FOX Live Valve NEO: First Look and Ride Impressions!

[@applicablerobot]

"My wallet doesnt when it inevitability meets an immovable object" Lol

[@mremtb7689]

Love it, I just went Axs with derailleur and seat and I love the accuracy and speed of the derailleur and the seat moves effortlessly. The seat dropper does feel different to a cable one.

[@leonpeckson]

I love this channel. You guys seem so grounded.

[@lenolenoleno]

I'd rather an electronic rear shock than an electronic derailleur on a normal MTB (if the cable routing path is decent).

[@lenolenoleno]

Amazed at how many of the team thing electronic droppers are the key. They cost literally 2-3x more than the best mechanical droppers and provide no actual performance benefit besides the initial extra 15-20mins for a bare frame install. Once you have an outer through the bike you can replace it with a double ended barb tool (about $2 from Ali Express/Rockshox double ended barb) in about 5-10mins. At least electronic shifting you do get a performance boost on some bikes (bikes with poor cable paths or eBikes where they have overrun and it helps mitigate the load overrun issue to a decent degree). Didn't hear the question posed as "money no object" but was just opinions on electronics on bikes. Some of the dudes were all commenting on price / if it was worth it etc. If so then why not electric everywhere... if you don't like it then flip it and get the mechanical for a fraction of the cost 😅.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Wasn't really asking them about what they thought of the price. There is no denying they are expensive! I think they were thinking about it as if money was not an option. The way I justified an electronic dropper for my 3 bikes was that I would have spent the same amount of money on 3 cable actuated posts vs 1 electronic post. I'd have to buy three posts ($200-$350 per post, $600-$1000 depending on the post), three remotes ($40-$60 per remote, $120-$180 total) and three different saddles. So you are easily looking at the same price, if not more with 3 mechanical posts. With a wireless post I have one post, one remote, and swap it between bikes in a matter of seconds! Obviously thats not a situation most people are in. If you just need one dropper there are a ton of great mechanical options at much lower prices than electronic posts.

[@lenolenoleno]

@FanatikBikeCo I get that, but at the same time changing seats and seatposts and torquing the bolt and/or applying fresh carbon paste seems like a chore for anyone that isn't a bike tester. You also have bikes with varying degrees seat tube angle or balance (e.g. a mullet bike vs. Full 29er or say bigger differential in tyres) and you'd potentially be adjusting tilt as well as saddle rail position. If all three bikes have the same seat tube diameter then lucky, otherwise you'd be shimming to 31.6 or 34.9. If money was really a concern then there are a plethora of 2nd hand mechanical droppers with levers vs. AxS droppers. Also when it comes to servicing then you're seatpost-less/can't ride. With all of the above I think your reuse case is extremely niche. Didn't hear the question posed as "money no object" but was just opinions on electronics on bikes. Some of the dudes were all commenting on price / if it was worth it etc. If so then why not electric everywhere... if you don't like it then flip it and get the mechanical for a fraction of the cost 😅.

[@mremtb7689]

Changing seat post is very easy and quick. You don't have to keep putting on new paste everytime.

[@lenolenoleno]

@mremtb7689 yeah but if all bikes are carbon sure not every time but you'd have bikes with different insertion so you'd have to wipe off some on bikes with deeper seat tube lengths. Also if you have bikes of carbon and alloy or Ti then you'd be using a different grease or anti seize. Not to mentioned all the other things I mentioned above like same seat tube diameters and seat tube angles for the same saddle tilt.

[@mremtb7689]

@@lenolenoleno you are way ovet thinking it and turning something very simple into something very complicated which is just not true. For some reason you don't like the idea and are inventing ways to make it seem impractical. It's a very quick process.

[@Connor-x6k]

Seems interesting. I wonder, in future versions, if they'll add something like a built-in device for shock tuning advice. Kinda like a shock wiz but installed in the shock itself. As it is, this isn't something I'm interested in, but if one day my suspension not only adjusted in real-time to the trail, but also gave me continuous info about suspension performance and tuning advise, then I'd probably be tempted.

[@surfdocsteve]

I had a rock shock that did this in 2016 on my Haibike. So it's not new. It did the exact same thing. I did like it and it made the climbs better. This is just an updated version by fox.

[@danielpatino81]

If you are a professional racer it might makes sense, for the regular weekend warrior all you are going to feel is the punch in the bank acct.

[@80211Denver]

Thing I like about the derailleurs is the adjustability for each cog independently of the rest. I use that fine tuning and it's dead on every push

[@FanatikBikeCo]

So the micro adjust on AXS derailleurs isn't different from cog to cog. If you micro adjust it affects the system as a whole not individual cogs

[@jamieandkimwallace8810]

Will there be a replacement dampener for Fox Forks that will put an open close sensor that communicates with the shock so that you don't have to manually push to lock/unlock your fork? Seems like a no brainer upgrade to complete the suspension suite. #neoforlife

[@umah.]

Need to confirm this... Is it only for the rear shock? I wonder to know since the Rockshox flight attendant system works for both the fork & the rear shock.

[@Raumance]

The front doesn't really matter for pedaling efficiency so it makes sense to have it only on the rear shock.

[@MicajahMcCurry]

There using a sensor on the front wheel, so that if your front wheel hits a bump, the shock opens before the rear wheel hits the same bump. You need fork movement to gather that data.

[@umah.]

