RockShox Reverb Stealth C1 Dropper Seatpost

When talking about the RockShox Reverb, there’s an elephant in the room. The Reverb has always impressed us in terms of ergonomics and usability, but as many a disgruntled owner will attest to, it’s a pain to have to send your post in for service every now and then to have it free of any vertical play. The third generation of this iconic - some will say infamous - dropper is here to address the squishy post syndrome once and for all. With the introduction of a Vent Valve, the new Reverb (C1, as per SRAM's internal denomination) can be bled from the outside without having to disassemble the post to get to the internals. Aside from this potentially game-changing feature, there are plenty of other improvements to explore as well – let’s dig in!

RockShox Reverb (C1) Highlights

• Post Diameters: 30.9mm, 31.6mm, 34.9mm
• Travel: 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 175mm, 200mm
• Post Length (excl. actuator): 301mm, 351mm, 414mm, 467mm, 519.5mm
• “Connectamajig” connections
• Vent Valve technology
• Faster and easier dropping action
• Weight: 690 grams (31.6, 175 mm, verified)
• MSRP: $399 for post with 1x remote ($349 with standard remote)

Video Review

When you first lay eyes on the new Reverb, there is little to distinguish it from its predecessors. However, closer inspection reveals a number of tweaks. The total length of the post has been significantly reduced thanks to a new connector design at the base of the post, a shortened collar and a lowered saddle cradle. This means that more riders are likely to be able to fit a longer Reverb in their frames. To compare, a Reverb (C1) 175 is 10 mm shorter than a BikeYoke Divine shimmed to the same amount of travel, while the BikeYoke wins the collar-to-rail matchup by 7 mm.

Key Dimensions (@175 mm travel):

• Overall post length (rail to bottom of actuator): 495 mm
• Collar to rail: 223 mm
• Collar to base: 272

As we mentioned in the intro, the Reverb has a history of developing a certain amount of “squish”, requiring it to be serviced relatively frequently. The C1 now offers a feature that lets riders bleed the internal mechanism of the post without taking it apart, just by activating the new Vent Valve that can be found under the seat clamp. Pressing the valve and compressing the post removes any air that may have found its way over to the wrong side of the internal floating piston, eliminating the dreaded squish in just a couple of minutes.

RockShox didn’t stop there. The internals have also been completely reworked to provide smoother and faster post action. Thanks to a smaller piston diameter, new oil and new seals, RockShox claims to have reduced the force required to drop the C1 by up to 50% compared to the B1.

On The Trail

Installing a Reverb may seem like a daunting task to those not familiar with the bleed process. In reality, it’s not much more difficult than cutting a cable and adjusting the action of a cable-activated post, although it does of course require a specific bleed kit. Note that SRAM’s “Bleeding Edge” connector is easy to work with and will help avoid oil spillage during the procedure.

On the trail, we immediately noticed how much faster the post moves and how much easier it is to compress. We’ve always been big fans of this 1X shifter-style remote option, and when paired with the new post it really shines even brighter. The ergonomics are perfect, the action of the lever is incredibly precise and as a result, it’s super easy to modulate the movements of the post to help find the perfect position. Press the lever all the way, and the post drops or shoots up with authority (note that you can also adjust the max return speed with a bolt on the lever body). There is a solid “thunk” at the top of the travel to let you know that your post is fully extended and ready to be sat on.

All in all, we’ve been very impressed with the new post, and we feel like RockShox has finally managed to deliver on the promise of their design.

The C1 presents very little side-to-side play out of the box, and it has remained completely free of any squish after a couple of months on the trail. The post feels very solid out on the trail, things like picking up your bike by the saddle or compressing the post whilst seated do not phase the C1 in the slightest. The post head is also very confidence-inspiring, and has remained free of any annoying squeaks so far. All in all, we’ve been very impressed with the new post, and we feel like RockShox has finally managed to deliver on the promise of their design. For what is probably still the world’s most prevalent post at the OEM level, this should be good news for many buyers who may have been put off by the spotty service records of the previous generations of this design.

What’s The Bottom Line?

To conclude, at $399 USD including the 1X shifter-style remote lever, should you pull the trigger on the new Reverb? We think it offers some of the best ergonomics around, and it is absolutely a pleasure to use it on the trail. With improved speed, reliability and the introduction of the external Vent Valve, the new Reverb is ready to challenge the best. We’re going to keep using the post to make sure it can really stand the test of time, but at this point we’re certainly ready to endorse it.

More information at: www.sram.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 47 // Years Riding MTB: 15 // Weight: 190-pounds (87-kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Video footage by Nils Hjord and Johan Hjord