2023 Revel Rail 29 Review
This past weekend the Revel bikes demo truck came to town offering up free demos and I just couldn't miss out! I went in with the intention of riding something different such as a cross country bike or all-mountain/trail bike (think a little lighter and shorter travel than my Stumpjumper). While waiting in line I saw this beautiful Rail 29 in red (excuse me, Shred Velvet Cake! lol) with full Fox Factory suspension and Shimano groupset, my favorites! Needless to say I asked for the big bike with the intentions of riding an XC bike later that weekend.
The 2023 Revel Rail 29
Spec's and Value
This particular bike was a size XL with Fox Factory suspension, Shimano XT 4 piston brakes, XT 12 speed drivetrain, Crank Bro's dropper post, Race Face cockpit (bars & stem), and Crank Bro's alloy rims laced to Industry 9 hubs shed in Maxxis Minion tires! Right off the bat these are some of my favorite components on the market. The MSRP for this build kit is $6,999 which is comparable for the market. This is a big bike rocking the Fox 38 fork with 160mm travel and the Fox X2 shock on the Canfield Balanced Formula (CBF) delivering 155mm of travel out back. This build kit, on XL frame, weighed approximately 32 lbs, which is average for the modern enduro bike category.
One nicely spec'd bike! The paint looks more red than the photos made it out to be
Revel offers this bike in the full Rock Shox/SRAM build kit if that's your preference. That build kit comes with the RS Zeb fork, Super Deluxe shock, X01 drivetrain, and Code RSC brakes. I've heard great things about Rock Shox's new Buttercups and Hydraulic Bottom Out suspension technology, I hope to ride them in the near future. I have had favorable experiences on the X01 drivetrain and Code RSC brakes (but not the RS)[I know, so very picky].
I like that Revel is able to offer this bike with both major build kits at the same price that way getting your preferences doesn't cost you extra time or money. I wish I had that option from Specialized with my Stumpjumper Evo. The $7k MSRP is competitive for carbon enduro bike segment, perhaps a little better since they snuck in a carbon fiber handlebar and Industry 9 hubs. At the time of this article XL bikes were discounted by $1,500, which makes this a steal! A steal on par with Specialized!
Climbing & Pedaling
I had reservations about the Crank Brothers dropper post lever, it looked plastic-y and prone to slipping around. I was pleasantly surprised when I found the lever actuation was light and never lost its original position while in use. Now I view it's spherical mounting point as an advantage, the rider gets so much more adjustability out of it than the conventional hard mounted lever! This bike came with a huge 200mm dropper post which is amazing for getting the seat out of the way, slightly tall when fully extended for me.
The Revel Rail 29 is one beautiful, well designed, well spec'd, high performance enduro bike. It felt natural from the moment I threw a leg over it in the parking lot and followed me onto the trails. This is a special feeling I haven't experienced since I first tried my Ellsworth Rogue 60, high marks indeed. Revel did well to throw in little upgrades compared to the competition like Industry 9 hubs and carbon fiber Race Face handle bars. At this price point I would have expected the usual DT Swiss wheels (with horrendous engagement) and alloy handlebars. $7K for a mountain bike sounds expensive to many, and it is a considerable amount of money. I really feel the buyer gets their money's worth with this bike. It looks the part in Shred Velvet Cake red with the gold Kashima coatings on the suspension. Everything part on this bike in major name brand at the high end of their offerings. If you're tall and goofy the XLs are marked down ~$1500 which makes them a spectacular deal!
CBF's sprinting pedal bob performance is on par
I performed my unscientific parking lot sprint test to see how much pedal bob existed in that trick CBF suspension, the travel used was on par with the Yeti SB160 while feeling softer over bumps. This is an active suspension decoupled from the pedaling and braking forces, so you get the exact same suspension performance all the time. This is a rather common goal among the enduro bike crowd generating gobs of rear wheel traction. It was a little too active for my tastes on such tame trails, but I like a firmer ride, and that could be dialed in by playing with the many adjustments of the X2 rear shock.
