What makes a Revel Bike special?

What makes a bike special or different these days? It is a valid question!

We see lots of marketing hype and big words getting thrown around but what does that mean in the real world, out on the trails, or for the average MTBer? Let's dig into it!

Canfield Balanced Formula (CBF) Suspension:

The CBF suspension design is a big part of what makes Revel dual suspension bike ride like a Revel. It is designed to put the centre of the suspension curve (known as the "Centre of Curvature" or CC") at the top of the chainring. We could go on and talk about the Instant Centre, how it moves on different suspension designs and talk all about leverage ratios etc etc but instead let us tell you how it rides!

The idea behind the CBF design is to give you maximum pedaling efficiency on the trails. When you ride a Revel you will notice not only the pedaling efficiency but how active the suspension is. Climbing hills feels easier than ever, getting traction on rough, loose terrain and over rock steps, logs, and obstacles feels more controlled and in our opinion, you will feel faster than ever. On the way down, the CBF suspension feels nice and smooth, even bottomless at times. Square-edged rocks never felt so good!

So what are the downsides? 5 different pivot points, lots of bearing and lots of moving parts mean a little more maintenance over some other suspension designs. It is important on these bikes to follow the recommended torque specs for all the pivot bolts and use Loctite or similar to ensure they stay tight. We'd recommend the riders strip, inspect, and re-grease/replace bearings and hardware if needed on a Revel bike once a year.  

Full-Length Cable Guides:

The full-length cable guides featured on every Revel make fitting brake lines and shifter cables a breeze. No more digging around in the frame or fishing for cables and brake lines. Simply slide it in one end and it'll pop straight out the other end. Why don't all bikes come like this?

Threaded Bottom Bracket:

Threaded bottom brackets make servicing and repairs at home easy. They are also less prone to creaking and are cheaper than the press-fit options to replace. Bottom brackets are an often overlooked part of a bike but we believe a simple, easy, and practical threaded bottom bracket like on the Revel is the best option!

Modern but Neutral Geometry:

Revels modern but neutral geometry approach gives the rider a good balance of stability and maneuverability. A lot of other brands follow the long and low approach. These long, low, and slack bikes are great on fast and flowing terrain but can be hard to handle in tight and technical terrain, on the flip side, shorter, smaller, steeper bikes are great in tight and technical terrain but can feel twitchy causing you to lose confidence on fast and flowy trails. The Revel geometry sides comfortably in the middle, providing you with the best of both worlds!

If you still aren't sold on why a Revel bike is special why not take a demo for a test ride? If you aren't in the Sydney area that's not a problem, you can hire one. We will box it up and send it to you anywhere in Australia. You ride it for 2 weeks on your local trails. If you love it as much as the ORBO crew do and decide to buy a Revel bike or frame the cost of the rental will be deducted from the price!