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Here is a comprehensive summary of Episode 182 of the podcast, hosted on-location at the new Revel Bikes Headquarters in Golden, Colorado.
🎙️ Podcast Intro & Highlights
Hosts & Guests: Jared, Liam, Adam, and Mike (designer/product manager at Revel).
The "Words of Wisdom": "Your response to a challenge defines you more than the challenge itself."
The "Fun Fact": Oxford University was already holding classes for hundreds of years before the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlan in 1325. By the time the Aztec Empire fell, Oxford had been teaching for nearly half a millennium.
🚲 The All-New Revel Ranger V3
The team spent the morning testing the new Ranger V3 on a heinous climb up Belcher Hill and down Longhorn DH at White Ranch, reaching over 7,000 feet of elevation.
Key Features & Development
Ground-Up Redesign: Described as a true "down-country shredder" or light trail bike rather than a strict XC bike.
Suspension: Retains the signature CBF (Canfield Balance Formula) platform but moves in a fresh direction.
Geometry Updates: Features a stiffer overall carbon layup and a much-needed steeper seat tube angle compared to the slacker V1/V2 iterations.
Obsessive Details: Includes high-end hardware updates like links that tuck cleanly inside the frame, captive bearings inside the links, and hidden laser-etched bearing spacers designed so parts don't drop to the floor during maintenance.
Quality Over KPIs
Mike and Adam contrasted their small-team dynamic with their past experiences at corporate bike brands (like GT and Evil). Instead of chasing strict margins, corporate acronyms, and shaving pennies off a Bill of Materials (BOM) at the expense of performance (like cheaping out on tires or cassettes), Revel designs the exact bike they want to ride first, then figures out how to make the pricing work.
⚡ Next-Level R&D Speed
Revel boasts an incredibly fast and agile research and development workflow that is "two to three times faster" than standard industry timelines:
Modular 3D Modeling: Mike utilizes an advanced SolidWorks modeling system where updating a single sketch updates the entire architectural tree. Moving a suspension pivot point—which takes most corporate brands four weeks to redesign—takes Revel only about four hours.
Revel Taiwan Team: Revel employs dedicated, full-time staff on the ground in Taiwan (Jack and Kelly) who oversee quality control at multiple manufacturing checkpoints and immediately prototype design updates overnight.
🧪 Revel Concept Labs (Experimental Bikes)
Revel uses its "Concept Labs" moniker as a transparent, public incubator to test wild ideas, fail fast, and collect consumer feedback without the immediate pressure of retail sales.
32-Inch Wheel Bikes: Revel built two prototypes—a dual 32-inch bike and a "Mega Mullet" (32-inch front, 29-inch rear).
The Reality Check: While they find the 32-inch wheel promising and incredibly fun, Adam and Mike admit the first ride wasn't perfect. Physics limitations mean a 32-inch wheel will likely remain a niche product; it is incredibly difficult to design a small frame size around it, and shorter rider heights will encounter severe tire-to-body clearance issues on steep descents.
Titanium Full-Suspension: They are actively working on a V2 prototype of their experimental titanium full-suspension bike.
🙋♂️ Listener Q&A
When to choose a Ranger vs. a Rascal? It's a "knee pad" question. If you don't wear knee pads and want maximum climbing efficiency, snapping out of corners, or light bike-packing, choose the Ranger (which can be built anywhere from 25 to 28+ lbs). If you want an all-mountain trail bike built for aggressive downhills, choose the Rascal.
Favorite Front Range Trails? Liam/Mike love Enchanted Forest down Apex or Longhorn DH. Adam shared an unpopular local opinion, naming the brutally chunky, tech-heavy Dakota Ridge as his favorite quick lunch lap.
Best Burrito in Golden? Santiago’s ($3.49 breakfast burritos are an office staple).
Bike Naming Conventions: Revel plans to stick to names starting with "R". A fun historical note revealed that the Rascal's original development name was almost "Disco."
Are Aluminum Frames coming? Unlikely. Though they have tested prototypes, aluminum bikes actually require a much higher upfront engineering and tooling investment for a brand than carbon. For a company of Revel's smaller size, the volume scale doesn't make business sense.
Will we see a CBF Downhill Bike? Yes, it is actively "on the plate" and being heavily discussed between Mike and suspension mastermind Chris Canfield. It is affectionately referred to around the office as the "Rodeo", though it will not be the very next bike they launch.
Revel is currently running demos out of their Golden, CO headquarters and will be appearing at upcoming events like Northwest Tune-Up and Outerbike.
