FIRST LOOK: Revel Bikes Rail
The Revel Bikes Rail is the long-travel bike in Revel's shed. And we have one on test.
Revel Bikes might be new on the mountain bike scene as a brand name, but the people behind the bikes have all the experience necessary to make some class-leading boutique carbon mountain bikes. We have already tested the Revel Rascal 29er trail bike, and can't wait to test the Revel Ranger short travel 29er. The Revel Rail is the long travel, 27.5" wheeled bike in the fleet.
With 170mm travel in the front and 165mm in the back, the Rail is ready to go big, but thanks to the Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) suspension platform, this isn't a shuttle only bike. It's built to tackle the whole mountain. Not sure on CBF? Read about it here.
All Revel Bikes are available direct via Off Road Bikes Online here in Australia, and there's a bike hire scheme that lets you test a bike for a fortnight if you're keen on buying one. The rental price comes off your purchase price.
The Rail frame has a 65 degree head angle and 75 degree seat angle, with a reach of 470mm on a large. There's handy armouring on the frame, and while there are a lot of bearings they are well-sealed and Off Road Bikes Online stock all spares here in Australia.
We've got the Rail out on test with Chris Herron at the moment.
"Revel have done a fine job of creating a carbon frame that not only looks good, but is functional in its ability to be built and serviced easily. The internal cable routing is a breeze to install as it has internal guided tubes in the frame, so no more fishing for cables or frame runners," Chris told us.
"Key features of the frame include a water bottle mount on the inside of front triangle, definitely satisfying the majority of riders out there. An integrated upper chain guide with custom mount and spacing for most crank sets and common ring sizes and a good amount of rubberised frame protection on the downtube near the bottom bracket, as well as the drive side chainstay."
"The supplied build is one of the US stock build kits consisting of Rock Shox Lyrik Ultimate, SRAM X01 drivetrain, SRAM Code RSC brakes, Industry Nine Enduro S wheelset, Crank Brother Highline dropper post, ENVE M7 bar and Ergon saddle." This build isn't currently available in Australia, but it is how the test bike is equipped. The frame kit sells for $4499.
We'll see how it all turns out, as Chris will submit his review for our next issue that is on sale on August 24. But from what we can tell, he's enjoying his time so far.
All photos: Tim Bardsley-Smith
