DH World Champ Valentina Höll got a new TY Tues just in time for the start of the 2024 World Cup season, so we thought we’d track it down for a Pro Bike Check. But, it is kitted out with all-new BlackBox Flight Attendant prototype gravity suspension from RockShox – a RockShox BlackBoxxer fork – so we couldn’t officially get the bike for a full photoshoot. Instead, we lurked around the World Cup pits, start line, and along the racetrack to get a closer look…
YT Tues adjustable carbon DH bike of World Champ Vali Höll
YT just released the latest evolution of their carbon Tues mk4 DH bike a couple of weeks back. And lucky for her, it already came in white to match her kit. All she needed were some rainbow accents. YT just added a simple rainbow Tues decal behind the seattube. And RockShox managed to top it off with a special World Champ BlackBox edition of their recently updated Boxxer.
What makes a RockShox BlackBoxxer fork?
The white and rainbow stripes are nice, but what about those 38mm gold stanchions? RockShox says that it’s actually the same exact low-friction hard anodized coating that they give to all Ultimate-level forks. Only this time in gold for the World Champion.
For those who are wondering, it is definitely not Kashima. And side-by-side (on bikes cropped out of the same photo), it’s clear that RockShox BlackBox gold has a slightly more yellow/orange tint to it vs. the bronze of Fox. But the RockShox gold is likely to stay World Champ-only.
Colors are just there to distract you from the fact that this RockShox BlackBoxxer is a Flight Attendant-equipped DH fork. It’s the first gravity fork to get Flight Attendant, since the trail tune of the Zeb when Flight Attendant first debuted. We just spotted an all-new Vivid Coil and Vivid air shocks turning up with a new automatic gravity-tune. So now it seems like a Boxxer Ultimate Flight Attendant fork will round out the mix for automatic electronic suspension control from XC to DH!
It’s also worth noting that Höll has the 2-button lefthand AXS controller on her bar that now allows for Override Mode to change suspension modes if she needs something different on the fly than what Flight Attendant is thinking.
RockShox BlackBox Vivid Coil Flight Attendant to match!
We only really spotted the name Vivid on a RockShox coil shock last week, but we suspect that’s what’s hiding under the BlackBox stickers on Höll’s Flight Attendant coil shock. Rumor has it that this new BlackBox coil is more tunable via customizable shim stacks vs. the Super Deluxe Coil. On the outside they look remarkably similar, so I’ll be curious to learn more once SRAM officially releases them.
And of course, again we have AXS battery-powered electronic Flight Attendant automatic suspension control to match the BlackBoxxer fork.
Quarq MTB DUB-spindle power meter?
One neat feature we saw added with XC Flight Attendant earlier this spring, is that Höll’s bike wouldn’t need a separate pedaling sensor, if it has a power meter. And it doesn’t have the regular pedal sensor in the BB spindle. Instead, there appears to be the Quarq AXS transmitter from a DUB-Pwr power meter attached on the driveside crank arm. Yet, SRAM does not yet offer a Quarq power meter spindle upgrade for any of their MTB cranksets.
And there does not appear to be any Quarq electronics in the non-driveside BB spindle.
So perhaps, this Quarq AXS transmitter is just a smaller, simpler solution for a pedaling sensor?
World Champion Build
Besides the secret RockShox BlackBoxxer stuff, Höll was racing the fresh track with Continental Argotal tires mounted to alloy DT Swiss FR1500 wheels with Peaty’s valves and sealant inside.
She was running a mechanical SRAM X01 DH groupset with its 7-speed mini block cassette, carbon cranks, and Crankbrothers Mallet DH clipless pedals.
Her cockpit is a 35mm Renthal Fatbar with a matching bolt-on stem, Ergon GDH Team grips, and an Ergon SM Downhill Pro Titanium saddle mounted to a Thomson seatpost. Ample stopping power comes from SRAM’s new most powerful ever 4-piston Maven Ultimate brakes in splatter red ano.
Tough luck in Poland, but a solid finish
Höll didn’t have the best luck on the Szczryk mountain track at the Bielsko-Biała DH World Cup. In her qualifying run she broke her chain on the start ramp, but as a protected rider didn’t have to stress. Semis went well with a fast time that meant she was the last Elite Woman to start the finals.
Then, fully committed to a high-speed turn in the upper portion of the track, Höll washed out her front tire in one of the fast-changing wet ruts and ended up on the ground. Still, she stayed composed, got back on the bike, and managed a solid 6th place finish.
Good enough to keep her in 1st in the overall standings heading into Leogang in a couple weeks.
Another week with that #1 number plate on her RockShox BlackBoxxer fork.
