Colorado’s Revel Bikes has been making waves and fighting against the giants in the cycling industry. It has gained notoriety with its Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) suspension, thermoplastic wheels, and a one-off thermoplastic downhill frame. The OG Ranger was well-received by mountain biking laureates, including us at GearJunkie.
Revel Bikes released version 2 of the Ranger last year, and I’ve been testing it ever since. For a solid year, I rode the lowest-spec version without regard to the frame’s longevity or its parts. The riding near my home in Hill Country, Central Texas, is hard on bikes. Most trails are littered with limestone rocks and boulders with square edges. The trails punish inconsistencies in handling by both rider and bike.
In short: The Revel Ranger proved a reliable and consistent performer across terrain that was much more challenging than cross-country but not quite the mountainside trails in places like Colorado. The bike wanted to go fast, and as long as the drops weren’t larger than about 3 feet, it handled super-predictably, almost too predictably. The Ranger wanted to get the job done; I flew through sections in record time, but I yearned for a little more fun.
- Frame material: Carbon fiber
- Fork: Rock Shox SID Select+ 120mm
- Shock: Rock Shox SID Luxe Ultimate
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle, 10-52 cassette
- Wheels: Industry Nine Trail S with 1/1 hubs
- Cockpit: Race Face Aeffect R 35 bars and 40mm stem, SDG Bel-Air Lux saddle, Crank Brothers Highline 7 dropper post
Pros
- Very effective and consistent suspension action
- Feels more capable than a 115mm/120mm suspension travel bike
- Suspension works better when going faster
- Beefy and easily serviced suspension pivot hardware
Cons
- Bike doesn't feel "poppy"
- No storage in frame
The Revel Ranger on Paper

The Frame

Components


The Revel Ranger on the Trails

Chassis Performance

Component Performance


Conclusions on the Revel Ranger
