As mountain bikers, we are constantly looking for the next “game-changing" component that will transform our ride. However, I’m sorry to report, more often than not, that component that had us frantically searching for our wallet doesn’t drastically improve our Strava times or smooth out the trails in the way we’d fantasized. However, now and then, a product is released that undeniably improves ride quality, and this is precisely where the Vivid Ultimate has slotted itself. 

With development dating back to the 2021 World Cup season, RockShox was diligent about utilizing rider feedback to create the best gravity-oriented air shock possible. While the Vivid saw numerous iterations before reaching production, the design philosophy remained the same, creating a large volume air shock that provided an ideal balance of “coil-like” sensitivity off the top while still providing the mid-stroke support and tunability that air shocks are known for. 

Specs

Intended Use: Enduro / Downhill

Weight: 740 grams

Price: $699 - $729 USD

Warranty: 2 Years 

Shock Tested: Vivid Air Ultimate - Stumpjumper Evo (2021+) Tune - 210mm x 55mm

External Adjustments

• Low-Speed Rebound (20 clicks)
• High-Speed Compression (5 clicks)
• Low-Speed Compression (5 clicks)
• Hydraulic Bottom Out (5 clicks) 
• Climb Switch 

Vivid Air Spring Technology 

The larger diameter of the Vivid’s air can distinguishes it from other shocks in their lineup. The air can has an increased air volume, providing a more consistent, linear feel and improved small bump response. The Vivid’s air spring is highly tunable, utilizing up to four Bottomless Tokens.

TouchDown RC2T Damper

RockShox’s all-new position-sensitive damping system is the primary design feature that sets this shock apart from others I’ve ridden. The idea behind this damper design is that riders require differing amounts of damping depending on what percentage of their travel they are utilizing. RockShox has developed a damper that is ultra-supple at the beginning of its stroke, supportive in the mid-stroke, and ramps up at the end of the stroke, providing a dynamic ride quality that provides the ideal amount of compression damping based on the riding situation.

TouchDown Compression Circuit / First 10% of Travel 

Responsible for damping in the first 10% of the shocks travel, the “TouchDown Compression Circuit” allows oil within the damper body to flow nearly unrestricted. This allows the shock to feel fully open on initial compression and over small bumps, providing unmatched sensitivity and compliance. 

Main Compression Circuit / 10 - 80% of  Travel 

As the shock transitions from the initial TouchDown circuit to its primary compression circuit, oil is directed through the piston and past the shim stack, slowing oil flow and inducing more damping. Riders will spend the majority of their time descending in this area of the shock's stroke, and the increase in damping plays a major role in providing support, keeping the shock from blowing through its travel too quickly. 

Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out / Last 20% of Travel

When the piston enters the last 20% of its travel, it transitions into the Adjustable Hydraulic Bottom Out (HBO) circuit. Within this circuit, oil is directed through the HBO port, which can be tuned via its five-position adjuster. With the HBO set to fully open, no additional bottom-out support is provided, allowing the shock to utilize full travel, relying on its rubber bumper to eliminate harsh landings.  Conversely, when the adjuster is fully closed, that pathway for oil to travel is narrowed drastically in the final stages of travel, enhancing damping and limiting harsh bottom outs at full travel. With five positions to choose from, riders have a window of adjustment available for those head-whipping bottom outs when they inevitably send it to flat.

Setup / Tuning

Setting up the Vivid was a straightforward process, especially given the clearly marked sag indicators on the shaft. I set the shock to 30% sag on my Stumpjumper EVO with two volume spacers installed. I started with HSC, LSC, and rebound neutrally in the middle of their respective adjustment ranges. I began testing with HBO fully open for a baseline impression of the shock. As I made adjustments throughout my testing, I appreciated the clearly indexed and tactile feel for each setting, as it made counting clicks satisfyingly easy.  

The Vivid doesn't equalize between positive and negative chambers until 35% sag compared to 15% sag on a Super Deluxe, so it is essential to be diligent about this difference when cycling pressure to ensure the two chambers are equalized.

Riding Impressions

Climbing

While the Vivid has a climbing switch, I rarely use it. For being a “gravity-oriented” shock, the Vivid climbs exceptionally well. I believe this is largely because of the TouchDown damper's extreme sensitivity in the first 10% of the stroke. When climbing root-littered single climbing trails, the rear wheel of my Vivid equipped Stumpjumper EVO tracked the ground with ease and provided responsiveness to smaller obstacles my outgoing Fox Float X never had. While the climbing switch was always available for those long-road slogs, I genuinely preferred the traction the Vivid offered when fully open.

Descending

After recent negative experiences that left me underwhelmed with other high-end rear shocks, I was tentative that the RockShox’s claimed “coil-like” capabilities of the Vivid would actually materialize on trail. Upon dropping into my first descent aboard the Vivid, it only took a couple hundred yards of rock-riddled trail for that tentativeness to dissipate. The initial ride feel of the Vivid was so positive that it left me wanting a second lap, but with limited daylight, I settled for calling my dad to report on my first ride aboard the Vivid, saying, “It’s good… really, really good.”

The Vivid’s ability to mute out small trail chatter is better than any other air shock I’ve used. It is similar to the initial forgiveness of a coil shock, which brings credibility to RockShox’s “coil-like” marketing. The sensitivity at the beginning of the stroke that the TouchDown provides allows for any root or rock smaller than a garden hose to wash away unnoticed. 

With two volume spacers installed, the Vivid didn’t lose the progressive feeling deeper in its travel that air shocks are known for. When experimenting with the shock without any volume spacers installed, the linear nature of the Vivid was extremely noticeable. However, I was sacrificing some playful trail responsiveness that differentiates my Stumpjumper EVO from a longer travel bike, and I was spending too much time sitting deeper in the bike’s travel. After trying varying combinations of volume spacers and HBO, I ultimately settled on the stock two volume spacers and +1 click of HBO to take some of the harshness out of full-travel impacts.

The five available positions for HSC and LSC each have a tangible impact on ride feel and can be tailored to one’s desired ride quality. I found that I prefer running -2 HSC and -1 LSC, providing a slightly more open feel, allowing the linear nature of the Vivid to keep the rear wheel tracking the ground as much as possible while still maintaining a feeling of the shock sitting higher in its travel. Set up correctly, the Vivid blends the ultra-sensitive initial feeling that coils are favored for while providing more support and responsiveness in the latter two-thirds of its stroke. Additionally, it is more easily tunable than a coil shock and weighs less. 

Verdict 

Over the past eight months, I have ridden my Vivid-equipped Stumpjumper EVO across various terrain in the Bellingham area and Sea-to-Sky corridor. The Vivid has genuinely transformed the riding experience aboard my Stumpjumper EVO compared to the Fox Float X that came stock on the bike. While that shock is not “bad,” I always felt I had to compromise on my setup. Either its small bump compliance felt alright, but it quickly blew through its travel, getting overwhelmed in especially rough sections of trail, or I would go up in volume spacers providing more support deep in travel but adversely affecting its ability to track over small chatter. 

The Vivid allows me to tune my bike exactly how I’d like without sacrificing suspension performance in any area. Its ability to track the ground and handle repeated small chatter is up there alongside the SuperDeluxe Coil. At the same time, its large air chamber provides a wide range of options for tuning in support in its latter stages of travel, while always having the HBO to fall back on for smoothing out massive impacts. I hope this one point gets through in an industry over-saturated with marketing jargon: the RockShox Vivid is “Good… really, really good.”