RockShox announces electronic suspension for Trail & Enduro lineup
News dropped today that Flight Attendant is now available on Zeb, Lyrik or Pike forks and on the Super Deluxe, Vivid and Vivid Coil shocks.
All the new Flight Attendant forks run on the new charger 3.1 Damper unit and feature the brand’s Buttercup technology. Travel options are 140mm for the Pike, 160mm for the Lyrik and 170mm for the Zeb.
Included with the upgrade to Flight Attendant electronic damping, the new Super Deluxe shock now has less High Speed Compression to improve traction and control whilst the new Vivid and Vivid Coil shocks have a new — and adjustable — hydraulic bottom out control. That’s neat.
Explainer: What is Flight Attendant?
In case you’ve been living in a bubble since 2021 and missed some things, here’s an overview for you. It’s most simple description: Flight Attendant is a wireless electronic suspension system that instantly changes suspension states to maximize performance whether on climbs, descents or anything in between.
Flight Attendant has three damping positions: Lock, Pedal and Open. Lock is naturally the most efficient. Pedal offers support and climbing grip. Open is for rocks, roots, descents and big hits. Flight Attendant runs on an algorithm that swaps through these settings, so you don’t have to think about it and/or do it manually. It’s pretty cool.
Flight Attendant runs on the SRAM AXS electronic ecosystem (ie: fork, shock, derailleur, dropper post and power meter) it gathers a lot of data, in every single split-second, and tweaks your suspension settings giving you the best setup, for that moment. The advantage of using the data from all these components is the algorithm has a broader and more complete picture of what the trail and you are doing — meaning it responds with high precision and accuracy. The response is real-time.
Setup and controlling Flight Attendant
The RockShox Flight Attendant system is setup and controlled from the SRAM AXS app. Inside the app you’ll create a bike profile, customize your controls, adjust mode settings and view or edit Effort Zones for Ride Dynamics. You can also check your battery charge status and update firmware when needed.
You can Fine-Tune it
Every time you ride, the algorithm works to optimize settings to suit your needs. You also have the option to fine-tune how it responds. In the Auto Mode, you can set your Flight Attendant to favor the Open or the Lock position. RockShox calls this Bias Adjust and it makes the system more appealing to a wider range of riding styles. There’s another trick; Flight Attendant can put the fork and rear shock in different suspension settings to meet terrain and rider input. RockShox are calling this Split States. For example, you might want to firm up the rear and keep the fork open on a steep and techy climb. Splitting front and rear suspension lockout settings on the fly, cannot be done with a cable lockout system.
Adaptive Ride Dynamics and Effort Zones
The final trick up Flight Attendant’s sleeve is a smart function known as Adaptive Ride Dynamics that enables the algorithm to learn how you ride in order to continuously personalize your suspension settings. To do this it inputs data from previous (and current) rides to determine your personalized Effort Zones. Essentially, this function splits your ride data into four different effort zones known as Low, Medium, High and Sprint. Flight Attendant then uses these zones to deliver more precise suspension settings, personalized to you. As you get stronger and faster, it adjusts these zones accordingly. These Effort Zones are viewed (and can be edited) in the SRAM AXS app — here’s a brief description of them:
Low Effort Zone | When you’re soft-pedaling or taking it easy, Flight Attendant will set your suspension to a more comfortable feel. More often than not, this Effort Zone results in a more open suspension position.
Medium Effort Zone | When your effort level is sustained and moderate, Flight Attendant adjusts to a balance of comfort and efficiency. This gives your bike’s suspension a more reactive feel for a broad range of terrain.
High Effort Zone | When you are pushing near your limit, Flight Attendant adjusts your suspension for a firmer and efficient ride feel. This matches an all-out effort on flat terrain or a steep climb.
Sprint Zone | When sprinting for the finish or past the competition, Flight Attendant will enter the Sprint Zone and prioritize efficiency above all else.
You can Override it and change Modes
In addition to the Effort Zones, Flight Attendant has five modes of Auto, Manual, Override, Search and Safe. In Auto Mode, Flight Attendant deciphers every input and sends its commands to the AXS-enabled fork and rear shock to instantly react. It does the critical thinking for you. Your suspension is always in the right position at exactly the right time, automatically changing between Open, Pedal, and Lock Compression positions before the thought ever crosses your mind. New in-app settings allow riders to choose from two Lock Disable settings: full system (fork and shock) or fork only. When these settings are selected, the system will toggle between only Open and Pedal suspension positions while in Auto Mode.
On those rare occasions when you need to opt out of Flight Attendant’s Auto Mode, the control’s there if you need it. Disable Auto Mode and cycle between suspension positions on demand. Manual Mode can be accessed through either the Flight Attendant Control Module, or on-the-fly with a press of the assigned button on the AXS 2-Button Controller.
To shortcut to your desired suspension position, press the assigned button on your AXS controller, and Override Mode turns off Auto Mode, moving the system into your designated Override position: Open, Pedal or Lock. New In-app settings allow you to customize the button action when you switch to Override Mode. Choose between an instant press, a short .25-second press, or a longer one-second hold.
If your Power Meter, Pedal Sensor, or E-MTB’s cadence sensor goes to sleep, the system will enter Search Mode. Spin the crank to wake up the pedaling sensor, and the system will go into Auto Mode. If the pedaling sensor source cannot be found, the system will remain in Search mode until located. The Flight Attendant system enters Safe Mode when the battery level of the fork Control Module, rear shock Module, or Power Meter/Pedal Sensor has reached a low state, or if a battery is missing from a component. Install a fully charged battery to return to Auto Mode.
Availability
Depending on your budget and current platform, a shortcut to Flight Attendant for your fork could be through upgrading to the new RockShox Charger 3.1 Damper Kit that is Flight Attendant equipped. You could also dive in for a whole new fork and/or shock to get onto the platform. Alternatively, chat to your local bike store or look online for the bigger brands like Specialized, Trek, Santa Cruz and others that will have “FA-equipped” complete bikes available. // Learn more: sram.com