Revel Rascal V2 - The Bike That Put Revel On The Map Made Even Better! [Video]

Words by: Liam Woods

Is This The Everyday Trail Bike?

Revel Bikes launched as a bike brand in 2019 and with the launch came the Revel Rascal and the Revel Rail. The Rascal is a 29” trail bike with 130mm of rear travel and 140mm of front travel. Now in 2024, the long awaited Revel Rascal V2 is here! The Rascal has been fully refreshed with all the modern needs like SRAM UDH, slacker head tube and steeper seat tube angles than before, as well as updated pivot hardware and more.

We are stoked to see the Rascal V2 as the super versatile 130mm trail bike that probably 80% of riders need, whether they want to admit it or not. It's been a constant top seller for Worldwide Cyclery and Revel Bikes and we feel the V2 version will only increase that. Coming in two hot colors, you have the Pinot Gnar which is a very wine-like purple, and PonyBoy, a gold color which is an ode to the classic book and movie The Outsiders, a personal favorite. Both of these colors look absolutely stunning in the flesh. We did our best to capture them in photos but trust us, they look even better in person! 

What's New?

Caution, buzz words incoming. The Rascal V2 has been redesigned from the ground up! In all seriousness, the Revel crew really did go over every detail of the Rascal with a fine tooth comb to make sure it could be the best trail bike possible. They started with an all-new carbon layup that both increases stiffness (claimed up to 20%) as well as saves 150g over the og Rascal. Kinematics were then refined to better suit 130mm of rear CBF travel, creating a nice pedaling platform that can still handle anything you want to push this bike through. A 5th size has been added, an XXL, and all bikes get size-specific seat tube angles, so XL and XXL have slightly steeper seat tube angles for an appropriate seated position. 

• Fully redesigned to be the ultimate trail bike and best Revel yet
• 5 sizes: Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL
• 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!

Revel Rascal V1 (Left), Revel Rascal V2 (Right

Specs: 

• Frame Material: Carbon
• Rear Travel: 130mm
• Front Travel: 140mm
• Wheel Size: 29" F+R
• Sizes: SM, MD, LG, XL, XXL
• Colors: Ponyboy (Gold), Pinot Gnar (Dark Wine)
• Fork Axle to Crown: 551mm
• Fork Offset: 44mm
• Fork Compatibility: 140mm or 150mm
• Rear Shock Size: 210x50
• Rear Shock Hardware: 25mmx8mm Front, no Hardware Rear
• Headset Top: IS42
• Headset Bottom: IS52
• BB Shell: 73mm Threaded
• Chainline: 55mm
• Rear Brake Mount: 180mm Post Mount. Max Rotor Size 203mm
• Derailleur Hanger: SRAM UDH
• Rear Axle: Revel UDH 12x148 rear axle
• ISCG Tabs: ISCG 05
• Seatpost Diameter: 31.6mm
• Seat Clamp: 34.9mm
• Max Seatpost Insertion: Small 250mm | Medium 270mm | Large 300mm | XL 330mm| XXL 340mm
• Max Chainring Size: 36t Round or 34t Oval
• Max Tire Size: 29 x 2.6

Geometry:

Geometry for the Rascal V2 gets an update in all the right spots, yet it retains that same quintessential trail bike geometry. I do think the sweet spot of modern geometry has been found, and this bike is the perfect representation of that. The big improvement on the Rascal V2 is the seat tube angle, specifically making the actual and effective angles closer to each other. The Rascal V2 is 76 degrees for the small-large, and the XL gets .5 steeper and the XXL gets 1 degree steeper. The actual seat tube angle is 71 degrees on the small-large sizes and 72 degrees on the XL & XXL. The reach gets a bit longer, 7mm per size compared to the previous Rascal. The last change is the head tube angle gets .5 degree slacker. Small changes but the first gen Rascal rode amazing and the consensus was that the seat tube angle could just be a little steeper. 

On-Trail Performance:

What does all this matter if the bike isn't good on the trail? I was stoked to get the Rascal V2 out on the trail and give it a good shakedown. Our test bike was a great build which was equipped with SRAM XX Transmission drivetrain, SRAM Code Ultimate brakes, Rockshox Ultimate suspension, Revel’s own RW30 wheels, and a Trail One Components cockpit. Setting up the bike was pretty easy as these components are all very common and I ride them often. 

When I first hopped on the Rascal V2, I immediately noticed the steeper seat tube angle. It puts you much more over the front of the bike compared to the original Rascal but not too far. I do think some of these super steep 78-degree seat tube angles start to feel weird and almost like you pedal backwards. So the seated position of the Rascal V2 felt great right from the start. 

Once I got on the trail and started climbing, the kinematics are said to be virtually unchanged but it felt more planted to me as well as a bit less pedal bob. While I don't have a back to back test on that, it was a smooth pedaling platform that made you want to put down some power. Much like all the other Revel bikes with CBF, it truly is one of the most balanced suspension platforms on the market.

The ability of this bike to maintain traction while either seated or standing and climbing singletrack are some of the best traits of the CBF platform and what really makes it stand out from the crowd of other great full suspension bikes. If you want to dive deep into CBF, we have an old video with the man himself, Chris Canfield, going into all the details about CBF and why it's so different. 

A few quick downhill rips and the stoke was high. As noted before, this Rascal V2 feels really balanced and planted. Almost more so than any other bike I've ridden, for 130mm of rear travel, it blends what you need from a trail bike into a perfect package. I was able to push it pretty hard on some chunkier trails and go deep on some jumps while also remaining nimble enough to flick around corners and put the tires where I want them.

The 130mm of rear travel is used perfectly, while on some bikes the rear progression is too high and you end up not using full travel. Especially on a shorter travel bike, utilizing the travel to the fullest extent really increases the capability of the bike. A few more impressions on the handful of rides I got on the Rascal V2, it's extremely quiet.

SRAM Transmission helps a lot with this, but it's very nice to get on a bike and not have any chain slap noise, cables all over the place, or hard sounds when pushing it. Another is the rear end felt very stiff and smooth, the updated bearing system and pivot hardware are a huge improvement over the previous Rascal, and not just for servicing but creates a smoother ride with less flex and binding. 

What's Worldwide's Takeaway?

The Revel Rascal has been a top pick among staff and riders looking for a do it all trail bike, and the updated Rascal V2 doesn't let us down. With just the right updates without ruining the bike we loved, it's all that was asked for. A steeper seat tube angle, slightly longer reach and a little slacker headtube are the perfect geometry updates. Along with updates in both pivot hardware and bearing systems and SRAM UDH, there isn't anything we would change with the Revel Rascal V2. Available in two colors and a handful of well spec’d build kits, this do it all trail bike is ready to rip! 

This article was written / authored by Liam Woods. Liam has been in the bicycle industry for over 10 years as a racer, professional mechanic, service manager and as of late, media and content creator. Liam has ridden thousands of different bikes, ridden countless components, tested endless MTB apparel of all kinds and written reviews on it all. He's a key piece to the Worldwide Cyclery "All Things MTB" content creation puzzle. He also makes consistent appearances on the Worldwide Cyclery YouTube channel and Instagram.

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