Flight Attendant, RockShox' new wireless electronic suspension system launched today, and it's big enough news that it warrants two separate articles. If you want a comprehensive rundown on how Flight Attendant works, check out Mike Levy's
article and video here. If you're more interested in how it performs out on the trail, keep on reading.
First, the quick synopsis of what Flight Attendant does: it automatically makes suspension adjustments depending on what a bike and its rider are doing in order to maximize efficiency. The system takes information from sensors in the fork, shock, and cranks, and uses it to decide what compression setting the suspension should be in: Open, Pedal, or Lock, or even a mix, where the fork might be in one mode and the shock in another. The analysis happens every 5 milliseconds, although the time it takes to actually open or close the fork or shock does takes a little longer than that.
Efficiency is often associated with cross-country bikes, which is why it was a little surprising to find out that Flight Attendant is aimed more at longer travel options where pedaling performance isn't typically the top priority. The idea is that Flight Attendant should make it possible for a longer travel bike to have greatly improved manners while climbing, all without losing anything on the descents - I like to think of it as the 'having your cake and eating it too' concept.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Specialized Enduro with the new bits on it four weeks early, giving me just enough time to put in a solid thrashing before issuing a verdict. Testing took place on Vancouver's North Shore, in the Whistler Bike Park, and on a wide mix of terrain around Bellingham, Washington. Conditions were also mixed, and ran the gamut from dry and dusty to soggy and sodden.
I should note that while I've racked up enough hours on the system to feel comfortable calling this a review, it's still too early in the testing process to comment on long-term durability – if any issues arise in the future we'll be sure to issue an update. For now, the focus here is on how the system functions and feels out on the trail.
Set UpGetting the Flight Attendant system up and running requires a strong cellular or wi-fi signal, at least if you want to access the in-app tutorial, so it's best to avoid go too deep into the bush before performing the necessary pre-flight procedures. The most important step is the calibration of the system. Calibration is only done for the initial setup – it's not something that needs to be done before every ride.
The app includes step-by-step instructions, but calibration basically involves sitting on the bike so that the amount of sag can be detected, and then tipping the bike towards the non-drive side in order to give the sensors the information they'll need to determine the bike's position in space out on the trail. The lights on the top of the right fork provide visual indicators to make things easier, and from beginning to end the process only takes five minutes or so.
For my 160 lb weight I ended up running 210psi in the shock for 30% sag, and 59 psi in the Zeb fork.
AXS App The app that I was using during testing was a beta version, so I can't issue an absolute verdict as to how well it works. I can say that there were some frustrating moments when the app was having trouble recognizing all of the AXS components – I ended up getting caught in a few endless loops before deciding to do a full reset and start over again. Hopefully those bugs are worked out for the final version.
Thankfully, once Flight Attendant is calibrated and set up there's really no need to open up the app again – all of the adjustments can be performed via the buttons on the top of the fork's control unit. The only time you'd really need to use the app is to reassign which AXS lever is used to put Flight Attendant into override mode. Override mode is accessed by holding down the selected AXS lever for two seconds. That switches the system into the pre-selected mode – fully locked out is the default option.
I ended up choosing the fully open position as my override mode rather than fully locked out. That way, I could basically turn the system off and have everything open whenever I wanted. I didn't end up using it all that much, due to how 'smart' Flight Attendant is, but I appreciate having that option close at hand.
Flight Attendant PerformanceLet's start with what it's like to live with Flight Attendant out on the trail. Within a couple of pedal strokes the Flight Attendant system wakes from its slumber (if it doesn't wake up, a quick push of the AXS button on the fork should do the trick). The 'bzzt, bzzt' of the fork and shock servos doing their job lets you know it's receiving information, along with the green light on the top of the fork that illuminates with each mode change.
The current Specialized Enduro isn't a terrible climber, especially considering how much travel it has, but it is a bike that benefits from being able to firm it up on uphill or rolling terrain, especially to help minimize the suspension movement during out of the saddle climbing. With Flight Attendant, any concerns I may have had about the Enduro's pedaling efficiency were completely erased.
