Why short travel bikes are more fun! - My new Revel Ranger
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- čas přidán 22. 10. 2023
- I needed a new bike like a hole in my head, but these things happen. Cross country bikes are designed for efficient pedaling and climbing, and not so much descending and jumping. However, many brands now have XC builds with wider bars, dropper seatposts, and slightly slacker head tube angles that allow you to get into more trouble. Some call these "downcountry" bikes, and today I'm going to explain what they're all about!
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The special relativity comment followed by "well that's only true from the observer's point of view" was absolutely top notch
I came here just to like your comment sir
I think it’s important to realize that big drops like this are easily rideable on a hardtail and suspension is not necessary just for big smooth jumps, it’s for extremely rough terrain.
Exactly. The primary purpose of suspension is to maintain traction through rough terrain. Sculpted drops and jumps don't need much squish, otherwise DJs and slopestyle bikes wouldn't have less travel than this downcountry bike.
very true but a FS gives alot of room for error. Everyone should start on a hardtail and everyone should always own one cause itll still work while your sorting bearings and shock rebuilds on the squish.
Drop the hammer is way bigger in person. From lip to landing you’re looking at a 12-15 foot drop. Did it ONCE on my Cannondale Cujo hardtail, would not recommend without a better front fork.
@@ChrisTrunekso true😅😅
@@ChrisTrunek when friends visit, I give them my cross country bike which is usually an easy transition and I ride my hardtail. It is a blast to see them so comfortable with the nice suspension and I'm really happy working a little more to keep up. I can imagine the same could be done with them riding my enduro bike and me riding the cross country bike. Basically, the more skilled rider and underbike and give the more forgiving bike to friends. My only worry is that someone could get overconfident with the more forgiving bikes and carry too much speed into tricky situations, but that could happen no matter how much you try to avoid it. Part of life!
Evan’s Mtb saga viewers got a sneak-peek already
Yep!
Saw that last night lol. Was looking forward to this video. 😅
Not a fan of his anymore. Completely changed from why I watched him in the first place.
I think it is hard to keep up the do it cheap and dirty in this industry
Yeah
Sometimes underbiking, or taking a bit less travel can be really fun!
I ride a 120/110 bike as my regular and I feel as though I've gotten much more technically competent than when I was on 150/130. It sort of forces you to think about your line as opposed to plowing through things. Riding thoughtfully is really enjoyable. As an added bonus, it carries speed on flowy downhill like nobody's business
@@GlizzyGoblin6969same, went from full squish to hardtail for the same reason.
Yep, it can be. Not crashing can be fun too, which is where overbiking can help. As I've gotten older, I tend to lean towards the latter.
@@GlizzyGoblin6969 Feels weird to say that I've been realizing the same but it's a hardtail that's the 'overbike' for me. Went from a 26" to a 29" and suddenly it feels like there's a ton of stuff I can just... roll over instead of having to think about my line :P
Definitely happy to continue learning on a hardtail though, I had been aiming for a full sus and I'm kinda glad I decided to ease into that! Don't know how many bad habits I'd be picking up right now if I had even more to work with, the hardtail has been teaching me plenty about what not to do when tackling just moderately rocky climbs and lower-speed descents.
@@JiorujiDerako Same here (26-29) and it's just...amazing! Consider I used to MTB on a Shimano 4000 bmx and was loving that. Until the alloy seat post sheared...
I think that if you have the $$$ and can afford a quiver of bikes model selections/ travel etc is wide open. However for those of us that own one bike the best advice is to buy a model that suits the type of terrain that we ride most frequently..I believe that many people get wrapped up in the dream of riding an Enduro bike as their only bike when they really ride lots of XC/Trail and would be better served my Downcountry or Trail bike models.
Yes, a lot of people imagine that they are going 40 mph over the roughest terrain, when in truth they could ride a 140mm bike on all of it and have more fun. A 115mm bike may not be ideal for all terrain and all styles of riding, but if you can only buy one bike, there’s no need to to FULL ENDURO!!!!
