New Santa Cruz Vala on test – Doesn’t look like a Santa!

With the Santa Cruz Vala, the Californian bike manufacturer unveils its first eMTB with a Bosch motor. It comes equipped with a brand new Bosch Performance Line CX motor, 600 Wh battery, relying on a mullet wheel setup and 160/150 mm of travel to deliver Santa Cruz’s renowned ride qualities. With its fresh look and new rear suspension concept, the Vala brings a breeze of fresh air into Santa Cruz’s e-bike portfolio. But how does it fare on the trail?

No revamp, no overhaul! With the Vala, Santa Cruz introduce a brand-new full-power e-MTB all-rounder. It comes equipped with the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor and a permanently integrated 600 Wh battery, filling the gap between Santa Cruz’s other two full-power eMTBs, the Bullit and Heckler with its 160/150 mm of travel. Like all of Santa Cruz’s eMTBs, the Vala relies on a mullet wheel setup with a big 29″ wheel at the front and a smaller 27.5″ wheel at the rear to strike the perfect balance between composure and agility. Our Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV test bike retails from €11,499, tipping the scales at 21.5 kg in size L. Its distinct design marks a departure from the classic Santa Cruz aesthetic. Why have Santa Cruz abandoned the VPP rear suspension for the Vala, and how does the bike perform on the trail?

What makes the new Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV special?

Looks… like a Santa Cruz? Actually, it doesn’t! While most full-suspension bikes of the Californian brand rely on the unmistakable VPP rear suspension system (the manufacturer’s hallmark), their new full-power eMTB, the Vala, breaks tradition. Whether it’s a trail bike like the Hightower, an enduro bike like the Megatower, or eMTBs like the Heckler SL and Bullit – all are distinctly recognisable as a Santa Cruz with their signature twin-link rear suspension.

The Vala takes a completely new approach: the classic VPP suspension gives way to a four-bar Horst-Link design. Why this change? Integrating the large Bosch motor into the existing VPP design proved too complex to transfer the latest suspension optimizations from regular mountain bikes to the Vala. Therefore, Santa Cruz’s engineers opted for a Horst-Link rear suspension design, which gave them more freedom with the frame design and suspension kinematics in order to achieve the best ride feel possible.

The new Bosch Performance Line CX motor is neatly integrated into the Vala’s bottom bracket area, though it appears slightly perched from below and not as deeply embedded in the frame as on the Bullit. The motor draws its power from a permanently integrated 600 Wh Bosch PowerTube battery, which can be charged via a charging port in front of the bottom bracket. Santa Cruz forgo the bigger 800 Wh battery, but allow you to expand the capacity with Bosch’s optional PowerMore Range Extender Smart System consisting of a 250 Wh range extender and a matching holder. The latter can be attached to the bottle cage mount on the topside of the downtube, meaning that you’ll have to carry a hip pack or backpack for your water if you use the range extender. Additionally, there are two more mounting points on the underside of the downtube, which can be used to secure a tool strap.

The motor system is paired with a wireless Bosch Mini Remote on the handlebars, while a neatly integrated Bosch System Controller in the top tube shows the battery charge status and current support mode in various colors. Shifting is taken care of by an electronic, wireless SRAM Eagle AXS Transmission drivetrain, which relies on a direct-mount rear derailleur and ensures precise shifting even under load. SRAM Maven brakes with big 200 mm rotors front and rear provide powerful, reliable deceleration.

The OneUp V3 dropper post, with a generous 210 mm of travel in size L, completes the Vala X0 AXS RSV package. The bike rolls on Santa Cruz’s in-house Reserve mullet wheelset, combining a Reserve 30 HD carbon rim at the front and a wider Reserve 31 DH rim at the rear, both laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs. Schwalbe Magic Mary tires with soft Ultra Soft compound and Super Trail casing at the front and the more robust Super Gravity casing and harder Soft compound at the rear protect the rims. A FOX Float X Factory shock handles 150 mm of rear travel, while a 160 mm FOX 38 Factory fork with the new Grip X2 damper smooths out rough trails. Both suspension components deliver excellent trail performance and offer a multitude of adjustment options. Top-notch!

The geometry of the new Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV

The new Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV is available in five sizes, SM to XXL. The geometry can be adjusted using a flip chip in the upper shock mount, which lowers the bottom bracket from 344 mm to 340 mm and slackens the head angle from 64.2° to 63.9° in size L.

A second flip chip in the lower shock mount allows you to adjust the rear suspension’s progression from 26% to 29% without altering the geometry. In the High setting, progression is 26%, focusing on suspension responsiveness. In the Low setting, progression increases to 29%, giving more control with hard impacts.

The geometry of the Santa Cruz Vala is well-balanced. Our test bike in size L has 480 mm reach in the High setting and 477 mm in the Low setting. Chainstay length is 433 mm and grows with the frame size. Moreover, you can extend the chainstay length by 1 mm by switching the flip chip from high to low.

