It’s been about six months since I got on the newest version of the Revel Ranger, and at the time of writing this, I have 850 miles on the bike. There have been two main build setups, a few races, a summer of training, and a ton of fun rides. So I’m going to talk about how I set up my Ranger for both the racing I like to do and the daily riding I like to do. The two setups end up being pretty similar, but there are a few key differences that make a noticeable change on the trail.

A little background: I’ve had three previous Rangers, two V1s and one V2, all built up in different ways. I had one beefy build with a 130mm Pike, the older bike was spec’d with a 120mm SID, and a PUSH ElevenSix coil out back, and I raced the CES Ashland Enduro on it. I’ve also had one at 25 pounds that I rode in the Breck Epic. Last, but certainly not least, I had Tec-Gnar paint one that is still the best-looking bike I’ve ever built.

So I’ve had a bit of time on the Ranger platform, and I was stoked to get on the new one once I heard it was coming and learned what it entailed. Knowing what CBF can do on a short-travel bike, and hearing about the updated geometry and frame manufacturing details, I had a feeling it was going to fit exactly what I want in this category. Yes, I want it light and competitive at an event like Downieville, but I also ride this bike most of the time. I want it to handle trail-bike-level trails and still get me to the top efficiently. A good pedaling platform, predictable traction, and a frame that isn’t a noodle are all things I look for.

Needless to say, it’s currently in the running for my favorite bike of all time, a spot still occupied by the Yeti SB4.5. If you don’t know about that bike, it was ahead of its time in 2016.

There are a few things I run differently for racing, especially for the 2026 Downieville Classic. Downieville is all about finding balance in your setup. A full XC bike, even one of the modern 120/120mm bikes, can be on a knife’s edge when it comes to traction, control, and durability. A lot of that comes down to tires, but front-end setup, brakes, and suspension matter too.

There are places where I’m willing to cut it close and others where I don’t even want to try because I still want the bike to ride and feel a certain way. For Downieville, I chose more XC-oriented suspension, a 150mm SL dropper post, crazy-light Berd wheels, 120 TPI tires, and XC pedals. These are areas where I feel the added risk is small and the weight savings make a difference. Downieville is hard on bikes, but the riding itself isn’t super gnarly in the steep-and-sketchy sense.

When Downieville was over, my last race of the year, I not only gave the bike a full rebuild but also swapped a few parts for daily riding through fall and winter. I installed a GRIP X damper, a 180mm OneUp dropper, ENVE wheels with steel spokes, 60 TPI tires, SRAM HS2 rotors, and trail pedals. It’s only a handful of changes, but they add up and make the bike that much more confident on the trail-bike-style trails near me. I love little tweaks like these, especially when only a few parts can noticeably change how a bike feels on the trail.

The Ranger in its daily form is my favorite. It really reminds me of the Yeti SB4.5. Maybe some of that is nostalgia: I was getting into trail bikes after years of XC racing, and the SB4.5 was also the first bike I ever raced at the Downieville Classic. To me, it felt like a short-travel trail bike that wasn’t afraid to pedal for four or five hours and keep up with XC bikes, but it could still smash chunky trails. The Ranger is right there with it, and with even more modern geometry, it’s basically perfect for me.

Race Setup:

This is the looong topic, so buckle up. Too much thought goes into this every year, but after this season, I might have finally cracked the code, and maybe I can ease up on how much I think about Downieville wheel and tire choices. Testing, testing, testing.

After blowing up a prototype rim at a race in June, I had to go back to the drawing board. Tydeman and I shot up to Downieville for a quick weekend of testing, where we filmed a video covering all of our tire setups. Check that out for the mega-in-depth version. For now, I’ll try to keep it slightly shorter.

I ended up running Berd’s new Hawk30 Podium Gold wheels, a mega-light XC wheelset with a 30mm internal width that barely moves the scale at 1,050 grams for the pair. Yeah, those are light! I’ve owned Berd wheels for years and never had an issue, though I’ve sometimes found them to squirm more and feel less stiff when pushing a bike downhill, which is kind of expected.

I was keen to try them for XC racing again. Having already run Hawk30s at Downieville, I wanted to compare them with the ENVE M5 Pros I also own. After some back-to-back runs in Downieville, I could feel a difference, but I liked it. The Berds were smooth and compliant, which I’ll gladly take when they also happen to be super light.

Then there were the tires. I ended up with a WTB Peacekeeper 120 TPI Fast Rolling up front and a WTB Ranger 60 TPI Fast Rolling out back. I initially tried a Peacekeeper 120 TPI Fast Rolling front and a Macro 120 TPI Fast Rolling rear. Not only did the 120 TPI casing out back make me nervous about flatting, but the Macro wasn’t enough tire for me to feel comfortable.

Next, I wanted to run dual Peacekeeper 120 TPI Fast Rolling tires, but again, the thinner casing out back made me too nervous. I never flatted one on a training run, but things happen in racing when you’re tired and sloppy. The final combination ended up being amazing. I had no issues on race day, no flats and not even any sketchy moments. I’m super happy with it and would run the exact same setup next year.

