TMB Review: RockShox Reverb AXS A2 Dropper Post

I have a long and checkered history with electronic components. I was an early adopter of Shimano Di2, then SRAM AXS thereafter. All of it worked great and had performance advantages. But then I had some battery failures, got caught out because I neglected charging once or twice, and realized that I’m much more adept at fixing old-school, mechanical parts than electronic ones. So I basically switched all bikes back to mechanical drivetrains.

And yet, I’m a believer in wireless dropper seat posts like the RockShox Reverb AXS A2 Dropper, and here’s why: It took under 20 minutes from the time I opened the box on this dropper to the time it was set up. (The remote placement was a little fiddlier.) As an amateur mechanic, that’s a fraction of the time it would have taken me to run cables and set up a standard cabled post—if I could do it at all. Besides that, I can swap this post out for a fixed post easily (for bikepacking or service, for instance), and I’ve heard of people using the same post for multiple bikes. 

Ease of use is the big selling point.

Other benefits include super-easy touch actuation on the paddle, lightning-fast action up and down, and, unlike standard Reverbs, a pretty solid history of durability. Ours stayed rock solid after half a year of use. And this second-gen model is equipped with a Vent Valve on the bottom of the post that allows you to bleed any air from the system yourself, akin to the Revive, though slightly less user-friendly given placement and the need for a special tool. The post is available in four lengths (100mm, 125, 150, and 170), none of which are adjustable, given the electronics.

All of that ease of use and features come at a steep price: $645 base, but that rockets up to almost $900 once you add the AXS Pod Rocker Controller ($150). About that controller, it is a seriously oversize, ugly piece of plastic that hangs like a growth under the bars, and the mounting hardware that comes with it is gangly and awkward too. SRAM makes better options, but do you really want to spend more? Finally, there’s no good way to coordinate with Shimano (or other brand) shifters. I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out all the mounting and peripheral options. For this price, I want everything in the box and as easy to sort out as the actual post installation.

	RockShox Reverb AXS A2 Dropper Post Bottom Line: Ease of installation and use is second to none, and RockShox has done an excellent job improving reliability and serviceability. If you already have an AXS drivetrain, this is the no-brainer solution given the interchangeable batteries. But the newer Fox Transfer Neo is definitely worth a look. Shop Reverb AXS A2 Dropper Post
RockShox Reverb AXS A2 Dropper Post Bottom Line: Ease of installation and use is second to none, and RockShox has done an excellent job improving reliability and serviceability. If you already have an AXS drivetrain, this is the no-brainer solution given the interchangeable batteries. But the newer Fox Transfer Neo is definitely worth a look. Shop Reverb AXS A2 Dropper Post