Fox Live Valve Neo - Is this the Most Advanced Shock?

Did Fox Just Change The Rear Shock Game?: 

Fox Factory has come out with their second wireless offering under the Neo family called “Live Valve Neo” on their FloatX and DHX coil shocks. Back in 2018, Fox unveiled their previous live valve technology that used wires to transmit data to control the suspension. This had its shortcomings of course and they realized that suspension technology for mountain bike applications needed to be wireless. Wireless technology had not caught up to where it needed at that time, but with the introduction of Neo, the system can now read terrain inputs at 400x a second and adjusts the shock accordingly at 1/70th of a second. It has been tested and proven at the top level of Enduro and DH World Cup racing through their RAD (Racing Applications Development) program under athletes like Richie Rude and Asa Vermette. 

How does it work: 

Neo Live Valve is composed of 4 separate components that work together. First being the controller that is built into the shock reservoir. This puts the shock in an open or firm mode based on the data that comes in from the front and rear sensors. The shock uses Fox’s Neo battery that is also compatible with their Transfer Neo Dropper post. Second is the sensors that are attached to the front and rear brake calipers, an unsprung part of the bike. The front sensor measures the terrain angle and bump force at the front tire. The rear sensor just measures bump forces at the rear tire. These read terrain at 400 times per second making sure that nothing is missed, and so that the rear shock is able to open before the rear tire hits certain terrain features. These caliper sensors are compatible with most modern brake systems. The last piece of the puzzle is the Fox Bike App that allows riders to to customize their suspensions performance with different tunes and biases. This system is completely independent from drivetrain and fork unlike Rockshox Flight Attendant that requires a whole 8 battery and component system to work together. 

Many people historically enjoy having a “pedal” mode on their rear shocks, but Live Valve Neo does not employ this mode. The shock opens and closes so fast that it is not needed. The shock compression circuit uses a 2-position magnetic solenoid that is silent and operates faster than a motor could, constantly opening and closing. This system was developed under the premise of gravity racing and this system allows it to be quick, predictable and efficient. There is a tool less compression and rebound knob that you set along with air pressure or coil spring rate and live valve neo will take care of the rest. 

Benefits of Live Valve Neo: 

There is no lag with Neo, and it gives you the support for climbing, open damping for descending, even changing the support levels in the middle of a corner. In a corner, the shock will open as you enter and firm up to give support for leaving the corner for more control and speed. On jump trails, the shock will give support on the lip and be completely open as you land. Even on technical sections of trail, the system will adapt between supported and open to maximize traction and efficiency. Because all that is needed for this system to work is the shock and 2 sensors, it is a simple plug and play upgrade that almost anyone can make for their bike. In the event of a dead battery or failed component, Live Valve always resorts to open mode, not leaving you with a hardtail in the middle of the trail. 

FOX Bike App: 

Along with the Transfer Neo Dropper post, Live Valve Neo also works in harmony with the Fox Bike App. The app gives an overview of the status of your Neo components, giving access to connectivity, battery life and service tracking. There are 5 tunes that come standard on the app, Standard, Firm, Plush, Open and Closed. These tunes are a baseline setting to make riding easy and straightforward but they are also customizable and able to be downloaded or shared with other riders! Precision mode allows you to tune the different 3 parameters that Live Valve uses, Climb, Flat and Descend.

Specs: 

• Controller Battery: Fox Neo 
• 2 Brake Caliper Sensors (CR2032 battery) 
• System Weight (Shock, sensors, battery)
• Float X: 669g
• DHX: 701g (No Coil Spring)
• Sizing 
• Float X
• Standard Eyelet: 190x45, 210x55, 230x65, 250x75
• Trunnion: 165X45, 185X55, 205X65, 225X75
• DHX
• Standard Eyelet: 210X55, 230X65, 250X75
• Trunnion: 185X55, 205X65, 225X75
• Travel reduction availible in 2.5mm increments up to 7.5mm
• Trackable 125hr service interval 
• Tool-free LSC, Rebound and Firm mode adjustments 
• Fox Bike App for further tuning and customization 

Worldwide's Thoughts: 

Fox is onto their second generation of Live Valve technology, and they have stepped up their game to provide a wireless riding experience that is one of a kind. They have chosen to not go down the route of complete system integration and just focusing on rear shock adaptability on trail. This keeps the system simple and relatively low in weight compared to its direct competition in SRAM’s Flight Attendant ecosystem. With Neo being so fast, the shock is able to open and close on bumps and terrain it has not even hit yet, while keeping the fork always active for the best possible performance. We have not seen this level of instantaneous adaptive suspension technology in the mountain bike world yet and it is very exciting to see where these applications can go down the line.