Santa Cruz Vala

[Chicane]

Hows everyone getting along with the Magic Mary on the rear? I know a lot of riders are running the Albert as a rear(in the MTBR Radial thread), so curious to hear your opinion.

 

[Jor4s]

What size is that? And how’s the clearance with the piggyback on the shock?

Does anyone know if the medium clears a 65mm float x2 comfortably?

Size is Large

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

The rail is much heavier than a Vala. The Rail doesn’t seem to be trying to play in the full power, but not full weight category as the Vala or the upcoming Norco Sight VLT CX among others.

Good point! I reckon the Rail with 600Wh battery and similar spec as the Vala might be close in weight, but not quite 21.5KG levels like the Vala.

 

[mustclime]

The rail is much heavier than a Vala. The Rail doesn’t seem to be trying to play in the full power, but not full weight category as the Vala or the upcoming Norco Sight VLT CX among others.

Again, the vala has a 600 wh battery and it can’t mount a 180mm fork. You want to compare weights , include the weight of the range extender that are very hard to get.

 

[cykelk]

Hows everyone getting along with the Magic Mary on the rear? I know a lot of riders are running the Albert as a rear(in the MTBR Radial thread), so curious to hear your opinion.

I'm kind of meh on the MM rear myself. It isn't bad, but I'm running an Albert Gravity Soft in the rear on my other bike, and I think I like it better as a rear tire even in the PNW winter conditions. I do like the MM up front.

 

[ckkone]

The Rail is trying to be a do it all bike and it’s ugly. The Vala is a trail bike, Santa Cruz has a Bullit replacement coming soon if you want a big suspension bike. My local shop has the range extenders so not sure why they are hard to get?

Range and lack of power anxiety is something the manufacturers marketing departments has created. 600W is fine for most people for 95% of the time.

 

[mtbrdan]

Again, the vala has a 600 wh battery and it can’t mount a 180mm fork. You want to compare weights , include the weight of the range extender that are very hard to get.

Range extender weighs 3 lbs and was very easy to get.

 

[cykelk]

Range extender weighs 3 lbs and was very easy to get.

Speaking of range extenders, for any you who've fit the 65mm stroke shock - have you confirmed clearance with a range extender in place?

 

[mustclime]

Range extender weighs 3 lbs and was very easy to get.

Not according to my riding buddy, he has been waiting more than a month for one.

 

[mtbrdan]

Google could be his friend, found a store in Wisconsin claiming to have 49 of them, another in California has them in stock ready to ship. Admittedly I am at the front of the line as my son works for a major retailer. Good luck to your buddy.

 

[RSG]

Speaking of range extenders, for any you who've fit the 65mm stroke shock - have you confirmed clearance with a range extender in place?

Would also be interested to know this - if anyone has tried it please let us know!

 

[Jor4s]

Speaking of range extenders, for any you who've fit the 65mm stroke shock - have you confirmed clearance with a range extender in place?

I’ll be perfectly honest, I don’t intend purchasing a range extender, the purpose of buying an e-bike for me is one thing only. Quick solo power hour(s) on my local trails.

I will ride my Nomad when I’m out with the boys and the Vala if I need that quick blast to get my fix on my own.

My local riding spot is 5 minutes drive from home or 30 min ride (acoustic bike).

Has multiple enduro descents mainly -20% gradients.

On an electric bike (previously using my son’s Rail) I can usually get in 10-15 runs on an hour or so of riding. Clocking around 10+ mile and over 3000ft of elevation.

There would usually be around 2 bars left on the battery so will be interesting to see how the Vala compares to the rail in that department. Rail is a 2021 625wh battery.

 

[Lightme]

I’ll be perfectly honest, I don’t intend purchasing a range extender, the purpose of buying an e-bike for me is one thing only. Quick solo power hour(s) on my local trails.

I will ride my Nomad when I’m out with the boys and the Vala if I need that quick blast to get my fix on my own.

My local riding spot is 5 minutes drive from home or 30 min ride (acoustic bike).

Has multiple enduro descents mainly -20% gradients.

On an electric bike (previously using my son’s Rail) I can usually get in 10-15 runs on an hour or so of riding. Clocking around 10+ mile and over 3000m of elevation.

There would usually be around 2 bars left on the battery so will be interesting to see how the Vala compares to the rail in that department. Rail is a 2021 625wh battery.

View attachment 154042

Doesn’t look like 3000m

 

[prolix2]

The rail is much heavier than a Vala. The Rail doesn’t seem to be trying to play in the full power, but not full weight category as the Vala or the upcoming Norco Sight VLT CX among others.

I have both a Rail and a Vala ( and a trek fuel EXE. , all of them carbon) I find the Vala to be much more rideable and predictable and find myself kind of fighting the rail. My rail weighs 56 pounds. My Vala weighs 51 pounds. The fuel XE weighs 46 pounds. I am a low intermediate rider who weighs 150 pounds and is 77 years of age, which I guess makes a big difference in my perception.

