Santa Cruz Vala – the biggest U-turn in mountain biking! The MBR Show

Santa Cruz is no stranger to making huge U-turns. It said it would never make an e-bike, then it came out with the Heckler. And now, after nailing its colours to the VPP suspension mast, it has launched a bike with an FSR-style four-bar linkage.

But this should come as no surprise. Earlier this year we made a video predicting that all e-bikes would end up looking the same. And in that video we specifically singled out the way Santa Cruz's VPP design restricted its ability to package the motor and optimise the weight distribution. And while Santa Cruz hasn't gone full Specialized with the new Vala (it's more Trek Rail than Turbo Levo) it's still a massive departure for the Californian brand.

And ultimately we think it's a really good move. Not only because it means the bikes can be better, but because it shows Santa Cruz is not tied to a design just because of its history. In fact we think more brands should have the courage to stray our of their lanes and try new designs that work better for today's technology.

The Vala itself is a cool looking bike, with a 160mm fork, 150mm rear travel, MX wheels and five frame sizes. It comes with the latest Bosch Performance CX motor with 85Nm of torque and 600W peak power, mated to the new, lightweight 600Wh battery. This is enclosed in the down tube and non-removable, but compatible with the PowerMore 250Wh range extender for longer rides. Which should mean you get the most agile bike possible for short laps, and only lug the extra weight around when you really need it.

We've ridden the bike out on the trails around Santa Cruz's HQ, and you can read our first ride review here: https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/electri...

Let us know in the comments what you think of Santa Cruz's decision to move away from VPP.

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