Santa Cruz Vala

[mehukatti]

Anyone have any information or speculative ideas on what the new bullit will be like in comparison to the Vala and when?

I would possibly commit to a Vala in the next few months but perhaps the sensible decision would be to wait and see.

I know travel is not everything but I would like see something more aggressive (maybe like the 2025 Orbea Wild but a Santa Cruz )

My prediction for the upcoming Bullit:

- Same 4Bar platform as Vala (pretty obvious)
- 17cm of travel front and rear (same as current Bullit)
- Bosch 800Wh battery (visibly bulkier downtube)
- Heavier and less agile than Vala (forget manuals and bunny hops)
- Coming out in 2025 as the current Bullit is already 4-years old

 

[LautSprecher]

My prediction for the upcoming Bullit:

- Same 4Bar platform as Vala (pretty obvious)
- 17cm of travel front and rear (same as current Bullit)
- Bosch 800Wh battery (visibly bulkier downtube)
- Heavier and less agile than Vala (forget manuals and bunny hops)
- Coming out in 2025 as the current Bullit is already 4-years old

I would sign that. Maybe the bump the travel to 180/170mm.

 

[Suns_PSD]

This is a great bike.

The Vala (high end, but not crazy), the Wild (mail order and a solid value but questionable warranty and build quality at nearly main brand prices) & the Crestline (adjustable geo, choose your spec and battery, frame only option, but then you pay for it) have really pulled out a lead as the best full power AM bikes currently available.

 

[Lee Dove]

This is a great bike.

The Vala (high end, but not crazy), the Wild (mail order and a solid value but questionable warranty and build quality at nearly main brand prices) & the Crestline (adjustable geo, choose your spec and battery, frame only option, but then you pay for it) have really pulled out a lead as the best full power AM bikes currently available.

It rides as well as it looks.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Add the Mondraker to the list as the one with the removable battery.

 

[Suns_PSD]

It rides as well as it looks.

I will say after being obsessed with mountain bikes for the last decade, I personally have always gotten the best ride characteristics out of Horst Link Suspension designs, by a pretty large margin.

It's pretty telling that with the patent now expired, lots of manufacturers have gone to HL rear suspensions.

 

[Flo7]

First Ride with my Vala

Range: around 36km/ 1300hm -> 27% Battery left
Ep801 with 630wh from friend-> empty

 

[Davidh218]

Got mine last week switched the cranks to raceface era, have a trail cushcore in the front and a emtb one on the rear with pedals, sealant and cushcore comes in at 22kg rides like a dream and the new motors superb and so quiet on descents

 

[Jor4s]

Be interested in seeing the suspension fully compressed with the stock 60mm stroke and whether a 65mm would work? That and the addition of a 170mm fork.

 

[Lightme]

Be interested in seeing the suspension fully compressed with the stock 60mm stroke and whether a 65mm would work? That and the addition of a 170mm fork.

Knowing this will literally make the decision on buying it or not. I reckon the larger sizes must accommodate this, as the chainstays are longer.

I’ve asked in a few places, but no response. Strange that the info is not in the FAQ section of the bike on the SC website. Everything else is!

 

[LautSprecher]

Why do you want to modify th bike to something it wasn’t made for? Maybe in future there will be a LT Link from CCC available?

 

[mehukatti]

Be interested in seeing the suspension fully compressed with the stock 60mm stroke and whether a 65mm would work? That and the addition of a 170mm fork.

Why not wait for the new Bullit? 170mm out of the box, 800Wh, etc.

 

[Lightme]

Without being rude, why do you care?

There are plenty of other attributes to a bike other than travel. My Levo SL gen 2 is 160/170 with coil, and I was rubbished for not just getting a Kenevo SL, despite the fact that I (and almost all LSL owners I know) did this knowingly and thoughtfully. Why do you think I want 800Wh?

If you don’t understand, don’t try to make others justify their decisions and preferences.

 

[Jor4s]

@Lightme @LautSprecher I did this to a Levo Gen 3 and a Rail and it transformed the bikes… apologies if I’ve upset you but it’s a genuine question and something I’d be interested in knowing.

 

[mehukatti]

Apologies, it just felt unorthodox to me, but everyone is of course free to customize their bikes anyway they want! However good to keep in mind that long shocking will probably void the warranty, if the dealer or Santa Cruz finds out. But I guess in such case it is easy to just put the original shock in place.

 

[Lee Dove]

Apologies, it just felt unorthodox to me, but everyone is of course free to customize their bikes anyway they want! However good to keep in mind that long shocking will probably void the warranty, if the dealer or Santa Cruz finds out. But I guess in such case it is easy to just put the original shock in place.

I find it interesting that people want to change a bike they have not ridden. I have ridden 160/160 bikes for years and the 160/150 Vala has better suspension than all of them. I ride EWS trails nearly every day and the Vala is perfect even at 150 rear.

 

[Jor4s]

I find it interesting that people want to change a bike they have not ridden. I have ridden 160/160 bikes for years and the 160/150 Vala has better suspension than all of them. I ride EWS trails nearly every day and the Vala is perfect even at 150 rear.