 

[cykelk]

I’ll be perfectly honest, I don’t intend purchasing a range extender, the purpose of buying an e-bike for me is one thing only. Quick solo power hour(s) on my local trails.

I will ride my Nomad when I’m out with the boys and the Vala if I need that quick blast to get my fix on my own.

I did a full battery burn yesterday 18 miles / 3800 ft w/ a lot of pedaling fresh tracks into a few inches of snow. The bike shut off a few blocks from home, and I had to nurse it some during the ride. My daily rides are ~10 miles / 2-3k feet where the 600Wh is perfect, but I do have routes I'd like to hit on the weekend that are 20+ miles and 5-6k feet...basically yesterday's ride with some additional excursions.

I'll take a range extender over a little extra rear travel any day, this bike is super capable as it sits. However I've already got a 65mm stroke coil in the shop so if I can toss it on safely, why not try it out! I'll do the check when I get an extender if no one beats me to it.

 

[Emailsucks98]

NX uses the HG drive freehub body, so to bump to GX cassette or run T-Type you’d also have to swap freehub body.

SRAM actually make a T-type cassette that uses the HG driver- the XS-1270

No experience with one personally, just stumbled across it.

 

[Jor4s]

Doesn’t look like 3000m

Oops… good spot. Corrected

 

[Capitan Cero]

I'm kind of meh on the MM rear myself. It isn't bad, but I'm running an Albert Gravity Soft in the rear on my other bike, and I think I like it better as a rear tire even in the PNW winter conditions. I do like the MM up front.

Same, I didn’t really dig the MM on the rear for the Vala…I run MM and Albert on my Firebird and really like it. I just switched to the Albert Gravity soft on the rear of the Vala, feels much more predictable than the MM imo.

 

[RSG]

For anyone wondering the Santa Cruz UK pricing seems to have gone back down to £9999 for the X0 build, they must have made a mistake when updating their website recently I guess.

 

[cykelk]

Same, I didn’t really dig the MM on the rear for the Vala…I run MM and Albert on my Firebird and really like it. I just switched to the Albert Gravity soft on the rear of the Vala, feels much more predictable than the MM imo.

I will say, the MM is a better rear tire in fresh pow.

 

[Jor4s]

Got my first ride in on the Vala this afternoon… well if you could call it that! Only got two runs in before I slashed the rear side wall on the MM radial.

First impressions of the Vala were really good, bike rode well but I’m afraid the Radial tyres felt weird. I was told to run them 5-7psi more than normal.

So ran 35 in the rear 28 in the front.

They felt really strange, spongy and not very supportive.

Anyone on here able to voice their opinion on them?

I’ll be honest I’m a Schwalbe man anyway, I usually run MM’s front and rear Downhill casing.

In the last three years running these I’ve never punctured or slashed a tyre.

Today 24 minutes of riding

Going to buy a DH casing MM tomorrow.

Bike felt quick though KOM on first descent so keen to get on it again this weekend.

 

[mtbrdan]

I ditched those stock tires after two or three rides for some Maxxis Shorty’s.

 

[RichMorr]

Got my first ride in on the Vala this afternoon… well if you could call it that! Only got two runs in before I slashed the rear side wall on the MM radial.

First impressions of the Vala were really good, bike rode well but I’m afraid the Radial tyres felt weird. I was told to run them 5-7psi more than normal.

So ran 35 in the rear 28 in the front.

They felt really strange, spongy and not very supportive.

Anyone on here able to voice their opinion on them?

I’ll be honest I’m a Schwalbe man anyway, I usually run MM’s front and rear Downhill casing.

In the last three years running these I’ve never punctured or slashed a tyre.

Today 24 minutes of riding

Going to buy a DH casing MM tomorrow.

Bike felt quick though KOM on first descent so keen to get on it again this weekend.

View attachment 154203

same, I’ve always had magic Mary’s on my previous bike, but,I got the Albert gravity and trail casing for my Levo and instantly regretted them. For me, they just felt so draggy no matter how much additional pressure I put into them.

 

[Jor4s]

same, I’ve always had magic Mary’s on my previous bike, but,I got the Albert gravity and trail casing for my Levo and instantly regretted them. For me, they just felt so draggy no matter how much additional pressure I put into them.

I wouldn’t say they felt draggy, they just felt weird and like I could fold them on corners.

The trails I ride suit an aggressive tread it’s just the make up of these tyres I think.

They actually felt grippy but the feel was weird.

 

[Mister cube]

You can get almost a half kg off that bike with a tire swap! Those are heavy shoes.

Half a k? Is it really worth it?
just get on it and ride it.

 

[cykelk]

I wouldn’t say they felt draggy, they just felt weird and like I could fold them on corners.

The trails I ride suit an aggressive tread it’s just the make up of these tyres I think.

They actually felt grippy but the feel was weird.

I ended up only 2-3psi higher than other tires personally, but the feel of the tires did take some getting used to / learning to trust. I got way too much deflection at 5+ psi higher. That said, I've only been riding them in PNW winter, which are conditions that I think they're well suited to. As mentioned before I don't like the MM so much as a rear, the Albert is better.