When you're ripping through rolling terrain, cranking the pedals one minute and getting off the back of the bike the next, no seat height is "just right".
This infinitely adjustable seatpost is stupendous, with a silky-smooth stroke, and because of its unique hydraulically controlled remote handlebar lever, it has an easy to operate action, and simple installation. I abused the seatpost for four months, on every imaginable terrain possible, and it has been through rain and snow storms, had sand and dirt tossed at it, and has preformed flawlessly, which is helped fabulously by the custom sealing system. Continue reading →
Strengths: The dropping part, which of course is the most important one, works very well. This dropper post provides smooth gliding action with minimal play.
Weaknesses: The seat clamp is terrible and, over time, has a real chance to weaken and even break off the saddle rails. The top part of the clamp is maybe a bit more than 50% of the bottom part length. This makes no sense. Did RockShox try to save some material here? I am not heavy but move on the saddle a lot. At first I got some squeaky noises. Then after some months saddle #1 snapped right off. The rails broke just at the edge of the clamp. Now, saddle #2, a completely different saddle btw, is starting to make the same alarming noises. I am not over tightening. If anything, I have not tightened this enough as sometimes the saddle moves bit.
Bottom Line:
A great dropper seat post ruined by a flimsy and downright dangerous clamp design.
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Submitted by
kevin reier
a All Mountain Rider
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2013
Strengths: reliable , easy to use release button , no play
Weaknesses: have to cut and bleed hose to fit bike . I did it myself 2 times but would pay bike shop to do it for me next time .
Bottom Line:
I have 2 of these posts , 1 is 2 years old with a lot of miles on it , had to be re bled 1 time but otherwise perfect , no rotational play after 2 years of hard use . the other post is 1 year old and has never needed to be re bled . the bleeding is a pain but the hyd. system for a release button/ lever works so good it makes bleeding worth it . the best release lever/button of any post in my opinion (i have not tried fox yet). no rotational play is great after 2 years .
Weaknesses: It is always breaking down and has spent more time in a box of broken parts than on the bike.
Bottom Line:
Buyer be warned. It always needs either to be re-bleed or have the 15 faulty o-ring replaced inside at $100 a fix. PS don't count on rockshox to help you out...both of these major issues are considered to be wear and tear related and just part of the regular maintenance and not covered under warranty. For kicks you should look at the Rockshox youtube video of how to replace a leaky o-ring on the reverb and you tell me if that 2 hour brain surgery of a process is regular maintenance.
Strengths: Very smooth operation, liked it when it worked
Weaknesses: More time in shop then on trail
Bottom Line:
I purchased a 100mm 31.6mm Reverb with my new Carbine 275. Nothing but trouble from day one. First the guy who built my bike routed it thru the the rear link. Thought it was safe as that is how the rear shifting cable goes. Hosing got bound. Rerouted and changed tubing. Real hassle bleeding the hydraulics. Messy. Worked for a while then suddenly lost function. The nipple in the housing at the base of the seat that holds the tubing broke, Too fragile in my opinion. Replaced that, hassle of bleeding. Worked for 3 more rides, then lost pressure in seat return. Took it to local dealer and diagnosis, broken seals in internal portion of post. Needs warranty work. This all occurred over about a months time with less than 200 miles of riding. I would not call it a reliable product. Other issue is since tubing moves with seat in down position did get tire rub at times.
I like how smooth it worked when it worked but too problematic. While the Stealth with its internal routing with most new frames may help alleviate the possibility for tire rub, I am a bit skeptical, because will require lots of work to remove device for service.
Weaknesses: It is a nightmare to repair cost $125 to get overhauled mine failed after 6 months due to quality control, you need special tools to rebuild this.
Bottom Line:
I own three of them two 100mm and a 125mm one. The 125mm one after 6 months lost air could not get anybody including sram to tell me why and where it might be losing air. I figured it out it was coming from the bottom a part from the factory that screws into the air chamber came undone on its own. $75 later I was able to get it back together with no help from sram. All of them have issues it comes down to $$ kept a spare standard seat post around for back up.
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Submitted by
Dave
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2013
Strengths: The Reverb looks good all blacked out. It works really well, when it is working. Adjustable speed... Aaaand that's about it.
Weaknesses: Hydraulic actuator, which needs constant bleeding.
The design if the actuating button needs some work. No matter how I set it up it seems to be a struggle to find the best setup.