But trail = enduro😜
@@BermPeakExpress I bough a 200mm downhill bike as my main bike. Brazilian DH tracks are BRUTAL, and I don't have money to buy a bike for trail riding and for downhill, so i spent it all on a DH bike. I put a 11-36 drivetrain, so I can also do trail riding.
Honestly, it suits me well. I can ride on downhill tracks with no issues at all, and I can also ride the normal trails and have fun, just like on a trail bike. Since it's a lightweight bike, and a smaller geometry, I can have lots of fun on it.
Here, high travel bikes are way more common than enduro bikes. Enduro and trail bikes are kind of a rarity here. Everyone prefers DH bikes, and it's honestly pretty nice.
Same thing with cars. So many people in the US buy full size trucks when they do full size truck things once maybe twice a year but regular commuting the rest of the time
@@rafael_13caraio 200mm?! E vc usa ela p subir e p distancia tbm? Q doidera
I just have to give credit for how good the script in this section 5:35 - 6:20 is 👏)
Love the cinematography in this episode! Don't know if anything changed I just noticed its really good here.. and as always you make everything immensely entertaining, even as someone who never went on a trail. thanks for what you do
I think being in Bentonville might give a bit more 'suitable' shooting locations we might not have seen as often on Seth's channel.
Definitely looks like a beautiful place from the videos@@MarvinWestmaas
If I am in a position to visit someday I'll certainly do so. Being a filthy European with no actual plans to visit the states at all, chances are very low. But I can enjoy it through CZcams ;)
And yes, it does look somewhat like a fairy tale, a very specific, mtb oriented fairy tale, but a fairy tale non the less. @@D_The_Crafter
Hey Seth,
As a junior cross country racer this bike is definitely not a cross country race setup but there cross country racing has been changing with more gnarly descents, steeper terrain, and higher speeds. You will rarely see anyone racing without a dropper post these days and it’s not uncommon to see a 120 mm 120mm bike as World Cup race bikes. I really like where the sport is going because cross country racing should be about going as fast as possible up the hill and down the hill not only focusing on climbing.
yeah the new XC tracks are looking better and better. Way more relatable to regular riding
As a race myself I have my bike set up similary to seth except the stem is a tad longer, narroer bars, and a lowered stack, and clipless. But my bike is 120 120 and can handle anything
Nice one Seth. I am an old broken DH rider and have a love for XC trails over here in Australia. I recently bought a Polygon D7 with 120mm both ends and it is a great ride. Loving your content and Brentonville looks awesome :)
Nice car :)
How does the d7 climb?
@@fcmtb301 Not as well as a full blown xc bike but pretty good and the downs are more fun. And for the price point it is brilliant.
@@johnbrooks5903 Thanks mate :)
Siskiu D7? Which year? I have the 2017 one.
Which has become a spare bike after I got my Collosus T8.
I think I would consider that a short travel trail bike rather than a cross country bike. The geometry and the way you have it set up makes it look more trail
so...this always confused me. What's the difference between these two? I have a Diamondback Release 3 and I always read that was a "trail bike", which I figured was due to its mid level travel. Am I on the right path?
@@mychaelhouck2404 Yeah the releases are trail bikes, I assume they have 130/150 travel, which in the video is 115mm which isnt much as much as a entry level bike, so it means its a cross country but more specifially "down country" which isnt anything specifc just a bridge between two extremes :D
It's a downcountry bike
@@mychaelhouck2404 an actual XC bike prioritizes weight and efficiency and handling finesse over durability, big hit performance, and stable geometry.
@@mychaelhouck2404 Travel ist only one factor of many that in the end merge together to the ride feel of the bike.
When you hear Trailbike or XC bike you have a idea what the bike is made for and how it would feel riding it.
The confusing thing is that you find 120mm bikes that ride like a Trailbike, a Ripley for example, and you find XC bikes like a scott spark. Although they have the same amount of travel they ride completly different.
So in order to find out if you could consider a Bike a Trailbike you have to factor in travel, geometry, parts, weight, tires ect.
