First Ride: RockShox Flight Attendant XC Suspension System

Models

This is a pretty tidy lineup, so there are really only three new products to discuss. There are two forks and one shock, all with updated electronics, dampers, and software to get the most out of the system.

SID SL Ultimate is the 32mm chassis fork, offered in 100mm and 110mm travel. It's their lightest chassis available, and will be a good pairing with bikes like the Santa Cruz Blur or Mondraker F-Podium.
1480g, $1,349 USD

SID Ultimate uses 35mm stanchions, and is only offered in 120mm travel. Geared more towards the modern crop of highly capable "trail ready" cross country bikes, it'll do well on bikes like the new Epic, the Canyon Lux Trail, or the Orbea Oiz.
1624g, $1,449 USD

SIDLuxe Ultimate is the sole shock in the lineup, and is available in a variety of fitments to try to cater to as many current bikes as possible. RockShox encourages checking with your frame manufacturer prior to adding an FA shock to a bike not on the approved fitment list.
349g, $849 USD


Updates

There are a bevy of software updates that have gone into the Flight Attendant (FA) overhaul, and much like using the system itself, you don't really have to think about them. The FA algorithm considers more points of data, has a longer memory, and uses all of that to change its performance to better match your rider profile. The name given to that latter system is Adaptive Ride Dynamics, and principally it's the mind behind the system. You choose your Bias Adjustment - basically how firm/soft you want the system to bias towards - and it collects data points that influence how it's performing, giving better fidelity to the changes it makes.


Key to this data aggregation is having a power meter paired in the system, which differs from the first version of FA that only implemented a pedal cadence sensor. That power data collected by the meter gives the algorithm a better sense of where your given thresholds are, so it can differentiate between Low, Medium, High, and Sprint outputs. You can also set those thresholds yourself in the app, but I chose to let the robot do the thinking for me.


That's the final key detail here: beyond pairing the system, you don't actually have to do anything else. You can edit mode settings and fine tune the effort thresholds, or you can just ride and let the system do its thing. I've barely opened the app since putting the fork and shock on my bike, and the settings have noticeably changed with time.



A note to people who already have first-gen Flight Attendant on their bikes: updating your firmware will get your system more in line with the most modern version, but not entirely. To increase the fidelity of data collection and get the best algorithmic learning out of the system, you'll want to have as many of the connected components as possible. Namely, the power meter and Transmission drivetrain are going to help a lot.

Some FAQs

SRAM put together a very thorough FAQ packet for the Flight Attendant update, and I figured some of them were worth plugging directly in here, as I'm sure the questions will come up.

Comparing the same bike with or without Flight Attendant, how much weight does the system add?
Including the fork, rear shock, pedal sensor/power meter, both SRAM AXS batteries and the difference in weight between a 1- and 2- button left controller, the system adds around 220g for XC components and 308g for Trail/All Mtn/Enduro components.

Can I adjust Low Speed Compression on my SID Ultimate Flight Attendant, SID SL Ultimate Flight Attendant, or SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant?
No, Low Speed Compression is only adjustable on Flight Attendant Trail/All Mtn/Enduro forks. Charger Race Day 2 is designed to be the perfect companion for race day—all you need to do is set your air pressure and Rebound, then let Flight Attendant control your suspension position for you.

How do Flight Attendant’s Bias Adjust and Adaptive Ride Dynamics work together?
Think of Bias as the first step to personalization: you can set the Bias to trend toward Open, Lock, or a balance of the two positions. From there, Adaptive Ride Dynamics gathers rider effort data, and uses that to meet the rider where they are on that ride. For example, if you’re riding in the Low Effort Zone, you’re probably soft pedaling along and the system will trend toward the Open position. If you’re putting out more effort and you’re in either the High or Sprint Effort Zones, you’re going to likely prefer that it is firmer, and it’ll trend more toward the Lock position. All of it is based on the initial Bias setting, which will determine whether the system will trend in one way or the other.


Ride Impressions

I swapped out the 3-position TwistLoc suspension remote on my Specialized Epic a few weeks ago, and have been trusting the data-powered Flight Attendant hive mind ever since. My ability to twist that left-hand knob before and after a climb never felt terribly lacking, but it's pretty great to not have to think about it. Learning to trust the robot has been a bit of a learning curve, and I've had to stop trying to trick it so much, because 1. that's bullying, and 2. it's just trying to help. When you let it do its thing, Flight Attendant is really impressive. The changes are quick, though not predictively so, and the system modulates between modes far more than I would if I were controlling things.

All of those mode switches come with one consequence: noise. The *reet* of the mode change is a little jarring at first, and even now that I'm used to it I find myself gazing down to check where it ended up at times. There is a Dark Mode in the app, which lowers the user interface data that the bezel displays, and will probably be key for people who don't want to inure themselves to the light show.

Am I 1.8% faster with Flight Attendant in place of the TwistLoc? Probably so, but only in a race context. When you're going full gas, to the point where decisions start to feel taxing, the system comes in clutch. Anywhere shy of that, it can be more of an annoyance, something you're aware of instead of aided by. I feel less this way as I get used to it, but can't help but think that a single blip remote on the left side of the bars would be better for the majority of riders. Still wireless, but not quite as frenetic on-trial.

As I get more time on the system in preparation for a full review, I'll come to a clearer decision on whether I feel like I'm better off with the system. For a true racer, I think it's a no-brainer, assuming you have a compatible bike and the cash to splash. It's eliminating a variable, and that's key to pushing your limits. Stay tuned for the full review, assuming my FA kit doesn't gain sentience and take me out.

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks Suspension Fork RockShox Rockshox Flight Attendant