Revel goes XC with new Ranger

Revel Ranger is a new 115mm 29er down country bike
Revel Ranger finished in 'Johnny Greens' paint (Image credit: Revel)

Revel has added the Ranger XC frame to its mountain bike product line-up.

The Colorado company now has a second 29er offering, with its new Ranger – which is being marketed as a shorter-travel alternative to the 130mm Rascal.

Revel’s product planning staff realised the company’s advanced rear-suspension system was so adept at soaking-up terrain, that it could reduce travel without ruining trail riding ability. The result is its Ranger, which runs a 120mm fork and 115mm rear shock.

Targeted at mountain bikers who are keen to grind away at achieving those fitness miles, but also value the reward of allowing gravity to guide them down some challenging singletrack, the Ranger could broadly be classed as a down country bike.

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Frame details see enough room in the front triangle for two hydration bottles and if you’d like to run large-volume tyres, the rear triangle has sufficient clearance for 29 x 2.6in rubber.

The Ranger finds a tidy balance in its geometry, between climbing comfort and descending confidence, with a 73.3-degree seat and 67.5-degree head tube angle. On a size large, there is 473mm of reach and Revel says that riders who wish to venture over more technical terrain, can run their Rangers with a 130mm suspension fork, if they wish to.

Revel selected Rockshox’s latest SID Luxe forks and rear shocks as factory fitment to its Ranger derivatives, with Luxe grade features on the more affordable versions – and Rockshox SID Ultimate specification on the premium Rangers.

The Ranger is available as a frameset at $2,799 or with a SID fork added, which pushes the price to $3,499. Build kits start at $4,999 for a GX Eagle drivetrain, rolling aluminium Industry 9 Trail 1/1 wheels.

At $7,199 you can have the Ranger finished with XO1 Eagle AXS componentry and an Industry 9 RW30 composite wheelset. For those down country riders who require the ultimate in shifting crispness and clean frame aesthetic, the Ranger AXS prices at $9,999 and rolls an Industry 9 RW30 wheelset spinning on Hydra hubs.

Lance Branquinho
Freelance writer

Lance Branquinho is a Namibian-born journalist who graduated to mountain biking after injuries curtailed his trail running. He has a weakness for British steel hardtails, especially those which only run a single gear. As well as Bike Perfect, Lance has written for MBR.com, Off-Road.cc and Cycling News.