Take a look at the Banshee Phantom. its a 115mm rear travel bike but noone would call that XC i guess.
I just got a Revel Ranger V1 in green! SRAM GX Eagle build. Fox Factory fork and shock, Fox dropper post (all in their Kashima coating… the green with the bronze looks amazing), Wolf Tooth dropper lever, carbon fiber handlebars… I love how the bike handles. So smooth and nimble. Great climber too.
I'm just north of you up in Pittsburgh, but your videos have been incredible motivation to get on my bike every day (no matter the conditions). It took some time getting used to the hills and weather during the cold months, but I honestly feel like I had a coach the entire way. Appreciate all your recommendations and tips, it's helped a lot. Hopefully I can ride some WV trails next year!
I just got a Trek Top Fuel for the same reason. Riding the Santa Cruz Megatower all the time gets brutal
This video kinda sums up well why I really love my updated old school Specialized stumpjumper!
120mm travel, lightweight, relatively short wheelbase, responsive handling, but add 26" wheels! It's an absolute blast at any speed!
(With updated I mean modern bars & stem, 1x11 drivetrain etc)
As I edge ever closer to middle age, I find myself on lower and lower consequence trails. 120mm travel is all I need these days.
I’ve had a Revel Ranger for 3 years. Love the bike! Great job on the videos. Love the content!!!
Great video once again! Love your style of editing and video production too. Keep up the incredible work!
I’ve really gotten in to bikes from this channel and I recently bought my first dual suspension bike last week, it’s a brand new red Norco Fluid Fs4 and it is a lot of fun
How much do they run im still stuck on hard tails?? Cause i grew up on huffies and loove jumping big air lol 😂😂😂
Love this! I went to a Specialized EVO Epic 120/110 for the same reasons! Great in Singletrack and easy to maneuver! Perfect for the Bella Vista Trail systems. BTW - Great to meet you this weekend - You were with your daughter at the start of the bike trails! Thanks for all the content! Enjoy your time in Bentonville!
Another thing worth considering. XC bikes are often not rated for the same kind of forces than an enduro bike.
True, and now I might have a creaky CSU 😅. Not from this video, I was jumping off retaining walls on the greenway and forgot that’s an XC fork. I may reduce the travel on a burlier fork in the future.
for the bike noobs here you may want to explain what a CSU is. I mean...obviously I know how to rebuild a CSU from scratch but some others might be confused....uh...yeah@@BermPeakExpress
@BermPeakExpress the SID's have had issues with developing bushing play. Perhaps that could be your issue.
Great video! I’ve been riding my Ranger Revel for a little over a year and absolutely love it. Perfect for aggressive XC trails, including technical, fast descents. Climbs great too. Running Maxxis Minions (killer tires, IMO) front and back. Yes, not monster travel, but I spent the previous 6 years riding a hardtail with 100mm up front. So the Ranger feels like I’m on a cloud. (All that being said, the Rascal is on my wish list too.) Have fun be safe!
Thank you for this awesome and informative video, Seth! I recently purchased an Ibis Ripley AF 130/120 and love it. In the back of my head I have been second-guessing my purchase at times thinking I should've gotten a longer travel bike, but this video and just riding the Ripley have really proven to me just how capable it is :)
I've committed to being a hardtail rider after going to Northstar a couple of times. I'm going just as fast as most people there on full suspensions and I swear I'm having more fun. Plus not having a big travel bike prevents me from trying anything that will likely hinder my ability to get up and sell drugs in the morning. Just put a new Lyrik Ultimate on it today. Can't wait to take it for a ride tomorrow, these videos get me more excited.
Great video. I just got myself a downcountry bike and I love this thing!! Also switched from a hardtail (which I still have - and will always keep) to a 120mm front and rear dual suspension. It just feels easier to ride. Thank for the video.
Youve made me feel so much better on getting my new stumpy comp trail/xc bike! So stoked!
Spot on assessment. I ride a 115/130 Giant Trance and love it. I even take it to bike parks.
Always entertaining and always informative. Keep em coming Seth. Always a pleasure to watch.
