Fox Live Valve Neo 2025: The wireless suspension from Fox - electric shock with sensor control

With Fox Live Valve Neo, the pioneers of widely available electronic mountain bike suspension are taking their system to a whole new level. The forks and shocks with Live Valve technology presented in 2018 were still relying on data transmission via cables. In order for all components of the setup to communicate with each other at sufficient speed, this hardware was required at the time. The existing wireless protocols were simply not fast enough.

Six years later, the electronically controlled MTB suspension has completely different possibilities at its disposal. Especially since Fox has developed its own transmission protocol called Neo, which is said to be up to 200 times faster than Bluetooth. Cables and additional holes in the frame are no longer necessary with the Fox Live Valve Neo. After the radio-controlled dropper post, the suspension experts are now launching two damper models that are set to revolutionise the riding experience of trail and enduro bikers.

Details Fox Live Valve Neo shock

• Range of use: Trail / All Mountain / Enduro
• Shock models: Fox Float X / Fox DHX
• Weight: from 669 grams
• Price shock absorber: from 1249 Euro
• Price Live-Valve-Neo-Kit (sensors, battery, charger): 499 euros
• Radio protocol: Fox Neo
• Data transfers per second: 1000
• Sensor measurements per second: 400
• Damper adjustments per second: 200

New wireless dampers from Fox: faster is better

There was no question that the new Fox Live Valve Neo system should work with radio control. Fox wanted the handling to be as uncomplicated as possible while still maximising suspension performance. When developing the in-house Neo protocol, the engineers and programmers were primarily concerned with one thing: speed. In their eyes, only a shock with uncontrolled handling characteristics is worse than a shock with poor handling characteristics.

To prevent this, an electronic MTB suspension must be as fast as possible. Changes to the setup must happen faster than you can notice while riding. There must be no perceptible pause between the feedback from the ground and the reaction of the suspension element. It takes up to 200 milliseconds - a little less than the blink of an eye - for Bluetooth technology, the established wireless standard, to transmit a data packet.

What doesn't sound like much at first was still far too slow for the Fox developers. They decided to rethink the topic of wireless data transmission on mountain bike suspension and create their own protocol for it.

In order to maximise the speed of the Neo protocol, Fox rationalised away all the unnecessary functions of a typical wireless protocol. Speed was the maxim to which everything else had to be subordinated. The result is a communication path between the damper's control unit and the associated sensors that enables data to be exchanged in around a single millisecond.

1000 commands per second - mechanical and hydraulic components have to be able to keep up with such a speed. The new Fox Live Valve dampers are said to be able to adjust up to 200 times per second. And to ensure that this always works in the right direction, the sensors deliver their data twice as fast, up to 400 times per second.

In practice, it should only take a seventieth of a second between the tyre hitting an obstacle and the reaction of the damper control. This makes Live Valve Neo the fastest wireless protocol currently available in cycling - ten to 20 times faster than the competing product from Rockshox, the Flight Attendant System.

Sensor technology at the highest level for MTB

To ensure that the sensors of the Fox Live Valve Neo system don't miss even the smallest bump on the trail, they are mounted on the front and rear brake mounts. There they sit in unsprung positions as close as possible to the axles. The parts are hardly much bigger than a two-euro piece and collect all kinds of data, but only communicate with the shock's control unit when the shock is to open for a hit.

One CR2032 button cell battery is intended to supply the sensors with energy for around a year. The front sensor contains an accelerometer that measures both the slope of the terrain and the forces acting on the front tyre. The rear sensor only measures the force of impacts on the rear tyre. The design of the sensors was chosen to be compatible with all post mount brake mounts and rear triangle designs.

The data from the sensors is sent to the control unit on the shock absorber. This opens or closes the compression stage circuit of the shock absorber as required by means of a magnetic locking valve with two positions. The valve, in turn, can act much faster than a small electric motor could and works completely silently.

The control unit is powered by a compact, rechargeable battery. It is the same energy source, as it is also used on the electronic Fox Transfer Neo Vario seatpost. One charge should last for around 20 to 35 riding hours. If the 24 gram, 99 euro battery runs out, the shock automatically switches to the open setting. Everything can be set up and checked on the smartphone via the Fox Bike app. The bike does not need to be moved for pairing and calibration, it simply needs to be standing upright.

