Vital MTB Couch Talk Exclusive - How RockShox Flight Attendant Came to Be

Last month, Vital MTB had the opportunity to head to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to meet with the crew from RockShox and get a first-hand look at their all-new automatic suspension system, Flight Attendant. We sat down with RockShox Brand Manager, Jon Cancellier and Rockshox Software Engineer, Joe Schoolcraft, to discuss what it took to develop Flight Attendant. We talked about why RockShox originally set out to create an automatic suspension system, how the mechanics of each Flight Attendant component functions, what factors were considered when developing the Flight Attendant algorithm, and we finally touched on where RockShox sees this new technology going in the future.  

Our time in Colorado was filled with some awesome riding and provided the perfect opportunity to gain insight into what RockShox's goals were when developing Flight Attendant. We also experienced the trails and terrain that the system was tested on. Ultimately, we left with a great initial impression of how Flight Attendant can transform the pedaling efficiency of our mountain bikes. 

Using a mixture of sensors and algorithms, Flight Attendant constantly analyzes pedaling forces and trail compressions to provide the best suspension platform at any given moment. The system is made up of only three components: the fork control module, the rear shock motor module and a crankset sensor. 

Fork Control Module 

Rear Shock Motor Module

Crankset Sensor

We thoroughly enjoyed our timing testing RockShox's Flight Attendant system and were most impressed with how well it transformed our pedaling efficiency. To hear more about our impressions and all the features that make up Flight Attendant, check out our full review.