$699 AUD (Live Valve Neo Kit) - $1,649 AUD (DHX Shock) - $1,799 AUD (Float X Shock)
668g (Fox Float X Live Valve Neo Shock & Sensors) 150lb flanged ball valve
- Efficiency-boosting automation - Fantastic suspension quality - Simple & clean wireless setup - Huge range of adjustability & customisation options - User-friendly app
- Not a cheap upgrade - Less applicable for XC bikes
Fox Live Valve debuted in 2018 as a fully automated electronic suspension system. Designed to improve your bike’s efficiency and responsiveness, the first generation Live Valve was a complete package that controlled the compression damping of both the fork and shock.
We’ve had a lot of experience with Live Valve over the years, which culminated in a juicy head-to-head review against RockShox Flight Attendant. As you’ll see in that feature, Live Valve had its pros and cons. It was very fast-reacting, and the firm platform it provided made it a fantastic addition for shorter travel trail and XC bikes. However, we found it less beneficial in longer travel applications. This was mainly because it relied on Fox’s FIT4 damper architecture for the fork, which was inferior to the GRIP and GRIP2 dampers in terms of bump compliance and big-hit control.
The suspension quality also relied heavily on bike manufacturers getting the tune right in the first place, since there was very little adjustability on offer for the end user. This was particularly evident with the Giant Trance X we tested in 2020, which suffered from a harsh ride quality even when the Live Valve system was switched off.
On top of that, Live Valve was quite complicated with a myriad of electrical wires to manage along with a central battery that required a dedicated mount on the frame. Indeed it was a pretty stark contrast to the clean wireless setup of RockShox Flight Attendant.
It would appear that Fox has taken all of those criticisms on board, and after several years of development it’s now ready to launch the next generation of its electronic suspension system. It’s called Live Valve Neo, and while it shares some similarities with its predecessor, overall it is quite a different beast.
We’ve been riding Live Valve Neo over past couple of months, and here we’ll be diving into all the changes, how much it costs, what it’s like to set up, and most importantly, how it performs on the trail.
Compared to the original version, Fox Live Valve Neo is a much simpler affair. There are now just three key components; a shock and two wireless sensors.
Because Live Valve Neo doesn’t control the fork’s damping, you’re free to run whatever fork you like. And unlike RockShox Flight Attendant, it doesn’t require a pedal sensor or powermeter, so you can use it with any drivetrain.
The Live Valve Neo shock is currently offered in Float X (air) and DHX (coil) versions. This immediately tells you that Fox is shifting the priority away from XC, and more towards the trail and enduro segments.
Alongside the piggyback reservoir is the main control unit, which houses the same lithium-ion battery that you’ll find on the new Transfer Neo dropper post. Fox claims you’ll get 15-20 hours of ride time from a fully charged battery, and it comes supplied with a charging dock and USB-C cable for topping it up when necessary.
The two wireless sensors attach to each brake calliper using the forward mounting bolt. These sensors employ a typical coil cell battery and are specific to each end of bike. Both sensors incorporate an accelerometer to measure bump forces, though the front sensor also features pitch detection so the system knows whether you’re climbing, descending or on the flat.
The core purpose of Live Valve Neo remains much the same as the original. Put simply, it’s designed to improve your bike’s efficiency using an automated controller that eliminates the need to constantly reach down and toggle your shock’s lockout lever.
The controller uses a two position system that switches the shock between Open and Firm modes. In its resting state the shock defaults to the Firm setting. It then awaits information from the sensors to determine when it needs to open up.
As well as being able to measure bump forces at each wheel, the sensors are even able to detect freefall, like when you’re sailing off the lip of a jump. The front sensor also measures pitch, which changes the system between three states; Climb, Flat and Descend. Depending on which state it’s in, the algorithm is modified accordingly, altering the force threshold required to open up the shock, and also how long the timer keeps the shock in the Open mode.
It all sounds pretty complicated, but since the shock’s controller does all of this automatically and seamlessly while you’re riding, it’s actually quite simple.
