RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post review

The RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post looks like a standard Reverb from the neck down and it gets the same new internal floating piston, lubricating grease and premium Maxima hydraulic fluid upgrades. You also get the new BikeYoke post inspired ‘Vent Valve’ feature which puts escaped air back to the right side of the seal if the post gets bouncy.

Construction and fit

Fitting the battery holder and motor into the head has meant a switch to a single side clamping bolt which worried us at first. It gets a secondary tilt angle adjuster screw for security though and we’ve had no loosening or rattle issues in use. The clamp is compatible with round saddle rails and 7x9mm oval rails but some taller, rectangular carbon rail saddles won’t fit.

There are 100, 125, 150 and 170mm stroke options but it hasn’t been extended to 200mm like the standard Reverb. It is shorter for a given stroke length though so you can fit a longer travel seatpost into compromised seat tubes. While it comes in 30.9, 31.6 and 34.9mm diameters, there’s no 27.2mm option. That’s more of a shame than normal as the post can be linked to AXS dropped bar levers for use on gravel bikes where skinny seatposts are a lot more common. Presuming it fits, installation is an absolute plug and play cinch with no excruciating internal cable/hose routing fights or preload adjustment faffs. Presuming the diameters are the same, switching between bikes or swapping between a rigid or dropper option for racing is super simple.

The RockShox Reverb AXS remote switch is a single action button rather than a three-way rocker like the shifter. It’s a simpler shape too and bears the RockShox moniker rather than having the Eagle logo. It comes with its own handlebar clamp but syncs onto SRAM Matchmaker combined brake mounts. It only works under the bar though so if you have a bike where that space is already taken up by a suspension control lever you’ll need to add a triathlon bike style ‘blip button’.

 Performance 

At nearly twice the price of a conventional Reverb and slightly heavier, the AXS version needs to be something special. The ease of installation and the way it cleans up your bars will be enough for some, but it also works better in some ways too. The latest Reverb is a lot smoother and easier moving anyway, but the AXS version is next level in terms of accurate trimming of ride height. That’s not a thing if you’re a pedal up/slam it down gravity rider but if you like to run intermediate seat heights on rolling trails the fine control you can get is delicious. The big paddle is a lot easier to use than either the original Reverb plunger design or the more recent sweep lever and puts RockShox up with the best feeling systems like Fox, BikeYoke and X-Fusion. With a claimed 40-hour life from the post battery, you’ve more run time than the same cell on gears (25hrs) and there’s plenty of go even after you see the yellow warning light appear.

In terms of reliability, AXS seems rock-solid on both Reverbs and gear systems and while the Vent Valve is a useful ‘officialisation’ of the flip-the-bike-post-bleed hack, we’ve not actually had to use it yet. That syncs with other feedback on much-improved Reverb reliability since the last round of changes too.

Unlike SRAM AXS Eagle which has no other 12-speed wireless peers, Reverb AXS does have competition from Magura’s Veyron which is half the price at £350. There’s obviously a huge range of conventional posts available at that price and lower for those who don’t get quite as excited by very subtle seat post adjustment and can cope with a bit of awkward plumbing and a busier bar.

Verdict 

The AXS version of RockShox’s latest Reverb feels fantastic if you’re a ride height fettler, massively simplifies fit and cleans up cockpits beautifully. It’s uniquely versatile in terms of easy switching between bikes and even bike genres. It’s also proving impressively reliable so far. It's seriously expensive and the latest conventional Reverb gets the same upgrades if you can cope with a hydraulic hose.

Tech Specs

• Weight: 660g (31.6 x 170mm)
• Sizes: 30.9, 31.6 and 34.9mm 
• Stroke/length: 100/340, 125/390, 150/440 and 170/480mm 
• Price: £700