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Santa Cruz Vala Electric Mountain Bikes

Collections Santa Cruz Vala Electric Mountain Bikes

Rider airborne on a Santa Cruz Vala above a wooded trail

Climb the technical lines. Keep your flow on the way down.

The Santa Cruz Vala pairs full-power Bosch assistance with 160mm front and 150mm rear travel for rough, varied trails.

The Santa Cruz Vala is a full-power electric mountain bike for riders who enjoy the technical bits in both directions. Think rooty climbs, loose turns and rocky descents on the same loop. Its four-bar suspension and mixed wheels help it stay settled through rough ground while leaving you room to change line.

The aluminium Vala AL and Carbon C and CC models share the Bosch Performance Line CX motor, 600Wh battery and mixed-wheel format. Frame material and components are where the builds differ most, so start with what you’d notice on your local trails.

Get to know the Vala

The Vala AL shares the core trail setup of the carbon Vala. Here’s what that means when you’re out riding.

  • 160mm front / 150mm rear for support on steep, rough descents.
  • 29in front / 27.5in rear to roll over steps up front and turn tightly at the back.
  • Bosch Performance Line CX with up to 120Nm of torque and 750W peak power on compatible setups.
  • 600Wh internal battery with the option to add a 250Wh range extender.
Purple Santa Cruz Vala AL in side profile on a forest trail
Rider taking a Santa Cruz Vala down a steep, rooty woodland trail

Grip through rough ground

The four-bar rear suspension stays active as you pedal across roots and brake into rough turns, helping the rear tyre stay in contact with the trail.

Close-up of the Vala rear wheel and drivetrain in motion on singletrack

Support you can tune

Adjust the Bosch motor’s assistance in the eBike Flow app. A gentler response can help on slick climbs, where feeding in power smoothly makes it easier to hold traction.

Rider descending through ferns on a Santa Cruz Vala

Aluminium or carbon

The Vala AL gives you the same motor and travel at a lower entry price. Carbon C and CC builds bring lighter frame options and a wider choice of components.

Key features across the Vala range

The motor helps you get up the climb. The suspension, wheel sizes and frame layout determine how the Vala feels when the trail gets awkward.

Four-bar suspension

The rear linkage lets Santa Cruz tune how the bike responds under pedalling and braking. You’ll appreciate that when you have to keep pedalling through a rock garden or trail-brake into a steep turn.

Mixed wheels

The 29in front wheel helps carry momentum over roots and rocks. The smaller 27.5in rear gives you more clearance behind the saddle and makes it easier to lift the back wheel or move across a tight trail.

Independent adjustment on carbon frames

On carbon Vala frames, one flip chip adjusts the geometry and the other adjusts shock progression. The higher geometry setting gives more pedal clearance. More progression adds resistance deeper in the travel, which can help if you regularly use full travel on bigger hits.

A compact 600Wh battery

The fixed Bosch PowerTube sits inside the down tube. The optional 250Wh Bosch PowerMore extender takes total capacity to 850Wh for rides with more climbing or more laps.

Pivot bearings for long-term ownership

Santa Cruz offers free replacement pivot bearings to the original owner for as long as they own the bike. That’s worth knowing if your riding involves a steady diet of wet, gritty trails.

Where the Vala makes sense

If your usual loop strings together technical climbs, tight woods and rough descents, the Vala has the travel to take the edge off the rough sections and the smaller rear wheel to help you thread tighter lines.

For regular steep laps, pay attention to the fork, brakes and tyre casings when comparing builds. If your rides mix long climbs with less demanding descents, prioritise fit and think about how often you’d actually carry the range extender.

Rider cornering on a blue Santa Cruz Vala with dust backlit by the sun

How much battery do you need?

The 600Wh battery keeps the standard setup compact. For a bigger day in the hills, the optional 250Wh Bosch PowerMore range extender takes the total to 850Wh and fits in the bottle-cage position. The extender is sold separately across our Vala range.

Think in terms of climbing as well as distance. A short loop with several steep climbs in a high-assistance mode can use more battery than a longer rolling ride.

Two mountain bikers riding singletrack through a mossy forest

Which Santa Cruz Vala should you choose?

