Flight Attendant Takes the Lead: Why XC Racers Are Going Electronic
In cross-country mountain bike racing, every second counts — and every pedal stroke matters. That’s why more and more elite XC riders are turning to RockShox’s Flight Attendant, an electronic suspension system that’s fast becoming the top choice for racers who want ultimate efficiency and control.
What Is RockShox Flight Attendant?
Flight Attendant is SRAM’s intelligent, wireless suspension system. Using sensors in the fork, rear shock, and crank, it constantly reads the terrain and how you're riding — and it responds instantly. It knows when you’re sprinting and firms up for maximum power transfer. It knows when you’re descending and opens up to soak up the hits. It even adjusts mid-corner.
No levers. No thinking. Just the right suspension setting, exactly when you need it. 
Why It’s So Popular in Cross-Country Racing
XC racing is dynamic — full gas climbs, fast transitions, and technical descents all packed into a single lap. Manually locking out suspension or relying on preset modes just doesn’t cut it anymore. Flight Attendant gives you the benefits of on-the-fly adjustment without taking your hands off the bars or your mind out of the race.
That’s why we’re seeing so many World Cup riders choosing it — it works. You sprint, it stiffens. You descend, it softens. It’s like having a race engineer hidden inside your frame.
Where Does Fox Stand?
Fox has their own electronic system — Live Valve Neo — and it’s very capable, especially in trail and enduro setups. It adjusts your rear shock based on terrain input, and the system is impressively fast and smooth. But as it stands, Live Valve Neo isn’t specifically tuned for cross-country. There’s no front/rear integration yet, and it lacks the sprint-aware features that make Flight Attendant so powerful in a race setting.
The new Fox 34 SL is undeniably impressive. When you factor in the additional components needed to run RockShox Flight Attendant — including the AXS battery and a power meter to unlock its full potential — the Fox setup offers a clear advantage in terms of overall weight and simplicity.
While the 34 SL is built with weight savings in mind, it's far from delicate. It delivers excellent trail performance, particularly on descents, thanks to added chassis stiffness and a noticeably plusher feel compared to previous XC forks.
That said, for pure race-day performance, we’re genuinely excited about what Flight Attendant can do. The way it reacts to rider input and terrain changes can absolutely help shave off valuable seconds over the course of a race.
For everyday riding — or just going flat-out fast on your XC or downcountry bike — the confident descending feel of the Fox 34 SL really starts to shine. For many riders, that balance of performance and ease of use, might just be the winning formula
At Mule Cycles, we’re big believers in cross-country racing and the tech that supports it. We’re watching Fox closely and eagerly awaiting a version of Live Valve that’s purpose-built for XC — something that can truly rival what RockShox has pulled off with Flight Attendant.
If you’re as obsessed with XC as we are, or just want to chat suspension tech, pop into Mule Cycles. We live and breathe this stuff — and we’re always up for a good geek-out over the latest gear.