Up and down – you all know the drill! And going electrical usually makes it even higher! What are you excited about? After all, we’re speaking about FOX’s new dropper publish. With the brand new 2025 FOX Switch Neo, the American producer launched their very first digital dropper publish. Discover out right here whether or not the wi-fi Switch delivers!
Golden freedom that may now be adjusted wirelessly: after launching the brand new 2025 FOX Switch in April, FOX have stepped up their recreation with the Switch Neo Manufacturing facility – a wi-fi model of their standard Switch dropper.
Alongside the information that the the Switch Neo dropper publish is now wi-fi, FOX introduced but one other function: the brand new FOX Bike App, which lets you monitor your dropper through a smartphone. On this take a look at you’ll discover out what else the app is able to.
With the Switch Neo Manufacturing facility Dropper Put up, FOX prepared the ground when it comes to journey, placing stress on RockShox and their Reverb AXS. The 2025 FOX Switch Neo dropper publish comes with journey lengths between 100 and 200 mm, whereas the Reverb AXS maxes out at 170 mm. Solely very tall riders will miss the longest 240 mm model, which is on the market with the analogue FOX Switch. Oh, and FOX declare that their in-house Neo wi-fi system transmits alerts 100 occasions quicker than Bluetooth and 20 occasions quicker than different digital dropper posts. Whether or not this makes a distinction on the path, you’ll discover out in our sensible take a look at.
We examined the brand new 2025 FOX Switch Neo Manufacturing facility extensively effectively earlier than its official launch. Our 200 mm take a look at dropper in 34.9 mm diameter ideas the scales at 798 g and prices an eye-watering €1 ,309. In case you harm or lose the battery on the path, a alternative will set you again a hefty € 91, whereas a spare charger with cable prices € 73. Included within the €1,309 value are the dropper publish, distant, battery, charger, cable, in addition to I-SPEC and Matchmaker adapters to suit the distant to any handlebar – we solely had the usual clamp for our take a look at, which, after all, can be included within the field. However does this justify the worth?
The New FOX Switch Neo 2025 dropper publish intimately
We’ve all been there. You save up for a motorbike improve, measure the seat tube, do your analysis, solely to search out out that the dropper publish you need isn’t accessible in the proper dimension – pure frustration! To forestall this, FOX presents the brand new 2025 Switch Neo 2025 in three diameters (30.9, 31.6, and 34.9 mm) and 5 journey choices (100, 125, 150, 175, 200 mm). Nevertheless, the 100 mm journey choice is simply accessible in 30.9 and 31.6 mm diameters.
Our take a look at 200 mm take a look at mannequin has 315 mm insertion depth – 6 mm lower than the analogue model with 210 mm journey. At 798 g, it’s not precisely light-weight, however solely barely heavier than different wi-fi dropper posts available on the market.
The distant of the FOX Switch Neo has a a pairing button with a small LED and is powered by a button cell battery, which, in keeping with FOX, ought to last as long as 12 months.
The battery of the FOX Switch Neo 2025 Dropper Put up is built-in straight into the collar, identical to a CIA agent’s microphone. Whereas this gives extra tire clearance, it takes some getting utilized in purely visible phrases very similar to males in black fits and mirrored Ray Bans. In our opinion, the battery unit’s angular design doesn’t fairly match the principally natural shapes of contemporary bikes. Nevertheless, the stack top – measured from the underside fringe of the collar to the centre of the saddle clamp – is kind of low at 46 mm, although it’s 11 mm greater than the analogue model. In comparison with the 65 mm of the RockShox Reverb AXS dropper, nevertheless, the Neo is pleasantly compact.
In line with FOX, battery life is between 30 and 40 hours, relying on how usually you employ the dropper. The battery cost standing will be simply checked through the color of the LED on the dropper. Charging takes about 1.5 hours utilizing the usual charging station and USB-C cable – you’ll want to offer your individual energy adapter. The collar additionally contains a pairing button, which lets you manually activate the dropper along with the Shake-to-Wake operate. If the distant’s battery runs out, you may function the dropper manually by holding the button till it lights up white. This lets you lengthen and decrease the dropper publish, and after the operation, you merely press the button once more to finish the method.
The interior mechanics of the FOX Switch Neo are primarily based on the brand new 2025 FOX Switch. While you open the saddle clamp, you’ll discover a Schrader valve. Within the absolutely prolonged place, you may alter the stress between 275 and 325 psi to adapt the extension pace in keeping with your private choice and rider weight.