The geometry of the new Santa Cruz Vala 2025 in the low setting

Size	SM	MD	LG	XL	XXL
Seat tube (mm)	380	400	420	460	500
Top tube (mm)	574	602	623	646	675
Head tube (mm)	110	120	130	150	160
Head angle (deg)	63.9°	63.9°	63.9°	63.9°	63.9°
Seat angle (deg)	77.2°	77.2°	77.2°	77.2°	77.2°
Chainstay (mm)	440	441	444	447	451
BB drop (mm)	32	32	32	32	32
Wheelbase (mm)	1211	1242	1269	1298	1334
Reach (mm)	432	456	477	497	522
Stack (mm)	626	636	644	657	671

More spec variants of the Santa Cruz Vala

The Santa Cruz Vala comes in five spec variants: R, S, GX AXS, X0 AXS RSV, and the XX AXS RSV model. The main difference between the models lies in the frame. While the two base versions rely on Santa Cruz’s C-Carbon frame, the premium models feature the lighter CC-Carbon version, which uses a larger proportion of higher strength fibres, ensuring the same stiffness at a significantly lower weight.

Suspension setups vary too: the R model comes equipped with a RockShox ZEB Base fork, while from the S version onward, Santa Cruz use a Fox 38 fork (Performance, Elite, or Factory) fork. For the shock, Santa Cruz rely on different models, from a Fox Float X Performance on the R spec to Elite and Factory shocks for the top-tier spec variants. SRAM supply the drivetrains, from a basic , cable-operated SRAM NX Eagle on the R spec variant, all the way up to the top-tier, wireless SRAM XX Eagle AXS Transmission of the XX AXS RSV model. While the R and S versions roll on a RaceFace wheelset, the RSV models boast Reserve carbon rims and DT350 or i9 Hydra hubs.

Prices start at € 7,499 for the R model, followed by the € 8,499 S model and € 9,799 GX AXS variant. The XX AXS RSV flagship model retails at € 12,999. All versions are available in Midnight Green and Gloss Grey paint finishes.

How does the Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV fare on the trail?

Santa Cruz invited us to their headquarters in sunny California to test the new Vala in its natural habitat. After a brief and exciting behind-the-scenes, we hit the trails together with Steve Peat and Jackson Goldstone.

When you swing your leg over the saddle and start pedalling, the Santa Cruz Vala XO AXS RSV with the flip chip in the high setting places you in a comfortable, upright pedalling position. On technical climbs, the front wheel remains planted on the ground and follows steering input with great precision, while the predictable handling inspires huge amounts of confidence. The generous bottom bracket height prevents you from smashing the cranks into obstacles, and even with the shock fully open, the rear suspension works efficiently with only marginal pedal bob. Riding uphill, the Bosch Performance Line CX motor delivers powerful assistance and a natural ride feeling. The motor converts pedal input into assistance extremely smoothly, but packs a real punch when you need it. On steep, loose climbs, traction is excellent despite the smaller rear wheel.

Switching the flip chip to the low setting alters the bike’s climbing characteristics slightly. The seat angle becomes marginally slacker but remains comfortably upright. The bottom bracket drops by 4 mm, requiring you to choose your line more carefully, but without it feeling too low. On technical climbs, the bike is more demanding to ride, the front wheel needs more pressure to keep tracking, and the bike doesn’t climb quite as well as it does in the high setting.

When gravity takes over, the Santa Cruz Vala XO AXS RSV shines in the high setting, offering a high level of comfort. The bike hardly needs any familiarisation time and makes you feel at ease from the get go. The Vala is intuitive to ride, making it easy to pull bunny hops and manuals, while the suspension provides excellent small bump sensitivity and plenty of support. With an active riding style, you can generate plenty of speed by pumping through rollers and berms, and the bike encourages you to play with the trail. The Vala follows steering input with great precision without losing stability. In fast corners, the suspension ensures great composure and generates plenty of traction, inspiring huge amounts of confidence in the process.

Switching the flip chip to the low setting slackens the head angle by 0.4 degrees, which makes a noticeable but not dramatic difference. You feel more integrated into the bike, adopting a slightly more aggressive riding position. In fast, rough sections, the low centre of gravity inspires more confidence, but tight corners require slightly more input from the rider. The Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV encourages you to keep the brakes open for a few more seconds and bomb down the trail at mach-10. With the progression flip chip in the shock mount, you can adjust the rear suspension’s end progression. Even in the low setting, bottom-outs are barely noticeable, while the high progression setting makes sense on rough, demanding trails that require you to use the full suspension travel. Here, you get a bit more end progression.

Who should take a closer look at the Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV?

The Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV impresses with intuitive handling, appealing to both beginners and experienced riders. Its agile, playful character makes it particularly attractive for riders looking for maximum trail fun. Santa Cruz fans who already own their playful analogue trail ripper, the Nomad, and are looking for its electric counterpart, will find what they’re looking for in the Vala.

Another advantage of the Vala are the extensive adjustment options of the lip chips, which allow you to fine-tune the bike’s geometry and suspension’s progression to suit your riding style and terrain of choice. However, this requires some technical know-how. If you’re not familiar with it, it may take some time to optimise the bike and unlock its full potential.

Conclusion about the Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV

The Santa Cruz Vala X0 AXS RSV impresses as a versatile all-rounder with strong suspension and high fun factor, making it a great companion for playful trail riding. However, it loses some of the typical Santa Cruz look, and its price represents a high entry barrier.

For more information, visit santacruzbicycles.com

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Words: Benedikt Schmidt Photos: Max Schumann, Santa Cruz