RockShox Reverb AXS Seatpost Review

This review is for a RockShox Reverb AXS seatpost, 31.6mm post diameter with 170mm travel. It has been transferred between bikes and had the saddle changed quite frequently, so the experience is quite a ‘living with it’ one as opposite to a short term review.

Pros

• Immediate response to button press
• Quick and easy instal
• No cables!
• Remote is the perfect shape and position for a thumb

Cons

• Expensive
• Have to remember to keep an eye on the battery
• Extends a few mm when you pull up on your saddle

Wireless technology on mountain bikes is an innovation you’d struggle to be negative about. It’s tidy, efficient, responsive and easy to work with. Personally I believe one of the best upgrades you can make to your bikes is an AXS groupset, so naturally I’ve got my hands on an AXS seatpost to see if I feel as strongly about this.

The RockShow Reverb AXS is currently available in 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 170mm travel options, with a post diameter choice of 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm. The post length for each travel is listed in the chart below, with a hydraulic Reverb Stealth equivalent also listed to show the gain in overall post length for a Reverb AXS.

Until RockShox manage to compact the innards of the seatpost, 170mm is the longest drop available.

The remote is easily attached to a matchmaker brake clamp by one bolt, and the position can be adjusted. The remote buttons are sharp, easy to press and the perfect shape for a thumb. Unlike some lever action remotes, you need no force to press it down. There’s no wandering thumb, looking for the lever in a moment of panic, as the paddle is large enough to immediately catch the thumb. The ease of use is, in my experience, exclusive to this remote. In torrential rain you won’t slip a thumb, or 10 hours into an endurance race you won’t lose strength to be able to press it.

The speed and smoothness in which the post comes out is bob on. It won’t spank you, but it’s fast enough to be as responsive as the remote itself. I have transferred this post between several test bikes for the past few months, and I’ve done a lot of bike carrying, sometimes by the saddle. As yet I haven’t needed to use the Vent Valve, but if the post were to develop squish, it’s a simple case of taking the post out to access the valve, with no pulling of none existent cable. (It can be quite common in Reverbs for air to swap to the oil side of the IFP, resulting in squish. The Vent Valve moves the air back into the air chamber with no disassembly required.)

The AXS battery has a green LED light to show the battery level is high. If the light changes to red, you have 50% or less charge, so you need to remember to check it. The AXS remote battery is a 2032 and I haven’t even considered changing that in the time I’ve owned the post. I do, however, always have a 2032 battery in my tool bag so it’s not a big concern.

The saddle rail fitment is as pleasant as they come. One bolt to secure it, one bolt to adjust tilt, no loose pieces.

Overall

If you have more than one mountain bike with the same post diameter, a RockShox Reverb AXS Seatpost is a great purchase. If you have an internally routed bike, it’s a great purchase. If you like a tidy cockpit, it’s a great purchase… There’s no getting around the price though, so if the convenience is irrelevant to you then it would be more of a luxury upgrade. The long and short of it is that it works really well and the remote is markedly better than any cable or hydraulic lever, and I don’t think that’s just an opinion, it’s a fact.

Review Info

Amanda Wishart

Art Director

Amanda is our resident pedaller, who loves the climbs as much as the descents. No genre of biking is turned down, though she is happiest when at the top of a mountain with a wild descent ahead of her. If you ever want a chat about concussion recovery, dealing with a Womb of Doom or how best to fuel an endurance XC race, she's the one to email.

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