At one point, thanks to a slight miscommunication, I ended up on an XC ride with two buddies, one on a Specialized Epic and the other on a Transition Spur. To help bridge the gap I bumped up the Flight Attendant's Bias level to the firmest position, which made it so that it placed more of a priority on being in the fully locked out setting, and then proceeded to pedal my brains out.
Did those electronics completely level the playing field? Definitely not, but they did take one of the advantages of those shorter travel bikes off the table. The Enduro's weight and geometry meant that it still wasn't an even match, but it was nice to be able to stand and sprint without any mushiness, and then when the suspension automatically opened up on the descents I was able to reap the benefits of bringing that big bike along.
The fact that Flight Attendant's default setting is open rather than closed is what sets it apart from something like Fox's Live Valve, and I'd say it's one of its biggest strengths. I was a little hesitant at first, worried that the suspension would firm up or open up when I didn't want it to, but I never encountered any unexpected mode changes while descending (or climbing for that matter). It fades into the background, aside from the noise when the modes change, and the algorithm does a great job of adapting to terrain and pedaling input changes in a way that's not distracting or jarring.
The Bias adjustment feature is a nice touch - it makes it possible to fine tune what the system is trying to achieve. My preferred setting ended up being one firmer than the default middle position, which is one away from the setting that places the highest priority on being in the fully-locked position. That gave the Enduro a sportier feel on mellower terrain and while climbing, a change in the bike's manners that had me pedaling harder on that type of terrain than I would have without Flight Attendant, simply because of how much more efficient the bike felt. Rather than being content to sit and cruise to the top at a more relaxed pace, I found myself more likely to go a little harder due to the extra support that the firmer mode created.
I did get an odd noise to come out of the rear shock when I hit a big root in the middle of a mode change, sort of like what I imagine it'd sound like if you hit a robotic duck with a hammer. That was the only tiny hiccup, and I'd hesitate to even call it that since the performance didn't change at all.
The Non-Electric Bits The algorithms, servos and such are the main focus of this launch, but the new suspension tech that's been rolled out at the same time shouldn't be overlooked. RockShox's official statement is that “We have introduced new technologies with the new chassis, which includes the new Pressure Relief Valves. We are always working on new product and cannot comment on any current or future developments.”
I'll eat my hat if the next generation of the Zeb and Pike don't have those relief valves or the Buttercups – I'm sure they were developed to work with more than just Flight Attendant. Honestly, the Buttercups are probably my favorite feature of this whole package. That's due in part to how deceptively simple the design is. It's not a totally new concept (it's used in the automotive world), but I haven't seen anything like it on any modern suspension fork.
I'm curious if the performance will change at all in cold temperatures – will that little rubber puck firm up and diminish some of the Buttercups' benefits? That's a test that'll have to wait until the winter. In the meantime, I will say that this is hands down the best feeling Zeb I've been on. It manages to take the edge of the small chatter while still retaining enough support to keep it from diving too deep into its travel, a trait that was appreciated on the chunky trails of Vancouver's North Shore and on the end-of-season brake bumps in the Whistler Bike Park. I've only had one harsh bottom out, on a decent sized drop to flat, but otherwise there's been plenty of ramp up to keep that from occurring even with only one volume spacer installed.
With similar set ups, the Fox 38 feels a little softer off the top, but the Zeb does seem to muffle the trail chatter a little better. So far the changes to the Zeb don't seem to be enough to make it a clear winner over the 38 – the battle between those two forks continues to be too close to call, and it really comes down to personal preference. The one downside to this Flight Attendant configuration is that there's no high speed compression adjustment – that's been taken off the table to allow for the different low speed compression modes. I'm more of a set-and-forget rider when it comes to that adjustment, so I didn't miss it much, but riders who want access to as much fine tuning as possible may find themselves wishing for its existence.
