you, it can be trickier to keep going for as long without pining for a rest or shuffling on the saddle to search for respite.

Angling the saddle nose-down and pushing it forwards in the rails helps claw back some energy and comfort, but it’s far from the perfect solution.

Max-power efforts

The rest of the bike encourages max-power efforts. The fast-rolling tyres hold speed well and make it easy to accelerate, and the bike’s relatively low weight helps you keep pace.

Likewise, the rear suspension focuses on efficiency over comfort. It barely dips in and out of its travel as you pedal, no matter how hard or stabby those strokes are.

But this limits traction and comfort on rougher terrain, where errant rocks can spit the rear wheel off-line, rather than getting absorbed by the Öhlins shock.

The most likely culprit for this is its over-damped tune, which creates a slightly unsettled feel; it’s far from plush.

Hard worker

The Izzo's suspension and geometry combine to create more work for the rider.

Your arms and legs articulate in overtime to keep the bike in check, and because it places you in a relatively stretched-out position, there’s less flex in the bike-rider system to make up for bad line choices or rowdy terrain.

The most deftly experienced and hardest climbers are going to love the all-out nature of the Izzo on the ascents, but those looking for a more relaxed ticket to the trailhead should probably seek out a different bike.

YT Izzo Core 3 descending performance

Switch to the downhills and it’s a similar story.

The choked rear end does a limited amount of work to provide grip, control and smoothness when the trail beneath you is unfolding into a rowdy riot.

While it’s far from pingy, and neither do the wheels deflect off-line once you’re charging, there’s a muted, dull and persistent thud emanating from each bump into your hands and feet. The ride isn’t spiky nor harsh, rather it’s dull and heavy.

When you’re hunting for grip from the tacky Maxxis tyres, the suspension’s not very forthcoming in working with the tyres to deliver traction.

Speed equals control

The rowdier and wilder the terrain gets, the faster and harder you’ll want to ride. Pushing the damper to its limits gets the best from it, but it’s not an especially sustainable way to ride.

Heavier or super-hard riders will love its feel, but lighter ones, unless they're capable of unlimited aggression, are going to struggle to master the Izzo’s character.

The more sedate and cruisy you become, or the less experienced you are, the less negative feedback the bike filters.

Beginner owners are going to want a lighter and more forgiving rear-shock tune, otherwise they’re going to be left wondering why each descent feels so punishing.

On smoother, high-speed tracks where absorbing raucous bumps isn’t the biggest need, it’s blisteringly quick – or at least feels as if it is.

Positively, the taut suspension has plenty of pop, which helps generate speed on the trail’s undulations, and opportunistic crank rotations top up that pace further.

Tight and snappy

The short rear end and relatively steep head angle help keep the bike alive; dipping, diving and weaving your way down the trail turns seemingly innocuous descents into technicolour trips to a higher realm.

Here, the XC-leaning geometry and shock tune mate with burlier parts to create a thrilling sensation of speed.

But, unlike longer, slack and lower bikes with an element of rider-helping lethargy, the Izzo’s tight and snappy handling means accessing that domain of Elysium comes at lower overall speeds.

Tapping into those sensations, usually reserved for max-effort sprints, is easier.

There’s no denying, however, that it’s a bit of handful in rowdier terrain.

As the yin to the rear suspension’s yang, the RXF36 m.3 fork is exceptional. Grip, control, smoothness and support are all bountiful and easy to grasp; certainly, its breadth of performance outshines the shock’s.