Descending
76
Slack 63.9° head angle, 150mm travel and a long 1269mm wheelbase — composed in the chunk, confident when it gets steep, and stable through fast corners.
Santa Cruz
Vala AL 2027
Current✎Full Power · Trail🔥 Hot · 9.2/10iFreshness 9.2/10
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
Travel F/R
160/150mm
Wheels
MX (29F / 27.5R)✎
Frame
Aluminium✎
Weight
—
Price
From £4,899
From £4,899
Geometry read
What the numbers mean on the trail
Computed from this bike's geometry, spec and build kit — reach, wheelbase, chainstay, head and seat angles, travel, motor, weight and the fork/tyre/brake spec — and worked out per size, because a fixed chainstay can make an S and an XL feel very different.
Size
Setting
Playfulness
55
A fair bit of pop, but happiest on flowing trail rather than trials moves.
Size balance
82
Balanced front-to-rear in L (FC:RC 1.86) — weight sits evenly between the wheels.
Technical climbing
72
Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 and a steep 77.2° seat angle keep the weight planted over the front — a proper winch. 750W of peak power and 120Nm of torque — among the most powerful e-bike motors made.
Strong up and composed down — a do-it-all, not a specialist.
The numbers are well balanced for its category.
How it stacks up vs other Full Power · Trail bikes (from 223 bikes in the database)
Battery600 Wh106 Wh below average
Motor torque120 Nm21 Nm above average
Value for money50/100from £4,899 · most Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 bikes ~£4,899
⚙️ Adjustable geometry: this frame has a high/low setting — low drops the BB and slackens the head angle for more descending stability; high lifts the BB and steepens slightly for clearance and a perkier, more playful feel.
Computed from geometry + spec, not a paid review. Scores are guidance, not gospel.
💬 Forum discussion
Santa Cruz Vala
862 replies · 206.3k views · last reply today
Join the discussion →
“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”
— Davidh218 · ♥ 14 · most-liked post
OWNERS’ REPORT
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
Flip-chip positiongeometry changes with the chip
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toptube | 574 mm | 602 mm | 623 mm | 646 mm |
| Reach | 435 mm | 459 mm | 480 mm | 500 mm |
| Stack | 623 mm | 633 mm | 641 mm | 654 mm |
| Seattube | 380 mm | 400 mm | 420 mm | 460 mm |
| Chainstay | 439 mm | 440 mm | 443 mm | 446 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 64.2° | 64.2° | 64.2° | 64.2° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 77.2° | 77.2° | 77.2° | 77.2° |
| Wheelbase | 1211 mm | 1242 mm | 1269 mm | 1298 mm |
| Headtube | 110 mm | 120 mm | 130 mm | 145 mm |
| BB Height | 344 mm | 344 mm | 344 mm | 344 mm |
| Front Centre | 771 mm | 801 mm | 825 mm | 851 mm |
| FC:RC | 1.76 | 1.82 | 1.86 | 1.91 |
Trims · 2
Deore £4,899 | 70 £5,599 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 · 120 Nm · all trims | |
| Battery | 600 Wh · all trims | |
| Travel F/R | 160/150 mm · all trims | |
| Frame | Aluminium · all trims | |
| Fork | RockShox Psylo Gold RC, 160mm | RockShox Zeb Base, 160mm |
| Shock | RockShox Deluxe Select, 205x60 | RockShox Super Deluxe Base, 205x60 |
| Headset | FSA IS-2 No.42/ACB · all trims | |
| Stem | OneUp Enduro Stem, 42mm · all trims | |
| Handlebar | Santa Cruz Aluminum Bar, 35x800, 30mm rise · all trims | |
| Grips | Santa Cruz House · all trims | |
| Saddle | WTB Silverado · all trims | |
| Seatpost | SDG Tellis Dropper, 31.6 · all trims | |
| Brakes | Shimano Deore M6120 | SRAM DB8 |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Deore M6100 SGS, 12spd | SRAM 70 Eagle T-Type, 12spd |
| Crank | e*thirteen Helix e*spec, 160mm · all trims | |
| Shifters | Shimano Deore SL-M6100 Rapidfire+ | SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission shifter (single-click) |
| Cassette | Shimano Deore M6100, 10-51t | SRAM XS-1270 Eagle T-Type, 10-52t |
| Chain | Shimano Deore M6100, 12spd | SRAM 70 Eagle T-Type Flattop, 12spd |
| Drivetrain | Shimano Deore M6100 | SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission (cable) |
| Wheels | WTB ST Tough 30 | Reserve 30|HD AL |
| Tyres | Front: Maxxis Assegai 29"x2.5" EXO+ / Rear: Maxxis Minion DHRII 27.5"x2.5" DoubleDown | Front: Maxxis Assegai 29"x2.5" 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ / Rear: Maxxis Minion DHRII 27.5"x2.5" 3C MaxxTerra DoubleDown |
| Price | £4,899 | £5,599 |
Rides similarly
Other eMTBs with the closest geometry to this one.
Spot a mistake?
Suggest a correction. We review every submission before publishing.