The Voodoo Canzo Pro is a 140mm trail bike and is a solid offering to the entry-level of the trail bike market. Aside from a slightly slack seat angle, the geometry is right on the money, providing a lively and nimble ride. Although the dropper is a little short, there's plenty of room for upgrades and weight reduction. At this price point, the Voodoo Canzo Pro deserves credit for making a well-performing trail bike accessible.

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Voodoo’s all new Canzo full-suspension trail bike isn’t perfect, but it’s a brilliant example of an affordable have-a-go-hero with future-proof upgrade features you won’t normally find at this price. Voodoo Canzo need to know Alloy frame 29in wheel affordable trail bike 140mm of RockShox suspension each end Excellent all round geometry 10 speed Shimano gears Clamped internal cable routing and UDH hanger Optional dropper on first batch of bikes Only three sizes: S, M, L Voodoo’s Canzo has been around for years as a cheap and cheerful entry-level full-suspension bike, but this new model really steps up a level with an all-new design. So is it really ready to tackle full-on mountain biking? And how does it compare to obvious competitors like Calibre’s newly relaunched Bossnut? Time to find out. Frame and geometry This latest Canzo gets an all-new alloy frame including totally up-to-date features like a UDH dropout (the old Canzo used a 135mm QR rear end) and forged clamps for the internal control routing to stop it rattling and ensure a silent ride. The suspension is also a true four-bar design with a pivot on the chainstays and a vertically mounted shock, driven by a rocker link pivoting on the seat tube. The geometry has also been modernised, with exactly the 65º head angle claimed, and an effective seat angle of 77.2º at my 745mm saddle height. Reach is decent at 478mm on the large I tested, and the 435mm rear end is a happy medium between agility, stability, and climbing traction. The seat tube is relatively tall, but most riders will still be able to fit a 170mm dropper post if they buy a bike of the suitable length. BB height is an appropriate enough 339mm given the 140mm travel. That means the only real sizing miss is the lack of extra small or extra large frames. Perhaps the biggest improvements to the Canzo are the addition of 29in wheels, which cover ground more efficiently and offer better stability, and the shorter seat tubes, giving you more room to move around the bike on technical trails. Components Speaking of range, Voodoo offers two Canzo models; the Pro at £1,800, and this base model at £1,350 (or £1400 as tested). The cheaper bike gets 10-speed Shimano Cues gears and twin-piston Shimano MT201 brakes, rather than 12-speed Shimano Deore and 4-piston MT420. The obvious difference between the two bikes when they were launched is now being sorted though so finding that extra £400 is no longer a big deal. That’s because while the first batch of bikes will come without a dropper for £1350, and you can add a 150mm Satori over-bar lever post for £50. However, after receiving my feedback, Voodoo has made a running change, and the second batch of bikes will come with a well-proven X-Fusion Manic dropper seat post with underbar lever fitted as standard. All for the same £1,400 price. That’s brilliant to hear. The RockShox 35R coil fork is very heavy at 1,840g, …Continue reading »

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Since winning our 2022 Hardtail of the Year award, life has been good for the Voodoo Bizango Pro. So good, that the only thing that’s changed is the price has crept up by £25. Impressive, given that a bag of groceries has probably gone up by the same amount. Best hardtail mountain bikes: reviewed and rated by experts To improve the ride feel and save weight the alloy Bizango frame uses triple butted tubes in the front triangle. The last round of revisions ushered in a longer reach and a slacker head angle so the geometry is current, if not as progressive as the new Calibre Line-T3 27.  All of the standards are bang-up-to-date too. The head tube is tapered, the bottom bracket is threaded, the thru-axles are the up-to-date Boost standard and the cable routing includes a port for a stealth dropper post. And it’s the latter that we’d recommend pushing the budget a little higher to attain. Best dropper seatposts: reliable game-changers We can’t stress how transformative having a dropper post is to the ride quality, not least because the seat clamp quickly gets gunked up with grit. Suspension With a RockShox Gold 35 leading the charge, the Voodoo easily has the best suspension fork on test. With big 35mm upper tubes and a 15mm bolt-through axle, it’s plenty stiff enough to hold a precise line without the steering ever feeling wayward or vague. Something heavier, hard charging riders will really appreciate. The fork boasts 130mm travel, but delivers slightly less as it has a tendency to spike on bigger hits. There’s no faulting its performance off the top though. The RockShox Gold 35 delivers a buttery smooth action, so traction and comfort are both first rate. There’s also plenty of support in the middle of the travel, so the Bizango Pro feels very stable and composed even when the trail turns rowdy. Components While we can pick small holes in the performance of the fork, Voodoo has really delivered on the specification. Let’s start with the contact points. The lock-on grips are secure and comfortable. Saddle choice is personal, but everyone agreed that the profile of the WTB Volt makes for the perfect perch. Rest your index finger on the slender Shimano MT401 brake levers, and you have the ability to modulate your speed with absolute ease and complete control, even with the smaller 160mm rear rotor. You get a Shimano Deore 12 speed drivetrain with a massive 51t rear cog that makes light work of even the steepest climbs. Shifting was swift and accurate and it never felt like something was going to break when we mashed down hard on the excellent two-piece cranks. If there is one area where the build kit could be improved upon, it’s the tyres. The Maxxis Rekon rear tyre certainly keeps the tempo high, but traction in the wet – whether climbing or braking – was minimal and the skinny width did little to isolate us from bumps. You could …Continue reading »

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