![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FlowMTB-SpecializedRSGenie-11.jpg\")
<\/a>Specialized has stuffed the Genie into a RockShox Super Deluxe-sized package, with a familiar bulbous air can design.\nWhy is Specialized adding a RockShox Genie?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s clear the air first; Specialized hasn\u2019t jumped from Fox to RockShox. The Fox Float and Float X Genie shocks will remain on select Stumpjumper 15, Levo 4 and Levo R stock builds, paired with Fox forks.<\/p>\n
When the Genie was first developed, Specialized patented the air-spring design and contracted it exclusively to Fox for the initial years of production. Those years of exclusivity are now up, hence the brand now has a parallel partnership with RockShox to enable matching RockShox build kits on Stumpjumper 15, Levo 4 and Levo R stock builds.<\/p>\n
Between the Fox and RockShox variants, the concept and execution are largely identical. From what we were told, the air-spring curve between the shocks is the same, and the ability to tune the different parts of the stroke is the same. According to Specialized, the goal was to maintain the desired ride feel across the platforms, whilst giving consumers the widest range of build options.<\/p>\n How does the Genie air spring work?<\/p>\n We\u2019ve spent a load of time on the Fox Float and Float X Genie shocks since the initial release in July 2024, launched alongside the Stumpjumper 15<\/a>. Following the initial launch, the Genie was later found on the Levo 4<\/a>, and the Levo R<\/a> launched earlier this year.<\/p>\n A major appeal of the Genie design is the plethora of tuning options, but there\u2019s no doubt it could potentially be overwhelming. Wil compiled a Genie deep dive<\/a> last year to lay out exactly what the Genie is, how it works, and how to tune it.<\/p>\n Because we\u2019ve already covered the Genie concept in depth, we won\u2019t lay it all out again. But for those not in the know, it\u2019s a two-stage air spring design that lets riders tune the first 70% and the remaining 30% of the shock\u2019s stroke independently.<\/p>\n The air spring has two parts: the inner can and the outer can. The first 70% of travel utilises the volume of both cans, whereas once the shock moves beyond the 70% mark, the outer sleeve is cut off, leaving the inner can to provide the end-of-stroke support.<\/p>\n Specialized says the main benefit of this design is that end-of-stroke support scales with the system\u2019s air pressure. They\u2019ve found that physical bottom-out support, such as large bumpers or hydraulic restriction valves aren\u2019t as tunable for a wide range of rider weights and corresponding pressures, and lighter riders could struggle to push through those physical mechanisms to achieve full travel.<\/p>\n How is the RockShox Genie different from a regular Super Deluxe?<\/p>\n The RockShox variant of the Genie shock is heavily based on the current, 2027-generation Super Deluxe shock. Externally, you\u2019ll find all the same adjustments, depending on the trim level, of course, including rebound, low-speed compression, high-speed compression, and a lockout lever. The most obvious external difference is the air can, which has a rather bulbous design to accommodate the two-stage air spring.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \u00a0<\/p>\n Related:<\/p>\n As we mentioned, the two stages of the air spring can be tuned independently, with the outer can accommodating up to two tokens, and the main can allowing three different-size tokens. Shocks will come stock on bikes with one token fitted in the outer can, and the middle-size token fitted in the main can, allowing riders to tune up or down in volume from there.<\/p>\n Internally, there are a few omissions compared to the standard RockShox Super Deluxe shock. Firstly, the integrated Hydraulic Bottom Out (HBO) is gone. Secondly, the physical bottom-out bumper is significantly smaller, around a quarter of the size. This is because the dual-stage air spring provides plenty of ramp to prevent harsh bottom-outs.<\/p>\n Where will you find the RockShox Super Deluxe Genie?<\/p>\n The RockShox Super Deluxe Genie will be found on the Specialized Levo 4 and Levo R bikes, in the corresponding 210x55mm and 190x55mm lengths, respectively, and an identical C34 compression tune. They\u2019ll also be found on Stumpjumper 15 builds in 210x55mm, with a lighter C30 compression tune.<\/p>\n Related:<\/p>\n The recently released longer-travel Levo Evo misses out on the Genie treatment, but that\u2019s intentional. Those bikes are designed around the current-generation RockShox Vivid Air shocks, which are a burlier, gravity-focused product better suited to the Levo Evo\u2019s intentions.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t Related:<\/p>\n RockShox Super Deluxe Genie first ride<\/p>\n I managed to clock up two full days on the RockShox Super Deluxe Genie fitted to both the Levo R and Levo 4 in Les Gets before the French stormed the finish bowl following the World Cup madness. The trails were a mix of rugged backcountry singletrack in the alpine, all the way through to dark brown loam littered with roots and heavy compressions, which made for an excellent testing ground for a rear shock.<\/p>\n On trail, the shock has a fluttery, floaty feel that sits into the travel nicely and seems to all but erase small to medium-sized hits. There\u2019s plenty of predictable grip out back, which I\u2019d put a fair portion of this down to the shock and its sensitivity, allowing the rear wheel to hook up even when there isn\u2019t much to hang on to.<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t get the chance to delve into properly tuning the air spring with the volume spacers. That said, the stock configuration the shocks ship with felt like the sweet spot for comfort, grip and support, and there\u2019s room to remove spacers to make it feel gooier or add spacers to improve support.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t What I found more impressive was the composure following fast, heavy hits. The end-of-stroke support is strong but smooth, and there\u2019s no harsh transition as the outer chamber is cut off, leaving the inner can to ramp up.<\/p>\n Specialized touts the Genie\u2019s ability to feel like there\u2019s more rear wheel travel than there actually is, and I\u2019d agree. Particularly on the little Levo R, with only 130mm of travel out back, I was rallying through rocks and roots, sight unseen, at speeds that I had no business riding that quick. It was almost to the point where the 140mm travel RockShox Lyrik was holding me back.<\/p>\n Can you feel a difference between Fox and RockShox?<\/p>\n As for the difference in feel between the Fox and RockShox variants, it\u2019s too hard to call without having them on hand for back-to-back laps. Seeing as the spring curve is allegedly identical and they share the same tunability, we think it\u2019s going to be pretty difficult to tell the difference. An excellent candidate for blind back-to-back testing, though \u2014 stay tuned.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t Editorial Guidelines<\/a>The Fox variant of the Genie isn\u2019t going anywhere, and will still be found on select stock builds with a complete Fox suspension package.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Genie design uses two air cans, separated by a sleeve, with each can providing independent volume adjustability.
\nRelated:<\/p>\n<\/a>Genie shocks share the same external adjustments as the Super Deluxe, including rebound, LSC, HSC and a lockout.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>The Levo R is the smallest, sportiest Levo in the lineup, with 130mm of travel out back controlled by the new Genie shock.
\n<\/a>The longer-travel Levo 4 also sees the RockShox Super Deluxe Genie shock, paired with a RockShox ZEB up front.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Zipping through the Les Gets forest, the Genie has a planted, supple ride feel and loads of bottom-out support.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
At Flow Mountain Bike, we\u2019re committed to delivering engaging and trustworthy content, from product reviews to destination showcases, news, interviews, and features. While many of the brands and destinations we cover may advertise with us, our editorial team operates independently, ensuring our content is guided by expertise and passion\u2014not commercial influence. Sponsored content is always clearly disclosed, and we remain dedicated to providing honest and unbiased coverage across everything we publish. For more details, see our Transparency Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s been two years since the initial launch of the Specialized Genie shock, with its rather distinct oversized…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":602730,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,80],"class_list":["post-602729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=602729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/602730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=602729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=602729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=602729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}