I am glad to see the addition of pressure relief valves, a feature that should make sticking a zip tie down past the dust seals to allow any trapped air to escape a thing of the past. They work, too; I've heard a 'psst' of air escape when I've pushed the buttons. The final battery-free feature worth mentioning is the addition of a hydraulic bottom out to the SuperDeluxe shock. That's going to be an option that companies can choose when spec'ing this shock depending on the bike's kinematics and intended use. I was glad to have it on the Enduro - the ramp up was nice and smooth, and it matched well with what the fork was doing up front.
The pedal sensor is housed inside the crank arm spindle, and is powered by a AAA lithium battery that's said to have a run time of 200 hours.
DownsidesPersonally, the 'bzzt bzzt' of the mode changes annoyed me a little, especially when I was out on a long climb by myself. It's an almost identical noise to that of the SRAM AXS derailleur, so if that noise doesn't bother you then Flight Attendant likely won't either. On the descents, where there's more noise from the trail, and the mode changes are less frequent, the electronic 'bzzt' didn't get under my skin as much.
Adding Flight Attendant to a bike also means there are two more batteries to keep charged, three counting the one in the crank sensor. If you're running the complete AXS 'ecosystem' (sorry, that word makes me cringe too), then you're looking at a total of 4 batteries that will need regular charging, plus three batteries that are worth checking once a year – one in each shifter and one in the aforementioned crank sensor). Fingers crossed SRAM is working on a multi-port charger, since having four separate chargers going at once seems a little silly. Wireless seems like a great selling point, and it does simplify setup, but I feel like if there was a way to connect everything so that it could all be charged from one port that would make things easier.
The cost of the system is undoubtedly a hurdle as well, although that could become less of an obstacle in the future when the price comes down, or if the system ends up being available on its own. RockShox didn't release any specific prices, since at the moment it's only available on complete bikes, but for reference the Specialized S-Works Enduro I was on is priced at $12,500, or $2,000 more than the current non-Flight Attendant equipped S-Works Enduro.
Future DreamingI'm sure there's an article out there that says Flight Attendant is 'game changing', but I'm not going to use that tired cliché. Is it novel? 100%. Is it an absolute necessity? Not at all, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't exist, especially considering all of the other potential doors that it opens.
I like Flight Attendant because it makes me think, not so much about its performance, but about what the future of the system could be like. As it is, it's an incredibly strong debut - it does exactly what it's supposed to with an intuitive interface for fine-tuning its performance. That doesn't mean there aren't some things I'd like to see somewhere down the road, though.
There's no denying that firming up the fork and shock improves the efficiency of a bike, especially on a longer travel machine like the Enduro. Not needing to think about making those changes on the fly is nice, and makes it easier to focus on the trail, or think about what's for dinner. That being said, I'd be content with a simple wireless shock lockout. I'm not as worried about the fork being in the open position, but I would love to see a less expensive version of this system that makes it possible to cycle through the three settings via a little thumb lever or a blip button.
I also think a suspension control that correlates with the seatpost height makes a lot of sense - open when the seat is fully dropped, firm when the seat is fully extended, etc... BMC tried it with their TrailSync system with mixed results, but there's certainly still room for a better execution of the concept.
It's going to be interesting to see where Flight Attendant goes in the future - will RockShox keep adding more and more features, like an integrated ShockWiz unit in the air spring side, or will they roll out simpler, pared-down versions to hit more affordable pricepoints? Or all of the above? We'll have to wait and see - for now, I have a feeling tracking down a bike with Flight Attendant on it will be challenging enough.
Pros
+ Dramatically improves climbing performance
+ Intuitive interface makes on-the-fly adjustments easy, no phone required
+ The non-electrified features of the Zeb fork and Super Deluxe shock are excellent improvements.
Cons
- More electronics means more batteries to charge
- The sound of the suspension switching modes can be distracting
- Along with the substantial cost, Flight Attendant comes with a 300 gram (.7 lb) weight penalty.