Daily Setup:

The daily setup changes, but it still stays light. I run ENVE M5 Pro wheels with a 29mm internal width up front and 27mm out back. You can ever so slightly see the narrower rear rim round out the tire, but the wheels feel great. They’re stiffer than the Berds without being wicked stiff. I’d put them right in the middle of XC wheels, between super compliant and soft and mega stiff.

They have a great trail feel: XC-light and fast, but they don’t noodle around. I’m very happy with them for daily riding. I also switch to thicker 60 TPI tires, a Peacekeeper 60 TPI High Grip up front and a Peacekeeper 60 TPI Fast Rolling out back. That gives me more grip, better protection, and a casing that feels more solid underfoot.

I ride full DH trails with this setup. While many of my friends run “more” tire, I love how these ride. They drift predictably, roll fast, and help the bike carry momentum. That feeling is pretty addicting. When I get back on a longer-travel bike and it rolls slowly, it makes me want to reach for the Ranger in its daily setup even more.

When SRAM released Eagle 90 last year, I was pretty stoked. After getting a few early peeks in 2023, I knew right then that I was going back to mechanical. I ran it on my ASR last year, and now both of my full-suspension bikes are running a mix of mechanical Eagle 90 and other SRAM parts.

I’m using an Eagle 90 rear derailleur with the Eagle 90 shifter. I only kind of like the shifter. It’s fine, but if you use an Eagle XX1 mechanical shifter, or even find a fresh 11-speed XX1 shifter, you’ll be reminded what a top-of-the-line mechanical shifter feels like. The Eagle 90 works without issue, but it doesn’t have a premium shifter feel.

That’s paired with a SRAM XX cassette, chain, and crankset. The standard XX cassette and chain aren’t much heavier than the XX SL parts, and they save a few bucks. I do have an XX SL chain ready to install when it’s time. The cranks are 165mm long, and I’m running a Quarq power meter with a 34-tooth chainring.

I’ve been lucky to run some CeramicSpeed parts on my bikes for the past few years, and that continues here with the OSPW Transmission cage assembly on the derailleur and a CeramicSpeed bottom bracket. It’s wild how freely everything spins. If there are a few things I love on a bike, they’re smooth bearings and an extremely efficient, clean drivetrain.

I think drivetrain cleanliness is overlooked. After working in a bike shop, I’ve seen how many watts and how much efficiency you can lose in a dirty drivetrain, even if you own all the fancy parts. To keep mine clean and waxed, I use CeramicSpeed UFO Chain Wax, which I apply about once a month. Between full waxes, I top off the chain with good, reliable Squirt. I’ll also use CeramicSpeed UFO Drip from time to time, including on race day when the course isn’t very long or wet.

A few bits and bobs round out the build. As always, I use either a Wolf Tooth or King Cage titanium bottle cage; this bike has the King Cage. On full-suspension bikes, I will sometimes run the Wolftooth if I need a slight different position, but the OG King Cage works great.

For spares, I found a rad little bag that uses the frame’s accessory mounts. It holds my WTB tube, tire boots, two CO2 cartridges, and small parts like chain links and zip ties. I have articles covering both my on-bike spares and the ride wallet I pair them with, so it’s easy to make sure I always carry enough.

Lastly, I’ve been running a small Knog bike bell. It’s super low-profile, and most people don’t even see it. It has been awesome on my local trails around hikers and blind corners. A few rings, and everyone has a much better time on the trail. I’m just waiting for them to come back in stock so I can grab more for my other bikes.

As noted earlier, I’ve had three Rangers over the years, but it had been a while since I owned one. Since the Yeti ASR was released, that’s mostly what I’ve been riding. All of those ASRs were amazing and simple, but I feel like any flex-stay XC bike leaves some suspension performance on the table compared with what a short-travel bike can be.

That’s where CBF really comes in. Its feel is night and day on any bike, but especially on this Ranger compared with the ASR. I’ll take the weight penalty all day to have a bike that rides better basically everywhere.

Before getting into how it rides, let’s talk about fit and proportions. The new Ranger has grown quite a bit compared with the previous version. My Large has a 485mm reach, 437mm chainstays, a 1,234mm wheelbase, a 65.7-degree head tube angle, and a 77-degree seat tube angle. It’s fully modern and 64mm longer than the previous Ranger in its stock setup, with a head tube angle that’s two degrees slacker and a seat tube angle that’s two degrees steeper.

You sit much more in the bike now, and the pedaling position is amazing. After putting a lot of miles on it over the summer, I feel completely at home and locked in on the Ranger.

If you haven’t ridden CBF before, I suggest trying to demo one. On the trail, the bike pedals like butter. It has enough suppleness to smooth out the trail yet remains supportive when you put power down. It doesn’t feel locked out, which is exactly what I want when I’m in the mountains climbing rough fire roads and singletrack. If I hit a paved section or road climb, I’ll reach down and move the shock into firm mode. If it’s a smooth but long fire road, I might use the middle position, mostly when racing. Otherwise, I leave the bike wide open almost all the time.