Review: VitalMTB - Fox Transfer Neo Seatpost

VitalMTB has put the Fox Transfer Neo Seatpost. Here is what they had to say:

The wireless dropper post market has been heating up lately, with several new entrants throwing their hats in the ring. Fox is the latest to join the party, and they’ve definitely come out swinging. By thinking outside the box, they’ve developed a dropper post that offers the fastest actuation in the industry at present, coupled with lower stack height thanks to the unusual placement of the wireless controller unit on the seat post. They’re also making the post in the three main diameters with plenty of travel options. What does all this translate to on the trail? Keep reading to find out!

Fox Transfer Neo Highlights

• Ultra-low latency wireless protocol, 26 milliseconds from lever press to post movement
• Designed for short stack height = 47mm from bottom of the controller to center of saddle rails, with same post head as the Transfer V3 non-wireless dropper
• Battery/controller placed for maximum tire clearance
• 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 175mm and 200mm drop options in 30.9mm and 31.6mm
• 125mm, 150mm, 175mm and 200mm options in 34.9mm (with bespoke lower and upper tube sizes)
• Air pressure externally adjustable via Schraeder valve
• Remote lever ships with three clamping options; standard 22.2mm, MatchMaker, and I-Spec EV
• Shake to wake function (no power button required)
• 30-40 hrs of main battery life (1.5 hrs charge time from empty to full)
• Manual activation option on controller if lever battery should die while on a ride
• Remote lever runs on CR2032 battery (good for approx. 12 months of use)
• IPX7 waterproof rating of both post and lever (protection against immersion in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes)
• Phone app tracks hours and number of actuations, alerts when post is due for service, and gives access to Bike Park and Transport mode activation
• Factory Series Transfer Neo MSRP: $859 USD / $1149 CAD / €1100.00 EUR (excl. VAT) - price includes: Transfer Neo post, lever, battery, charger, cable, and clamping options
• Neo Spare Battery MSRP: $79 USD / $106 CAD / €76.75 EUR (excl. VAT)
• Spare Charger and Cable MSRP: $49 USD / $69 CAD / €61.25 EUR (excl. VAT)

Initial Impressions

Let’s start things off by addressing the elephant in the room, or should we say the bulge on the mast. Sure to draw the eyes when you first inspect the Transfer Neo, that square block at the top of the base is in fact the controller unit that all the other wireless dropper post makers have stashed up under the saddle (so far, at least…). Yes, it looks a bit ungainly, but also yes, it does get better with time. It’s grown on us to the point of not bothering us anymore, although it would still be a stretch to say it looks particularly good. But why did it end up there in the first place? When Fox set about developing the Transfer Neo, they were attempting to address several requests from pro riders and the general riding public alike. Lower stack height (and by extension, the ability to fit a longer travel dropper) was high on the list, and that’s what led the developers to think outside the box (somewhat ironically leading to the genesis of a box-like appendage in an unusual spot).

The next important requirement in the design brief was actuation speed. Fox took this challenge to heart, and in order to produce the absolute least amount of wireless lag they could, they came up with their very own wireless protocol – you won’t be all that surprised to hear that it’s called “Neo”. Will it eventually help us tear down The Matrix? Time will tell, but what you need to know for now is that it’s 100x faster than Bluetooth and 20x faster than the closest competitor, per Fox’s own claim. Looking through the documentation for the Transfer Neo we also found some references to “the Neo system”, which would lead us to believe that the same protocol will also be used to connect to potential future electronic suspension from Fox (and ultimately bring down a whole parallel universe simulation via dial-up modem, for the movie fans out there…).

Since it’s electronic to begin with, the Transfer Neo gets its own app, too, called “Fox Bike” in the App Store – and yes, it includes a prompt to connect a shock in the future as well. The app allows you to track the usage of your Neo dropper, and will tell you when it’s time for service. The post actually keeps track of how much you use your dropper, and will recommend service after 8000 actuations (note that “actuation” here means “pushing the lever” – it doesn’t know if you actually moved the post or not, we tested that aspect because we were curious). There's even a handy way to request service for your post (or shock or fork) directly via the app.

The Transfer Neo also has two additional cool features that are accessible via the app. Bike Park Mode turns the post off and disables the “Shake-to-Wake” function until you reactivate it, either by pressing the lever four times in rapid succession or by removing and reinstalling the battery. Transport Mode also turns the post off, but with a different method for waking it up again: drop the bike onto its rear wheel from at least one foot of height, letting it bounce, then press the lever within one minute. Furthermore, the controller features a “manual” activation mode (accessed by pressing and holding the controller button) which allows you to open and close the post if the lever’s battery should die on you mid-ride. Pretty useful features, several of which are not offered by other wireless posts at present.

On The Trail

We received two posts about a month ago, and we installed them on two different bikes to test them out – Johan went with the 175 mm version while Jonny opted for the 200 mm. Installing a wireless dropper is, of course, blissfully easy. No cable routing to worry about, just plop the post into the frame, install your saddle, and mount the lever to your handlebar. Job done.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Nobody “needs” a wireless dropper, but if you’re a fan of the de-cluttered cockpit and you like the very short, direct action of a wireless lever, you’ll be stoked to know that Fox has just added a very competitive option to consider. The Transfer Neo features lower stack height than its competitors, and it also ticks all the boxes with regards to dimension: 30.9, 31.6, and 34.9 are all covered, with travel options ranging from 100 to 200 mm. Actuation speed is top notch, thanks to Fox’s own, ultra-fast “Neo” wireless protocol, and the post itself benefits from the same smooth action and snappy return speed as its mechanical brethren. Yes, the price is pretty high indeed, but Fox really turned over every stone in search of performance from both the post and the accompanying app, and we feel that you get what you pay for here.