We’ve lost track of how many times the Voodoo Bizango has won its price category in our best Hardtail of the Year test. But it’s always operated in a bit of a fiscal no-man’s land, with the real value-for-money heavy hitters sitting above and below it in price. For 2022, Voodoo has doubled its Bizango offering, adding a more expensive Pro version at £925 and bringing it squarely into the sights of the award-winning Vitus Sentier for the first time. As prize fights go, this is as big as Ali Vs Frazier. 

Need to know

• Range topping hardtail from Voodoo, with RockShox 35 Gold fork and Shimano 12-speed drivetrain
• New triple-butted alloy frame, tapered head tube, 148mm thru axle and cabling routing for a stealth dropper post upgrade
• Upgraded Maxxis High Roller II and Rekon tyre combo, Shimano MT401 brakes, WTB saddle

Two-piece cranks and threaded BB with external bearings provide a strong, durable set-up

To get in shape for the title fight, Voodoo has wrung every drop of fat out of the new Bizango frame, using triple butted tubes in the front triangle to save weight and improve the ride feel. The geometry has also been updated with a longer reach and slacker head angle to make it more sure footed when dancing around the ring.

A short stem and wide bars give tons of control

Everything is modern and up to date: the head tube is tapered, the bottom bracket is threaded, the thru-axles are Boost and the cable routing includes a port for a stealth dropper post. As a result, maintenance is simplified and there’s ample potential to upgrade. The first of which should be that dropper post, because the seat clamp quickly gets contaminated with grit and loses its effectiveness if there’s even a hint of dampness to the trails.

The sturdy RockShox fork is a real advantage at this price point

Suspension

The Voodoo easily boasts the best suspension fork on test. It’s a RockShox Gold 35 with, as the name suggests, 35mm upper tubes. The oversize legs, coupled with the 15mm bolt-through axle, increase stiffness over many of the other forks on test, so much so that It’s actually approved for use on 25kg e-bikes.

By adding Bottomless Tokens to the air spring side of the fork, you can change the volume and make the fork harder to compress deep in the travel – something usually only found on more expensive bikes. However, the damping actually does this to a degree anyway. On big bumps the damping oil starts to bottleneck, causing the fork to lock up. As such, we could only achieve 110mm of the advertised 130mm travel on fast descents.

On smaller bumps the RockShox 35 gave a supple, comfortable ride, and seeing as this is a hardtail, the harshness on bigger hits wasn’t really an issue – it served warning to our ankles and the soles of our feet. With less dive at the front end, the geometry was also preserved and the handling felt more consistent and predictable.

Putting the High Roller II on the back and upgrading the front tyre to something fatter would help smooth the ride

Components

Voodoo has really rolled out the red carpet for the Bizango Pro. Kicking off with the gears, you get a Shimano Deore drivetrain with 12 widely spaced ratios that make light work of even the steepest climbs. Shifting between gears is swift and accurate and it never feels like something is going to break when you put mash down on the excellent two-piece cranks – not the case on every bike here.

The dropped chainstays help reduced chainslap

Long, slender Shimano MT401 brake levers give one finger control with loads of modulation, and even though the rear rotor is tiny there’s plenty of power. Too much, in fact, for the lightly-treaded Maxxis Rekon tyre. Yes, it’s fast rolling, but traction in the wet – whether climbing or braking – is minimal and the skinny width does little to isolate you from bumps on the trail. Transferring the more aggressive front Maxxis High Roller II onto the rear would help in both departments, while sticking a 2.5in or 2.6in tyre up front (the Specialized Butcher is only £37.50) would increase cornering grip and take the edge off trail blows. While you’re at it, we’d recommend converting to tubeless, as this would save a chunk of weight and help reduce flats.

WTB’s Volt saddle is an excellent perch

We’ve no complaints with the cockpit, as Voodoo has fitted a wide 780mm bar and short 45mm stem that gives excellent control, while the locking grips have decent padding. Out back, the WTB Volt saddle has a great shape and plenty of padding, which makes spinning along in the saddle a much more pleasurable experience.

Smooth and fast, the Bizango devours singletrack

Performance

The Bizango impressed us from the get go with its excellent turn of speed and smooth, silent ride. It reminded us of a high end modern XC bike on the climbs, where the low weight and roomy riding position helped open our chests for maximum oxygen intake.

The generous reach means you can open up your chest on the climbs and worry less about balancing traction at both wheels

Lapping up the miles was fast and comfortable thanks to those low-profile tyres and well-padded saddle to the point where we reckon it would feel right at home competing in a cross-country race or taking on a long-distance trail.

Voodoo has cooked up a spell-binding hardtail in the new Bizango Pro

With that wide bar, short stem and stout fork, it’s easy to get up to pace on the descents, too. And it’s here that the lack of chain slap and cable rattle can really be appreciated, removing any distractions and letting you concentrate on hitting your lines. There is more harshness to the Voodoo compared to the Vitus, and it’s not quite as playful, but we reckon a switch to tubeless and that tyre upgrade would realise the full potential of the Bizango.

Looking for more ideas? Check out our best hardtail mountain bikes or best mountain bikes under $/£500.