Super helpful video on the distinctions, honestly. Thank you for putting this together (and in my town to boot)!
Ranger V2 is a climbing cheat code. Love mine to bits.
I love the “downcountry” style of bikes. Any XC frame that has a little more travel, a little slacker geometry really gives you the freedom to have fun doing most things. They’re fast, poppy, and efficient. Planning for a race? Throw some race tires on it and lower the stack. Want to do something more technical? Throw some real knobby tires on and go for it. You can’t monster truck it as much, but it’s still plenty capable.
I know it's all about the technique which I don't have but this video made my day
2 months ago I pulled the trigger and upgraded from my old XC hardtail to a second hand Specialized Epic Alloy. I'm having great fun but some friends took me to the trails a week ago and I feel like I could use more travel but watching this video I guess it's still possible to ride it like a light trail bike.
thanks Seth!
I have a 2010 Ellsworth evolve full suspension cross country that I’ve been slowly customizing and I absolutely love it. The oldies are still amazing
I've had a Santa Cruz Tallboy (120/130) since January 2021. It is my do everything mtb.
The new bike looks great. I’ve always like Revel. Enjoy it and Bentonville!
Yes I did learn about cross country bikes , it’s amazing I can see how a person could end up with multiple of mountain bikes, each has its own use.
Love it. Been eyeballing this and the Transition Spur for my next bike.
I do agree 100% The bike I've kept through the years is my 2016 SC Tallboy 120/100 so much fun to ride, it's fast uphill, snapy and as I'm hopless at high speed downhill...It's ideal😅
I put a 130mmj Pike on my v1 Ranger, and it’s a really fun Pisgah and Dupont bike.
I am really digging my top fuel & 120/120. So much fun in my trails ( which are mostly x/c type trails). Highly recommend.😊
I started mountain biking 10 years ago at age 55, and I prefer a XC bike set up just as you have. It helps me keep up with the 40 year olds on the climbs ... and I will never be comfortable at enduro speeds. I think a few bike companies are starting to catch on that there is a segment of non-racers who just like a light snappy bike. It's getting a tiny bit easier to find one to demo.
Thank you very much for making these videos, they make my day and make me happy 😊
Recently picked up the new pivot mach 4sl. Very similar geo, and identical travel to the revel ranger. Gotta say I am super impressed with how capable these new "xc" bikes are. The bike is much more fun on mellow trails, but can handle a surprising amount of chunk as long as you watch your speed and pick a good line. Also pops off of everything, and feels like a rocket ship pedaling.
Totally agree. I added a short travel bike to the quiver in June and I’ve put almost 900 miles on it since. It’s good to have options available… and N+1!
I rode berm park with my new 120mm polygon last weekend and I have to say. It felt worlds better than my hard tail
Cool Vid Seth ur channel has grown so much since I first subscribed to your channel keep it up!
I have been using a burly XC or down country bike (115/130mm) as my main trail bike for the past few seasons. I really like it over-all. Sometimes the lack of suspension is a bit scary. But having the lighter more nimble bike is worth it for me.
Seth. I concur. I had all trail bike with 140/140 previously and it was much playful and cheerful than my current 160/150 rig, which is great at drops and high speed chatter but once you low on speed feels like a behemoth… I miss my trail bike tbh.
The Cinematography of this Film is elegant than ever, Huge Improvement
I really like this style of bike right now as well; I built up an Ibis Ripley AF earlier this year and I _really_ love the short(er) travel setup. It's 120 in the rear with a 130 fork and it's a ton of fun.
I've had my trek top fuel for a little less than a year now and it's my everything bike. XC races, gravel races, trail riding, pump track... Etc. It does it all. It fits my riding perfectly.
Just got meself one as well. Now I have nowhere to store it because I live in an apartament...
@@DaroZuo I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying mine! what about wall mounts? If you use the 3 point mount you can get it high enough where the handlebars will be overhead and out of the way and they cause little damage. Easy fix with putty when you move out.
the timing of this video is perfect for me. I just got a 120mm hard tail trail bike, form a big enduro bike, and discovered how fun a "small" bike is on trails. Its made me excited to go out and explore, instead of just doing laps at a trail center.
