Review: RockShox Vivid - Shock Week 2023
RockShox Vivid Ultimate
Shiny and new, the RockShox Vivid is the freshest shock in this week's lineup. The Vivid name was long dormant in the RockShox catalog, so it's fitting that the reintroduction of that model came with a host of new features and the highest level of refinement their team has put into a shock to date. There are some significant performance claims being made here, primarily around the coil-like performance that the Vivid is supposed to deliver. If true, it could very well be the new benchmark for downhill air shocks. For all the pertinent details, head over to the First Ride article from the initial launch.
Vivid Ultimate Details
• 2-position Threshold lever
• High-speed compression - 5 clicks
• Low-speed compression - 5 clicks
• Hydraulic bottom-out - 5 clicks
• Low-speed rebound - 20 clicks
• Weight: 738 grams
• Price: $699-729 USD
• rockshox.com
• 2-position Threshold lever
• High-speed compression - 5 clicks
• Low-speed compression - 5 clicks
• Hydraulic bottom-out - 5 clicks
• Low-speed rebound - 20 clicks
• Weight: 738 grams
• Price: $699-729 USD
• rockshox.com
Setup
In keeping with the entirety of the current RockShox lineup, the new Vivid is relatively painless to set up, thanks to the limited clicker positions, sag gradients, and ease of on-trail adjustment. The 5 clicks of high and low compression damping offer distinct differences between each spot, making bracketing single clicks fairly easy to grasp. Thanks to the handy little 3mm knob attached to the rebound adjuster, you can make any needed compression adjustments on trail without needing extra tools.
We were aiming for about 18-20mm of sag on the Nomad, which for my riding weight of about 180 lb resulted in 215 psi in the air can. My rebound was usually either 7 or 8 clicks from closed, and I typically ran the LSC and HSC in the middle setting. Hydraulic bottom out was +1 from center. I found the LSC was the adjuster I was most prone to changing for different tracks, though the middle position strikes a pretty ideal balance on the Nomad.
Big knurled LSC knob.
Climbing
The Vivid's Threshold lever provides a very firm platform, just shy of a full-on lockout. I like this binary-feeling approach to a shock lockout for two reasons: One, it really shores things up for paved climbs and smooth fire roads; Two, you know pretty quickly if you accidentally left it on for the descent. Because it's so firm, I don't ever use it on trail, but if you subscribe to the Henry Quinney method, then your shock should actually be softer for the climbs anyway. The Vivid is sensitive enough to hum through all the littlest bumps on your way up trail, and has excellent grip in loose and steep terrain.
HSC and Threshold.
HBO up top.
Descending
Put succinctly, the Vivid looks and feels like a RockShox Float X2. Take that as a compliment, because the best-in-class sensitivity of the X2 had pretty much been unchallenged until now. Not merely matching performance, the Vivid also offers some distinct RockShox features that are unique to their lineup. One attribute that really stands out from the crowd is just how quiet the shock is, hardly making a peep even under great duress.
That quiet performance fades away nicely, but there's no mystery that the Vivid is working very well underneath you. We were hugely impressed with how well the shock performed on our test Nomads, and it has handled very different kinematics with equal composure. Some bikes might benefit from the external control of high speed rebound, which is present on the competing X2, but you could make a vice-versa argument for the adjustable hydraulic bottom out that the Vivid has and the X2 lacks.
Ultimately the two are neck and neck, and most of the decision will come down to brand preference, which of those two settings you'd rather have, and whether you want every possible click in the range (X2) or relative simplicity of setup (Vivid). Time will tell if the Vivid's durability is up to the 100-hour service standard they've laid out, but if it proves to be that burly, then that might be the detail that puts it ahead of the Fox shock in competition for best beefy air shock.
As to whether it's a true competitor to an actual coil shock, the jury is still out, though the competition may be close there as well. We're planning some side-by-side comparisons for the long term review, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I'm willing to say that the increased tunability and lighter weight might put the Vivid above a coil shock on the right bike, for the right person.
Gotta love the sag gradient.
Rebound knob.
And cheeky little 3 mil.
