After almost 14 years Sram have retired the Reverb dropper from their line up!
The Reverb was an absolute game changer when it launched in 2010 but now only the wireless AXS versions remain in production.
Hopefully we'll see an update on the AXS posts as its been around nearly 5 years and it would be great to see a 200mm version with a lower overall stack height. Fingers crossed !
I've got to admit, I struggle to see the use case for a wireless dropper, other than if you're obsessed with a clean look, or want to swap it quickly between frames.
sod a 200mm axs version, it should be up to 250mm. I think axs makes sense if everything else on your bike is wireless/electronic, someone needs to make one with an electronic drop though
A Reverb was the only post I ever had that never worked for more than a fortnight at a time between bleeds. Changed all of the bits - hose, lever, actual post bit - several times. Made no difference, it was a piece of crap.
Goodbye and good riddance to it!
I've an axs dropper on two bikes and they hav both been absolutely great performing posts, completely fit and forget - much like the brand-x I replaced, the axs just works. Ok the RRP is stupid, but who pays RRP on bike parts now days?
I hated the original reverb, with it's squidgy button remote. But I'd cirtainly buy another axs.
I struggle to see the use case for a wireless dropper
It's good fix/replacement for the hydraulic system used on Reverbs before AXS.
Of course, just using a cable is arguably a much simpler fix/replacement... as most riders have found out.
Playing devil's advocate... it does remove the need to thread anything through the frame.
If you have a few bikes it's easy to swap it over?
The Reverb was an absolute game changer when it launched in 2010
It certainly was - I remember the first time I saw one on a demo bike at a trail centre. I was like WOAH MAGIC! Had to get one, but had an old 575 and no stealth compatibility. Turned out the externally routed one was more reliable anyway. Great invention, but not considered the old Reverb since the one on my 2015 RM stayed dropped on a ride and we had to go home!
A Reverb was the only post I ever had that never worked for more than a fortnight at a time between bleeds. Changed all of the bits – hose, lever, actual post bit – several times. Made no difference, it was a piece of crap.
Goodbye and good riddance to it!
Amen. It's like SRAM have finally admitted defeat - "we had 14 years to make a halfway decent (cable operated) dropper and couldn't do it".
TBF that was basically their strategy on front mechs too.
it does remove the need to thread anything through the frame
Yeah, I couldn't consider a seat post at that price, but if I could the simplicity of installing, the lack of seat tube length needed, no cable to go rusty and the swap-about-ability are all great reasons for it
My Orange Four's 7 year old Reverb Stealth is still going strong. Needs a bum bump to unstick it when it's down, but otherwise it's fine and hasn't seen a service in all that time. I keep meaning to take the saddle off and check the pressure in the thing as that might be the problem with the slow / sticky return. I've always thought it was a great bit of kit. Mind you, if I was going to replace it, I'd get the same one that's on my Levo as I believe it's a fraction of the price and just as good.
My daughter's Bigwig is running an original silver collar Reverb I bought new when they first came out. 3 rebuilds in total I think.
I also think I still have the Gravity Dropper 2 position post I was running previously in a drawer in the garage.
I shudder to think how much landfill those warehouses full of broken Reverbs created. It was almost comical the number of failures I saw and Rockshox just seemed to accept it and keep posting out replacements.
A few years ago after another Thomson dropper failure I decided that the quest for a reliable dropper was fruitless and that I'd be better served by a repairable dropper. My shortlist was the Revive and the Reverb. Rockshox parts were harder to get and more expensive so I went to Revive and never looked back.
People either want cheap droppers - not Reverb, or reliable droppers - not Reverb, or fancy droppers -not the normal Reverb.
I can see why they've lost enough market share to make it not worth nothing with.
The Reverb was an absolute game changer when it launched in 2010
I'd disagree, I had a 8" RASE dropper a full 2 years before it launched, which was longer and more reliable. The only thing the reverb added was a slightly nicer lever feel at the expense of reliability, drop length and cost
Agreed...I had 7 replacement posts...the AXS has been faultless and I really like it. I think a slightly longer drop would be useful, but it hasn't stopped me mincing my way round things so far.
I also had (have) an original Gravity Dropper. Only has up or down but it is easily serviced and was always reliable. I think GD shot themselves in the foot a bit with the 3 position model which had a few failures around the extra hole.
have you got a link to an article?
Had a few and they were always okay but I can see why they'd bin it when the Brand X is as good quality wise and a fraction of the cost.
Agree about brand-x ones, way cheaper and more reliable than my old reverb which got squishy regularly, cost a fortune to service and the hydraulic remote was always uneccessarily over-complicated
They were certainly smoother than a gravity dropper
but I still have my GD from 2008 (its had a few rebuilds and replacement parts but still works- KLUNK-) that was the game changer for me and they came out in 2004 iirc!
original Gravity Dropper<br /><br />
I had a 3 position one in 27.2 flavour and it was really reliable. Replaced it with a Specialized Command Post when I swapped frames, which was awful and warranteed twice. Then got a Reverb when they came out, which was slightly better but still not as good as the Gravity Dropper. I now use Brand X, the cheapest ones I can find, as they seem to be the most reliable. I do quite fancy an AXS one though if I can find one cheap enough.
Gob smacked it took them so long to accept defeat. A stupid idea and loads of engineering arrogance.
I've owned two over the years - one developed the common sag into its travel not long after I got it - it didn't really have enough drop in the first place so rather than fix I just sold and got a OneUp one instead
The second one was working when I got it on a second hand bike so I removed and sold it before it could go wrong - replaced with Brand X
I don't really see the point of going for anything other than OneUp (if you need a short stack height) or Brand X
Both have nailed performance, reliability and cost
The Reverb was the only dropper I've ever seen which stopped working when it got too cold
T-Mars was the first one I had before I stumped up for a Reverb. Both reverbs I had needed full rebuilds, sold them and bought a brand x.
About time.
But it just got me thinking about Brand X; aren't they a Chiggle in-house brand? That would be a catastrophe if we lose them.
Brand X is Tranz X rebranded, someone else will keep selling them regardless.
I would like to have a BikeYoke but they're still way too expensive compared to a Brand X on sale
Pretty sure BrandX, Bird, (Possibly) OneUp and a couple of others are Tranz-X rebranded items...
The Cube branded dropper that came with my fatbike looks to be identical to the Brand X too.
There's 'rebranded' and 'repackaged'. The great thing about OneUps is that they've repackaged them with a shorter stack height, and shorter insertion depth.
I suspect the Reverb had only been kept alive this long from OEM 'supply the lot' deals.