RockShox Reverb AXS B1 review: this new dropper post is so good I’m going to buy one

Battery placement

Moving the battery from the seat clamp to the post’s collar is the biggest, most obvious change.

Now in front of the seat tube, the battery and electronics sit away from the rear tyre’s direct firing line.

Infrequently reported, but verifiable as an issue, the possibility of the rear tyre contacting and then opening the battery latch, causing the battery to fall out, has now been ruled out.

By moving these parts to the static part of the post – rather than the stanchion and seat clamp – RockShox has simplified the Reverb’s internals.

A new-ish seat-clamp design

Now there are no electronics on the Reverb’s seat clamp, RockShox has changed its design, replicating the two-bolt clamp on the hydraulic post.

Some may mourn the seat clamp on the old Reverb AXS; the single clamping bolt and angle-adjustment Torx bolt were fantastically easy to use, but there’s no doubt they added complication and expense.

The new clamp design is compatible with round and oval saddle rails, measuring 7x7mm, 7x9mm and 7x10mm.

Exclusively air

The post now uses exclusively air to control compression and extension, instead of a combination of air and oil in the outgoing model.

RockShox calls the entirely new air-sprung design ‘air-over-air’, taking inspiration from its gravel-specific Reverb AXS XPLR post’s design.

This new design negates the need for the vent valve – used to eliminate any unwanted compression when the post is at full height – on the base of the seatpost.

Here, when the post is fully extended, the spring keeping the post up has a small negative air-spring volume.

Reducing negative spring volume in relation to positive volume means the post should be ‘harder’ to compress into its travel.

At full extension, this should provide a firm, uncompressible pedalling platform.

Drop the post just a few millimetres into its travel and another bit of new tech, called ActiveRide, is triggered.

Designed for ebikers – who spend a lot of time sat down pedalling and sometimes climb with the seat slightly compressed to make the bike easier to handle – it’s supposed to boost comfort and control.

Here, a secondary negative spring chamber equivalent in size to the positive one, gives the post some give or squish, helping absorb bumps transmitted through your bike when seated.

Less servicing, longer life

Longevity, robustness and serviceability have also been improved with the new design.

Thanks to the new post having fewer moving parts and less complicated internals, RockShox has extended the re-lube service interval to 300 hours of ride time, up from 200 hours on the previous version.

Travel and diameters for all

The new Reverb is available in 30.9mm, 31.6mm and 34.9mm diameters.

There are even more travel options – seven in total – running from 100 up to 250mm in 25mm increments.

How much does the new RockShox Reverb AXS B1 cost?

In all travel options and post diameters, the new Reverb AXS B1 dropper costs £535 / $549 / €600, which is quite a bit more affordable than the outgoing model’s RRP.

How much does the newest RockShox Reverb AXS B1 weigh?

A 175mm-travel, 31.6mm-diameter post weighs 679g.

The Pod Controller and Infinity Clamp weigh 56g.

Install and setup

Like all of SRAM’s AXS components, and the Reverb AXS that preceded this latest model, installation and setup are a total breeze. This is arguably the post’s biggest draw.

No cables means no fuss or stressing over internal routing.

The post simply needs greasing as per your bike frame manufacturer’s instructions and inserting into the seat tube.

Simplifying setup, the Pod Controller and post are pre-paired, but if they aren’t, linking the two is easy. Just a long push on the post’s AXS button, then a short push on the controller’s and you’re set.

Installing the saddle’s rails on the clamp shares its process with other two-bolt designs. This means installation is familiar, if a little fiddlier than the previous generation.

I will mourn the loss of the previous Reverb’s saddle clamp; using one bolt to tighten the saddle and a second to adjust its angle made fine-tuning and saddle installation much easier.

Will the new Reverb AXS dropper post fit your bike and body?

Whether the ratio of travel to insertion depth to stack height is right for you will depend on many factors, such as your saddle-height preference, your frame’s design and your body’s morphology.

I like my seat to be relatively high when I’m descending, somewhere just above my knees. Long-travel dropper posts with small stack heights (200mm plus) usually make the seat too low.

If you’re like me, the Reverb AXS will be spot-on for your needs.

But if you prefer a slammed saddle and need it to extend high, the RockShox post's stack and insertion depth for any given travel are taller and longer than the OneUp Dropper Post.

This post is widely regarded as the industry leader for offering the most travel for the shortest length.

Carefully considering the measurements of your existing post and the new Reverb AXS will be the best way to guarantee it works for your needs.

Does the bulbous electronics and battery module hit your legs when you ride?

No, it doesn’t. In fact, it protrudes no further out than your bike’s frame, suspension linkage or saddle’s nose – or the seatpost clamp.

Its large looks are deceptive – yes, it extends forwards, but you won’t bang your knees on it.

Maybe its looks are challenging for some – and I get that – but in terms of impacting the rider negatively, this new design doesn’t do that.

How does it perform?

Post-extension speed is perfect, lifting quickly at the same rate, every time regardless of temperature or trail conditions.

There’s no lag between button actuation and post extension – its response to your input is instantaneous.

This predictability and reliability is excellent.

Only pressing a button – rather than pushing a lever that pulls a cable or actuates a piston – makes dropper operation easy.

While it sounds lazy, the lack of effort required to raise or compress the post is another of the Reverb’s biggest draws.

The lack of lever travel – because it’s just a button press – means operating the post while you’re hammering over rough terrain is less sketchy.

None of your hand strength or concentration needs to be diverted away from riding to lever actuation.

Once you’ve used an AXS dropper, going back to a cable-operated model feels like returning to the dark ages.

Hard and soft

As an addition to the MTB Reverb, ActiveRide is a pleasant and unexpected win.

Dropping the post by even a couple of millimetres into its travel swaps its feel from super-rigid and locked-out to a plush, smooth and pillowy ride.

Not getting jostled or jolted, or having to focus energy into smoothing the terrain while seated pedalling is a novel experience.

Chunky, choppy sections caused by large, embedded rocks or roots are transformed into fluffy cloud-like interludes between descents.

ActiveRide makes your bike feel as though it has way more travel than it does, without the drawbacks – such as suspension bob and weight – of lugging that extra squish about.

While it’s great on a non-assisted bike, having to drop your seat from its optimal pedalling height for a prolonged period reduces pedalling efficiency.

On an electric mountain bike, however, where the motor compensates for any losses, the benefits are even more pronounced.

Maintenance-free

True to SRAM’s claims, the AXS Reverb remained entirely maintenance-free during the test period.

It developed no unwanted squish at full travel, and required no servicing, lubrication or spring re-inflation.

The Reverb of old had a slightly temperamental personality – the vent valve needed to be used regularly, the air spring needed topping up from time-to-time and service intervals were regular – the new one appears to be much more reliable.

I’m going to keep using the Reverb, so will report back if in a year or two years’ time if it has needed anything other than routine maintenance, but I’m hopeful it won’t.