Description
FOX’s Newest Technology – Live Valve NEO –
Neo debuted in August 2024, with the Transfer Neo
wireless dropper post, giving riders an ultra-fast response
time between pressing the lever and micro-adjusting
the height of their dropper. But the true potential of
Neo was realized when we applied it to wireless
electronic suspension.
The only thing worse than bad suspension is unpredictable
suspension. Your shock shouldn’t have to rely on extensive
or historical power input data to predict how you’re riding.
Once installed and set up, it should act exactly the way you
want, when you want, with no noticeable lag.
Live Valve Neo is made up of four components
- 1 – Fork Sensor – is mounted to the
front brake caliper. Using a built-in
accelerometer, it determines both the angle
of the terrain you are riding, and the bump
force experienced by the front tire. - 2 – Rear Sensor – is mounted to the rear
brake caliper. It determines the bump force
experienced by the rear tire but does not
measure terrain angle, since that is already
determined by the Fork Sensor. - 3 – Controller – is built into the rear
shock, and will Open or Firm the shock’s
compression circuit based on trail data
from the sensors. The controller is
powered by a single rechargeable battery –
the same battery and charger that are used
with the Transfer Neo dropper post. - 4 – Fox Bike App – guides users through
system setup with helpful tutorials, displays
battery level, monitors firmware updates
and reports diagnostics. Riders who want
to customize suspension performance to
their preference can do so via the app with
Live Valve Neo Tunes. See page 15 for more
on Live Valve Neo Tunes.
How it Works?
What separates Live Valve Neo from other electronic
suspension systems? It’s how it helps you ride faster in
every situation, whether climbing, traversing or descending.
When commanded by the sensors, the shock will switch
between two positions—Open and Firm—in as little
as 1/70th of a second.
Live Valve Neo does not employ a third “Pedal” mode,
which some riders may perceive as necessary when
climbing technical trails, or pedaling through low angle
technical sections. Live Valve Neo can switch between
Open and Firm so fast that a “middle ground” setting is
not necessary. You get full support of Firm mode exactly
when you need it, and the plushness of Open mode
exactly when you want it.
Three elements work together to achieve Live Valve Neo’s
speed advantage:
- Sensors only transmit the info they need to I.e. when
the shock needs to open. - Neo communicates a command from the sensors to
the controller in as little as one millisecond. - A 2-position magnetic latching solenoid opens or
firms the shock’s compression circuit significantly
faster than a motor, while remaining virtually silent.
How it Rides?
The ultra-fast switch between Open and Firm Mode lets you
experience the efficiency of riding a hardtail, but only when
you want it. This allows riders to maintain momentum and
speed easier than ever before, in all sorts of riding scenarios.
Some examples:
- Pumping out of corners. The shock may open briefly
in the middle of a corner to maintain traction, but by
the time you’re ready to exit the corner, the rear of the
bike will be firmer, more supportive, and conducive to
pumping for speed. - . Getting airborne. If your shock is firm during takeoff
from a jump or drop, the Controller will detect that you
are airborne after takeoff, and open your shock so it’s
ready to absorb when you touch down on the landing. - Riding through a short technical section on an
otherwise smooth climb. When climbing, Live Valve Neo
defaults to Firm, but after your front wheel encounters
its first obstacle, your rear shock can open to absorb
the impact, then quickly firm up for power out of the
technical section. - On an eMTB, riders climb faster and spend more time
seated, experiencing higher impacts on climbs. Opening
the shock—when needed—absorbs more of that impact.
OEMs can also tune shim stacks inside the Live Valve
Neo shock to forego an e-bike’s stiff pedaling platform
in favor of unrestrained descent performance. Live Valve
Neo’s Firm mode creates its own pedaling platform.
Understanding Tunes
Live Valve Neo is always working in the background
whether you are climbing, traversing or descending.
But how it operates in each of those scenarios is different.
This is where tunable algorithms—what we refer to as
Tunes—come into play.
Each Live Valve Neo Tune consists of three states:
Climb, Flat and Descend. The Fork Sensor detects the
angle of your bike and toggles between these three states.
While a Live Valve Neo shock will default to Firm mode
in all riding scenarios, having specific states within each
Tune means the system can bias towards support during
climbs or traverses, but open more easily (and stay open)
on longer descents.
Each of the above states has a force threshold required to
open the shock, and a timer for exactly how long it should
stay open. If another bump (that exceeds the threshold) is
detected during the Open Timer, the timer resets and your
shock will stay open. If no significant bump is detected
before the Open Timer expires, the shock reverts to Firm.
To summarize, as you ride, the Fork Sensor determines
the Tune state (Climb, Flat or Descend) and the Controller
instantly updates the bump thresholds and Open timers of
your shock accordingly.
Neo-equipped shocks will ship with five Tunes designed
by FOX to work for most riders. These Tunes are recipes
our engineers created for excellent on-trail performance
from our Live Valve Neo shocks, for any rider weight, in
any trail region:
- Standard – For most rider preferences, in a variety of terrain.
- Firm – For riders who prefer a firmer platform, even when encountering small bumps and obstacles on-trail.
- Plush – For riders who prefer a softer ride, favoring comfort over efficiency.
- Open – Overrides the Live Valve Neo system, keeps your shock Open in all riding scenarios.
- Closed – Overrides the Live Valve Neo system, keeps your shock Firm in every riding scenario, except when landing a jump or drop.
What’s in the Box?
What is included when I purchase a FLOAT X or DHX Live Valve Neo shock?
Receive your selected shock with built-in Controller, and a FOX battery block installed in place of the rechargeable Live Valve Neo battery.
The rechargeable battery, sensors and charger required to operate the Live Valve Neo system must be purchased in a separate kit.
DHX Live Valve Neo shocks do not include a spring.
What Brake Systems Work with the Bump Sensors?
Bump sensors are understood to be compatible with current Shimano and SRAM production hydraulic MTB brakes. Examples of current production brakes are as follows: XTR M9100, Deore XT M8100, SLX M7100, Deore M6100, Saint M82, Magura MT7, and TRP DHR Evo.
FOX DHX Live Valve Neo Rear Shock Rear Shock UPC: 0821973500515 MPN: 960-01-039