Descending
The Rail 29 really shines on the downhills. So much so that I'm declaring it the more comfortable SB160. This bike felt natural to ride from the moment I jumped on it in the parking lot and that confidence came with me to the trails. The dimensions and geometries were just perfect for descending, where I expected it to feel too large (XL frame). The bike just disappeared underneath me. The CBF rear suspension coupled with Fox shocks made for a plush ride that was still playful popping off little rocks, roots, and jumps. I felt comfortable going for a gap jump and sent many kickers comfortably!
Shred Velvet is an appropriate name for this gem!
The bike continued to be very comfortable on the little bit of rock gardens and chunk available. Once again the suspension ate it up and felt planted while cruising at Mach Chicken (as fast as I dare). The Rail 29 is considerably more comfortable than the Yeti SB160 in these situations, I didn't have to turn down the compression dampening like I did on the Yeti. The tires are a true downhill tread pattern slapped on a mid-weight trail casing providing lots of traction.
Another setup preference, I like my tires relatively firm for two reasons, the first to avoid bouncing rims off of the rocks and the second to prevent the sidewalls from squishing/folding over when maneuvering. I experienced both of these undesirable situations on the Rail 29 and dialed back my speed in the chunks to avoid a flat. Higher tire pressures and more rear compression dampening would make this bike just perfect.
Drawbacks
This bike is really well designed and outfitted, so I will resort to nitpicking. I would prefer a heavier duty tire casing such as Maxxis Double Down (enduro) or DH casings to reduce sidewall flex. Higher tire pressures would have resolved my complaints too.
When it does come time for maintenance, you've got a bunch of bearings to grease. 10 bearings to be exact! However my Stumpjumper Evo has 10 bearings too, so par for the coarse.
Ten! 10 pivot bearings!
My largest water bottle just barely fit in the frame. The rear shock would hit it when bottoming out, but never knocked it out of the water bottle cage. So use a slightly shorter water bottle on the top water bottle cage. On a positive note, there is still plenty of room underneath the water bottle cage for a tool, and you can add a second on the bottom side of the down tube!
The Fox X2. I really enjoy these shocks but their reliability has not been living up to expectations in the field over the past couple years. I know of many blown out shocks within the first year. of ownership The climb switch does nothing, especially compared to their own Float X and DPS! Thrash at your own risk.
Conclusion
The Revel Rail 29 is one beautiful, well designed, well spec'd, high performance enduro bike. It felt natural from the moment I threw a leg over it in the parking lot and followed me onto the trails. This is a special feeling I haven't experienced since I first tried my Ellsworth Rogue 60, high marks indeed. Revel did well to throw in little upgrades compared to the competition like Industry 9 hubs and carbon fiber Race Face handle bars. At this price point I would have expected the usual DT Swiss wheels (with horrendous engagement) and alloy handlebars. $7K for a mountain bike sounds expensive to many, and it is a considerable amount of money. I really feel the buyer gets their money's worth with this bike. It looks the part in Shred Velvet Cake red with the gold Kashima coatings on the suspension. Everything part on this bike in major name brand at the high end of their offerings. If you're tall and goofy the XLs are marked down ~$1500 which makes them a spectacular deal!
I have lusted over the Yeti SB160 enduro bike ever since riding one earlier this year and now I have to question why. The Rail 29 felt more natural, more comfortable, weighs 1 lb less, costs less, comes in my favorite Fox/Shimano specs, and has Shred Velvet paint! If you are in the market for an enduro bike and aren't afraid of a relatively new brand name on the scene be sure to check out Revel!
Sources
1. https://revelbikes.com/product/rail29/
- build kits, geometries, sizing, and descriptions all on one page
2. https://canfieldbikes.com/pages/cbf-suspension
3. https://revelbikes.com/demo/
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