During their relatively short existence, Revel has made some amazing bikes. And already made some of those bikes even better. That was the case with the Revel Ranger, as it received the right updates to be worthy of an Editor’s Choice award. Now it’s the Rascal’s turn.
I’ll never forget when Revel Founder, Adam Miller, gave me a sneak peek of the yet-unreleased Rascal literally from the back of his van in a trade show parking lot. Before Revel Bikes even existed as a brand in the public eye, it was clear that they were going to be a hit.
One of the original two models that Revel launched with in 2019, the Rascal was a near-instant success with a versatile build centered around the Canfield Balance Formula suspension platform. But like the Ranger, the original Rascal was ready for some updates – including the move to a SRAM UDH swingarm.
More than just the move to UDH, the new Revel gains similar advancements in carbon layup as the Ranger V2. The resulting build is said to be 150g lighter, but roughly 20% stiffer (partially due to the new suspension pivot hardware). The resulting frame weight is a claimed 2,810g for a medium without a shock.
The Rascal V2 still offers 130mm of rear travel through the CBF system and is meant to be paired with a 140mm travel fork and 29″ wheels. The suspension kinematics are said to be roughly the same but see a small change to provide a more stable pedaling platform.
The tallest riders will be happy to see the addition of a new XXL frame size which gets a steeper size-appropriate seat tube angle along with the XL. All sizes also get an improved geometry with a steeper seat tube angle, slightly slacker head tube angle, and slightly longer reach. That 65.5º head tube angle puts the Rascal only 0.5º away from the Rail 29, and with the same effective seat tube angle. The Rascal also has a longer reach than the Rail 29 making it an interesting decision if you’re choosing between the two bikes.
Offered in Ponyboy (yellow), and Pinot Gnar (dark burgundy), the Rascal will start at $3,599 for the RockShox frame kit, or $3,749 for Fox suspension. Complete bikes start at $5,999 for a GX Eagle Build, and top out at $10,499 for a SRAM XX Transmission build.
Details and Key Features:
- Frame Material: Carbon
- Rear Travel: 130mm
- Front Travel: 140mm
- Wheel Size: 29”
- Frame weight: 2,810g / 6lb 4oz (size Medium, No shock)
- 150 grams lighter than Rascal V1 frame weight
- New carbon layup provides significantly better lateral stiffness.
- Size-appropriate seat tube angles. Slightly steeper on XL and XXL
- SRAM UDH derailleur hanger
- All-new pivot hardware package with bigger bearings and axles for a stiffer, stronger frame with more durability and easier maintenance
- Titanium shock mount hardware
- Rear triangle Debris Guard included.
- Full carbon co-molded (the fancy kind!) guided internal cable routing for easy maintenance and a quiet ride.
- 2 sets of mounts for bottles/accessories. 3 sets on XXL
- 5 sizes: Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL
- Colors: Ponyboy (yellow), Pinot Gnar (dark burgundy)
