2025 Santa Cruz Vala eMTB

Hell hasn't frozen over, the locusts are not upon us, but Santa Cruz has veered from the path. For the first time since 2001, Santa Cruz is launching a long travel bike* that doesn't feature VPP; the dual counter-rotating link suspension system that has been the cornerstone of their product line since the turn of the century, and something that inoculated them from the "looks like a Session" meme. And yes, you can blame ebikes.

*The current Blur uses a linkage driven single pivot with flex stays, a platform they call Superlight™. And there are a few other examples in the archives.

2025 Santa Cruz Vala Highlights

• BOSCH Performance Line CX 85Nm motor
• 600 Wh battery (250 Wh aftermarket extender)
• MX (mullet!) Wheel (29 front, 27 rear)*
• 150mm Rear Travel
• 160mm Fork Travel
• SM-XXL Frame Sizes
• CC & C Carbon Frames
• All bikes under 50lb (22.7kg)
• Adjustable Geo
• Adjustable Progression
• Four Bar Suspension (with Horst Link)
• Size-specific rear centres

*can't we be done with the misleading .5 already?

Why use a 4 Bar/Horst Link Suspension?

As Santa Cruz eMTB product manager, Jack Russell explains on the Roller Door Podcast, this bike replaces the Heckler 9 (but not the Heckler SL) and the company wanted to use a different motor; "I've ridden every system on the market, including plenty of systems that, as of this recording aren't released yet, and we found that the new Bosch system, which this bike has, was the best fit for this bike." The problem was the new Bosch system isn't compatible with VPP because the system's dual links couldn't be mounted low enough. It turns out the new Santa Cruz, under PON leadership, isn't dogmatic. As Jack put it, "we just make the best bike we can." One of the goals was to achieve lower anti-squat values as the company has strived to do with their human powered bikes.

Bosch's new Performance CX Motor

So what's up with this new motor? It starts with a strong pedigree, considering how well-received the previous Bosch CX Performance motor was and there is much that remains; it still pumps out 85 Nm of torque/600 watts peak power, and 340% max assistance, and is about the same shape. The biggest difference is the now-infamous rattle, mainly noticeable coasting downhill on rough trails, has been banished. I haven't noticed it once after two huge rides along the Sea to Sky and a couple of local rips, and the difference it makes to the ride experience is remarkable. It also may be a little quieter under power, but if that is the case it's much less dramatic. The motor is also 100g lighter than the previous version.

Some other minor tweaks involve a "Hill Hold" feature for starting on steep climbs (which I haven't yet noticed) and there is some mention of Extended Boost in EMTB mode which puzzles me because that feature already existed. Perhaps it has been tweaked some? Essentially it will pedal for you for a moment after you either finish pedalling or ratchet your pedal but in EMTB mode only.

Bosch 600Wh Powertube Battery (+Extender)

Bosch has launched two new batteries to go along with their new motor. The biggest is an 800Wh powerhouse, which at 3.9kg (8.6lbs) weighs 600g (1.3lbs) less than their previous 750Wh plant. Santa Cruz decided on the smaller 600Wh battery for the Vala to save 900g for a battery that weighs 3.0kg (6.6lbs). The batteries are the same length but the 600 is also slimmer, allowing for a more svelte downtube. The decision to opt for the 600 was based on weight and handling. Jack Russell mentioned that the battery weight, "really has an impact on ride performance. It puts more weight on the front wheel that messes with where your weight bias is." He also mentioned that they've been getting feedback that "people aren't into the pregnant downtube look," and this bike cuts quite an elegant figure as a result. There is also a 250Wh extender available (525 USD ) which comes with a bracket that allows it to nest where the water bottle normally resides and a cable to connect it to your bike. It is not however, svelte.

The Vala Frame

Santa Cruz's engineers and designers settled upon the anti-squat, leverage, progression and other numbers first and then reverse-engineered the four-bar kinematics to match. You aren't stuck with the stock numbers though. This bike has two distinct adjustments you can make; progression and geo. The geometry is adjusted using a simple flip chip where the seat stays meet the rocker link but, unlike most designs, you don't need to remove the bolts to rotate the chips. You simply loosen the bolts until the chips push out from the frame, rotate them to the opposite position, and then tighten the bolts. To adjust progression you need to remove the bottom shock bolt and choose the other position. If you are keen to run a coil, choose the more progressive setting.

I have only used the slack/low geo and low progression settings after two massive rides and two local pedals. The head angle goes from 64.2º to 63.9º and the bottom bracket height goes from 344mm to 340 while the progression, based on the graph below, changes from an initial value of approximately 3.1:1 to 2.95:1 while both converge at approximately 2.2:1 at full travel. Below I have posted the graphs supplied by Santa Cruz for progression, anti-squat and anti-rise which seems to suggest the Heckler 9, which the Vala replaces, was somewhat compromised by shoehorning a motor beneath the VPP links.