A big part of Live Valve’s magic is its magnetic latching solenoid that switches the shock between the Open and Firm modes. This differs to Flight Attendant, which uses a servo motor to physically move the damper’s compression rod.
In comparison, Fox’s latching solenoid is faster, smaller and virtually silent. It’s also well proven, having been used in previous Live Valve forks and shocks due to its small size and operating speed.
Speed is something that Fox has focussed on a lot with Live Valve Neo, which, unlike its predecessor, relies on a wireless signal between its sensors and the controller. To reduce lag as much as possible, a new wireless protocol was developed in-house that’s claimed to communicate signals in just one millisecond. For perspective, Bluetooth has a latency that’s over 100 milliseconds.
According to Fox, the bump force sensors are capable of reading the terrain some 400 times per second. This is helped by positioning them close to the axle to maximise sensitivity. Once the sensors encounter a bump force that’s above a given threshold, it takes just 14 milliseconds for the shock to open up. This means that even on a really rapid descent, an impact detected at the front wheel will open the shock before the rear wheel reaches it.
Whereas the original Live Valve was mostly a closed system, Live Valve Neo is significantly more tuneable.
The shock features two compression circuits with separate valving for the Open and Firm modes. Each is independently adjustable, so you can set how firm the shock feels when it’s in the Firm mode, and how open it feels in the Open mode.
Furthermore, you have a whole lot more control over how the Live Valve algorithm behaves.
Using the Fox Bike app, you can select between five preset tunes; Standard, Firm, Plus, Open and Closed. There’s also the Precision Mode, which allows you to customise a whole range of parameters. You can dictate the bump threshold setting, how long the timer keeps the shock in the Open mode, and even the angle at which the system recognises you’re in the Climb or Descend state.
The amount of adjustability is frankly staggering, and it opens up some pretty cool possibilities depending on what you want to achieve. Also cool is the ability to save your own custom tune and share it via QR code. Since the initial launch, Fox has added ‘North Shore’ and ‘Traction’ tunes that you can download into the app and use on your own bike. We’re stoked to see this recognition of the diversity of terrain, trail types, bikes, riding styles and user preferences, which represents quite the turnaround from the approach with the first generation Live Valve.
There is one other component to Fox Live Valve Neo, and that’s the wireless Handlebar Switch.
Powered by a coin cell battery, the remote will allow riders to select between three different tunes on-the-fly. This could be handy for racers, who might want fingertip access to a fully locked setting. You set your preferred tunes using the app, and a flick of a button is all that’s required to lock out the shock, before flipping it back into one of the automatic modes.
Prototypes of the Fox Handlebar Switch have been seen used by EDR racers and we’ve also spotted them on the bikes of Fox staff members. Even the packaging we received with our Live Valve Neo kit had a blank slot for the remote. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite ready in time for the launch, though Fox says we should see it in 2025.
To put Fox Live Valve Neo on your mountain bike, you’ll need to purchase two separate kits.
The first is obviously the shock, with your choice of the Float X ($1,799 AUD) or DHX Coil ($1,649 AUD). Numerous sizes and mounting styles are available to suit a wide range of trail and enduro bikes.
The second is the Live Valve Neo Kit ($699 AUD), which includes the battery, the two wireless sensors and the charging dock. We’re told that the reason the kit is sold separately to the shock is due to packaging as well as shipping constraints around the batteries.
There will also be complete bikes coming with Fox Live Valve Neo fitted, though at the time of launch those options are very limited. In the case of the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper LTD ($19,800 AUD), there will be just 100 bikes available worldwide. Pivot will also be offering Live Valve Neo builds primarily for the Firebird and Switchblade, though we’re still waiting to confirm local pricing.
We’ve had two Fox Float X Live Valve Neo shocks on test over the last couple of months. Tom has one fitted to his Santa Cruz Nomad, and Wil’s got the other on his Pivot Switchblade.