Pros
+ Silent performance
+ Effective and distinct adjustments
+ Hydraulic bottom-out will complement some kinematics very well
Cons
- Lack of high speed rebound adjustment
- Fitment may prove tricky on some frames
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However once I see a good deal on CC I'm jumping right back.
Since they have a DH version I'm guessing they intend that one for big hitting bikes.
i know what's up, you just want to put others down. what you don't understand is that you're cutting the branch you too are sitting on. to your kind, ego comes before survival.
Con: can’t buy them
To be honest, I’ve come to love the feeling and performance of Rockshox suspension components far better than Fox equivalents.
Have owned both…. Multiple forks… multiple shocks… and the Fox’s always seem to feel good for… a week.. then they seem to always lose their “plushness”. ♂️
Even if it’s better, will it be twice the price better??
Rockshox doesn't have the tuning page up yet, so its hard to tell where I'd fall into the adjustment range or if I'm just on the outside of it.
Competition is always good regardless.
Kinematics have improved big time and still are so reliance on a big ol elastomer to be a bottom out wall is less needed but bottom out protection of some kind will probably always be a thing.
You remember the 5th element shock, or for ultimate plushness and Avalanche woodie with the additional valving (it only needed 1 rebound but omg it was plush and bottomless.
Sometimes the problem with too many dials is its easier to mess things up!
www.avalanchedownhillracing.com/woodie.html
The woodie was the smoothest shock I have ever ridden, or my memory may be tainted over time because it was up against a DHX5 or 5th element, the original Vivid air etc.
Rockshox and various other suspension brands have much better ways of handling how the shock responds to bigger hits
secondly you should learn and understand what the hydraulic bottom out control is doing on Rockshox and other brands of rear shock. Primarily it enables to the release of the built up energy in the shock when you get into out the deep travel, thus you can tune out the harsh kick back.
I'm running an Ohlins TTx22m for my Rocky Mountain Altitude and it weighs 813 grams, that's included the roller bearings, whose weight would need to be added to the Vivid or X2's posted weight anyways so we're talking about a 60-75 gram difference in the end. Coil's been great.
I also am not sure I buy the "air shocks are more finely adjustable" argument. In the Boxxer article, Rockshox recommends riders increase or decrease by 10PSI at a time ("Every 10 psi is roughly equivalent to what RockShox determines as a spring rate"). This implies riders can't tell the difference if the magnitude of the change is less than that. That's roughly a coil spring weight up or down difference.
Middle bell curve user group… aka not super sophisticated user. So in a sense it would be a sophisticated users first round of bracketing.
Your weight comparison is compelling for coil!
I can understand that the hydraulic bottom out would be designed to ‘catch’ the last portion of travel before the any risk of either bottom out or high pressure spike effect.
Question: but why would the addition of a hydraulic piston/ circuit at the last portion of travel change the characteristics of the compressed air pushing back on the chamber? Aka how does it really change the high speed rebound of the air?
Is this just a suction/ return flow retardation felt from the HBO?
Help? I woke up thinking about this… lol
So it is essentially pointless, or another sram marketing 'feature'.
So for a light rider it could be a toss up, AND they'll benefit most from the low stiction of a coil. A heavier rider will pay a much bigger penalty for a coil.
I missed that viral, debate inspiring diatribe about the optimum hill climbing setup.
On a rooty, or rough climb the open suspension will "smooth" out the trail giving you more grip. A stiff rear end is more likely to bounce off this stuff.
If you have a tendency to forgot that you have your shock locked out and end up descending with it locked or you spend more time on rough climbs then you might as well not bother with the climb switch.
No Argument anymore flor an Air shock. Thema I'd directly Go Form a lighter made cool shock and sls-like spring.
More reliability,more Sensitivity.
The only Air shock with this Kind of Performance,more reliability than the x2 but with a decent weight IS an Intend Hover. 450 Grams Form the 230mm length shock.
But ok, it is pricey
Yeah I Know, Aria anda the chickadehill twintube shock offen this. But weight seems to be similar high and the price is definetly above 1100 euros por each
In other words, actual tunability, or sorta kinda moving back and forth around getting it dialed maybe someday.
- Sir Mix-a-Lot / RockShox