![bigquotes](https://es.pinkbike.org/246/sprt/i/bigquotes-left.svg) | Electronically controlled mountain bike suspension isn't exactly new - I'm old enough to remember the 9-volt battery powered K2 Smart Shock from the late 90's. Thankfully, there have been massive advances in technology since that time, which has allowed RockShox to cook up the best execution of the concept yet. Flight Attendant has the potential to turn more gravity-oriented bikes into potent all-rounders, or to make mid-travel options more XC-oriented nature on the climbs, all without sacrificing anything on the descents.— Mike Kazimer |
You better behave or your account may be temporarily suspended.
$289.99
Hello sir, your replacement broken shifter is only compatible with SRAMCOIN_2.0©, to continue using the remaining of our products (the whole bike) please upgrade everything...........
“Think of the technology of today and think how nefariously it could be used and that’s pretty much where we’re going to end up” - Edward Snowden
I don’t feel the need for 5G (4G works well enough for me) but 5G doesn’t do anything that 4G LTE doesn’t already, other than increase internet speed.
Highly sus.
Lol. Again - 4G works just f*cking fine in crowded malls. 5G isn’t the technology that enables “global tracking” or whatever other conspiracy you choose to believe. It’s just faster 4G at a different bandwidth that allows higher speeds across shorter distances.
Or as “everything is fine, 5G changes nothing”.
The main point I’m making is that 5G doesn’t change shit. And yes, advertisers are tracking us. Throw your phone away and go live in a cave if you really care
Senior executive vice- intern Mike Kazimer was quoted ". I'm not sure if that is a great idea but sram/skynet gets things right 99.89% of the time"
Your privacy denied, organized and confined
No place to hide
No place to hide"
patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2020060606
Imagine spotting a new line and 10ft down the trail your shocks lock out, cranks lock up and brakes automatically apply. You’ve entered a no-ride zone.
Second: mentioning that China's a totalitarian state (which it is) - isn't "politkal" - it's a fact. Does that hurt your feelings? Don't care if it does or doesn't: I read you comment and didn't thumbs it up or down (but guess you did so you can try to see words you agree with only). Dufaq yrself - and be sure to change those diapers!
NX/SX: Spirit
Yes, I am an engineer too.
fcc.report/FCC-ID/C9O-SLMB1
That looks similar, either way it will use the same network standard.
This also makes me want to stock up on some basic drivetrain parts for my FS bike. Like 11speed XT, which has still been the best and most reliable drivetrain I’ve ever used.
I do think it will be a long time before high-end suspension goes electronic only. (Hopefully that never happens)
On the drivetrain front- well just look at what Shimano did with Ultegra.
I’ll be saddened (but not surprised) if the next XTR and XT are electronic only groups.
But fair
Imagine that Flight Attendant was invented before the lockout switch and we've all been using it for years. Then Sram came out with new suspension today saying, "Now, instead worrying about batteries and messing around with your phone, all you have to do is flip an onboard switch! Best of all, the whole set up will shave almost a pound off your bike! Oh, and it even allowed us to drop our prices!" We'd be stoked. Dear industry: sometimes less is more.
I'm all for engineers trying all the crazy stuff they can dream up, but the stuff the marketers try to tell us we need... sheesh. Unless you're a professional looking for the most marginal gains or just have so much money you can't figure out what else to spend it on, I can't imagine who is out there thinking, "my life would be easier and my rides will be so much more fun with this." And just think. All this to presumably compensate for frames and shocks that ought to have this sorted out in the first place! (am I right, @mikelevy ?)
Full disclosure: One day every bike will have a motor and a battery that powers all kinds of stuff, and you can use it if you want, or not. It won't weigh or cost any more than a "normal" bike. When that day comes, I'm in. I guess we don't get their without going through this sort of silliness first... so God bless the early adopters.
*I realize Live Valve and Flight Attendant are going for slightly different things with very different implementations but its the best comparison.
I'd say job well done to coming out with an electronic suspension system that works pretty damn well out of the box.
