Revel Rascal Mountain Bike [Rider Review]

Our "Rider Review" article series features the honest reviews from verified purchasers of Worldwide Cyclery. They contain the photos, thoughts, feedback & overall review you are looking for. 

Revel has easily become one of if not our most favorite bike brands since we became dealers not so long ago. With modern geometry and a suspension platform built to withstand everything, Revel's Rascal stood proud against all the tests we could throw at it. Our buddy Eddie recently got himself a new Rascal and sent over this review of the bike!

Eddie's Review:

I did a ton of research on which bike I wanted as my first full-suspension purchase since I knew I wouldn't be able to test ride it based on location and COVID restrictions. Worldwide Cyclery had some great reviews on a ton of bikes, including some impressive videos on the Revel Rascal and the Revel company.

Purchase Process:

As always, WC customer service was awesome. I made several calls with vague and specific questions. They listened to my questions and concerns and provided pointed feedback. They reached out to Revel with some specific questions I had and got back to me during the same day. I received a phone call the day after I ordered the bike asking me about my inseam so they could ensure the dropper was setup properly. I was impressed the bike showed up with the tires already on the bead, inflated enough to hold in the sealant. I'm fairly proficient in bike maintenance, but assembly was super simple. After I received the bike, I had a question about some of the spare parts in the box as well as the shock setup. They were quick to answer those questions as well.

Revel Rascal:

What can I say? This bike is absolutely awesome. I purchased the GX build with the upgraded Deluxe fork and shock. I was fascinated by the story behind Revel and was stoked to get a bike that not everyone on my trails was already riding. I receive a ton of compliments on it. It handles this gnarly rugged terrain of SW Arizona like a champ. Just like the video reviews discuss, it pedals uphill extremely efficiently. I attest to that coming straight off a hardtail on the same trails.

The Rascal just wants to get up and go.

The engagement of the I9 hub is awesome. The Rascal inspires confidence and handles downhill speed extremely well. The science behind the CBF suspension was somewhat easy to understand (another video put out by WC). That science proves to be true on the technical terrain I ride. I set up the front and rear suspension at the baseline settings, which have been perfect so far. I've tweaked it since and find myself coming right back to the baseline. I really like the head angle and STA combo. I feel like some bikes are making the STA too steep in an attempt to get closer to the do-it-all bike. Yes, it briefs well, but at some point, you’re going to get out of balance.

Conclusion:

"This bike feels great going up, down, and all around. I have plenty of room on the bike to shift as required. Besides pedals and grips (Deity Deftrap and Kuckleduster), I haven’t upgraded a thing on the bike. I have 98 miles of singletrack on it as well as some additional miles breaking it in and tooling around the hood. I’ve been crushing my PRs on Strava. More importantly, I’ve been having a blast on it." -Eddie