Bottom Line:
My only gripe is the fact that I have to keep bleeding the actuating system to keep the seat post working quickly. Luckily I do not lack mechanical aptitude and I followed the instructions but it would only be a temporary solution... I bought the post on eBay so I have no warranty support, I paid less to get less.
After looking into the problem, I have decided to just pitch the Reverb all together. There has been so many documented problems and now that I have formed my own opinion, I no longer have confidence in the product.
I am okay with a little side-to-side play, to a certain degree that seems to be normal.
With how the dropper post market is going we will have some solid alternatives very soon. X-Fusion, Fox and Thomson.
I am personally keen on the zero cable travel idea so I bought a LEV instead. I prefer the cable actuated systems, easier to diagnose and fix. The actuating lever looks well designed, I like the ODI clamp idea... Now that is some S-M-R-T thinking.
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Submitted by
Brent lemay
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2013
Strengths: Worked great for first three months
Weaknesses: It's been nothing but trouble after I rode it for three months...extremely unreliable
Bottom Line:
Had for about a year and a half...worked great for three months and then has been nothing but trouble! I'm giving up and buying a gravity dropper ! I hope I have better luck this time!?
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Submitted by
Tim Conger
a Weekend Warrior
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2013
Strengths: Works great, very smooth- The infinite adjust-ability makes it perfect for all types of terrain
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I am heavy to (very heavy rider) and am fairly new to XC riding. After buying this and experiencing it on the trails I cannot be happier. It feels very solid and I cant feel any sort of unnecessary seat movement. It does take a little getting used to but once you do you will not regret it. Nothing but 5 chilis for me
Strengths: This dropper is super smooth going down and coming back up. It took a couple rides to get the pressure right and now have it at the highest level and it works perfect for my 120 lbs! I love how I can already be going downhill and without bring too distracted drop my seat with a click of the thumb.
Weaknesses: I haven't really found any yet. The seat could possibly return to the top height a little quicker but it honestly hasn't ruined my day.
Bottom Line:
My husband has the specialized command post and has had a lot of problems with it not holding air and popping up too quickly, thus getting whacked where it is not good for either of us! I have had none of those issues with this dropper. I highl recommend it to any one thinking of getting a dropper. If you want to step up your downhill game it is worth the investment!
Strengths: When it works, it rocks. Smooth, fluid up and down, nice return rate, feels well made.
Weaknesses: Fails after 30-40 miles. Drops 1/2" from full extension, then falls all the way to the bottom. Will not hold air. While it is cool RSI includes bleed kit, it is, IMHO, somewhat suspect they feel the need to do so. Don't get one with my XT brakes. And they just work.
Bottom Line:
Looks can be deceiving. I have now had mine fail 3x in less than 175 miles of riding. At retail price, that's about $2 a mile. Unacceptable. Seals seem to be unable to withstand normal use- I am 220 lbs ready to ride, but am not particularly hard on gear. This is the only piece of kit that is on my bike that seems to be unusable; I have about 1,300 miles on the bike overall and everything else is still working as designed. Maybe I got a bad sample.
Strengths: Mine works. Fluid action is quite smooth. Most solid, non-vibrating adjustable post I've seen so far. Two-bolt (Thomson style) clamp is far superior to any other style on market. Comes with a bleed kit and some oil. Makes riding more fun. Makes me a faster rider.
Weaknesses: Arrived low on return spring air pressure (~70psi) but increased to 250 and perfect ever since. Release hose is mounted to top of post, so it slides with use. Thumb button placement is limited, (doesn't play as well with a bar full of Shimano), which limits ability to flip bike over and rest on bars. Oh, and it's not a Thomson.
Bottom Line:
So, I've got 4 rides on this post so far. It is the 2012 model. It arrived with only 70psi in the return air spring cylinder, and that's how I used it on the first ride. It held up fine, but stiction kept it from returning to full height without a small squeeze and tug. After returning it to the full pressure, it has worked flawlessly.
Anyway, after a seemingly endless wait for a WORKING height adjustable seatpost to hit the market, and clinging desperately to my trusty Thomson, I finally caved to peer pressure and bought this post, and for now, it seems I made a decent choice.
