It always ensures your bike is in the most efficient setting
paddle, you can assume manual control of the dampers and decide which setting you want them in.
How much does it weigh?
We weighed the Zeb on our Trek Slash test bike at 2,450g (170g heavier) and the shock at 628g (around 120g heavier), while the crank sensor weighs 37g, so the system adds around 300g extra (taking into account the extra weight of the
Zeb’s bleed valves and new internals).
How long do the batteries last? Depending on temperature, terrain and riding style, the fork battery should last a claimed 20-30 hours, the shock battery 30-40 hours and the pedal sensor and control unit batteries around 200 hours. Both the fork and shock unit use standard AXS rechargeable batteries as found on the Reverb and rear mech.
What happens if the batteries run out? The system will automatically go into Open mode if it detects a battery about to go flat.
HOW IT RIDES
The first question that needs to be addressed is: how does it stack up against Fox’s Live Valve? Having ridden both systems, my opinion is that Flight Attendant is far better suited to the type of riding I enjoy, specifically fast singletrack, technical descents, jumps and features. When I tested Live Valve, I preferred the bike’s response when the system was turned off on the descents (currently not something you can do easily on-the-fly). In 150km and 14 hours riding Flight Attendant, however, not once did I feel the need to either switch it off or override the computer. Throw in the wireless aspect and the ability to tune settings with the app and it’s an easy win for Flight Attendant.
The key to its success is its readiness to open up the damping, so when you need your suspension, it’s always there. That’s down to feedback from the sensors being correctly interpreted by the algorithm and predicting when those situations arise. Even when you remain completely static and pedalling, say on a gradual climb, as soon as the fork hits a modest bump everything opens up. Get out of the saddle to pedal and put weight over the front end and the system stays in Pedal or Lock, but lift the front wheel and tap it back down on the trail and it opens up. It’s that sensitive.
Adjusting the system bias makes a noticeable difference to the response. Go to the firmer side of the scale and Flight Attendant goes into Lock much earlier and stays in it longer, needing more signals to open up. It’s an ultraefficient mode best suited to the Xc-side of riding, but for me the -1 bias to Open worked best, improving the efficiency of an enduro bike without losing its sense of capability and composure.
Where Flight Attendant’s advantages can most be felt are on undulating trails where you wouldn’t necessarily bother to reach down and flick a lockout lever. In these situations you always get the most direct power transfer possible, meaning the bike never bobs up and down, soaking up your precious energy. Get out of the saddle to power up a rise or sprint along a flat section to top up your speed, and the whole bike will tense up and respond immediately. In that respect it should be a fantastic ally for enduro racers (and potentially DH racers) where sprints and climbs can be crucial to a good overall result, but making adjustments on-the-fly is difficult.
Because the bike sits higher in its travel, ground clearance is also improved. Which means fewer pedal strikes as well as making it easier to time your power stroke to avoid rocks and roots on challenging climbs. You do feel a bit perched though, and when you do need to dab or even jump off when a crux move goes wrong, the ground is further away.
As an energy saving technology, Flight Attendant certainly works. It always ensures your bike is in the most efficient setting when you want all your energy going into the drivetrain, but feels exactly like a regular bike when you want comfort and grip. Just as a good waiter always seems to anticipate your needs while also blending into the background, so Flight Attendant takes care of your suspension without ever making its presence felt. On the flip side, it adds weight, cost and complication, there’s more to go wrong and you’ve got to remember to keep it all charged.