@@Raumance still matters for those who like to show off their leg power by pedalling out of saddle 😅

[@80211Denver]

@@Raumance Strong disagree about front vs pedaling efficiency. Take that bounce out and you have far more power into the pedals

[@Raumance]

@@80211Denver You can disagree all you want it's just a fact of how suspension works. Most of the bob is in the rear not in the front.

[@ValentinBerthouzoz]

There is no 185X50 on their website, how did you fit it on the druid?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

So with the Float X you can adjust the stroke of the shock internally with travel spacers. So this was a 185x55 shock, but opened it up and added travel reduces to get it to a 50mm stroke. Put it back together and voila! its a 185x50 now and perfect for the druid. If you are familiar with doing air can service on a rear shock its a pretty easy process, and its definitely a service we can perform here at the shop!

[@ridemx323]

Is your dad the guy from park tool?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

You are not the first to wonder that ha ha. Maybe a long lost relative

[@80211Denver]

Ooooh so the FRONT shock is telling the rear what's coming? That make far more sense..... unless you're one of those hyper cool manual wheelie on every trail dudes. Is it just switching from open to closed at the level you have set or is it changing the dampener range as well? When you say "tune" I'm wondering if you are just saying "rattle THIS hard before opening"

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Exactly the "tune's" are basically telling the sensors ok at this particular pitch, with this particular force, open up, or close the compression. This isn't tuning rebound or anything like that.

[@Edisimo]

Could we get a comparison to flight attendant,? it seems you avoided bringing that option up.

[@FanatikBikeCo]

We haven't had the chance to ride flight attendant. Its an entire system and there isn't really a good aftermarket option. Mostly seeing it just spec'd on complete bikes that we don't have a chance to ride. Would be interesting to try flight attendant and compare it though!

[@FoyeTroute]

You have a ripping trail dog!

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Ruby the ripper!

[@Emtbtoday]

Yes to electric suspension set up for newer riders who can't get the damb things dialled in right take the headache of that nonsense away, I've been wanting live valve for ages it never seemed to have took off but yes to ebikes just got on love it ex dh racer back on a bike ebikes only for me from now on

[@heathfranklin4296]

Of course the E bike poser community in SoCal who hast to video everything as if we want to see them ride scrub oak trails with their fat buddies

[@darkness789]

The kinematics on bikes are so good and balanced now that having any form of lockout on a shock is just stupid. Neo and flight attendants are just money grabs

[@FanatikBikeCo]

But what if a bike didn't need to be designed to pedal good, and they just focused on the descending kinematics. Seems like this could be something cool in an application like that.

[@darkness789]

@@FanatikBikeCo the only place I see this actually useful is on a downhill bike when the terrain flattens out and you need to peddle hard. Climbing on a fire road it’s easiest enough to reach for the climb switch, and tech climb’s suspension should be fully open for traction. I’m not sold on this idea I don’t think bikes need it.

[@bfchris272727]

this looks crazy..

[@aaronoconnor606]

I have watched a few reviews of the fox system It looks amazing but it's not worth 3x a normal shock without the extras. Should be a little less.

[@brainthesizeofplanet]

Axs shifting us great, shifts perfect every time, better than analog Suspension with sensors, honestly I don't know at one point it becomes too complicated and turn a bike into motor cross machine...

[@porroco]

I still rather a push elevensix, fox should had made it with live valve on HSC adjustments

[@mudia80]

I'd like to have one, but propably will be too expensive for average biker. May be "must have" for enduro racers.

[@porroco]

Is this a live valve remote switch only?

[@FanatikBikeCo]

They are currently working on a remote, but its not currently available

[@porroco]

@@FanatikBikeCo i meant, climb switch aka lock out remote swtich for xc bikes, right?

[@a8f235]

1: Derailleur 2: Dropper 3: Fork 4: Shock 5: Tire valves 6: GPS 7: Guillotine ...

[@NewbGamingNetworks]

Fox has a lot of catching up to do if they want to compete with FlightAttendant at this point. LiveValve in its current state feels more like a prototype than a fully flushed out system. SRAM admittedly also has the drivetrain and power meter advantage. It’s hard to compete. It’ll be a while before a lot of this comes down in price though. It’s still too up there for the average rider.

[@Burroughsbikebuilds]

I mean, I feel like you could just put more emphasis on diet and training and get better results.

[@Chops00]

No thanks

[@Wheelsanstuff]

Ebikes, yes game changer. You’re all shuttling anyway. Axs shifting, nice to have. Dropper, nah. Price is stupid. Electric suspension, lol no.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Spot on!

[@dumi151989]

Rockshox 🚀

[@letsgoletsgoletsgoletsgoletsgo]

i ride for fun once a week , thats all the time i can afford , my bike is already wayyyyy over speced for my skill and trails ...im very happy where i am so no ... dont need this

[@kevinleclerc1749]

they selling a shock .. then after that i HAVE TO buy the sensor so the shock will work ?! thats dumb asfck mate why not selling a kit wtf

[@FanatikBikeCo]

Keeping the sensors separate seems to be an indication that there is likely a fork in the works too. That means that as a consumer you could potentially buy just the shock, or just the fork (when/if it becomes a thing). If they included the sensors with both the fork and shock as a consumer you would inevitably end up with two sets of sensors and one would just collect dust in your garage. At least that is our theory as to why sensors are sold separately. If a fork isn't a thing down the road, then yes it is stupid that sensors are not included with the shock.