On Sunday, I rode Hole in the Ground trail near Donner Summit, and never had to get off my bike once, except to pee. It is exceedingly easy to use this post. Just hit the button and squat down a bit on the seat. Five inches too much? No matter. Press the button again and the post will raise up and hit your butt right where you want it, and STAY THERE. Back in the saddle for a 30 yard climb? Stand up, hit the button, and up it goes back to full height EVERY TIME. Down/up, I must have used that thing 50-75 times on that ride last Sunday. What a joy.
Now, for what it's worth, I will be buying a Thomson Drop Post when they are released next Spring. I tried to wait. I honestly did. But all my "dropper" buddies convinced me that I was missing out, and they were right. Plus, I got tired of getting passed every time I stopped to drop/raise my old post. These things just make riding more fun.
So with any luck, this post will hold up 'till Spring. As I have two bikes to put one of these on, I hope to not need to get rid of this one, but rather run them both and figure out which one is really the better post.
Weaknesses: Weight
Requires Bleeding
Under Seat Remote Line
Bottom Line:
I love my Reverb dropper post. It allows me to dive into the corners faster because I can get my center of gravity really low and still allows to pedal efficiently on the uphill and flat parts. The infinitely adjustability does take some getting used to, because there's so many options it can be a little challenging at first to determine the "sweet spot" for certain situation. Once you've figured this out though the benefits are numerous.
The remote hydraulic actuator is super smooth as is the action of the seat post. If I don't ride for several weeks my seat post sticks before fully extending and requires a quick tug to get it fully raised, this issue goes away quickly after a few cycles through the travel. The added maintenance is minimal but the stanchion and seal do require cleaning and lubing occasionally. The remote line exiting from under the seat means that it moves up and down with the seat. This requires that some though be given to how the line is routed so that is does not interfere with suspension or your legs as you pedal. The Reverb includes a little plastic line guide that helps keep the moving part of the line controlled throughout the seat posts travel.
Installation was a bit challenging but that was mostly due to my own incompetence than any fault of Rockshox design. When shortening the hose it is absolutely critical that you not accidentally push the actuator (this was my mistake), if you do, you'll need to bleed the system of air. Although this is relatively easily accomplished with the Reverb bleed kit (I believe it is included with most seat posts, was not with mine) it is still a bit time consuming. The twin bolt seat clamp is very secure and easy to adjust seat angle. There is a tiny bit of play in rotationally in the seat even when setup perfectly, this is NOT at all noticeable on the trail and not really worth any consideration.
Overall I would highly recommend the Rockshox Reverb to anyone who has considered getting a dropper post. It is an amazing upgrade that has allowed me to take my riding to a new level giving me more power and efficiency while allowing me to corner faster and more confidently. GO BUY ONE!!!
Bike Setup: 2010 Specialized Pitch Pro XL
35mm Easton Havoc Stem
SRAM X7/X9 2x9 drivetrain
Rockshox Reverb
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Submitted by
Kevin
a All Mountain Rider
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2012
Strengths: Theoretically, it's really smooth, infinitely adjustable, and has 5 inches of drop.
Weaknesses: Reliability, reliability, reliability. I've got two mountain bikes and when this thing came out I put them on both of my bikes. I've been through six of these now due to warranty.
Bottom Line:
I love drop seatposts! It's a great idea. All the initial reviews said this thing was great. When it works, it is great! It's smooth and conquers a lot of the problems that other posts have (it doesn't wobble from side to side, you can grab you bike by the saddle when it's down, etc, etc).
But, the problem is that the dang things just keep breaking! The hydraulic systems just are really unreliable. The internals seem to go sour. I just got one of my seatposts back from RockShox and put it on my bike. The bike sat unridden for 2 weeks and when I got a chance to ride it again, the thing was broken again. So long and short, the thing works great when it works, but the things break all the time.
I'm hopeful that RockShox will come up with long-term better fixes for this product - it's a great idea! But, I've gone through 2011 and 2012 models and feel like nothing has really been addressed yet.
Strengths: I didn t experience any strength..sorry
Weaknesses: This product is just not working for such a price....
Bottom Line:
In total, i had 3 diffrent rock shox reverbs, Ii always got them replaced on warranty.
The problem was always the same,it couldn t keep the pressure, liquid was coming out so that the seat post wouldn t stay up
I can say, that this seatpost really is useless, of course, it didn t do the job it is supposed to do.
3 seat post in about 5 month.
Since i always got it replaced for free is the proof, that there definetely seems to be a problem with this product.
I cannot recommend this post to anybody, and none of my friends will...