Fitting the shocks has been straightforward, and so too is bolting the sensors to the brake callipers. They’ve mounted cleanly alongside our Hayes Dominion and Shimano XTR brakes, but Fox acknowledges there may be some clearance issues with certain callipers on the market.
Once everything is fitted it’s a case of pairing the sensors to the shock, which you can do with or without the app. The app does help you to perform the initial calibration of the pitch sensor, and it also provides you with battery status and the ability to perform firmware updates. It even keeps track of your ride hours so you can stay on top of servicing.
Another nifty feature in the app is the optional Shake to Wake function, which means the system will automatically switch on when it detects movement. After five minutes of inactivity, it’ll switch off to conserve battery life.
You’ll want to flick the system manually into the Open mode when setting up the shock, but otherwise dialling in air pressure, rebound and low-speed compression damping is exactly the same as a regular Float X shock.
Where things differ is with the additional black dial, which adjusts the compression damping for the Firm mode. There are seven positions from soft to very firm, and we found this took us a good few rides before we found a setting we were happy with.
Using the app, we started out with the Standard tune. This is designed to be a one-size-fits-all tune that should suit a lot of riders and applications. As we’ve discovered however, customising the Live Valve tune to your preference is where you can really dial things in.
Confirmed weight for our Fox Float X Live Valve Neo shock is 614g, including the battery. Each sensor weighs 27g, so you’re looking at a total system weight of 668g.
That’s a notable increase over the Float X shock that came stock on the Switchblade, which weighs 490g.
It’s worth pointing out that for those who are currently using a remote-activated shock, like a Scott Genius or a Canyon Strive for example, the weight difference is likely to be negligible once you trade the shock, cabling and remote for the Live Valve Neo setup.
From our very first ride, the Fox Live Valve Neo shock has made its presence known. The Firm setting sure is noticeable, offering a solid platform that keeps the shock riding higher up in its stroke. This has a profound impact on the bike’s dynamic geometry, to the point where we needed to tweak our saddle tilt. Even the handlebar position felt a bit lower.
Wil found this particularly beneficial for his Pivot Switchblade, which is currently set up as a mullet with a 27.5in rear wheel. This has slackened out the angles and lowered the BB height, which had proven to be an issue on technical climbs. With the Live Valve Neo shock doing its thing however, those compromises are largely mitigated. The effective seat angle feels steeper and there’s considerably greater pedal clearance.
Of course the improved efficiency is fantastic too, making the whole bike feel much zippier overall. Both the Switchblade and Nomad are already efficient bikes thanks to their dual-link suspension designs, but the Live Valve Neo shock takes that efficiency to a whole other level. It pretty much eliminates any wallowing from the rear end, allowing you to push into the bike with more support when pumping through rollers. There’s less penalty for getting out of the saddle and putting in a few hard and fast pedal strokes between trail features, encouraging a more aggressive riding style.
We’ve also appreciated the firm platform when riding flowier trails with high-speed berms and sharp corners. With less dynamic sag your bodyweight is naturally pushed forward, helping to generate more front-end grip. For bigger travel bikes with slack head angles, it makes for quicker steering and a more powerful slingshot effect when pedalling out of the exit.
The automated suspension is especially welcome along undulating singletrack that’s comprised of smooth sections in between bigger drops and chundery rock gardens. With a regular shock we’d typically leave the damping open to ensure we didn’t accidentally ride those technical features with the shock locked out. That’s no longer a concern with Live Valve Neo, which promptly opens up the shock when needed. The transition is fast and smooth, with the front sensor detecting incoming bumps and getting the shock to open up just before the rear wheel encounters them.
We should also acknowledge that the quality of the suspension itself is excellent, which is no big surprise given the similarities it shares with a regular Float X shock. It’s supple, responsive and easy to tune. Compared to the old Live Valve shock Fox says the new high-flow solenoid offers plusher performance in the Open mode, which we’d agree with wholeheartedly. Indeed with Live Valve switched off, the shock feels identical to a regular Float X.
