There's mellow city riding, there's out-of-the-city road riding, there's steep climbs, long climbs, fast gravel, and slow gravel. There's a variety of reasons I like the loop, I don't drive to the ride and so on, but more than anything, I think it encapsulates what a gravel bike should be able to do well. The final section is more descending before heading back to the top of the ridge with a six-mile / 9.5km climb. You get to descend on it for a bit before hitting some double track that is smooth in some places and a bit more technical in others. At the top of the ridge, you hit the gravel and it's what you'd call either American gravel or luxury gravel if you are American. Initially, it's a flat mixed-use trail then it transitions to rolling hills and the final paved section is your choice of steep climbs. It's about 100 miles / 160km starting from my front door. My favourite way to test a gravel bike is with a loop I've ridden many times over the years. Quoted weight for the wheels is 1,710g and they come paired with 40mm Maxxis Rambler tyres that look positively tiny in the massive front fork. For the wheels, the no-extra-fee choice is the Industry Nine 700c 1/1 GCRX which actually offers a wider internal width, 24.5mm, than the upgraded RW23. Gearing was smartly set at 10-44 (Rival XPLR) for the rear plus a 42-tooth crank. Most consumers will see a size-appropriate Zipp bar and a matching Zipp stem. In my particular case that also included a 90mm Easton aluminium stem and 44cm Zipp bars but that was an availability issue. The bike I tested was the Rival AXS option. The lower builds include Zipp aluminium bars and a 90mm Zipp stem. Otherwise, you get the same WTB Volt CroMo mountain bike saddle and 31.8mm, non-setback, carbon seatpost at every build. The nicer wheels are also available as an upgrade for all the builds and offer a 23mm internal width with FusionFibre recyclable (downcyclable) rims. If you take on the extra $1500 for that build, it comes with an Easton carbon cockpit along with RW23 Carbon Industry Nine Torch wheels. Of the builds that are available, only the Force AXS offers much distinction. You've also got the option of getting just the frame and that's what you'll need to do for a Di2 or mullet build which are compatible but not available. From there, the decision is between mechanical SRAM Rival or Shimano GRX or you can jump up to electronic shifting with a choice of Force AXS or Rival AXS. The frame is the same no matter what build you choose. Both choices are glossy at the top of the bike before transitioning to matte at the bottom. The other option is T1000 which, if you don't get the reference, matches quite well with Silca titanium bottle cages. It pops against a grey sky in the original launch images and there's a bit more sophistication than is common in something like a red. If you like some colour, you'll want Mint Chip. Keep in mind though that some of the massive clearance comes from the 1x-only design.įor colour, you get one of two choices. The drive side chainstay uses a dropped design and it's even thinner. You'll have no problem fitting a crank-based power meter on this bike and you could take your pick of sides. The non-drive side is a narrow rectangle that elegantly curves in and out to leave plenty of room for the 700x50mm max tyres and the crank arms. Of course, the chainstays also meet at the bottom bracket but there's no illusion of roundness to the chainstays. As that curve starts to exit the tube, you can feel the round shape taking on distinct faces like the other tubes. As you get closer to the threaded BSA bottom bracket, there's the often-seen curve that follows the rear wheel. The seat tube is actually the most rounded tube on the frame, likely owing to dropper compatibility, but it's also much more complex than round. If you are thinking about a new gravel bike this year, and you want to consider something different, keep reading to see if the Revel Rover is the right option for you. I spent time on pavement in the flats and climbing, I spent time on smooth gravel and rough gravel both climbing and descending, and now that I've got a feel for it I'm ready to share the details. With those questions in mind, I've put the Revel Rover to the test. It's certainly not a quiver killer and it's far from boring but what does it do well and who does that make sense for? Unique doesn't mean better though, is the Revel Rover worth your consideration? With something this different, that question is bigger than usual. Wheels: Industry Nine 1/1 GRCX 700c Centerlockīar/stem: Zipp Alloy in 44cm width/Easton Aluminum in 90mm length Weight: 8680 grams ready to ride including 441 gram Garmin Rally XC200 pedals
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |