[[{“value”:”
The Santa Cruz Vala only arrived last year, but already the range is beginning to spread out a little.
And that’s a good thing. The original Vala was a pretty significant bike for Santa Cruz. It was the brand’s first full-powered e-MTB to use a Bosch motor, and it also marked a move away from the company’s long-running VPP suspension layout.
With the Bosch Performance Line CX motor taking up a lot of space around the bottom bracket, Santa Cruz developed a new four-bar suspension platform for the Vala. The goal was to keep the handling, support and durability that Santa Cruz is known for, while packaging a proper full-power motor and battery system.
When we reviewed the Vala last year, Wil described it as one of the best e-MTBs we’ve ever tested. Big call, but the bike backed it up with excellent suspension performance, intuitive handling and a very refined Bosch CX motor.
This new Vala Lite is quite interesting. It isn’t a new frame, motor or battery package. Instead, it takes the same Vala chassis and swaps in a lighter build kit.
As the name suggests, the Vala Lite isn’t a low-powered e-MTB. It is still a full-powered Bosch-equipped Vala with 150mm of rear travel, a 160mm fork and mullet wheels. It also shares the same geometry as the regular Vala. The difference is in the spec.
Santa Cruz has swapped in a Fox 36 fork, EXO+ rear tyre casing, lighter cranks and a carbon handlebar. According to Santa Cruz, those changes save around 1.5-2.5lb compared to the regular Vala builds.
The idea is to bridge the gap between the lightweight Heckler SL and the burlier full-powered Vala. It’s still a proper e-MTB, but it’s aimed at riders who don’t necessarily need the toughest enduro-focused build kit.
Santa Cruz Vala Lite Overview
The Santa Cruz Vala Lite is built around the same 150mm travel carbon Vala chassis, using a full-power Bosch Performance Line CX motor and a 600Wh internal battery. The frame is mullet-only, with a 29in front wheel and 27.5in rear wheel, and it is designed around a 160mm travel fork.
You still get the Bosch Smart System, a 600Wh PowerTube battery, wireless mode control, and compatibility with the 250Wh Bosch PowerMore range extender. Santa Cruz claims the 600Wh battery is over 1kg lighter than the larger 800Wh unit, while also allowing for a smaller and more compact downtube.
The Bosch Performance Line CX motor delivers 85Nm of torque and up to 600W of peak power as standard. Bosch has also released a software update that lifts the Gen 5 CX motor to 100Nm of torque and up to 750W of peak power.
That gives Santa Cruz three clear options within the Vala family;
- Vala Lite | 150/160mm travel, Bosch CX motor, 600Wh battery, lighter trail-focused build kit
- Vala | 150/160mm travel, Bosch CX motor, 600Wh battery, burlier build kit with Fox 38, DoubleDown rear tyre and HD wheels
- Vala AL | 150/160mm travel, Bosch CX motor, 600Wh battery, alloy frame and more approachable price points
A lighter full-power e-MTB
The Vala Lite arrives at an interesting time. We’ve recently seen Specialized take a similar approach with the Levo R, which uses a shorter travel 140/130mm frame, 29in wheels, and the same 3.1 motor and 840Wh battery as the bigger Levo 4.
It doesn’t get a new frame or shorter travel. It keeps the same 150mm travel Vala frame, 160mm fork and mullet wheel setup, then trims weight through the build kit.
The Vala Lite has more rear travel than the Levo R, a bigger fork and shock, and a mixed-wheel chassis. It also keeps the full-power Bosch CX motor.
The trade-off is the battery. The Vala Lite uses a fixed 600Wh Bosch PowerTube battery, while the Levo R uses Specialized’s removable 840Wh battery. For riders who want maximum range or the ability to remove the battery, that will matter. For riders who are more focused on weight and handling, the smaller Bosch battery makes sense.
Why a Vala Lite?
The regular Vala is a properly capable full-powered e-MTB. It has 150mm of rear travel, a 160mm fork, mullet wheels, a Bosch CX motor and a 600Wh battery. In the burlier builds, it also comes with a Fox 38 fork, DoubleDown rear tyre casing and heavy-duty Reserve wheels.
That spec makes sense for riders who are going hard on steep, rough terrain. But not every Vala rider needs a Fox 38 and DoubleDown rear tyre.
The Vala Lite pares things back a wee bit. The Fox 36 fork, EXO+ rear tyre, lighter cranks and carbon bar are designed to save weight and give the bike a slightly lighter feel on the trail.
In other words, this isn’t Santa Cruz trying to make a Heckler SL replacement. It’s more like the brand has taken the standard Vala and asked: how much bike do most riders actually need?
Why the lighter spec could make sense
One of the more interesting things from our Vala review was that the bike’s chassis and rear suspension didn’t leave us wanting for support or composure. In fact, it was the Fox 38 fork that required the most fiddling, with Wil eventually dropping pressure and removing volume spacers to find a smoother and better-balanced setup for his local rocky trails.
The regular Vala’s Fox 38, tougher rear tyre casing and big brakes make sense for aggressive riders who are pushing hard on steep and rough terrain. But for riders spending more time on technical singletrack, flow trails and longer everyday loops, the Fox 36 and EXO+ rear tyre on the Vala Lite could be a better match.
As Wil puts it, the Vala Lite is a cool option to have. The Fox 36 has a strong reputation, and for a lot of riders it’ll be enough. It gets the total weight close to 20kg, but keeps the full-power Bosch CX motor.
Same Bosch motor, same 600Wh battery
All Vala Lite models use the Bosch Performance Line CX drive unit, which produces 85Nm of torque and up to 600W of peak power as standard. Bosch has also released a software update that allows the Gen 5 CX motor to be boosted to 100Nm of torque and 750W of peak power, along with a new eMTB+ mode.
We’ve spent a lot of time on the Bosch CX Gen 5 motor, and it remains one of the best e-MTB systems going. It’s quieter than the previous generation, the power delivery is smooth, and it responds well to softer pedalling inputs when you’re trying to manage traction on technical climbs.
The Bosch Flow app also gives riders a lot of control over the motor feel, with adjustable assistance, dynamic response, torque and power settings. In our experience, eMTB and eMTB+ are likely to be the go-to modes for most trail riding.
The 600Wh battery is fixed inside the downtube rather than being removable. Santa Cruz says this helps to reduce weight, improve chassis strength and avoid rattles. There is also provision for the 250Wh Bosch PowerMore range extender, which gives the Vala Lite a total potential capacity of 850Wh.
In our own testing of the regular Vala, the 600Wh battery proved more useful than its capacity might suggest. Wil was able to ride over 50km and climb 1,400m while mostly using Bosch’s eMTB mode. In our standardised Turbo range test, the Vala achieved 1,767m of elevation gain, though that was carried out before Bosch released the 100Nm/750W software update.
The non-removable battery still won’t suit everyone. But the upside is a slimmer downtube, lower weight and a more centralised feel on the trail.
Related Reading
If you’re keen to go deeper on the Bosch system used in the Vala Lite, we’ve covered the Gen 5 CX motor, the latest software updates, Bosch’s eBike Flow app and battery care in more detail here;
- Bosch CX Gen 5 Motor Review | Silenced & Supercharged
- First Look | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 Software Updates
- Stats With Latz | Firmware Updates, New Motors & Auto Shifting, What Has Bosch Been Up To?
- Bosch PowerTube Battery Care | How To Get The Most Out Of Every Charge
- Bosch eBike Flow App Trick Check
Four-bar suspension, not VPP
As with the standard Vala, the Lite uses a four-bar suspension layout rather than Santa Cruz’s familiar VPP design.
That is largely down to packaging. Santa Cruz says it was a challenge to fit a large full-power motor in the same area where the lower VPP pivots would normally sit. Rather than compromise the motor position, battery packaging or suspension behaviour, the brand developed a new four-bar system for the Vala.
The result is a 150mm travel frame with a 205x60mm shock, giving Santa Cruz room to use a longer-stroke shock than on the Heckler and Heckler SL. According to Santa Cruz, that longer shock improves damping quality and consistency on long descents.
There are two independent flip chips built into the frame. One adjusts the geometry, while the other adjusts suspension progression. The geometry chip changes the bottom bracket height by 4mm and the head angle by 0.3°, while the progression chip changes the leverage curve from 26-29% progression.
That means riders can adjust the geometry without changing the suspension progression, or vice versa.
Geometry & Size Chart
The Santa Cruz Vala Lite is available in five sizes from Small through to XXL. It uses size-specific rear centres, with the chainstay length growing from 439mm on the Small to 450mm on the XXL in the High geometry setting.
In the High setting, the Vala has a 64.2° head angle, 77.5° effective seat tube angle and 344mm bottom bracket height. Reach numbers sit at 435mm for the Small, 460mm for the Medium, 480mm for the Large, 500mm for the XL and 525mm for the XXL.
Switching to the Low setting slackens the head angle to 63.9°, drops the bottom bracket to 340mm and shortens the reach slightly. On the Large, for example, reach reduces from 480mm to 477mm.
Santa Cruz Vala Lite Price & Availability
There will be two Vala Lite models coming to Australia, expected in June;
- Santa Cruz Vala C XT Di2 Lite RSV | $15,499 AUD
- Santa Cruz Vala CC XX AXS Lite RSV | $18,499 AUD
The top-tier Lite model uses a CC carbon frame, SRAM XX Transmission, Maven Ultimate Carbon brakes, DT Swiss 240 hubs and Reserve 30|HD carbon rims. The XT Di2 Lite RSV model steps to a C carbon frame, Shimano XT Di2 drivetrain, Shimano XT brakes, DT Swiss 350 hubs and the same Reserve carbon rims.
Santa Cruz Vala CC XX AXS Lite RSV
- Frame | Carbon CC, MX Wheels, 150mm Travel, Four-Bar Suspension
- Fork | Fox 36 Float Factory, Grip X2 Damper, 160mm Travel
- Shock | Fox Float X Factory, 205x60mm
- Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX BDU38
- Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600Wh
- Wheels | DT Swiss 240 Hubs & Reserve 30|HD Carbon Rims
- Tyres | Maxxis Assegai 29×2.5in 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ Front & Maxxis Minion DHRII 27.5×2.5in 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM XX Eagle AXS T-Type 1×12 w/10-52T Cassette
- Brakes | SRAM Maven Ultimate Carbon 4-Piston, 200mm Rotors
- Crankset | e*thirteen Helix Race Carbon e*spec, 160mm
- Handlebar | OneUp Carbon Bar, 35mm Clamp, 760mm/20mm Rise Small, 800mm/35mm Rise Medium-XXL
- Stem | Industry Nine A35, 40mm Length
- Seatpost | OneUp Dropper Post, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 120mm Small, 180mm Medium, 210mm Large, 240mm XL-XXL
- Saddle | WTB Silverado Medium Fusion, Stainless Rails
- Colours | Gloss Slate Blue or Matte Carbon Gold Sparkle
- Claimed Weight | 20.64kg
- Price | $18,499 AUD
Santa Cruz Vala C XT Di2 Lite RSV
- Frame | Carbon C, MX Wheels, 150mm Travel, Four-Bar Suspension
- Fork | Fox 36 Float Factory, Grip X2 Damper, 160mm Travel
- Shock | Fox Float X Factory, 205x60mm
- Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX BDU38
- Battery | Bosch PowerTube 600Wh
- Wheels | DT Swiss 350 Hubs & Reserve 30|HD Carbon Rims
- Tyres | Maxxis Assegai 29×2.5in 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ Front & Maxxis Minion DHRII 27.5×2.5in 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano Deore XT Di2 M8260 1×12 w/10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano XT M8220 4-Piston, 200mm Rotors
- Crankset | e*thirteen Helix Race Alloy e*spec, 160mm
- Handlebar | OneUp Carbon Bar, 35mm Clamp, 760mm/20mm Rise Small, 800mm/35mm Rise Medium-XXL
- Stem | Santa Cruz CNC, 40mm Length
- Seatpost | OneUp Dropper Post, 31.6mm Diameter, Travel: 120mm Small, 180mm Medium, 210mm Large, 240mm XL-XXL
- Saddle | WTB Silverado Medium Fusion, CroMo SL Rails
- Colours | Gloss Slate Blue or Matte Carbon Gold Sparkle
- Claimed Weight | 20.87kg
- Price | $15,499 AUD
How does the Vala Lite compare to the regular Vala and Vala AL?
The easiest way to look at it is that the Vala Lite keeps the same frame, travel, Bosch motor and 600Wh battery, while trimming weight through the spec.
Compared to the regular Vala C XT Di2 RSV, the Vala C XT Di2 Lite RSV swaps the Fox 38 fork for a Fox 36, uses an EXO+ rear tyre instead of DoubleDown, and runs Shimano XT brakes rather than SRAM Maven Silver. The Lite build also keeps the Reserve 30|HD carbon wheelset and DT Swiss 350 hubs, so it is not exactly a flimsy trail bike build.
The regular Vala remains the tougher option for riders who are harder on equipment. It gets the bigger Fox 38 fork, DoubleDown rear tyre casing and burlier intent. The Vala Lite is more of a lighter-footed alternative for riders who like the Vala platform but don’t need to turn every descent into a stage race.
Handling over outright numbers and big batteries
The Vala Lite also arrives at a time when there’s a lot of focus on big motor outputs and bigger batteries. DJI’s Avinox system has certainly pushed that conversation along, and there’s no doubt that extra power will appeal to a lot of riders.
But more power and more battery isn’t always better. Bigger batteries add weight and bulk, and at some point that starts to affect how the bike feels on the trail.
That’s where the Vala Lite could make sense. It uses a full-power Bosch CX motor, a 600Wh battery, mullet wheels and 150/160mm of travel. None of those numbers are outrageous, but as a package it looks like a very sensible recipe.
It should suit riders who still care about handling. Riders who want proper motor support, but don’t necessarily want the biggest battery, the most power or the burliest spec possible. The Fox 36, EXO+ rear tyre and lighter build kit all point towards a bike that should feel a little more responsive than the regular Vala.
Range still matters, of course. And plenty of riders will still want the biggest battery they can get. But the Vala Lite is a reminder that ride feel matters too.
Flow’s Take
The Vala Lite feels like a smart addition to the range; it’s not a huge story, but it’s worth writing about.
We’ve recently seen Specialized push a similar idea with the Levo R. That bike keeps the full-power motor and big battery from the Levo 4, but wraps it in a shorter-travel, 29er-only chassis that’s lighter and more trail-focused than the regular Levo.
It doesn’t get a new frame or shorter travel. Instead, it keeps the regular Vala’s 150mm travel chassis, 160mm fork, mullet wheels and Bosch CX motor, then trims weight through the spec.
The comparison with the Levo R is interesting. The Vala Lite has more travel, a bigger fork and shock, and a mullet-specific layout. The Levo R still has the advantage of a much larger removable 840Wh battery, while the Vala Lite uses a fixed 600Wh battery with compatibility for the 250Wh Bosch PowerMore range extender.
For riders who want maximum battery capacity, the Levo R will have the edge. For riders who want the toughest Vala for rough terrain, the regular Vala still makes more sense.
But for riders who want a full-power e-MTB with a lighter trail-focused build, more travel than the Levo R and a handling-first attitude, the Vala Lite makes a lot of sense.
It also sits neatly between the Heckler SL and the standard Vala. More motor and battery than the Heckler SL, less weight and a lighter spec than the regular Vala. For a lot of riders, that could be the sweet spot.
The post First Look | Santa Cruz trims down the Vala with a new full-power Vala Lite appeared first on Flow Mountain Bike.
“}]]
[[{“value”:”The Santa Cruz Vala only arrived last year, but already the range is beginning to spread out a little. And that’s a good thing. The original Vala was a pretty significant bike for Santa Cruz. It was the brand’s first full-powered e-MTB to use a Bosch motor, and it also marked a move away from
The post First Look | Santa Cruz trims down the Vala with a new full-power Vala Lite appeared first on Flow Mountain Bike.”}]] Read More Flow Mountain Bike
#flowmtb #mtb