Fox also develops suspensions for race trucks at the highest level. Most people believe that motorsport technology is incredibly complex. In reality, suspensions for mountain bikes are much more difficult to develop. There is much less space available on the bike, the ratio of force to weight is completely different and an MTB damper has to be much more sensitive. If the driver of a truck leans over to grab a can of Coke, this has no significant effect on the overall system. On a bike, every change in the rider's position can make a big difference. The integration of fast electronics into an MTB suspension is therefore a big step towards optimised performance. - Michael Staab, Product Manager at Fox

How does Fox Live Valve Neo work in practice?

Unlike the original, wired Fox Live Valve System, Fox is initially only bringing the new technology to the shock. According to Fox, there are currently no advantages to an electronically controlled suspension fork for the intended application range from trail to enduro. The standard Fox forks would already offer everything at the frontwhat gravity-orientated mountain bikers need.

At the rear, on the other hand, there is still potential for optimisation, as rear triangles work with very different kinematics and forces. In contrast to the electronic suspension counterpart from Rockshoxthe Fox Live Valve Neo shocks do without a centre or "pedal" position and only adjust between the two extremes of open and firm. However, this happens so quickly and fully automatically that, according to Fox, a third position is no longer necessary.

Especially in trail and enduro use, terrain transitions can be very sudden, so the speed of the Neo system is absolutely essential according to Fox. A lightning-fast switch to firm mode can also bring performance benefits on descents, making the suspension more efficient and the bike faster.

However, Live Valve Neo is not an electronic lockout. The corresponding handlebar remote is not due to go into series production until 2025. Similar to a race truck, a classic lockout has hardly any raison d'être off-road, even for gravity use with an MTB.

Instead, the company has moved away from the long-held belief that "blocked is fast" and replaced it with "smooth is fast". There is also no learning software behind Live Valve Neo as, according to Fox, the technology is fast enough from the outset to always react to everything.

Fox Live Valve Neo is designed to help the rider maintain speed and momentum in challenging riding situations. When pushing through a bend, for example, the damper can open up briefly in the middle of the bend in favour of greater traction. When exiting the bend, it hardens again to provide more support for maintaining or increasing speed.

Or on the take-off of a kicker: here, the shock absorber hardens to prevent any loss of power. Once in the air, the sensors recognise the jump and command the shock absorber to open up for more reserves on landing.

On a simple uphill ride, the shock is set hard to ensure the best possible power transfer. If the front wheel hits an obstacle such as a root edge on a climb, the shock can open up to absorb the bump, only to tighten up again immediately afterwards in favour of acceleration.

Fox sees the real strength of the Live Valve Neo system in increased traction. The Americans promise a significant gain in performance, especially for e-MTB riders. E-bikers climb ramps faster and generally stay in the saddle for longer, which can lead to bigger hits on climbs. The rapid opening of the shock should enable a smoother riding style.

E-MTB manufacturers could also adapt the shim stack inside the shock to dispense with the stiff pedalling platform of an e-bike and prioritise unrestricted downhill performance. The basis of every Live Valve Neo shock is a conventional Fox shock. This means that travel adjustment is still possible and volume spacers can be installed in the usual way.

The Fox Live Valve Neo system activates itself when the bike is moved and switches off automatically after five minutes to save energy. This shake-to-wake function can also be deactivated in the Fox Bike app to keep the electronics quiet when travelling, for example. A round LED lights up on the shock every time there is a bump to indicate that the system is working. Of course, this function can also be switched off. If the battery is inserted into the shock or the on button is pressed briefly, four LED bars indicate the charge status. BIKE has already tested one of the new shocks. The report will follow shortly.

Ride like Ritchie Rude - thanks to the Fox Bike app

Fox relies on its own app for particularly uncomplicated handling at the interface between man and machine. Even though the software is intended to be useful, the company does not want bikers to have to constantly have their mobile phone to hand. The control unit on the shock always remembers the last settings selected. Profiles for different bikes with the electronic system can be created on the Garage page.

