Vala: The Ultimate Full-Power E-Bike from Santa Cruz

Unmatched Ride Dynamics and Power, Built for Superior Handling

Introducing the Vala, a full-power e-bike meticulously crafted by renowned mountain bike manufacturer Santa Cruz. It embodies the legendary ride dynamics of Santa Cruz, delivering supreme handling and exceptional suspension performance while incorporating the industry-leading BOSCH motor and a versatile battery solution.

Exceptional Engineering Meets Innovation

The Vala features a bombproof, lightweight carbon frame designed to elevate your riding experience. Here’s what makes it stand out:

- Core Santa Cruz Design Philosophy: The essence of Santa Cruz engineering is preserved, ensuring every ride is intuitive and responsive.
- Strength and Durability: Rather than skimping on bearings and materials, the Vala prioritizes strength, utilizing a streamlined design that keeps the weight below 50 lbs.
- Chassis Robustness: An enclosed downtube enhances durability, ensuring a rattling-free experience while navigating diverse terrains.
- Optimal Battery Placement: The battery is strategically positioned low and close to the bottom bracket, resulting in improved handling and stability.
- Adjustable Ride Characteristics: A progression chip enables fine-tuning with shock rate adjustments from 26% to 29%, providing a customizable ride feel.
- Enhanced Rigidity: The integration of a seatstay bridge and one-piece link enhances structural rigidity to tackle the most demanding trails.
- Geometry Adjustment Features: The geo adjust chip allows for 4mm BB height and a 0.3-degree head tube angle adjustment, adapting the bike to various riding styles and preferences.

Experience the remarkable blending of cutting-edge technology and legendary mountain biking expertise with the Santa Cruz Vala. Its design reflects an unwavering commitment to performance and durability, making it a true class leader in the e-bike category. Whether you're tackling steep climbs or navigating rugged descents, the Vala is engineered to excel.

Features At A Glance

- BOSCH CX next generation motor
- 600 Wh battery
- 250 Wh aftermarket extender available
- MX Wheels (29 front, 27.5 rear)
- 150mm Rear Travel
- 160mm Fork Travel
- Small to XXL Frame Sizes
- CC & C Carbon Frames
- Two Colours: Midnight Green or Gloss Grey

New BOSCH Performance Line CX Motor

The NEW Bosch drive unit is powerful, reliable and quiet. The power on tap and how it delivers it makes going up trails feel like descending.
- Reliability, powerful, wireless, the right size battery, and range extender.
- 85 nm MAX TORQUE
- Full-power system
- 600 watts peak power
- No rattling or knocking
- Very responsive & classing leading power delivery
- 6.2lbs (2.8kgs)

Range With Handling In Mind

600 Wh is optimal for most rides. The low battery mass improves handling characteristics.
- Fixed battery reduces the weight of the system and size of the downtube.
- No complicated battery rail, covers, or removal mechanisms, fewer parts. No chance for weather and water to ingress into the battery compartment.
- Majority of riders rides suit 600 Wh, so you're only riding with the mass that's
useful.
- 6.6lbs (3kgs)

The 250 Wh PowerMore extender battery provides the freedom to cover more ground when needed.
- 250 Wh PowerMore Range Extender
- Available now from Bosch retailers
- 3.3lbs (1.5kgs)

Details Matter

- Main pivots run on preloading collet axle and expanding wedge - the axles can't back out and are keyed for worry-free removal.
- No specialist tools required.
- All 5mm allen key broaches throughout (easy to do quick bolt checks).
- Larger ball bearings than most other brands; less prone to contamination and wells for longer.
- One piece bridged link for chassis stiffness and protecting shock from side loads.
- Geo flip chip hardware is captive so there's no fear of dropping small parts on the ground.
- Seatstay bridge adds rigidity so the suspension can smoothly track rather than
twisting.
- Four oversized bearings in the chainstay pivots.
- An axle holds everything captive - no small parts dropped.
- Threads at chainstay, seatstay pivots and shock mount are all replaceable.
Mixed Wheels, Right For E-Bikes
- Better handling for e-bikes. Counteracts the extra weight of battery by providing rearward bias for best handling.
- Provides more freedom in chainstay length. Size specific chainstay lengths, especially good for shorter riders.

Why Four-Bar? Why Not VPP?

While this bike might look like something you’ve seen before, we found ways to make the four-bar suspension system work better on the trail and off. Sublime kinematics, dialed handling, tuned chassis stiffness, and we've made it a joy to own. Details really do matter.

It is a challenge to package a large motor where optimum VPP™ pivots would be.
We wanted to apply the advances in suspension design that we've made on recent pedal bikes (VPP™) to the Vala. This meant utilizing a new design, but one that gave us the freedom to make all the right spec and kinematic choices. The result is our best handling ebike.

Anti-Squat

Anti-squat refers to how much your pedaling inputs stiffen the suspension. Too little and you have a bike that bobs under power. Too much and the bike will be harsh and not as able to absorb bumps while under power We've worked hard to improve (reduce) anti-squat on our bikes (pedal). We weren't prepared to give that up on our full-power ebike models now.
Traits of Vala:
- Reduced pedal kickback on square-edge hits.
- Remains active while pedaling up and across rough, technical terrain.

Anti-Rise

Anti-rise refers to the amount of rear suspension squat that occurs when using the
rear brake. Some amount of this is helpful to counteract the natural forward weight shift while braking. Too much can compress the suspension and decrease traction and suppleness.
Traits of Vala:
- Fantastic performance while braking on steep, rough terrain.
- Bike feels very composed and suspension doesn't 'lock up'. It conforms to the ground isolating the rider from harshness of the terrain and maintaining traction at all times.

Leverage Rate

We don't want to dramatically change our leverage curves from current bikes, but we did want to decrease leverage ratio. The four-bar design provides the space for a longer 60mm stroke shock (compared to 55mm for Heckler 9 and Heckler SL). This gives us better damping quality and consistency on long descents.
Two options via flipchip allow for two different characters:
- Low progression provides a very consistent feel that prioritizes responsiveness.
- Hi progression sits in a bit more and prioritizes bump-eating forgiveness.

Seatpost Insertion

This layout allowed us to package the full-power motor, suspension and longer dropper posts. Spec'd with longer dropper posts than ever before (180mm on Med, 210 on Large). 110mm of added insertion depth.

Technical Information

- Max rear tire width: 27.5 x 2.5
- Boost 148mm spacing
- Post mount brakes with 200mm rotors
- Santa Cruz UDH
- IS headset

Model Weights

- XX AXS RSV = 47.33lbs / 21.47kg
- X0 AXS RSV = 47.46lbs / 21.47kg
- GX AXS = 49.32lbs / 22.37kg
- S = 49.04lbs / 22.24kg
- R = 49.49lbs / 22.45kg

Lifetime Warranty

- All Santa Cruz and Juliana frames, pivot bearings, and Reserve carbon rims have our lifetime warranty.
- Real Support: From real riders of the Santa Cruz Rider Support team, empowered to do what it takes to keep our bikes rolling.
- No BS: Easy to work on, easy to find parts for, built to last.