You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Do you think it's probably time they admit that hydo just adds an extra layer of complexity with very little advantage?
I've been SRAM free for a while now.
Some of their gear Reverbs, Monarchs (more bushing overlap in the new designs), creaky CSU Pikes, Lyrik dampers leaking oil, blown dampers, some Eagle mechs self-destructing, GXP BB's and going further back Avid brakes.
Some neck that using the buying public like beta testers and charging top dollar in the aftermarket.
How they don't get hammered in the biking press I don't know. The amount of problems people have had across all their product ranges!
Edit: Almost forgot that wooden feel you used to get from dry forks from the factory.
I do have some sram, mainly because I like the Reba as a cheap comfy XC fork (I'm < 140 pound woman and the light tune works for me for mincing) and eagle was the only game in town for 12 speed. Also a shock got specced on one of my bikes. That said, I've been so frustrated with stuff too. Fork issues, breaking stuff, over engineering, marketing buzzwords, over priced at times. I'd like rid of it now that Shimano have some good drivetrains again, and I'm becoming a fan of the smaller sus companies like Manitou.
The reverb is a massive pita. It did bring posts to the masses but it's a stupid design and I think they should move away from it. The only thing sram I really rate and will miss is that little thing that clicks in and holds the mech out of the way when you remove the rear wheel! I love it!
My LBS automatically converts them already.
reeksy
Member
My LBS automatically converts them already.
Really, that's pretty damning?
TBH I never had any issue with the hydro- only concern was repairability, if you crash and tear out a cable then every bike shop in the world has the parts to fix it. And parts are a bit more expensive. But it's always just been the reliability that made the Reverb dubious, if I could fix any one thing it'd be that not the hose.
got a dehy on a reverb, hydro was shit.
My one LBS loves SRAM, on account he just boxes the in-warranty stuff up, sends it back and waits a day or two for the no questions asked replacement.
The same LBS has a mechanic whose money making scheme involves acquiring any none functioning reverb, refurbishing with improved bushings and re-selling.
Another LBS try not to sell completes with SRAM fitted "as they always come back". Reckons SRAM are so popular because of marketing / advertising budgets and a product review industry that wishes to keep their ad revenue.
Just for balance I have Lyriks, a Super Deluxe, Guide REs and really like all of it and have had no issues. I have also just bought one of the new 200mm Reverbs, seems like they have engineered out the biggest failing with the vent valve, I don't find bleeding them much of an issue either. I was all set to buy a 210mm Oneup but had a loan of a mate's bike for a while which had one fitted and it just felt a bit agricultural in comparison.
Shimano gears though
Why would they put a cable on? Have you heard of AXS?
The hydraulic remote has never given me a problem and I have three reverbs. Air in the main hydraulics is more of an issue which is at least serviceable and even better handled in the latest version
My reverb has been fine for a couple of years, took it off / out of frame to replace with a non dropper for a bike packing weekend, quick bleed and it’s been back in for 7 months no issues
I've got four sets of Reverb from over the years across my bikes with now just one working fully.
None of them are faulty because of the hydraulic cable.
Slow returns, sagging seat, stuck down or up, worn top bushings, nothing to do with the cable. The cable just activates the release which lets the seat go up and down. No amount of lever bleeding has fixed my issues, but things as simple as pumping up to correct air pressure can fix some things (though indicates needs a service really as leaking air). Mostly needs a decent service though. Like a fork but they're not as simple to service properly.
That said the original lever design was a bit rubbish. With the exception that a RH mounted under on left matches neatly with a 1x (sram) brake set up.
They've stuck with hydraulic actuation until now, I don't see that changing any time soon. And the remote has never been the issue with reverbs, but in some ways it's better than a cable - never snaps, doesn't degrade with time/dirt/use, and so on.
Hydro or AXS (reducing the price eventually) is the way forward for SRAM in that respect.
I counted at least 7 reverb that I've had over the years, and the hydraulic actuation never caused an issue on any of them.
Lots of folk seem to blame every fault on it 'Not being cable actuated', which is just obtuse.
I've had a couple of cable droppers too, lev integra and one up, which have both been pretty good too, but none of them are fit and forget.
Reverb were brilliant, the post that got us all onto droppers, and given the amount of them around, bound to be lots of stories of failures.