Trail bike for me. I have 1 bike with 4 sets of tires, and I change my suspension pressures to match the terrain. I do long 75+ mile endurance races, local trail riding, bike park days and some dirt jumps. If I’m honest, it does a good job at them all!
I've been riding the V1 Ranger for a year now. I have tried it with Fox 34 Stepcast, and the DPS as well as the push coil shock and a pike ultimate. The ranger is incredibly versatile for what travel it has and changing the 34 SC and DPS for the meatier coil shock and pike ultimate does change the feel quite a bit.
Thanks for breaking it all down for me. I still have my old gt lts and always wondered what I should get next.
Those trails look amazing! It’s so on my bucket list!
This video was absolutely amazing! I recently got a Rocky Mountain Element Alloy 50 which is xc and trail. I worried that it wouldn’t be as fun but this video has read my mind!
My favorite bike is a Giant Anthem that I added a dropper post, shorter stem, aggressive front tire and more comfortable saddle to. It went from being a straight up race bike to a pretty capable trail bike on most places that I ride.
Having recently ridden my Spot Ryve 115 at Bentonville, I agree with Seth. While I was only there for one day and was only able to sample a small fraction of the trails there, there were only a few times I would have preferred my 160/160 enduro bike.
Couldn’t agree more! I love my Transition Spur for jumps and prefer it over my bigger bikes. It’s a rocket of the lips of jumps and boosts to the moon!
Great video, and thank you for the valuable information. I've been looking at Enduro and XC bikes since selling my hardtail. I have to go with an Enduro! Love your videos, keep up the good work sir
90% of riders should be on downcountry bikes like the Ranger. It's so capable for day to day riding.
Seth I've been watching you're videos for a long time now and have been waiting for the day you get a downcountry bike, I knew it'd be something you'd like. I personally ride a Specialized Epic Evo Comp and I have it setup similarly to yours, basically like a trail bike with less suspension and its perfect for where I ride being that I live in mid Michigan. Hope you do more with this bike, great video.
I just bought a short travel bike a couple weeks ago and I love it
Very good video and it is nice to Revel being represented!
Awesome new bike Seth!
Love visiting Bentonville! Only a few hours away and I have friends that live in town. Kids love riding Coler!
Yay! Some pov footage mixed in! Also, it was awesome to talk with you in Bentonville a few weeks ago, your daughter was going hard!
Awesome Video!!!! Sick that you got a new XC bike for the flat Bentonville Area!!
Nice being one of those who new already (thanks Evan 💪💪)
fabulous video! I'm excited to visit Bentonville! that trail park looks amazing. Maybe you can do a more detailed coverage of that trail systems in the area so visitors have a better idea of which trails would be best for their skills and bikes!
My wife recently decided she wanted to start doing some mountain biking with me so I got her a Polygon Siskiu D7(D for down country), 120-120 with flat pedal and a dropper, it’s the perfect setup for someone that wants to do some trail riding.
Your video's are always super informative. My only bike is a Siskiu D7 27.5 (120/120 down country) and I feel like I can get it to about 28-30 mph down some semi tech / loose trails before it gets real sketchy. I have some 2.6's and wider bars and it totally helps but now I know I am not supposed to bomb downhill with this type of bike.
I ride a "cross country" trail bike with 140mm front and rear. Always wanted a bigger travel bike to send shit cuz I do feel its limits sometimes, but riding the trails around here it seems to be perfect.. Doesnt just soak up the feel of the trail and I can still bomb it thanks to the slacker head tube from Ride 9. ( RockyMountain thunderbolt)
Love the videos seth keep em coming
I bought a Diamonback catch, because of you! I was worried it wasn't enough bike with 130 front 120 rear. but I only have like 250ft of elevation where I live. so trails are constantly up and down and man did I buy the right bike! swapped to 29er wheels and its basically a down country bike made 4-5 years before that became all the rage!
