Santa Cruz Vala E-MTB Tech Check. All the new stuff and what might happen next!

[@romanrubaj2109]

Can't wait to see what they do with new bullit.

[@nickjones5728]

Well Cestline made it work with Vpp so not sure what they are smoking! Probably cause 4 bar is just a lot simpler and is very active to give good traction with E-mtbs

[@davekozsan347]

Just another thing to be wary about with a VPP. The Crestline can only take 220mm of insertion depth on the seat post, which means you can't slam even a 150mm dropper post into the frame. This unfortunately makes the bike unrideable for me and my stupid 30" inseam. Much prefer a good old 4-link that will allow a nice long dropper. My Orbea Wild can slam a 210mm dropper, no problem.

[@WildeSuchtelei]

@@davekozsan347 Uh? Why is it possible then with my Heckler 9? :)

[@mikes.8305]

@@WildeSuchteleibecause the stand over height is gargantuan on your heckler compared to modern e-bikes. My heckler SL can run a 210 on the large frame but it’s an SL not a full power.

[@emotioneering]

Great vid as usual , big fan. How much friction/drag is in the motor when you ride through the support limit of 25kph? Ride60 seems to have nil, EP8 is like riding through treacle

[@GuyKesTV]

@@emotioneering you can barely feel the motor over run, but you can DEFINITELY feel that front tyre

[@mattw1406]

I hope they don’t move to the Bosch SX motor for lighter eMTBsz I was not a fan of the motor on the Whyte I tested. At first I thought it was good; natural feeling and powerful, but once things got steep I found the motor would just die if you didn’t keep the cadence very high. The Fazua was much better in this regard. If they could just get the reliability right, I much prefer it.

[@GuyKesTV]

Yeah the need to keep super high cadence is definitely an issue with the SX on steep climbs or any other low revs high torque situation

[@camperp195]

Great bike,all except one thing,its a mullet! Hate mullets

[@GuyKesTV]

@@camperp195 I like how it feels in some situations, but whenever I’ve ridden mullet and 2 x 29 of the same bike I’ve preferred 2 x 29 too

[@keith6872]

Will my Trek dealer work on this bike. I love this bike.

[@ChaseAdams-f4h]

Kes, Where does the Vala stack up in the similarly outfitted e-bikes? I’ve owned and loved several Santa Cruz bikes, but am newer to the e game. Is it worth the premium costs to us civilians over say, the shuttle AM? Thx

[@benperd]

Be interested to see a DH test on the DJI vs something with similar travel or a little more!

[@christopherwatson1163]

I have a 22 Bronson... the VPP is a massive part of the Santa Cruz appeal. I feel like they should have persuaded DJI to spec they're EBIkes, and then we get to keep the VPP. Is it much different from a Trek now?

[@GuyKesTV]

@@christopherwatson1163 not very different at all TBH. Just a bit less blunt in terms of front end frame feel and less travel. Non removable battery so no rattle worries but less convenient for recharging / travel etc. Cheaper than new Rail though! TBH I think you’d be surprised at how much like a Trek the latest Bronson feels compared to yours too.

[@megane230f1]

i dont think there is enough data on the DJI avinox as in reliability and software problems for manufacturers to get on board, playing it safe for the time being is what i think till that data comes in over the next 6 months to a year regarding thee avinox motor

[@jaydub308]

@@megane230f1tons of guys are pushing DJI yet it has zero history and they can't even buy it. That's wild they wouldn't do that with a car.

[@christopherwatson1163]

@@GuyKesTV This was my fear!!! I am encouraged by the new Hightower, but the signs point to SC losing some of their character - like you said, the new Bronson, isn't very Bronson like. I was thinking of switching over to an SL Ebike, just waiting on a Bullit SL to rear it's head... fingers crossed!

[@saroneo]

How does it compare to Heckler SL in terms of ride quality, feel and fun ? Which one would you personally pick and why?

[@GuyKesTV]

@@saroneo it’s agile for a mid weight e-bike and got a really nice clean feel to the ride which makes it seem lighter and more precise. It’s a lot smoother and more settled than SL too, as there’s less pedal kickback and those Schwalbe tyres are super damped. My mate who has an SL rode it a couple of times though and called it the Santa Cruz Valium as he really missed the stand out pop and play of the Heckler.

[@In_dependent]

How is it competitive price wise? €8799 for C S model ....

[@BrawndoDrinker]

Orbea Wild has the new Bosch as well, they have experience with designing 4 bar bikes, and its cheaper with both battery options. Don't waste your money.

[@conorprendergast9909]

How does it compare to my vitus emythique ?

[@GuyKesTV]

I've not ridden the Vitus I'm afraid, but the basic suspension layout and geometry aren't that different

[@conorprendergast9909]

Yeh looking at the vala when it came out figured it looked very similar to my mythique which is cool.. components not same obviously be looking at upgrading fork and brakes soon possibly but great value e-bike I thought.. you should throw a leg over and see

[@TheNationalTrails]

Seems like a good blending of "attitude" and "build specification$."

[@GuyKesTV]

Yeah, that's exactly it

[@heywood165]

Thumbs up specifically for the Beastie Boys analogy 👍🏻

[@GuyKesTV]

@@heywood165 I nearly went with Blur and Song 2 but that’s not really in the same league

[@Markozzy]

do u find the bike heavy does it feel playful through the trail? looks a fantastic bike

[@GuyKesTV]

@@Markozzy plenty playful enough without getting sketchy when sh*t goes sideways. Feels like the weight and stability is in just the right places.

[@Markozzy]

@@GuyKesTV cheers for the information that's a great help

Next month, the Bullit with the Bosch and 800 battery

[@GuyKesTV]

I've not heard anything on it, but that would seem a natural move

[@JoJo-yr6io]

Id put a 170 fork on it and put a 205x65 shock with a short piggy back to be clear of any frame contact, id bet this bike would be perfect with these mods. 🍻🤤

[@GuyKesTV]

I’d wait for the next Bullitt as I’m presuming that’ll be something like that as stock

[@mikaelluostarinen7155]

@@GuyKesTV Yea same here waiting the new bullit! Gonna be killer bike..

[@ceriway380]

Is the front a 28 or a 32 spoke wheel..

[@GuyKesTV]

@@ceriway380 28 front, 32 rear

[@ceriway380]

​@GuyKesTV question. I have orbea rise h15 and at some point the wheels need to be upgraded, could get away with 28 spock front wheel.

[@GuyKesTV]

@@ceriway380 a surprising amount of really tough wheels have 28 front and I’ve never found it an issue

[@MarcusOliver2006]

Not an ebiker yet, similar to you, I like exercise on my rides and earn the downhills but a Vala SL at the right Uk price would be tempting 😊

[@fredEVOIX]

Santa Cruz don't talk openly or loudly enough about one of the main "feature" of the Vala, you can only charge directly on the bike, battery is not (easily) removable pretty sure if you opened with that most people would have closed the video, left a like but it's def not for me

[@GuyKesTV]

Cheers for the like anyway Fred. Do you remove your battery regularly then? I'm actually talking to a brand ATMO who's going back to a full external battery for maximum user convenience (and lower weight/better ride quality)

[@emotioneering]

I guess it depends on how accessible your charger is - I’ve just traded in my beloved Heckler 9 for one of these and I never had to remove the battery as I could always charge in the garage. Chopping a huge hole in the down tube required a lot of strengthening. If you’re a two-battery all-day explorer, even with the extender I can see this wont fit the bill.

[@Andy-co6pn]

Raceguard rather than Crud XL is for me the most radical change on this bike