Revel Rascal SL
Wheel Sizes: 29’’
Suspension Travel:
- Frame: 130 mm
- Fork: 140 mm
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: S, M, L, XL, XXL
- Headtube angle: 65.5°
- Reach (size Large): 471 mm
- Chainstay length: 436 mm
Frame Material: Carbon fiber
Stated Weight:
- Frame: 7.39 lbs / 3.35 kg (size Large, w/ RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, UDH, rear axle, and seat clamp)
- Complete bikes as low as 29.80 lbs / 13.50 kg (size Large, Summit build)
Price:
- Complete bikes start at $5,199 USD (Rascal V2 frame); Rascal SL-equipped builds start at $6,499 USD (details in Builds section below)
- Rascal SL frameset: $3,699 USD (includes RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock)
Intro
Revel’s Rascal V2 left us impressed with its blend of versatility, balancing comfortable and plush-feeling suspension performance while still feeling snappy and efficient. Where some shorter-travel bikes feel like underfed Enduro rigs, the Rascal V2 is a true all-rounder Trail bike.
The Rascal V2 remains in Revel’s lineup, but they’re also launching a new version — the Rascal SL — that takes the same geometry and suspension as the Rascal V2 but lops nearly half a pound off the frame weight. Let’s walk through the details of the new Rascal SL, and while we haven’t ridden it just yet, we have one on the way so be sure to watch the site for updates on how we get along with it.
The Frame
The Rascal is Revel’s take on a mid-travel Trail bike, with 130 mm out back matched to a 140 mm fork. Like the Rascal V2, the Rascal SL is still 29’’ only and is available in five frame sizes from Small through XXL. Like the other bikes in Revel’s lineup, the Rascal SL uses the CBF suspension layout, and there’s an integrated debris guard above the lower link to keep the pivots and link out of the line of fire from the rear wheel. A SRAM UDH, fully guided internal routing, a threaded bottom bracket, and an integrated headset round out the key frame features, all of which are shared by the regular Rascal V2.
The Rascal SL’s differentiating feature is its updated carbon layup, which drops nearly half a pound from the frame weight, according to Revel. Revel claims that a Large Rascal SL frame weighs 7.39 lbs / 3.35 kg including a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, and the lightest complete bike (the Summit build) weighs a claimed 29.30 lbs / 13.50 kg, also for a size Large.
Fit & Geometry
The geometry for the Rascal SL also remains the same as the Rascal V2, and we see that as a good thing — as mentioned already, we got along quite well with the Rascal V2 when we tested it early last year. Highlights for a size Large include a 471 mm reach and 625 mm effective top tube length, with a 65.5° head tube angle and 76° effective seat tube angle. Those figures are all pretty typical for a mid-travel Trail bike. The 34.2 mm bottom bracket drop is fairly low, which should help lend some stability and cornering prowess, while fairly compact 436 mm chainstays keep things snappy at the rear end.
Full geometry for the Rascal SL is as follows:
The Builds
While the normal Rascal V2 frame is still used for the cheapest Basecamp build ($5,199 USD), the Rascal SL frame gets two builds to start — the Treeline and the Summit.
The Basecamp build using the non-SL frame gets a RockShox Lyrik Select+ fork and Super Deluxe Select+ shock, along with DT Swiss M1900 wheels wrapped with Continental Kryptotal Fr and Xynotal tires, and a Shimano Deore M6100 build kit, which includes 4-piston M6120 brakes.
The Treeline build is the first to get the lighter Rascal SL frame. It still comes with a RockShox Lyrik Select+ fork and Super Deluxe Select+ shock, but gets upgraded DT Swiss XM1700 wheels, SRAM’s new Motive Silver brakes, and the new SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission. The Summit build is next, which gets Ultimate-level versions of the RockShox Lyrik and Super Deluxe, along with SRAM’s XO Transmission and Motive Ultimate brakes (which we’ve been spending time on). It also comes with fancier carbon DT Swiss XMC1501 wheels.
There’s another build still yet to be announced that will take the top step of the range, but interested buyers will have to wait until June to hear more about that one.
The full build details are as follows:
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100
- Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120 (180 mm rotors)
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+ (140 mm)
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
- Wheels: DT Swiss M1900
- Dropper post: Crank Brothers Highline 7 (S: 125 mm, M: 150 mm, L: 170 mm, XL/XXL: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Motive Silver (180 mm rotors)
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+ (140 mm)
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+
- Wheels: DT Swiss XM1700
- Dropper post: Crank Brothers Highline 7 (S: 125 mm, M: 150 mm, L: 170 mm, XL/XXL: 200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO Transmission
- Brakes: SRAM Motive Ultimate (180 mm rotors)
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Ultimate (140 mm)
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate
- Wheels: DT Swiss XMC1501
- Dropper post: Bike Yoke Revive (S: 125 mm, M: 160 mm, L: 185 mm, XL/XXL: 213 mm)
A frame-only Rascal SL costs $3,699 and includes a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate rear shock.
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) The Rascal SL keeps the suspension and geometry we liked from the Rascal V2 but drops a good chunk of weight. Is that weight reduction noticeable in how it handles?
(2) Carbon layups can also have a major impact on frame flex. Does the lighter layup of the Rascal SL change anything with the flex profile?
Bottom Line (For Now)
The Rascal SL doesn’t stray too far from the Rascal V2’s formula, but Revel managed to pull a meaningful amount of weight out of the frame. We’ll have to get out on the new Rascal SL to see just how much that changes the bike’s personality, and fortunately, we have one coming our way to do just that — stay tuned for our initial impressions and a Full Review to follow.
“(2) Carbon layups can also have a major impact on frame flex. Does the lighter layup of the Rascal SL change anything with the flex profile?”
Great question. I know the current version of my Trek Top Fuel is lighter than the previous one, but it also does have a bit of give, while the old one was a bastion of stiffness. Surprisingly, the added give is mostly good in terms of ride quality and tracking. But when you really put the whip to it, the old version stood its ground better.