Supercaliber with FA recently launched.
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Oiz M LTD can be ordered with FA.
you would probably be waiting until next summer for a new santa cruz blur I believe. why not try to sell a shock and just get the control module and damper for the fork? still you would spend quite a bit of extra money and I agree itās really annoying that they want to sell the frame with a fork included
If the epic 8 has everything you want, I personally wouldnāt sacrifice on another bike. It sounds like you were ready to pull the trigger on a $14k+ s-works. Youāll likely end up well below that building up from a frame (s-works, evo, or pro, whichever color you like best). Keep in mind that you can upgrade the fork that comes with the s-works frame to FA (control unit and damper), you donāt need to buy a new fork. Should be no problem selling the take-off shock, should be able to get ~50% of their retail price without much bother. Yeah, selling parts can be a hassle, but price them right and they will be gone quick. Worth the bother to get the bike you want. I was on the fence a long time waiting to upgrade my XC bike and finally pulled the trigger when the Epic 8 came out. Checks all the boxes for me (frame storage was a big deal for me). I got the Expert build and Iāve got the Flight Attendant stuff on order to upgrade it.
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Iāll bet the element would be very good on flight attendant. Iāve been using it with regular fox stuff for two seasons and itās solid for more technical races
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Iāve tried six different hydration vests, including the Uswe Outlander. I landed on Patagonia Slope Runners(I have three variations with different volumes). As you stated, I think the MTB specific thing is largely marketing. Iāve found the lighter weight and less rigid running vest types to be more comfortable, and just as stable.
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I have the race pack and other than the awesome harness they have, I donāt think there is much or anything to miss. the harness is really good and the pack does not move, if you feel comfortable with your vest I donāt really see a need for the uswe
For those marathon/long days out whatās the opinion on the thumb over grips mini bar ends for a bit of variation in holds?
Iām tempted to add some as I try to make a 140mm 27.5 rig more suitable for long days out (and bike packing) until I decide whether a full-on 120mm XC 29er XC is in the budget.
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Probably depends a bit on the types of climbs you have, but I like my Togs on days where thereās longer dirt road climbs.
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Which one? 
To respond to your question, agree with the others that you probably donāt need a USWE if youāre already comfortable with your vest.
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How tall are you? (just questioning my decision to build up an XL frame)
This question was already answered, but just thought Iād chime in after swapping the dampers over the weekend. If you are comfortable doing a 50hr ālowerā service on your fork (a really simple job), this adds about 2 minutes to the job and really canāt be screwed up. Just unbolt the old damper and screw in the new one. No need to bleed the new damper. If on the fence, take a quick look a the SRAM manual for the 50h fork service (SRAM does a really nice job with their manuals). If you are comfortable with the 50h service, the damper swap is a non-event.
Unfortunately, the control module ship date got pushed out, so the fork is still waiting for the control unit (which is a simple bolt on). Itās supposed to ship today, so hope to have it up and running this week.
A happy surprise was the weight difference after adding the FA stuff. I thought Iād be adding at least a half pound, but itās looking like it will be less than .25 lbs (~100g). I still have to add the ~150g control module/battery, but with all the other parts swapped so far, my bike weight is actually lower than when I started the swap. The FA shock added weight, but not as much as the stuff I was able to pull off (twistlock control, cables/housing, swapped old reverb controller for lighter 2-button version, swapped heavy twistlock grips for foam esiās). Those SRAM/twistloc grips were heavy.
Waiting patiently for the FA controller -
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I have everything ready to go on my Epic 8 build except FA. Wondering if I should just ride it now. Was hoping to keep the shock/fork that comes with the S-Works frameset in new condition for resale value, but who knows when FA will be in stock.
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Ride it. There are a ton of these shocks for sale right now. I have two for sale. You wonāt get much for it.
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Just ride it. Best time of the year! Youād be lucky to get half of msrp for the fork and shock as new takeoffs.
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Iāve used TOGS for a while and swapped them out for innerbarends this summer to play around with, but ended up taking them both off after some testing on a local rail trail recently.
I found that I was actually more comfortable with my thumbs on top of my grips and my index fingers over the top of my brake cylinders.
I didnāt realize how much I liked not being restricted on the inside of my grips and the TOGS were always there.
With the TOGS/innerbarends in place, it seems like there are more solid alternative hand positions, but without them, Iāve found that I might have less solid hand positions but more of them in general.
I do think that riding with those has helped me find more efficient ways to ride regardless, and I find that Iām more comfortable on my bike now than ever. I canāt see putting them back on any time soon thoughā¦ 
With that being said, they are probably worth a try.
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Looks like fox is dropping the Neo wireless for Live Valve
So it looks like they have kept the Live Valve theory with independent sensors on the bike - I personally am super interested. I wonder if I can convert my suspension over.
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Itās only for the rear shock though
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Cool stuff. Not available for XC suspension at this time, but Iād guess Fox will eventually migrate to those products. Looks like a big step forward from the previous wired version. From a technology perspective, itās a pretty different approach compared to Flight Attendant, looks like some advantages and also disadvantages. I really like that fox letās you get deeper under the covers for settings and configuration options. Competition is good, I hope these companies keep pushing each other.
Hereās an independent video review that does some comparison with FA. All trail/enduro bike focused, but still a good overview of the tech.
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Iām sure they needed to get something to market to say āhey everyone we have something awesome donāt go and buy flight attendantā
I really like the approach they have and feel like this could actually be a better system over FA with the sensors and it appears to be able to adapt to any one and not needing some of the SRAM proprietary parts so thatās awesome.
I really hope there will be a conversion part for the fork (I assume they are working on a damper), I am not holding my breath for the shock though.
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