Hey Seth! I'm really looking forward to the Bentonville staycation series, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about a community that's truly bike-able for a family.
Good entertaining content as always Seth.
Love modern xc bikes. Can climb and descend and perfect for that blend of both.
Thanks for the video Seth 👍
Good to see you're embracing the Crossduro movement.
Excellent video Seth. I ride a 150mm front RS Lyrik E-bike as a cross-country bike, however, I think a 120mm out front would be more than adequate for my needs. Love your content dude!
I had a short-travel bike like that when I lived in the Midwest. It was perfect for that part of the country, and I love those bikes for all the reasons Seth called out here.
When I moved to the Pisgah area, I bought an enduro bike. I am certain that a better rider could have ridden the same blues and blacks here on that shorter bike. I could not.
I don’t go relativistic speeds downhill. But the slacker geometry, longer wheelbase, and bigger travel are way more confidence inspiring. For me. Your mileage may vary.
Well it is confidence inspiring because it is more forgiving. As I get older, I find that is pretty appealing. Crashing is not fun.
I'm still rockin on my 2004 GT Ruckus hardtail.. It's set up the same as yours. I can go anywhere and do everything the boys can do.. Which surprises them considering they're on 2020-2023 full suspension bikes.
So cool to see Seth wearing the OZ Trails jersey!
i have also an "XC" bike with a short stem and so on and it feels great
This is awesome... Can't wait to add a hard tail to my stable (guess I'll be keeping an eye out for Seth thinning the heard)... I just want one for different feel on rides from time to time.. And for riding on flatter stuff with the little one..
I have a trail hardtrail 29er with 130mm of travel n I found that it's more challenging to drop yet still having fun with that 😁
Dang Seth. Got boosted on that short travel bike. Sheeesh !!!! 🔥🔥🔥
My current MTB quiver is a super enduro for the bike park/spicy trail features and a shorter travel trail bike for everything else. I love it and it covers pretty much all grounds. I really want to build up a hardtail but am spoiled by the squish with how chunky my local trails are.
eh hardtails on super jank trails arent that fun. They are fun on smoother stuff where the handling can shine if your trails are all rock/root that probably makes the most sense. (its fun as hell to bomb through rock gardens and stuff but I wouldnt want to ride that stuff all day on a hardtail)
I love the Ranger it rips on 90% of the trails in NM, the other 10% I just have slow down and be careful - it can get tricky in continuous rough DH - like I said 10%
You said exactly what I think about a down country/ XC short travel rig. It’s too similar to a hardtail with a 120 to 130 fork. Some hardtail’s are even more aggressive than many of the short travel FS bikes.
"just don't make any mistakes" is often followed by the discussion with a manufacturer later that involves the words "I was just riding along" explaining why they should replace what you've broken riding beyond what the manufacturer intended for product X, Y or Z.
Riding in Atlanta area the same type of bike is perfect for the terrain I'd imagine would be similar to where Seth's at. I've got a Blur similarly set up which rips on that terrain just like Seth describes. Nice to see my thoughts confirmed!!!
Great video Seth. Bike looks sweet.
last 20 seconds... so satisfying.
I love my older, steeper, 26 HT "XC" bike for really tight techy trails.
I too have much knobbier tires, wider bars, and more travel than typically found on XC bikes. I still like it, dare i say .....more than my more modern geo 29 HT.
I used to love jumping my short travel Planet X Ridgeback. Short travel FTW.
Congrats on the 1 million.
Spot on description. Sold my Enduro bike as I wasn't man enough to ride it at relativistic speed. My cross country full Susser retired all my other bikes period
I absolutely adore my giant trace 29er. Really only about 95mm rear and 110mm front but it has taken me through even double black north shore tech (all be it slower than most). For most of my local Ontario trails it’s responsive enough to boost roots and maintain speed while using those big wheels to float over some of the chunkier stuff when you just have to point and shoot through it. Of course I’m looking for a new longer travel bikes because I have a mental disease but I don’t think I’ll ever part with this thing.
You killed it with the special theory of relativity 🤣🤣🤣! Thanks, that made my day!