Why would they? What's wrong with the hydro button? I've been using reverbs for years and never had a problem with the hydro actuation. Not exactly 'complex'. Just a fluid filled tube with a plunger. About as basic a mechanism as you can get.
I’ve got quite a bit of SRAM stuff because it came on both of my bikes. Apart from a sticky piston in a guide lever I’ve never had any bother. All there stuff is pretty easy to service a parts are easy to get.
I did destroy a gx mech and replaced it with a SLX 12 speed one but that wasn’t SRAMs fault.
Never had a reverb though, but that’s just down to price.
FYI amazon seems to be a really good spot for rockshox/sram spares.
TBF to SRAM they brought a working decent post that changed the game completely, and was taken up enthusiastically by damn near everyone. Hardly a massive surprise that some folk had issues when every other bike had one on it.
Was never a fan of the hydro system personally, but to be fair, I never had any issues with it. Happy that one less thing on my bike needs bleeding now I've changed though.
On the whole I avoid SRAM. This is my opinion.
Eagle is overpriced shit that gets sloppy after a couple months use. Then grenades itself resulting in a warranty claim.
Reverb is ok. Had a few and eventually all had play and would drop when sat on. 3+ years use each is acceptable without a service. Never had an issue with the hydro actuation.
Sram brakes. I run G2 and they have been faultless. The are better than shimano in every way.
Fox and others do everything Rockshox does but better so don’t bother with it. Last rockshox fork was a pike in 2014. Was an ok fork but needed servicing often and would suck down after every ride. Cable tie in the lower leg trick anyone.
Agree with most of the points but I prefer RS forks because they are so user servicable.
Got reverbs, guides, codes, eagle and AXS on a variety of bikes. Had some problems with an early reverb that needed a full service. Never had any other Reverb problems that weren't cured by a simple bleed. Also got a Fox Factory Transfer which has a nice action but is slow to return, and a bikeyoke revive which was prone to getting sticky if not constantly maintained. Similarly had sticky lever on some early guides but no problems since. Maybe I've just been lucky. Eagle does need to be set up properly but has been very dependable once done, for me anyway. AXS is just another level. Maybe my bike is just the equivalent of Drac's ipad 😉
Maybe my bike is just the equivalent of Drac’s ipad 😉
more likely that you actually look after your stuff, and maintain it, unlike most STWers. 🤔😹
The hydraulic actuator on of reverb is about the only thing I like from sram!
I'm confused how people don't find bleeding a reverb hose easier than changing a cable.
I would agree with the issue not being the remote. It's just like a third disc brake, just under less pressure and it's not really caused me an issue.
The rest of the reverb seems to be rather sh*te when it comes to reliability though.
The hydraulic button has never give me any problems. The main issues I experience with these seatposts is the little bit of squish they can randomly develop. Easily fixed and I find that replacing old style IFP's with the SKF seal & keeping the bushes fresh helps reduce this a lot. Going to a cable would be a backward step, extra friction & a path for more grot to get into the post.
all my sram stuff is fine. Pikes always work, same as the rear shocks. Easy to service myself. Not sure that's as easy with fox. But RS is what I have so that's that.
In the process of diy servicing my reverb now... The seat posts, pre 20 are flimsy. Are any manufacturers seat posts reliable though?
must have cost them a fortune in warranty. The fact the top squish has been occurring since the release of the reverb, and its taken until now to fix (?) is pretty poor and tells you theres an inherently poor design there. if it was an easy fix they would've done it.
K
MemberI’m confused how people don’t find bleeding a reverb hose easier than changing a cable.
When you've got the bleed kit and the fluid it's easier/about as easy imo. But the advantage of cable is that you don't need specific parts and tools. So it's not so much about how easy it is to bleed vs change a cable, it's more about whether it's possible with what you have.
I broke the cable end on my Revive in the alps and jammed the post. I could manually raise and lower it though, and when we got back to the hotel I found a new cable end and shortened the cable and outer by half an inch and fixed it. Equivalent damage on a Reverb would have been much worse, and harder to fix.
When you’ve got the bleed kit and the fluid it’s easier/about as easy imo
A good point. But why use a different fluid from their brakes? #daft