If 1s and 0s are doing the riding for me, what is the point? Am I really climbing better or is it the suspension doing it for me, taking away my inputs and my habilities? Will the fastest rider be the one who is most talented or the one who has the best hardware? Okay, MTB is a mechanical sport and literally everything (bigger wheels, better suspension etc.) was developed to make us "better riders". But electronics can take it to another level. Imagine some sort of crazy ESP for bikes and sudenly we dont drift or crash anymore. It would make the sport safer, but would it be less interesting? I honestly dont know what is better overall.
At present time, I am not the customer for eletronics.
"Will the fastest rider be the one who is most talented or the one who has the best hardware?"
The bike setup plays huge part in todays DownHill WorldCup circle, havent you noticed yet? Theres really nice set of videos from FOX all about puzzling..
The way I look at this is just an electronic version of a remote fork and/or shock lockout. If you think about it in a basic sense, a rider on a bike with a remote mechanical lockout versus a rider on a bike with a Flight Attendant system aren't on anything that differ all that much. Compared to someone who must leave their fork alone OR must constantly turn/unturn knobs, the other two have a clear advantage when climbing or descending. The electronic version is just a simpler way to do it (simpler in the sense that the bike took care of the adjustment).
I’m sure they’ve done a great job at integrating a wide range of conditions into the programming but it only takes one hit where it doesn’t behave as the rider expects it to for the rider to lose confidence in the system or worse, end up hurt.
The other distinctions between active suspension on motorcycle/car/snowmobile and mtb is those vehicles have alternators (or large batteries for your electric cars), no need to recharge. If the vehicle is working, the system is capable of working. Also the weight active suspension adds as a percentage of total vehicle weight is minuscule compared to a mtb.
Additionally, as the article states, the total weight of the active suspension system relative to the weight of the bicycle is a miniscule 0.7 pounds. If we assume the bikes used weigh (on average) 35 pounds to 37 pounds, the active suspension system makes up only 2% of that weight. There other variables that will have a greater impact than the weight of the new Flight Attendant system on a mountain bike.
With those counter arguments said, are people going to be all over the place with their opinions on this system. Of course - we can't agree on where carbon should and should not be used, if a rear derailleur should be banned (OK, maybe we all agree on this one - looking at you DCA), the look of a Knolly bicycle, so on and so fourth. What we can agree on is that the industry is moving forward, but you can STILL purchase a single speed bicycle, a mechanical drivetrain, and suspension components that aren't adjusted with a servo motor.
2% is also a significant weight penalty on any non motorised vehicle.
www.sram.com/en/rockshox/models/rm-1loc-a1
For enduro just a shock would be cool of that type of calibration works
Suspension companies will continue to offer analogue options for the foreseeable future, I'm very confident.
Interesting also that this technology is initially being pushed towards the Enduro market. We are trying to find new ways to make these increasingly massive bikes more efficient at pedalling, when it really isn't an inherent problem with the suspension we are fixing but the overall design intent of the bike that makes them such inefficient bikes to pedal. Will this mean that in 5 years we are racing enduro on 200mm travel bikes with auto-lockouts? Again I am not against progressing, but I don't know if I like where this is heading?
What do you call a pregnant flight attendant?
Pilot Error.
Put me in coach.
A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded:
"Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty. So, how are you getting there?"
"We're taking Delta," was the reply. "We got a great rate!"
"Delta?" exclaimed the hairdresser. "That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying?"
"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River."
"Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks it’s something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump."
A month later, the woman came in again and the hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.
"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Delta's new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The great food and wine were served by beautiful flight attendants. And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $$$ remodeling job, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city."
"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope while in Rome."
"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if we’d be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet us. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me."
"Oh, really! What'd he say?"
He said: "Who f*cked up your hair?"
On my local trails, I never use the climb switch on my shock (and my fork [Grip2] doesn't have one anyway) because the climbs are not smooth enough to gain any benefit from the suspension being firmer. In fact, the faster I climb, the softer I was the suspension to be, for traction as I bash up and over roots and rocks and such.