The dashboard there provides a quick overview of the current status of connections and battery levels. The individual profiles can be personalised with names and photos. The work of the Neo components can be tracked in real time on the service page. How many hours have the components already been in use? When is the next service due, how much will it cost and where can it be carried out? The behaviour of the automatic system can be adjusted on the Tune page.

The tunes for the Fox Live Valve Neo system are customisable algorithms. Each tune is based on three riding situations: Climb, Flat and Descend. The sensor on the fork recognises which situation the bike is currently in.

Each of the situations is assigned a force threshold and a timer. This allows you to set the force at which and how long the compression stage of the shock opens for each individual position. If another impact hits the bike that exceeds the force threshold while the timer is still running, the open setting time starts again. Five different tunes are preset at the factory to allow bikers all over the world to get the best out of their Live Valve Neo shock:

• StandardThe tune that most riders will favour. For a wide range of riding situations.
• FirmThe Tune for riders who prefer a firmer platform, even if there are small bumps on the trail.
• PlushThe tune for riders who prefer a softer suspension. Comfort is prioritised over efficiency.
• OpenThe Live Valve Neo system is overridden and the damper remains open in any situation.
• ClosedThe Live Valve Neo system is overwritten and the damper remains closed in any situation.

For bikers who want to delve deeper into the subject matter, the individual tunes can be fine-tuned in precision mode using the slider. For example, if you live near a lot of steep trails, you can manipulate the angle at which Live Valve Neo switches to the individual terrain states. Tunes can also be optimised for specific trails.

The five factory tunes are just the beginning of the customisation options for shocks with the Fox Live Valve Neo system. An infinite number of tunes can be created and saved in the app. Additional tunes from the manufacturer can be downloaded directly from the app. Tunes can also be easily shared between riders via a QR code. So if a mate wants to find a particularly good setup, you can simply try it out.

Tunes from Fox athletes will also be available. For example, anyone who has always wanted to try out the suspension settings of enduro pro Richie Rude now has the opportunity to do so.

Models & Price: Fox Live Valve Neo

Initially, Fox Live Valve Neo will be available in complete bikes from Specialized, Pivot and KTM. In principle, however, the technology should work in all trail and enduro bikes and therefore also be an interesting retrofit option, for example to give older bikes an update.

Both Fox Float X air shocks and Fox DHX steel spring shocks with Live Valve Neo are available. Both dampers are available for standard and trunnion mounts and their stroke can be adjusted in 2.5 millimetre increments up to 75 millimetres. The recommended service interval is also identical and amounts to 125 riding hours.

It was foreseeable that the prices for the new wireless suspension from Fox would be steep. For operation, however, you not only need one of the almost 1300 euro shocks, but also the Live-Valve-Neo-Kit, which contains the two sensors, the battery and a charger and costs a whopping 499 euros. Individually, a battery costs 99 euros and a charger 79 euros. At the very least, an operational Live-Valve-Neo system costs just under 1800 euros.

Fox Float X Live Valve Neo

• Price: 1299 euros (without sensors, battery, charger)
• Weight (manufacturer's specification): 669 grams (system consisting of damper and sensors)
• Available as Performance Elite and Factory versions (the latter only in the aftermarket)
• tool-free low-speed compression adjustment with 11 positions
• tool-free rebound adjustment
• Available configurations: 165 x 45 / 190 x 45 / 185 x 55 / 210 x 55 / 205 x 65 / 230 x 65 / 225 x 75 / 250 x 75

Fox DHX Live Valve Neo

• Price: 1249 euros (without spring, battery, sensors, charger)
• Weights (BIKE measurement): Shock 581.4 g (without battery, without spring) / spring 424.9 g (450) / sensors 27.1 g / battery 24 g
• Available as Factory and Performance Elite version
• tool-free low-speed compression adjustment with 11 positions
• tool-free rebound adjustment
• Available configurations: 185 x 55 / 210 x 55 / 205 x 65 / 230 x 65 / 225 x 75 / 250 x 75