Technical Details

The first thing to catch my eye was the departure from a VPP suspension design to a 4-Bar driven linkage. If it wasn’t for the ‘Santa Cruz’ painted on the downtube, you might not recognize this as a bike from the California brand. Although different, this design has been carefully engineered to deliver Santa Cruz's best kinematics and handling while playing nice with the motor layout.

The new Bosch Performance Line CX motor is nicely packaged in the Vala’s low-profile frame and a first for Santa Cruz. The motor delivers up to 85 nm of torque with a peak power of 600 watts, and is paired with a fully enclosed 600wh battery. There are some simple buttons to control the power output, and it does not distract you with an unecessary screen. The battery is stored internally and is not removable, which gives the bike a nice and tidy aesthetic without latches and other bits required for a removable system. Overall, the Vala looks sleek and ready to tackle any adventure.

A mixed wheel setup give you the rolling capabilities of a 29” front wheel and the nimble turning characteristics of a 27.5" rear wheel, which lends itself to some fun descending and confident climbing, while a nicely specced 160mm fork and 150mm shock means it can handle some big hits. A geo chip for bottom bracket height and headtube angle along with a separate shock Progression chip mean the Vala can be easily tuned to fit your preferred terrain or riding style. Last but not least, the Bosch motor leaves a little more seat tube real estate than usual for a Santa Cruz bike, which means longer seat posts can be fitted from the factory.

Construction quality is everything you expect from Santa Cruz: a robust build with easy to service bearings, a one-piece bridged link to add stiffness to the chassis and protect the shock, an enclosed downtube that minimizes rattling, and one of the best warranties in the game to back it all up.

Build Kits

Ride Impressions

Climbing / Uphill

To find out how the Vala shreds the downhill, first I had to get some climbing done. The Bosch Performance Line CX motor fitted to the Vala has lots of power, but power is of no use if you can't deliver it to the wheels and maintain control, so it was awesome to see how it handled varied climbing terrain and laid down power efficiently with little to no delay.  

The motor is incredibly quiet, only emitting a light whine compared to other e-bikes on the market. There are four different e-bike modes to choose from: Eco, Tour, eMTB and Turbo. I found myself using tour mode most frequently on consistent mellow terrain as the power was enough to keep up a good pace, but not so much like I was flying up without any effort. Turbo mode is great for zipping up climbs without much effort since you access the full 600w peak power figure and all 85 nm of torque, however this can drain the battery charge pretty quickly if it's the only mode you use. This is why I preferred using eMTB mode when I came across any steep technical bits of trail. Like Turbo, you get a powerful assist to tackle the steep sections, but with a much more precise and sensitive feel. One of my main issues with using a Boost or Turbo mode is that you often find yourself spinning up the rear tire because too much power is being delivered, but eMTB mode mitigates this for a smoother, more natural ride. This makes for a much more intuitive feel when attacking technical sections, and I found myself climbing sketchy stuff without a whole lot of trouble. 

By opting for a 4-bar suspension design, Santa Cruz is able to achieve a lower center of gravity and optimize how the bike performs whilst pedaling. I found the Vala to be an efficient climber that didn’t bob through its travel much when pedaling, yet still felt plush and comfortable over rough rocks and roots. A bonus to this design is that it allows for deeper seat tube insertion, so getting the saddle height just right was super quick and easy. Equipping the Vala with mixed wheels was also an inspired choice – the 29" front wheel is massively capable of rolling over all sorts of obstacles, while the smaller 27.5" rear wheel makes it a breeze to negotiate tight terrain.

Descending / Downhill

Suspension and Geo Adjustments 

Battery Life and Motor