I suppose if my climbs were mostly smooth and super long, I might want to use a climb switch, but usually by that point that ascending and descending become such discrete events that a robot doing adjustments seems like overkill.
If it firms up during the winter you just take a bit of air for a slightly softer ride. During the summer months it’ll soften up as you get your conditioning back and add air to the fork.
They could be made adjustable, so someone who wants a softer initial stroke could put in a softer Durometer Buttercup.
I understand the hurdle of having the need for different springs and the headache that comes with choosing the right one. Yup, it sucks. So if Fox or RS don't want to keep a bunch of different springs around, why the hell do they keep a bunch of non-travel-adjustable air springs for different fork models around?
They could easily make one air spring with travel adjustments like every 'third party' or 'aftermarket' fork out there. The Z1 is a great fork, but it's also a compromised fork. Every coil fork should come with LSC and HSC adjustments. No, it doesn't need to be 43 clicks each either. Fox just hamstrings that particular fork because they don't want it cutting in to their own Fox branded sales.
Sorry man. I just don't think weight and the idea of keeping different springs around are good excuses for not making coil forks.
With a shock, it’s two bolts.
I think it also depends on the brand and how they handle orders. DTC brands might have a distribution center that can swap parts before a bike is shipped, but a shop may want to get the bike off the floor as quickly as possible, and telling a customer they’ll need to wait a week for different springs might put people off.
This is not correct. You can set up the system fully without your phone or any internet. Just pair the components and calibrate using onboard buttons.
The app provides additional integrations and adjustments, but is not necessary for setup.
- a rockshox engineer
-pragmatic rider
I've been told by fox that we can not work on live valve units because they're too complex inside so they MUST be sent back to Fox. I don't appreciate that.
I do agree this would have been a nice challenge to work on and they have packaged it well. Also, we’re back to elastomers now? No thanks.
A climb switch. Or correct low-speed compression settings.
This pretty lame and entirely pointless.
Fox and Ohlins and Cane Creek go out of their way to reduce hysteresis with twin-tube recirculating dampers and high-flow pistons and such, while SRAM just says "go old-school and shove some rubber bits in there".
How are they going to perform when it's super cold or super hot? Back to the old elastomer days where the weather has a huge effect on how your suspension feels... Hooray?
I think these buttercups are just proof that even the C spring "upgrade" that is now standard is still not great.
But I think it's a bad idea since it limits the adjustment range to how many number they can jam onto the dial. Having only 8 or 10 clicks for LSR means there are large damping changes between clicks, and combined with the large range of air spring pressures, means that riders will have a much greater chance of being "in-between clicks", or at the end of the range of clicks, for their desired spring rate. And since rebound damping is for the most part set & forget, even if you have both LSR and HSR, as long as you're not frequently changing spring rates, or rider weight, there is not much need to quickly check what setting it's in.
And if you're tinkering and changing things, that's not just "checking pressure", that's "setting pressure".
www.pinkbike.com/news/tested-does-a-lockout-actually-make-climbing-faster.html
Now a fork that could somehow firm up the compression substantially while maintaining (or better yet, increasing) sag... THAT would be the ticket to helping these big bikes on long climbs.
Maybe it's time to bring the Talas back.... might actually be useful now that trail bikes are so slack.
Really all of this just feels like a big waste of R&D money that could've been put to use paying their employees better or giving us better pricing on normal suspension
P.S. Dear MTB Industry, GO f*ck YOURSELF.
P.P.S Enough with this shit, this gives me incentives to sell all my bikes and get into a Curling league. At least the Curling industry isn't trying to f*ck us over and over, and it's Canada's official "National sport". Yeah, f*ck MTB, this shit's just depressing. It's just complete B.S. that makes our sports more and more a "higher class" sports because only the rich entitled c*nts can afford it now (or at least in the near future).
