Rockshox Reverb 1x Remote

Rockshox Reverb 1x Remote

Blister’s Measured Weight:

• 79 g (Remote only)
• 105 g (Remote with clamp)

Bolted to: Santa Cruz Hightower

MSRP: $95 (Remote only); $399 (Reverb with 1x Remote)

Reviewer: 5’9”, 155 lbs.

Test Locations: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado

Test Duration: About a month

Intro

The Rockshox Reverb is one of the most ubiquitous dropper posts on the market, and it’s part of the stock build kit on more than a few bikes.

I’ve run a Reverb on a number of different bikes, and while older Reverbs did have issues from time to time, the current crop (that saw changes in 2016 to address some issues with the seals) is a fairly reliable contender in the increasingly crowded dropper post market.

The Reverb has a lot of things going for it; it’s not too heavy, the head clamps the saddle effectively, the action is quite smooth, it doesn’t have a bunch of slop, and the return speed is adjustable.

But it has one thing that is decidedly not going for it; I’m not at all a fan of the push-button remote. And I’m certainly not alone in that. It was somewhat odd that Rockshox / Sram hadn’t offered a solution since they’ve championed the death of the front derailleur (and front shifter) for some time now. So it only makes sense for them to occupy that real estate with a lever for the dropper post.

Enter the 1x Remote that Rockshox released earlier this spring. Rockshox overcame the obstacle of making a hydraulic lever that fits nicely where a front shifter once was, and the ergonomics are 100% identical to a Sram shifter (which, personally, I’m happy about). The 1x Remote is available as an upgrade for most Reverb models, or as original equipment on Stealth Reverbs.

At 79 grams, the 1x remote is a bit heavier than the old push-button remote, but it’s hardly heavy. It does, however, feel pretty solid, and I’d expect it to fare well in a crash. Aside from the fact that it’s tucked under the brake lever, I’d speculate that the perch might break before anything else on the unit.

Installation

Like most things Rockshox, there are comprehensive installation instructions online, including a nice video. Installation is pretty straightforward: unscrew the old push-button remote, screw on the new 1x remote, then bleed the system.

If you’ve bled a Reverb in the past, it’s not too big of a deal. The big difference here is the 1x lever uses Sram’s “Bleeding Edge” bleed port, similar to what’s used on their newer brakes. The fitting for the 1x Remote is different than the one for the brakes, which is good because that’ll help avoid the mistake of putting DOT fluid into the Reverb, which still uses a mineral based oil.

I did, however, find the Bleeding Edge fitting for the 1x Remote to be fussier than the fitting for the Guide brakes. It was harder to get a good seal, and the bleeding process proved to be more of a headache than I expected. I’m blaming part of this on my own ineptitude, and part of it on a finicky bleed fitting.

But after a few failed attempts, I did get a good bleed on the system, and since then it’s been problem free — I haven’t touched the lever since the initial setup.

The rest of the mounting procedure is the same as any Sram shifter — the 1x Remote uses Sram’s Matchmaker X perch, so it plays nicely with Sram brakes, or it can be mounted alone.

Adjustments

Like the old push-button remote, the 1x remote still has a speed adjustment, but now that’s done via a T25 wrench under a dust flap cover. Not quite as easy, but personally I just leave it set to all the way fast, so… [shrug].

The one adjustment that the 1x Remote doesn’t have that I’d like to see is the ability to “clock” the lever, like you can with higher-end Sram shifters. The 1x Remote paddle is fixed in its position, and personally, I’m ok with the stock placement. But I can see some people (especially those with longer or shorter fingers) wishing for that adjustability.

On the Trail

It’s great. That pretty much sums it up right there. The remote is right where I want it to be, and it feels completely natural. The paddle is big enough to be easy to hit, but not so big that it feels obtrusive.

Even though I used one for years, the old push-button remote always felt a bit awkward to hit. The 1x Remote immediately felt right, and I pretty much forgot it was there, which is probably the best compliment I can give to a dropper remote.

As I mentioned above, I haven’t touched it since the initial bleed and installation, so I don’t have anything to report on the durability front. While I hate to jump to conclusions on anything hydraulic, the 1x Remote isn’t an exceedingly complex unit, so my expectation (and hopes) are set pretty high on the durability front.

Bottom Line

All in all, the 1x Remote resolves what I considered to be the one major shortcoming of the Reverb. The Remote feels entirely natural, and it integrates nicely with Sram brakes. It does, of course, come at a price (which isn’t insignificant at $95), but even factoring in the cost of the 1x Remote, the Reverb is still in line with other high-end droppers. So long story short, I’m a fan, and I’m pretty confident that anyone with a Reverb will be a fan, too.