While our experience with Fox Live Valve Neo has only improved as we’ve gotten used to it, it’s important to note that it does take some time to dial things in.
Initially we found it suffered from a bit of a trapdoor sensation, which was more apparent for Tom on the 170mm travel Nomad. Indeed the transition between the Firm and Open mode can be quite pronounced, resulting in a hefty weight shift as the shock gives way.
There are a few ways to get around this, with the first being to back off the Firm setting. The dial provides a broad range of adjustment, with the last couple of clicks adding a very strong platform that can exacerbate the trapdoor sensation on longer travel bikes. Everyone’s preference will vary, but we’d suggest that the more travel you have the softer you’ll want the Firm setting. We settled on having the Firm setting in the middle of its range, which still provided good pedalling stability while allowing for a more seamless transition when the shock opens up.
The next port of call is changing the Live Valve tune using the app. While we did try the stock Firm tune, it meant the shock was reluctant to open up on smaller bumps, transmitting a lot of feedback through our hands and feet. In our experience the Standard tune offers a much better balance all-round that allows the shock to perform more fluidly on rougher singletrack.
Of course you can fully customise the tune to your heart’s content, though before you dive down that rabbit hole we reckon it’s worth adjusting the sensitivity setting with the Standard tune. This is easily done with a simple slider that performs a blanket change to the bump thresholds without affecting any of the other parameters. It’s far less intimidating, though it still makes a considerable difference to how smooth or firm the suspension feels.
To get some real-world data on the impact of the Live Valve Neo shock, Tom performed some timed testing on his home trails near Vancouver. Splitting a ride into four key segments, Tom rode repeat laps with the Live Valve Neo shock turned on and off to see if there were any clear differences for his Nomad.
As you’ll see in the table below, the results show a clear advantage when the Live Valve Neo shock was turned on. Backing up our collective experience, the most significant difference proved to be on traversing sections of trail, where the firmer shock helped to maintain speed when pumping and working the terrain.
Sure, 10 seconds might not sound like a huge time gap, especially if you’re a non-competitive rider who laughs at folks who use Strava. But given it was only over a six-minute segment, it’s a significant improvement, even more so when you consider that the top positions at a World Cup EDR race can often be separated by just a couple of seconds. Best of all, Tom couldn’t really tell much difference in his perception of the race times, showing that Live Valve Neo was quietly working away in the background without really making its presence known.
The main downside of the Fox Live Valve Neo system is the cost. At $2,498 AUD for the Float X shock and Live Valve Neo kit, this certainly isn’t a cheap upgrade, and if you’re already happy with the suspension performance on your bike the extra cash may be hard to justify.
As with any electronic component, there’s also an increase in complexity along with batteries that need recharging. The coin cell batteries in the two bump sensors are claimed to last up to a year before they need replacing, and it’s easy to keep track of all the levels using the app. It’s also good to know that should the main battery in the controller run out of juice, the system will revert to the Open mode.
The lack of any fork integration with Live Valve Neo is both good and bad. The downside is that there’s no added platform up front, so even while the shock is nice and firm you’ll encounter a lot of bobbing when you’re sprinting out-of-the-saddle.
That’s unlikely to be an issue for less serious trail and enduro riders, and it comes back to the point that Live Valve Neo isn’t really designed for XC racing. We’re curious as to whether Fox will offer a lighter and more XC-focussed package in the future, potentially with wireless fork integration, as it’s an ideal application for this clever efficiency-boosting technology.
We’ve seen more electronic suspension systems coming to market of late, including those from Öhlins and SR Suntour. However, it’s RockShox Flight Attendant that represents the biggest competitor to Fox Live Valve Neo.
Flight Attendant has also been overhauled this year with new forks, shocks, app updates and the arrival of powermeter integration. Wil has spent a load of time on the second-generation Flight Attendant system, so we’re intimately familiar with what it’s capable of and how it compares to Live Valve Neo.
