Legendarily unreliable: The Rock Shox Reverb dropper post. This can probably be said in such a nutshell, because sooner or later the dropper post lost its sag, dropping a centimeter or two. The necessary bleeding process is fiddly, and in many cases it simply did not bring any improvement, the involuntary lowering remained. Sending the seatpost to the manufacturer was often unavoidable and the bike stood still. The misery and annoyance were then complete when the internal cabling of the Reverb had to be fiddled with. Modern frames with internal cabling often make it impossible to smoothly pull on the post, pull the linkage outer shell out of the seat tube and disconnect the post from the linkage. In most cases, a flashlight, tinkering, cursing and fumbling are the order of the day. Even a Connecta-Magjic-whatever-coupling connection from Sram couldn't have solved this any better.

But according to Sram, that's ALL history now: because the Reverb AXS works wirelessly. A dream come true. Plug it into the seat tube and you're done. Then I like to charge the post battery or update the firmware on my smartphone. Or change the battery on the controller. The vent valve also wants to make me really happy. If the Vent Valve is not a paper tiger, then the reliability and longevity of the Reverb AXS will be improved by worlds. And if the new post head also simplifies saddle mounting, then Sram should succeed in launching a big hit with the Reverb AXS.

Another really cool thing about AXS technology is that it can be used across all platforms. For example, the gravel bike category is served with new possibilities.
For example, it is possible to operate an Eagle AXS rear derailleur and activate the Reverb AXS dropper post with Sram's eTap AXS road bike shifters/brake levers. The "mix and match" of components from the road and mountain bike spheres is then not just a marketing slogan, but a reality.

And: The option of shifting with a servomotor instead of a cable on a mountain bike has been around for years. The Japanese company Shimano presented the XTR Di2 in May 2014. Di2 also offers the cool option of connecting components from different spheres. However, Di2 relies on cabling; the components want to be connected by a cable that allows power and data to flow. This is much more reliable than a wireless connection, I was told several times by Shimano representatives. When I crushed the cable that connects the battery integrated in the seatpost with the Di2 components when fitting the seatpost, I didn't find it very funny or reliable. Even though, admittedly, I was probably a bit impatient or clumsy.

Therefore: In times of internal cabling, completely wireless components are (m)a dream come true. To prevent this from becoming a nightmare, the AXS components from Sram simply have to prove themselves to be reliable and durable.