P.P.P.S This is like Specialized 1000$ "carbon push-bike" for 1-3 years old - i.e. the clients for this shit are clueless rich c*nts.
Mate: I’m not sure what they’ll look like, I can only tell you what we believe the experience should be. An eMTB should be your companion. It should make you smile and help you when times get tough. It should allow you to stay connected with your friends, to compete across continents, train alone or in a group, take care of yourself and itself. It should make decisions on its own and talk to other bikes and infrastructure. It should understand its surroundings, learn from its experiences, create content or even be a gaming platform. And the best part is this is all possible with current technology.
How does a coil differ from an elastomer if both have the same spring rate? It doesn’t.
Would a hybrid setup (Alla CoilAir or MARS, or Avy) be preferable? Sure! But I think this is a neat trick. It may be a failure, but it shows that suspension designers do realize that our air forks are too damn harsh. Maybe eventually they’ll give us good dampers again (and lighter coil forks).
Coil is more consistent with temperature and over it's lifetime, that's the difference.
"Our air forks" aren't too harsh, just theirs. I went from a 2014ish Fox 36 R2C2 to a 2019 Pike RC to a 2020 Fox 36 Grip2, and the Pike was terrible (for me) compared to either Fox: Pike was so chattery, so harsh off the top and even off the sag, felt like it was fighting to hold me up instead of eating up the terrain. 36 is so smooth and fast to move while also being very controlled in it's motion, just eats bumps of all sizes and lets me get on with shredding.
ebike-mtb.com/en/test-report-haibike-sduro-allmtn-pro-high-tech-with-ei-shock
That was 7 years ago. Had so much success - the next year they discontinued it. Now it will be the "new" game changer!?
1) there is a lean angle associated with calibration. Does the sus have an option to firm up for more support in corners?
2) how does it effect jumping. Depending on size of the jump, does it react? Like I imagine it will be open on smaller stuff, like under 1' rocks or roots you'd want to boost off. But will it firm up on the face of an 6' natural lip? Having my suspension change on the face of a jump sounds pretty annoying, if not pucker inducing... ?
LOL I know you already know the answer, but didn't want to say it out loud, so I'll help. "if only there was a way..." haha. The answer would be... a centralized port somewhere on the bike, where all these wireless things connect to. aka go wireless to get wires and cables off your bike then end up routing a bunch of wires thru a cable housing inside your bike. Granted, might be way less cumbersome or annoying than shifter cables and dropper post cables, but I have a feeling that going against the core notion of its existence in the first place, will prohibit you from getting your central connected charging, or at least without a ton of eye-rolls and irony when unveiled.
To me it’s meaningless. I rarely use climb switches. I do sometimes to see if I can detect a difference. Usually it feels worse. Less traction and a rougher ride which I think some people think feels faster.
My BMW has it, I guess it’s a cool selling feature, but largely pointless as a well set up aftermarket shock from bilstien, koni, Sachs etc will be more comfortable on the street, preform better on the track, all while being cheaper and more reliable.
Hmmm, if only there were a proven, simple, comparatively inexpensive, easily maintained/repairable component that weighed less and dramatically improved climbing performance. Damn, the name of such item seems right at my fingertips but yet somehow locked out of...... hey, wait a minute!!!!!!
Now to Bicycles... you will not be able to service anything yourself... good luck getting a spot on your local bike shop for a full electrical overview on your spaceship with pedals..
All smells money to me..= more stress and less fun..
What was the point on that relaxing time on the bike?
Who actually buys a bike with enduro levels of travel for its climbing ability? Anyone? Beuller? Oh sure some might might choose one 170mm travel bike over another because it climbs less badly than another but really? The question with this style of bike is “how does this mofo descend?”
That said, I can see this system being useful in enduro races, where there are short, mid-stage, climbs that a racer may want to sprint through with a rigid bike. As the technology becomes better and more mature, it opens the door for changes across LSC, HSC, HSR during active riding.
