The Ranger, Rascal & Rail 27.5 are bikes that have blown us away in terms of engineering, build quality, and performance, but there was always one that we’ve been frothing to see since we swung a leg over the Rail 27.5 a few years ago. Finally, the long-anticipated Rail 29 from Revel has arrived.  With an already impressive stable of bikes, the new 29’er Rail will complement and fill the empty spot in their lineup and one we have all have been waiting for.

Revel has spent years designing, testing, riding, and refining this bike. The Rail29 represents the best of what the team has learned since launching the Revel brand just three short years ago.

We absolutely loved the Rail 27.5, which we reviewed a couple of years ago but we have to admit, we have been eagerly waiting for the news of a longer travel 29 er to come out of the Revel stable ever since, and here we are!

With 29” wheels, bigger bearings, beefier hardware, and an absurdly well-tuned CBF suspension platform, this bike will be something very special.

29″ WHEELS / 155MM REAR / 160MM FRONT

With the larger wheels, 160mm up front paired with 150mm of rear travel, the Rail29 will be right at home on the top of any enduro race track, bike park, or all-day epics in the hills. Revel claim that this bike exudes confidence in any terrain and will have you smiling for miles as you Rail corners and Revel the trail.

Now everything you loved about the Rail 27.5, is now available with bigger wheels!

Geometry and Sizing

Balanced, dialed geometry that is modern but not too modern. The bike has a 76-degree seat angle for a perfect balance between pedaling power and a centered rider position. The reach is slightly longer than our other bikes for a more aggressive, faster feel. A 65-degree head angle is the right balance between speed on the downhills and technical handling ability on all terrain. After studying these numbers, go give the Rail29 a test ride to see what it’s all about!

CBF Explained

CBF™ focuses on designing around the Center of Curvature (CC) and balancing that with the Instant Center (IC). Until now, most suspension systems have focused solely on the IC. CBF points the chain line and drives forces directly into the IC throughout 100-percent of the travel by balancing the CC over the chainring, resulting in maximum pedaling efficiency, regardless of where you are in the travel, what terrain you are on or what kind of power you’re putting down.

All the power you put into the pedals propels you in one direction–forward—allowing the suspension to do its job completely independent of drivetrain and braking forces, and making the sag setting much less important. When we first rode the largely-unknown CBF system, we knew it was something special, and we knew we could make the best riding carbon mountain bikes using this magical formula.

Build Options

At the time of this post, we only have the US price options available but rest assured, the Australian importers will soon have more information for us.

Click HERE for the full build specs.

• GX EAGLE KIT: $5,999USD
• SHIMANO XT KIT: $7,299USD
• X01 EAGLE KIT: $8,299
• XX1 EAGLE AXS KIT: $10,999USD

Specifications:

• Everything you loved about the Rail, now with bigger wheels! 
• 65 head tube angle with 160mm fork (64.5 with 170mm), 76 seat tube angle on Revel with 160mm fork, 436mm chainstay, Reach: 447mm (M), 469mm (L), Seattube length: 415.5 (M), 453.5 (L)
• Universal derailleur hanger (UDH)
• Completely redesigned linkage hardware, that only requires a 6mm hex key to disassemble the entire rear linkage without having to remove the crankset. 
• Bigger bearings at all pivots. Increased durability, better seals seal spec and only one row of bearings needed.
• Better compatible with coil shocks (shorter yoke helps)
• Our first bike with ISCG-05 tabs
• Extra seat post insertion for longer droppers on all sizes
• Molded Revel Chainstay protection
• Colors: 
  • Lead King, black with just the right amount of sparkle… 
  • Shred Velvet Cake, velvet cake yet candy red in the sun

Geometry

Kinematics