This Revel Project RaTical concept bike is an “excessively unnecessary but extremely awesome 3D printed titanium bike frame.” That’s literally what’s printed on the back of the seatpost. The full-suspension (FS) titanium bike features 130mm of rear suspension and hints at a possible extension of the Canfield Balance Formula (CBF) design, and what might be coming next from Revel.
3D printed titanium junctions and a full Ti frame
Full-suspension titanium mountain bikes are rare. Esker has two titanium FS bikes, the Woodsy Ti and Howdy Ti, though both pair a titanium front triangle with an aluminum rear triangle. Sage is apparently working on a FS titanium bike, though there’s not official release date yet. Full squish production bikes from Moots, Lynsky, and Litespeed appeared then disappeared almost as quickly.
Rarer still is a FS mountain bike that utilizes not just titanium tubing, but also 3D-printed and forged titanium parts. The Velouria Even Flow is the only FS bike we know of that utilizes the same titanium construction. Revel worked with “one of the world’s leading titanium factories” to produce this one-off concept bike.
“Titanium full suspension bikes in the past have been limited by welding tubes,” Revel founder Adam Miller said in a press release. “Concessions always had to be made in geometry, kinematics, and frame flex. But now, with the ability to 3D print titanium, the possibilities are almost endless. We can apply much more of our carbon engineering design philosophy to a more traditional material.”
Though Revel is known for their carbon fiber bikes, the brand sells titanium hardtails as well, including the Tirade and El Jefe. Miller clarified to Singletracks that both the front and rear triangles are fully titanium.
Since this is a concept bike, pricing is not available for the Project RaTical. However, considering the tech and materials involved in producing this one-off bike, a production version would likely be priced prohibitively high for most buyers.
A new CBF concept
Revel is known for utilizing CBF suspension designs for their existing bikes, and this concept bike introduces a new CBF shock layout we haven’t seen before.
“This new layout might look like a traditional Horst link bike. But this one is not like the others,” designer Chris Canfield said in a press release “I have specially tuned this layout with my CBF special sauce to give it the power transfer you expect from CBF. It’s grippy on the climbs, has perfect control on the downs, and sprints like it’s got a motor.”
Canfield’s patent-pending CF3 suspension, which is separate from CBF, utilizes a similar vertical shock orientation, and it’s not clear if this concept layout is related. For now, CF3 suspension is only found on Vampire bikes, a brand operated by Chris Canfield himself.
Singletracks bike testers, including yours truly, have praised CBF suspension over the years for its smooth and efficient performance on the trail.
Could this be a preview of the Rascal V4?
Though geometry wasn’t provided ahead of publication, we can’t help but compare Project RaTical to the Revel Rascal. Both feature 130mm of rear suspension, and judging by the photos, the concept bike is likely running a 140mm fork just like the Rascal V3. If this bike rides as well as Miller suggests, perhaps we could see the new shock orientation on a future version of the Rascal.
All told, the complete Project RaTical bike is said to weigh 31.5lb.
A press release alternates between calling the Project RaTical a concept bike and a prototype, which should give fans some hope that the bike might be produced in one form or another in the future.
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