It may have a new name and compatibility with more axle standards, but it still has the same outstanding performance, and that keeps RockShox’s trail all-rounder king of the hill. The noticeable structural change for this year is that the Revelation now comes in a 15mm axle version as well as the previous 20mm Maxle Lite and quick-release versions.
The 15mm option feels slightly flexier but still stiffer than most opposition and makes it compatible with a whole range of lighter wheels than the 20mm is, which will give an overall bike weight saving. The RLT Ti has the same titanium negative spring BlackBox damping as last year for faultless control right through the impact size and frequency range.
The chassis stiffness and dual flow rebound are particularly noticeable when you’re slamming down/off successive big drops where most 150mm-travel (5.9in) forks get drowned. The carbon fibre compression/lockout adjuster adds a touch of class too, although once it’s set up we’d recommend removing the rebound dial before you lose it.
Opposed positive and negative air springs mean you can set up initial sensitivity and sag as firm or succulent as you like, although the printed pressure guidelines provide a good start point for most riders. The stroke is nicely progressive too, so it doesn’t rush through on bigger hits or dive too much under braking on steep descents.
Variants stretch from basic quick-release axle Motion Control sets to remote hydraulic lockout semi-carbon XX versions, with the remote control switches being particularly neat. Reliability on the numerous Revelations we’ve ridden has been excellent too and given the benchmark performance the fact it’s significantly cheaper than most competitors seals its all-round trail fork victory.