For a start, Flight Attendant is considerably more expensive due to the fact that you need to buy both a shock and a fork, along with the basic pedal sensor at a minimum. If you want to unlock the Adaptive Ride Dynamics function you’ll also need to have a SRAM AXS-enabled powermeter and derailleur. To coin a phrase from RockShox, it’s a much more comprehensive ecosystem.
Flight Attendant also covers a broader range of riding styles. Forks range from the 100mm travel SID SL to the 170mm travel Zeb, and there are four shock options including the lightweight SIDLuxe and big-hitting Vivid Ultimate Coil.
In terms of function, Flight Attendant behaves in almost the opposite manner to Live Valve Neo. It defaults to the Open position and looks for information from the pedal sensor (or powermeter) to determine whether it needs to firm up. The system then checks in with the bump sensors and pitch detection in the fork and shock modules to get an idea of what the trail is doing. Once it’s made a decision, it’ll adjust the fork and shock compression damping between three positions; Open, Pedal and Firm. Most of the time this happens simultaneously, but there are situations where it’ll firm up the shock and leave the fork open, like on a technical climb.
On the trail, Flight Attendant works exceptionally well. It’s even better with the Adaptive Ride Dynamics function, which changes the algorithm based on your current power zone. The way it firms up the fork during hard sprinting efforts is beneficial from a racing perspective, offering a notable advantage over Live Valve Neo. We also like that you can disengage the fork and shock’s Firm mode if desired, and the integration with the AXS Pod Controller gives you a neat setup for adjusting the suspension modes on-the-fly.
But while Flight Attendant has become significantly smarter with its powermeter integration, there’s no getting around the fact that the servo motors are slower to change modes compared to the latching solenoid in the Live Valve Neo shock. Not helping things, the bump force sensors are located higher up on the sprung elements of the bike, when they should really be down at the axles. As such, unless you disengage the fork’s Firm mode, there are situations where you’ll encounter an impact and the system doesn’t open up in time, resulting in notable feedback through your hands. The AXS motors are also noisier, and the LEDs on the fork module can be distracting.
In comparison, Live Valve Neo is quieter, simpler and faster to react. The app also gives you a lot more control over the individual tuning parameters so there’s greater flexibility for dialling it into your personal preferences. The way you can share tunes via QR code is a great feature, and we expect that over time bike brands will release their own tunes for specific models.
If we were to choose between the two, it would really come down to the application. There’s no comparison when it comes to XC racing, as Live Valve Neo isn’t catering to that market. We’d also go with Flight Attendant for a short travel trail bike application where having control of the fork’s damping is more beneficial. For longer travel trail and enduro bikes however, Live Valve Neo presents notable benefits while being simpler, cheaper and more seamless.
Fox Live Valve Neo has been a long time coming, and we’re glad to say that it’s lived up to our expectations.
Having listened to criticisms of its first-generation Live Valve system, Fox’s move to a shock-only package has helped simplify things by some margin. It also means that putting electronic suspension on your mountain bike has become a much less expensive proposition.
It’s vastly easier too thanks to the wireless configuration and user-friendly app, which contains loads of great features. The ability to fine-tune almost every parameter of the algorithm, as well as the shock’s two different compression circuits, gives enormous scope for dialling in the suspension characteristics to suit your bike and riding style.
The lack of fork integration does see Live Valve Neo move away from the XC market, though we wouldn’t be surprised if Fox was working on a purpose-built system for that format.
On the plus side, the engineering team has been able to hone in the performance attributes for longer travel applications, and in our experience, it works very well indeed. The quality of suspension is considerably higher than the previous Live Valve system, which makes the whole endeavour worthwhile to begin with. Paired to the fast-reacting sensors and latching solenoid, Live Valve Neo has delivered a significant improvement to our bike’s efficiency and dynamic geometry, providing greater return on handling inputs while working away quietly on the trail.
It sure is sophisticated stuff, though whether the cost is worth all the cleverness is entirely up to you. All we can say is that it’s going to be real hard to take that shock off our bike.
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