After 8,000 actuations, the app notifies you that it’s time for a service. On high of that, it shows service prices and varied service places. After 8,000 actuations, the service centre of alternative disassembles the dropper publish utterly, identical to a full overhaul of the analogue FOX Switch that’s due each 300 hours of use. As a result of digital parts of the Neo, nevertheless, service ought to solely be carried out at a registered FOX service centre.
For many who favor to do take issues into their very own palms: in case your Neo dropper doesn’t run easily, merely take away the mud wiper with a flathead screwdriver and re-grease it earlier than you ship it to a service centre – this fashion, you may be capable of delay a service by just a few days.
The brand new FOX Bike app not solely shows upkeep intervals but additionally the battery standing of your Neo units (distant and dropper), and likewise means that you can set varied modes. Bike Park mode deactivates the distant to stop unintended activation – one thing that, fairly frankly, has by no means occurred to us. Transport mode disables the Shake-to-Wake operate to stop the battery from draining, for instance on a lengthy automotive journey. That is fairly useful, as you may end up with a lifeless battery on a protracted journey. Often, the dropper stays energetic by way of motion and solely goes into sleep mode after 5 minutes of inactivity. The app additionally gives the Neo with the most recent software program updates.
In typical FOX style, the Switch Neo Dropper Put up comes within the elegant, top-tier Manufacturing facility variant with fancy Kashimacoating and within the extra reasonably priced Efficiency Elite model, although is simply accessible to bike producers as an OEM part.
The FOX Switch Neo 2025 dropper publish on take a look at
Putting in the 2025 FOX Switch Neo dropper in your bike is as straightforward as spreading butter on bread – no fiddly cable routing, simply slide it into the seat tube with a little bit of grease, tighten the seat clamp, and also you’re good to go. Nevertheless, the wi-fi design additionally has its drawbacks: earlier than heading out on the path, you’ll must verify that the battery is in place and has sufficient cost. All the pieces has its execs and cons. Due to the 2 completely different mounting factors, the distant will be positioned nearer to or additional out of your thumb as desired. The ergonomics are primarily based on a traditional dropper lever, guaranteeing intuitive, dependable operation on the path.
Throughout our first take a look at journey, the dropper nearly blew us away – in a optimistic manner! On the most stress, the extension pace is mind-boggling and the moderately loud clonking noise that alerts the tip of the journey can startle you at first. Regardless of the loopy extension pace, the 2025 FOX Switch Neo Dropper publish is simple to regulate with the distant and means that you can fine-tune the extension exactly alongside all the adjustment vary. All through our quite a few take a look at rides, the dropper publish carried out reliably with none points. The one draw back is that the pairing buttons on the distant and dropper are moderately troublesome to achieve; we solely managed to press them with a 2 mm Allen key – and a small stick did the trick too! However for €1,309, we’d anticipate extra accessible buttons.
Decreasing the dropper publish manually isn’t that straightforward when the air spring is absolutely inflated. Nevertheless, with a little bit of power, it slides again easily and with no drawback. When absolutely prolonged, it’s simply as strong and steady as its analogue sibling, with no flex or play within the publish.
Identical to Homer Simpson, who likes to randomly press buttons on his job on the nuclear energy plant, we take pleasure in urgent the rubberized distant of the FOX Switch Neo. The mechanism is triggered by a noticeable click on, requiring solely minimal effort. The sign reaches the dropper immediately – identical to with the RockShox Reverb AXS Dropper Put up. Whether or not it’s 20 occasions quicker, we will’t actually inform. However let’s be sincere: who cares anyway? The principle factor is that it really works, shortly and reliably!
Oh, and by the way in which, the battery lifetime of the FOX Switch Neo was passable in our assessments, and we had no points. Whether or not it reaches the acknowledged 30–40 hours, we didn’t confirm both, however in observe, you recharge your batteries after a protracted day within the saddle anyway.
Conclusion concerning the new 2025 FOX Switch Neo dropper publish.
The FOX Switch Neo is a dependable dropper publish that impresses above all with its outstanding extension pace. The shallow insertion depth and 200 mm journey, which is beneficiant for an digital dropperpost, are its greatest highlights. The flawless efficiency of the mechanical and digital parts makes it simpler to miss the not so tidy design of the battery unit. Nevertheless, the € 1,309 continues to be extremely steep, and never even the flowery Kashima coating absolutely justify it.
Tops
- Straightforward to put in
- Dependable
- Nicely-designed distant
- Tremendous quick and exact
Flops
- Unattractive design
- Very costly
For extra info, go to ridefox.com
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Phrases: Robin Ulbrich Images: Peter Walker
