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Use a dropper seatpost to quickly and easily lower your seat when mountain biking to more safely descend and turn at high speeds. The Reverb AXS is the best money can buy.
Quick Start
This guide provides details on many aspects of the AXS Reverb Dropper seatpost's setup and use. You may want to get started quickly, though. Here's how.
Install the dropper Install the lever Pair the lever & dropper Ride!What is a Dropper?
Having seatposts that can quickly drop down and move back up into position (a.k.a. dropper posts) allow mountain bikers more freedom of movement, especially when descending quickly, have become increasing popular over the last decade and are generally considered a must-have option for serious and amateur riders alike[1].
Options vary widely in travel (how much they go up/down), smoothness of movement, price, and bike fit (different bikes have different seat post diameters - or the size of the hole the dropper posts slides into).
Selecting the proper dropper post can be a bit complicated. This how-to removes that decision and focuses on a single dropper - the RockShox Reverb AXS.
How Droppers Work
Most droppers use a cable or hydraulic hose, actuated by a lever on the bike's handebars, to allow air in the seatpost to unlock. It works similarly to an office chair. When a lever is actuated and pressure is placed on the seat, it lowers. When pressure is removed, it raises. When the lever is released, it locks in place.
What Makes the Reverb AXS Special?
Wireless. Rather than using a cable or a hydraulic line like every other dropper, it utilizes a bluetooth connection between the handlebar-mounted lever and the dropper post.Removing cables means a vastly simplified installation. I perform nearly all repairs on my bike and installing a new dropper post is near the bottom of the list - routing the cable through the frame and fiddling with the adjustment can be maddening and seems much worse than dealing with brakes and shifting cables.
Simply sliding the seatpost in, attaching the lever to the handlebars and setting off for a ride makes life so much easier. It also makes removing the seatpost for stowing in a travel bag or in a tight space in a car/van much more doable.
Additionally, the lack of cable further simplifies and cleans up the cockpit[2].
Why Avoid the Reverb AXS?
There are three compelling[3] reasons to select another dropper over the Reverb AXS:
- Cost. This Reverb AXS is roughly twice as expensive as most other high-end droppers and 4x pricier than entry-level models.
- Compatibility. If your bike's seatpost diameter doesn't support the Reverb's available options, you might need to look elsewhere. It currently fits 30.9mm, 31.6mm, and 34.9mm, which should cover most bikes/situations.
- Weight. The Reverb AXS is on the heavier side, so weight can be saved by looking elsewhere[4].
[1] There are less-frequent situations where a dropper isn't ideal, including those wanting to minimize weight (a dropper typically weighs more than a standard, solid seatpost - and for those that may want to attach a storage bag or other item to their seatpost where a dropper might get in the way or drop the attached bag onto the way when lowered.
[2] Referring to the handlebars/general area at the front of the bike.
[3] Some state a fourth hesitation being reliance on a battery that requires charging. The Reverb's battery lasts quite a long time and, honestly, is only shared by those not willing to spend the money to try it for themselves (referring us back to the more legitimate compelling reason #1 above). Once tried, battery concerns are not worth sharing as a primary issue for the majority.
[4]Albeit not a ton - at least for those that are okay with the weight gain of a dropper over a standard seatpost to begin with.