The traction available while descending is parallel to the Rascal's uphill grip, with the bike feeling extremely smooth and composed, especially in nests of rocks and roots. It's a prime example of an aggressive trail bike - it climbs well, it doesn't mind charging into rough terrain, and it's spec'd to do so and make it out without hesitation. Pointed in the more fun direction, the Rascal is lively and active, the type of bike that encourages you to get airborne any time there's an opportunity.

I have pedaled up many bits of trail that have left me floundering on other bikes due to slipping on roots or rocks, but the Rascal just motors on. The bike was extremely easy to handle on tight, slow, and technical climbs, and the traction offered up is impressive. In both flatter and steeper terrain, the position on the bike is comfortable and pleasant for anything from a quick jaunt to an all-day trudge.

With the RockShox SuperDeluxe shock fully open, there's next to no pedal bob, and throughout the several months I've been riding the bike, I haven't found myself reaching for the lockout switch at all. The CBF suspension does a great job of keeping the bike sitting higher in its travel there's no wallowing or feeling like you're sinking in deeper than necessary. Although the seat tube angle isn't as steep as some of the competition, the seated climbing position worked very well for my 5'10' height. The Rascal's climbing prowess echos my sentiments of the longer travel Rail. The cable routing is nice and clean and there's a threaded BB to round things out. The bike has internal tubes for routing cables, an integrated chainguide, and room for a water bottle inside the front triangle, although on the small and medium-size frames only a 20oz bottle will fit. Revel uses more 30/60-degree fibers to produce what they say is a lighter yet stronger frame. Schiers is of the opinion that the fiber angles should be dictated by the load going through that specific part - that you should tailor those fiber angles to do very specific work. Schiers claims that he likes carbon as a material because it's extremely tunable - a bike can be made stiff or compliant in the zones it needs to be.Īccording to Schiers, mountain bike frames have historically used a mixture of 0, 45, and 90-degree fibers to make a frame, with the wall thickness built up where it's needed to get the desired characteristics. The team at Revel is comprised of several industry veterans, including Jason Schiers, who have a wealth of experience in getting creative with the use of composites.

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