I am more excited about the non-electric updates to the suspension, namely the hydraulic bottom out for the SD and hopefully an updated airspring for the Zeb (more like B1 Lyrik/Pike)
Hydraulic Bottom Out on Super Deluxe? Where did you hear this?
That's some good news.
I doubt the goal was maximize uphill performance for average joe on the fire rode uphill
Hoping a shock only option in the future and that HBO - they need to put that in the charger up front too!
Has Sram finally released a two paddle left hand AXS controller too so you can run an AXS dropper post and the manual Flight Attendant mode? This should allow you to control an AXS rear derailleur with a left hand instead of a right hand.
Maybe we need a poll PB:
We are sick of Dentist jokes what stereotype should we replace it with:
1. Engineers, they make good money and always overspend on tech toys
2. Bankers/Financial adviser, money, nice suits and that 12k enduro bike out for the group XC ride
3. Doctors, most of my doctor friends are roadies because they don't want to get hurt mtbiking
4. Dentists, It is the classic and generally accepted as well paid, high depression/suicide rate so like to conpensate by buying nice toys
5. US presidents, Donald Trump is gone but hey we can still remember the good old days
6. Digital Media Empire CEO, Puts formerly free content behing a paywall and spends it on nice bikes he doesn;t have time to ride
7. Other
Just a side bar here: I actually got a free Enve Stem from ENVE last year for a slightly funny dentist joke on the aluminum stem launch article: Was along the lines of "a product a dentist can get for the hygienist"...
We can only resist it by not buying it.
And at least they didn't call it Stewardess.
Disclaimer, i pretty much just winch to the top for a descent. 28t chainring and an Eagle cassette. In fairness, i generally don't use the 2 easiest gears except for long steep road climbs or as recovery gears after short punchy climbs.
If its just an automatic climb switch, then I'm sorry but that's dumb. An extra 2 grand so I don't have to reach down and flick a lever?
Also wondered what kind of terrain might present a problem for this tech - short punchy climb (lockout) followed quickly by a drop - would it open up compression before impact?
I've got no problem with adding tech for those that want it. I'd sooner get some cheap telemetry tech that records my suspension performance than this Flight Attendant though. And more than all that, I wish manufacturers would invest more into tech that stops your bike from being stolen!
the only value i'd see is if the suspension automatically adjusted all settings, with a lot more adjustment steps (like 20 rather than 3, and including low/high dampening). Of course it'd be far too heavy, but also, it'd be actually useful.
The funniest thing about having a self adjusting suspension is that a poor damper isn’t improved by wiring it to an algorithm
The issue with long travel trail bike going uphill is not the suspension. Most of them can be locked or semilocked. It is the sheer weight of those things + low rolling aggressive tires. Adding 300gr of waste on them won't make them magically climb like goats.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagneRide
ebikes to flatten hills
axs to handle shifting and seatpost
flight attendant to flatten bumps
additional charging outlets in garage
I'm just worried for the global shortage of any raw material and components
I've selled all mtb for a gravel and i'm so happy to keep it simple
I need a full rigid mtb
After FA: The one guy in your biking group which sounds like a robotic duck being beat with a hammer
Fairly certain a few companies already have a bar mounted, multi-position remote lockout. Works real good.
And besides: 7 batteries for a „full“ AXS-equipped bike? Seriously???? Funny is that you have to have good WiFi for setting up… sometimes engineers are really, really strange.
However, you might now have subconscious worry about whether the robots are actually doing what you want them to do. Plus weight, and plus another subconscious worry about more f*cking batteries to charge. (I can find a way to now have 15 individual batteries on a non-e-bike on a nighttime training ride, holy shit)
Lulz.
Now I can sleep at night.
Imagine... *air quotes*. Yeah, riiiiight...
Wired only along with my 26" hoops the more the madness grows
Nevermind that this stuff created jobs and future profits then more jobs and so on.
But increasing diversity grows the sport. Mountain bikes are great and I want more people to be able to experience them, that’s all.