Component Spec

The bike I rode was the XO1 AXS Reserve model which came with SRAM Maven Silver brakes, which solidified my affection for them. The fork was a tried and true Fox 38 Factory while the shock is a Fox Float X Factory. Other highlights are Reserve Carbon wheels with DT 350 hubs, an XO1 T-Type drivetrain, Schwalbe Radial Magic Mary tires (a first for Santa Cruz - more on these below), a 200mm OneUp V3 post, and a Santa Cruz Carbon bar.

On the Trail with the New Bosch Motor

I have a grand total of four rides on this bike. One climb and descent of 1551m/20km (5000'/13m) in the Fraser Valley, a ride with similar vertical a little north of Squamish, a 627m/20km outing for photos with Deniz and an 800m/14km ride this evening, so I have some data. The battery has surprised me. On the 1551 metre day I was a little careful with the battery and I did some of the climb in Tour, which is the second power level above Eco, a large portion in EMTB and the rest in Turbo and I finished with 17% battery left. The Squamish ride was all in either EMTB of Turbo and I had slightly less, likely because the climb was steeper and rougher. The take home is that thus far my range anxiety has been unwarranted. I can't be as indiscriminate about dropping into Turbo as I can on the bikes I've ridden with 750 or 900Wh batteries but I don't need to be as careful as I feared. The combination of a more efficient motor* and a lighter bike make a surprising difference to battery life.

*I've heard this but have yet to see any documentation.

The best news is the now-banished rattle. I wouldn't say it drove me crazy but its absence has made a significant difference to my enjoyment of the bike. On one particularly long and very loamy descent, there were moments when it felt like I was floating or skiing powder; sensations that are not compatible with a can full of nickels attached to your bottom bracket.

THE RIDE

While I have 60km and 4500m of descending on this bike over four rides, it's still early days. Our first ride was so steep and loamy that the rear suspension could have been blown. The Squamish ride was bonier and had some rock faces but it was mostly steep low speed tech. On some very challenging trails after only a day or two, the Vala was very easy to get along with. I like the Geo, despite the 477 reach (size large, low setting) being a little shorter than I'm used to. Keeping the bar uncut at 800mm made this transition a little easier. The 77.5º (effective) seat tube angle felt great and the bike motored (literally) up some very steep and rough Squamish climbs.

Out in the Fraser Valley we were also riding steeps, often with relatively abrupt catch berms at the bottom. The Vala frame felt very stout in these situations and after a few swoops I pushed my front wheel confidently into the duff with increasing vigour.

Once I got onto some faster trails on the Shore, it became clear that I had more tuning to do in the rear. The wheel wasn't as eager to get out of the way of impacts as I'd like and it felt a little skittish at speed. Part of this issue is coming off the Norco Range VLT with 180mm travel up front and 170mm rear, 20mm more per end than the Vala. Another element is likely the heft disparity. The Vala is thirteen pounds (6kg) lighter than the Range and based on my experience, that's not entirely positive. A light bike is nice but there is a cost in stability and suspension activation - and a heavier bike has the benefit of a larger disparity between sprung and unsprung weight.

The counterpoint is that you can throw a lighter bike around more easily, you'll get more range and bunny hopping is a breeze. More saddle time is necessary to see how much stability I can wring out of the Vala. Obviously it's unlikely to be as stable and plush as the eMTB equivalent of a DH bike but from what I've experienced thus far, I'm sure there is more to come.

Bottom Line

The overwhelming sensation I experience riding the Vala is balance. It's easy to confidently weight both tires in corners and any move that requires a slow ratchet to set up before tipping in is there for the taking. The improved Bosch Motor doesn't seem much quieter on the way up to me, and there's still an element of whine on harder efforts but I haven't ridden a full powered motor that is quieter. On the way down however, all you hear is tires on dirt and wind through your helmet; there is no longer any annoying rattle from the motor.

The 600Wh battery gave me pause at first but it seems to punch above its weight and I've been able to get a lot done with battery left over. Heavier riders who like very long rides may want to consider the 250Wh PowerMore range extender for a total of 850Wh. Personally, at least at this point, I would have preferred the 2lb penalty of the 800Wh stock battery rather than the expensive and heavy strap-on that eliminates your bottle cage. I'll keep an open mind though and we'll see how I feel once the range extender Bosch is sending arrives at my door.

Another question I have is about weight. There are elements I like about this lighter approach to a full power eMTB (like putting it in a truck or on top of a car) and others I'm reserving judgement on. I'll be back in a few months with the full review and a verdict.

Santa Cruz Bicycles