The STEVENS Izoard Ultegra Di2 was convincing in many areas and once again lived up to its reputation as a top race all-rounder.
The test riders were impressed from the very first contact: ‘The riding position is quite balanced and sporty, slightly stretched, yet comfortable and fully suitable for long distances’, according to the test editors of RennRad magazine.
Another important contribution to long-distance suitability is the proven riding comfort of the Izoard, achieved through a clever selection of components and the optimised frame construction. ‘The carbon seat post and the rather thin seat stays, which are positioned relatively high up on the seat tube, offer good damping properties’, the test editorial team found.
The finely tuned construction of the Izoard carbon frame, which is described as ‘extremely torsion-resistant’, especially in the all-important bottom bracket area, ensures that frame stiffness is not neglected despite all the comfort. The high stability of the Izoard backbone is particularly evident at high speeds. Despite the frame geometry, which is more geared towards agility with a short wheelbase and fairly short chainstays, ‘the Izoard never tends to get nervous even at very high speeds’, according to the test riders of RennRad magazine, who gave it top marks for ‘handling’ in the “downhill” and ‘manoeuvrability’ categories.
There was also a lot of praise for the specification of the test bike. Be it the eponymous Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, which with its 50/34-tooth compact crankset and 11-34-tooth cassette is ‘quite wide, suitable for mountain riding and beginner-friendly’ and whose brakes with 160 mm rotors offer ‘high absolute braking power in all conditions and always very fine modulation’.
The STEVENS Izoard Ultegra Di2 impressed the test editorial team as a ‘balanced all-round race model’ with ‘agility and riding comfort at a very high level’. For the extremely successful overall package, the RennRad editorial team finally awards the bike with the price-performance tip.