Start with frame material, then compare the suspension, brakes and shifting. Every build here has a 160mm fork and 150mm of rear travel. The table shows typical specs for the builds we sell. Components can change between model years, so check the individual product listing for the exact fork, shock, brakes and availability.

ModelSuspension, brakes and build details
Vala AL Deore

The aluminium entry point with Shimano Deore mechanical shifting.

Fork RockShox Psylo Gold RC
Shock RockShox Deluxe Select
Brakes Shimano Deore four-piston. The M6100 build uses M6120 brakes and the 6200 build uses MT6220 brakes.
Vala AL 70

The aluminium build with cable-operated SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission.

Fork RockShox ZEB Base
Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Base
Brakes SRAM DB8
Vala Carbon C Deore 7200

A Carbon C frame with Shimano Deore mechanical shifting.

Fork RockShox ZEB Base
Shock RockShox Deluxe
Brakes Shimano Deore MT6220
Vala Carbon C S

The S pairs a FOX 38 with cable-operated SRAM GX Eagle shifting.

Fork FOX 38 Float Performance
Shock FOX Float X Performance
Brakes SRAM Maven Bronze
Vala Carbon C 70

Cable-operated SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission with a FOX rear shock.

Fork RockShox ZEB Base
Shock FOX Float X Performance
Brakes SRAM DB8
Vala Carbon C 90

The step up from the C 70 brings a FOX 38 fork, Maven brakes and cable-operated SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission.

Fork FOX 38 Float Performance
Shock FOX Float X Performance
Brakes SRAM Maven Base
Vala Carbon C GX AXS

Wireless SRAM GX Eagle AXS shifting and more suspension damping adjustment than the Performance kit on the C 90.

Fork FOX 38 Float Performance Elite
Shock FOX Float X Performance Elite
Brakes SRAM Maven Bronze
Vala Carbon CC X0 AXS RSV

The lighter CC frame with wireless SRAM X0 Eagle AXS shifting and Reserve carbon wheels.

Fork FOX 38 Factory
Shock FOX Float X Factory
Brakes SRAM Maven Silver
Vala Carbon CC XT Di2 RSV

Factory suspension and Reserve carbon wheels with Shimano XT Di2 electronic shifting.

Fork FOX 38 Factory
Shock FOX Float X Factory
Brakes SRAM Maven Silver

Vala FAQs

What’s the difference between the Santa Cruz Vala and Vala AL?

The Vala AL uses an aluminium frame, while the carbon Vala comes in C and lighter CC grades. Both use Bosch Performance Line CX assistance, a 600Wh internal battery, 160mm front and 150mm rear travel and mixed wheels. The carbon frame also offers independent geometry and shock-progression adjustment.

What motor does the Santa Cruz Vala use?

The Vala and Vala AL use the Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 motor. Bosch’s standard settings are 85Nm of torque and 600W peak power. With the latest Bosch performance upgrade, compatible setups can reach up to 120Nm and 750W peak power. The figures available on your bike depend on its software and factory limits. You can check and adjust them in the Bosch eBike Flow app.

Can you remove the Santa Cruz Vala battery for charging?

The Vala’s 600Wh PowerTube is fixed inside the frame for everyday use. Charge it through the port on the bike, so check that you can reach a socket where you store it. For extra capacity, the separately sold 250Wh Bosch PowerMore extender takes the combined total to 850Wh.

What size Santa Cruz Vala should I choose?

Santa Cruz lists the carbon Vala in S to XXL and the Vala AL in S to XL. Use the size guide on the specific product listing. If you’re between sizes, compare reach with your current bike. A shorter reach can feel easier to move around on tight trails, while a longer reach gives you more room when standing.

How does the Santa Cruz Vala compare with the Bullit?

The Vala’s 160mm fork and 150mm rear travel suit rides that mix technical climbing, tighter trails and rough descents. The Bullit is the longer-travel option to look at if your regular rides favour steep, fast descents and repeated big hits.

Shop Vala models

Browse the Vala builds below for current sizes, colours and availability. We’re expecting more Vala AL Deore and AL 70 bikes, along with selected Carbon C and CC builds. If you’re weighing up two builds or waiting for a particular size, get in touch via live chat.
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