MY27 ROCKSHOX VIVID AIR FIRST RIDE REVIEW

April 7, 2026

The Vivid Air is one of four new RockShox products launching today for MY27, joining the Zeb, Lyrik, and Super Deluxe in the trail and enduro suspension lineup. With the global target of reducing friction and increasing consistency, the Vivid air has some notable changes, and we’ve been logging some preliminary miles to see how it performs.

THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION

Testing The RockShox Vivid Air | I have spent a solid amount of time on the new Vivid Air at this point, matched to the Zeb fitted to my Atherton S170 long-term test rig.

The first lap on the new Vivid out in New Zealand wasn’t the most successful. It took me all of 20 seconds on the trail to have a buck-induced over-the-bars, and I spent the rest of my time in New Zealand suffering from the consequences.  The parking lot setup did not translate to a good setting for the trail, and my overconfidence following three days riding the incredible Boxxer and Vivid Coil-equipped Mondraker Summum led me to pushing a little too hard, too fast.

I was beaten up but not written off, and managed to soldier through the remainder of the test camp with SRAM, albeit with my tail tucked between my legs and my neck taped up to alleviate the whiplash sustained.

Upon assessment of the incident, we concluded that the Vivid Air I was provided featured a tune that was not a good match to the progressive DW4 rear end on the Atherton frame. I was underdamped deep in the rebound stroke due to a digressive rather than linear tune. While it felt reasonable in the parking lot, the recovery from the big compression on the take-off of the jump was met with too little rebound damping to stabilise the bike. The pair of volume reducers inside was not required for its progressive rear end, either, and with a compression tune lighter than previously fitted, I was also underdamped and running into a wall of spring ramp.

Once the appropriate tune was identified and fitted, I was instantly provided the performance that I had hoped for from the new Vivid Air. As with all suspension units, the incorrect tune for your bike and body are going to result in performance that falls short of where it should be. Or in this case, a unit that’s somewhat unsafe when pushed hard.

Once normal testing resumed with the correct tune, I felt comfortable on the Vivid Air. I was already very fond of the previous Vivid Air, and especially of the Vivid coil that was fitted to the Atherton S170 initially. When pushing hard, both of the last generation products performed amicably, so I wouldn’t expect to be shaving incredible amounts of time off a race stage with the new shock.

That said, the new Vivid Air delivered exceptional comfort and useful tuning range. With no volume reducers fitted, it was still more progressive in feeling than a coil shock, as you would expect. It came close to matching the same mid-stroke predictability, though, providing the most coil-like big-hitting air shock I’ve ridden to date.

As a pairing to the new Zeb, the Vivid Air offered excellent tuning possibilities and matched the character of the fork at either end of the adjustment range. I was able to make full use of the damping adjustments to modify the character of the bike, without suffering from harshness or excessive wallowing as a consequence. The fork and rear shock adjustments felt quite evenly matched, allowing for the balance of the setup to be retained.

The Vivid Air will remain on this Atherton S170 as we approach the conclusion of its long-term review, and we’ll report back on its durability and capability limits once we’ve amassed sufficient trail time. For now, while the new RockShox Vivid Air may not be transformational, you can consider us suitably impressed with the latest version.

WHAT’S NEW IN THE ROCKSHOX VIVID?

RockShox has shared the global pursuit of reduced friction and increased predictability from their new trail suspension lineup, with many of the changes and technologies carried across the product range. The new Vivid Air is visibly similar to the outgoing model, but has some key differences inside to allow RockShox to claim it to be the “most supple shock on the market”.

LINEAR XL AIR SPRING

The new Linear XL air spring in the Vivid Air is designed to deliver the most coil-like feeling possible. With updated, larger breather holes to reduce hysterisis (which created damping effects from the air spring), the damping is intended to be handled exclusively by the damper for maximum control. New seals on the positive and negative air spring should reduce friction. A mechanical jounce bumper is in place to provide support in the last portion of the travel.

NEW RC2T DAMPER

Utilizing the same new reservoir as the Vivid Coil shock, the new Vivid Air features some clever internals that allow for a 40% reduction in IFP pressure (from 200 to 120psi) with a monotube layout, without sacrificing consistency in the rebound stroke. Less IFP pressure gives less force required to get the shock moving, increasing sensitivity.

The damper flow paths were refined to increase fluidity and consistency, with the mid-speed compression targeted as a key tuning area to deliver on-trail performance. With typical “low speed” compression tuning affecting shaft speeds that don’t translate to meaningful on-trail scenarios, the shift in outlook towards mid-speed should allow riders to optimize the handling of the Vivid Air more effectively. The tuning and adjustability is designed to match the Charger 3.2 damper found in the Zeb and Lyrik forks.

ADJUSTABLE BOTTOM OUT (ABO)

Retained from the previous Vivid Air – but now with a new name to match the mechanical system in the Zeb and Lyrik – the Adjustable Bottom Out is a hydraulic system designed to give tunable hydraulic cushioning for the final 20% of travel.

SPEC OPTIONS

• Vivid Ultimate | The RockShox Vivid Air Ultimate features all of the premium features and adjustability. The RC2T damper gives a pedaling platform switch to provide increased efficiency during pedaling efforts. It is available in standard mount from 210mm to 230mm, and Trunnion from 185mm to 205mm. Retail price is $ 779, € 850, £ 760, with the shock hardware sold separately.
• Vivid Ultimate DH | The RockShox Vivid Air Ultimate DH receives the same premium features and adjustability from the RC2 damper, but is catered towards frame fitments typically found on DH bikes and foregoes the climb switch. Lengths are either 250mm for a standard mounting style, or 225mm for the Trunnion. Retail price is $ 779, € 850, £ 760, with the shock hardware sold separately.
• Vivid Select+ | Available OEM only, the RockShox Vivid Air Select+ receives an RCT damper, with adjustable Rebound and Low Speed Compression damping, and a lockout lever. The ABO adjustment is also retained to tune the end-stroke feel.
• Vivid Select | Available OEM only, the RockShox Vivid Air Select receives an RT damper, with adjustable Rebound damping and a lockout lever. The end-stroke control is handled by a large bottom-out bumper, foregoing the ABO system.
• Vivid | Available OEM only, the RockShox Vivid Air receives an R damper, with adjustable Rebound damping. The end-stroke control is handled by a large bottom-out bumper.