Hi Lee,

Great to have someone with the bike and the information that you have given.

I’m curious and the question was if it would work.

If I am to purchase one I would of course try it stock but would like the option to increase if I felt it necessary.

My home trails in North Wales are not EWS grade but are all steep off piste (-20 plus) so you are already into the travel.

I ride a Nomad v6 (analog) as my daily.

I’d look at possibly swapping the rear to a coil and smashpotting the fork.

How do you find the bike stock on steep technical descents?

 

[Lee Dove]

Hi Lee,

Great to have someone with the bike and the information that you have given.

I’m curious and the question was if it would work.

If I am to purchase one I would of course try it stock but would like the option to increase if I felt it necessary.

My home trails in North Wales are not EWS grade but are all steep off piste (-20 plus) so you are already into the travel.

I ride a Nomad v6 (analog) as my daily.

I’d look at possibly swapping the rear to a coil and smashpotting the fork.

How do you find the bike stock on steep technical descents?

Great on the steep and the rough stuff. I live in the Tweed Valley so all the fun trails are V Steep and rough. If you think about it the steeper the trail the load on the rear reduces (simple physics) so less travel used. A good fork is the key and I am liking the Zeb/charger 3.

 

[MTN MAN]

Great on the steep and the rough stuff. I live in the Tweed Valley so all the fun trails are V Steep and rough. If you think about it the steeper the trail the load on the rear reduces (simple physics) so less travel used. A good fork is the key and I am liking the Zeb/charger 3.

Great to hear you are enjoying the bike Lee. It is defo on my shortlist and I know you will give it a good trashing in the Tweed Valley. Have been there many times and love the place. Have you had any issues with the Maven brakes?

 

[Lee Dove]

Great to hear you are enjoying the bike Lee. It is defo on my shortlist and I know you will give it a good trashing in the Tweed Valley. Have been there many times and love the place. Have you had any issues with the Maven brakes?

Mine has DB8 nor Maven but has 220 rotors not 200. I changed to Galfer purple pads and they work OK.

 

[Jor4s]

Great on the steep and the rough stuff. I live in the Tweed Valley so all the fun trails are V Steep and rough. If you think about it the steeper the trail the load on the rear reduces (simple physics) so less travel used. A good fork is the key and I am liking the Zeb/charger 3.

Totally agree on the fork. All my e-bikes I’ve converted to a coil with a smash pot for that reason.

If I get one I’d go like yourself for the lower build and replace most things for my choice of components.

 

[LautSprecher]

I received my Vala yesterday. What can I say? The green is MEGA in real life.
Now I want to swap the brakes straight away, does anyone know whether the cables in the rear end also have a guide or whether it's like all other SC models? Here I am very spoilt by IBIS cycles.

 

[Flo7]

Hi,
mounted a 205x65 and it fits... New Travel would be 162,5mm!

The massive X2 looks better in combination with the 38er.

 

[Lee Dove]

I received my Vala yesterday. What can I say? The green is MEGA in real life.
Now I want to swap the brakes straight away, does anyone know whether the cables in the rear end also have a guide or whether it's like all other SC models? Here I am very spoilt by IBIS cycles.

I checked when I collected the bike and was told they have internal guide tubes like all SC bikes. So threading new hoses should be a doddle. I will fit Hope brakes when the Sram Master Cylinder goes soft, like they all do. Do you have a model with Maven brakes ?

 

[Lee Dove]

Hi,
mounted a 205x65 and it fits... New Travel would be 162,5mm!

View attachment 149515 View attachment 149516

The massive X2 looks better in combination with the 38er.
View attachment 149514

Good to see it fits without clearance issues. I wonder what it does to ramp up at the end stroke as there has to be a reason (not necessarily a good one) why SC did not spec this shock size. I will be interested to hear what the performance is like, did you ride it with the original shock much?

 

[Bndit]

I checked when I collected the bike and was told they have internal guide tubes like all SC bikes. So threading new hoses should be a doddle. I will fit Hope brakes when the Sram Master Cylinder goes soft, like they all do. Do you have a model with Maven brakes ?

Bullit had foam tube inside the rear triangle, probably should have used silicone or something to make rear brake replacemt easier at least there's no speed sensor cable on vala...

 

[LautSprecher]

I checked when I collected the bike and was told they have internal guide tubes like all SC bikes. So threading new hoses should be a doddle. I will fit Hope brakes when the Sram Master Cylinder goes soft, like they all do. Do you have a model with Maven brakes ?

Yes, i have a silver Maven and will change to a TS Direttissima 223/203mm. Will see tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Lee Dove]

Yes, i have a silver Maven and will change to a TS Direttissima 223/203mm. Will see tonight or tomorrow.

Might be worth running with the Mavens for a while to see how they compare with your previous experience with TS Direttissima, they might be better.

 

[LautSprecher]

Might be worth running with the Mavens for a while to see how they compare with your previous experience with TS Direttissima, they might be better.

Don´t like them and they are heavy af. Additional i life near the HQ of TS and i am a supporter of local products.

And the best: the function and ergonomics / haptics is the best on the market. Period.