New Santa Cruz model

It's a nice bike, but it's competing directly against the Orbea rise LT and the AMflow. I'm not saying those bikes are better, SC make nice frames, but the stats (power battery weight) and builds are so much nicer elsewhere for lower budgets. Not really sure how they market this...
 
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Rando_12345 said:
It's a nice bike, but it's competing directly against the Orbea rise LT and the AMflow. I'm not saying those bikes are better, SC make nice frames, but the stats (power battery weight) and builds are so much nicer elsewhere for lower budgets. Not really sure how they market this...
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... market it as a badge engineered bijou product.
 
Dax said:
Discounts.
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Just to say, what would be the expected discount you would wish for? versus waiting full price for a silent version?

I mean yeah you can spare money but during all ride you will hear the noise and think: damn I could have wait, I could have spare some money.

Unless you have not already a bike I do not think this is so wise to go with gen4, but -50% I would think twice.
 
whitymon said:
Just to say, what would be the expected discount you would wish for? versus waiting full price for a silent version?

I mean yeah you can spare money but during all ride you will hear the noise and think: damn I could have wait, I could have spare some money.

Unless you have not already a bike I do not think this is so wise to go with gen4, but -50% I would think twice.
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Old models need to be ~50%. I was looking at a shuttle am that was close to that and was very tempted.

Agree about the noise, that’s my biggest issue with my KSL. I find it mildly amusing Bosch has finally managed to make a motor as quiet as the brose in my 2018 Kenevo
 
ShapeThings said:
Not sure if it technically replaces the Heckler SL, but no idea why you would buy that over the Vala aside from aesthetics. Couple pounds more, same travel, same price, full power, range extender that is actually available to buy. Edit: more battery too
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I have a Heckler SL X0 RSV on order (with a reasonable discount). Loved the way it rode during the test and preferred it to the Whyte e-lyte 150 and also preferred the Fazua motor over sx. In terms of handling the SL was super playful, fun and poppy and it was these attributes (essentially response to rider inputs) which made me order one to replace my 2020 Whyte e150rs. I think the extra couple of kg is enough for me to stick with it over the Vala, although Fazua reliability is a concern.
 
Dax said:
I kinda see the logic, vpp pedalling performance is less critical on an e-bike, but it seems like SC is pandering to the internet whingers who get really angry about seat post insertion despite having never touched the bike. Without the classic SC look, it looks like every other bike.

Remind me why I wouldn’t save 30% and buy an intense?
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I haven’t seen an intense(yet) that hasn’t looked like hot garbage. Nothing is appealing to me about a DT that’s as round as the size of your thigh.
 
Chicane said:
I haven’t seen an intense(yet) that hasn’t looked like hot garbage. Nothing is appealing to me about a DT that’s as round as the size of your thigh.
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The Tazor Alloy isn’t horrific:
IMG_8205.jpeg
 
Dax said:
Old models need to be ~50%. I was looking at a shuttle am that was close to that and was very tempted.

Agree about the noise, that’s my biggest issue with my KSL. I find it mildly amusing Bosch has finally managed to make a motor as quiet as the brose in my 2018 Kenevo
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The prob is that with Brose motor (I think it is as all specialized right?), you were dropping reliability versus noise. Countless people are on their 3rd or more brose. It is better since 2023 but come on, even their whole design is also pretty bad against water. Let's not talk about the parts that are not replaceable and can break like the planetary.

Sure some people can have some luck, but where I live, rain, water, mud it makes no sense to gamble, and past warranty ...

But agree the belt is cool, totally dropped by Brose in their next version so (for these reasons and others).
 
whitymon said:
The prob is that with Brose motor (I think it is as all specialized right?), you were dropping reliability versus noise. Countless people are on their 3rd or more brose. It is better since 2023 but come on, even their whole design is also pretty bad against water. Let's not talk about the parts that are not replaceable and can break like the planetary.
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Sure, but that’s what warranty’s are for. I’m personally ok with 2 motors in 6 years that mine has done, over about 4000 miles in FoD mud. I’m assuming any bike I buy will do a motor every 18-24 months.

whitymon said:
This is a really weird shock attachment, no expert but wonder how if it works correctly.

No offense but the cables from bottom tube to triangle looks like pure garbage, why are they swimming in the air lol.
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I hadn’t spotted the cables 😂 Were they designed by a child? At least it doesn’t have a beer belly like the carbon version.

Arguably a horizontal shock makes more sense for activation than vertical. Doesn’t have to rotate the force an extra 90 degrees.
 
whitymon said:
The prob is that with Brose motor (I think it is as all specialized right?), you were dropping reliability versus noise. Countless people are on their 3rd or more brose. It is better since 2023 but come on, even their whole design is also pretty bad against water. Let's not talk about the parts that are not replaceable and can break like the planetary.

Sure some people can have some luck, but where I live, rain, water, mud it makes no sense to gamble, and past warranty ...

But agree the belt is cool, totally dropped by Brose in their next version so (for these reasons and others).
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According to Bearing man in the EMBN interview there is nothing that can be not fixed/replaced on the brose motor including the planetary gears. At least it does give some peace of mind when my warranty runs out in 2026 if the motor goes it can be repaired.
 
Chicane said:
Ahh. Much nicer than the porky carbon model, but I wouldn’t expect the weight to be back friendly. I looked up the weight and it broke my L6 and L7.
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Hopefully the new intense with the Bosch gen 5 manages to retain the svelte DT from the alloy and shave a bunch of weight, and come in more sensibly price than the Vala. And maybe even retain the VPP
 
whitymon said:
But would you buy a previous gen4 as the gen5 is out?

People can argue this is worth or not but no rattle is not something I would say nothing.

As for other brands, I would instabuy a Commencal power sx with this new gen, this was really what stopped me - and the fact that the frame is a bit old now.
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Never, I have gen4 Bosch on my commuter. I wanted Shimano EP801 since this time Specialized didn`t have suitable model. And Bullit was on huge sale. Ep801 is silent, no rattle and Bosch rattles. I like ride feel and power/torgue of Shimano. It`s not perfect motor but I like it. There`s no mountains here so it`s single track riding and smallish lift assisted bike parks for me. And I ride it mainly on trail mode, deepest stuff on boost but my trail mode is set somewhere 60/70% so there`s enough power there for almost every situation. It`s funny that there`s no display on new Vala because I took mine also away 😀
I understand if people ride on turbo/boost all the time, then Shimano cut off on power might be annoying. On Spesh and Bosch you just keep pedalling and it feels good.
 
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There were some stupidly cheap lease deals available last year.
 
In France you can get them second hand with barely any mileage for 40k, and I expect to keep falling as the updated model with better range and lower price starts selling... It's a shame it has no competition except for french vans with f- all range
 
Over £6.5k and it comes with NX... :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
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Doomanic said:
Over £6.5k and it comes with NX... :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
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If you buy a Santa Cruz you need to go for the S kit at the bare minimum to have a somewhat ready to ride build with no upgrades required, but you're still getting poor value versus the competition.

I feel like the Vala will be harder to sell for Santa Cruz considering it's not VPP, limited to the 600wh and very expensive as per usual SC price structure.

2025 Trek Rail+ builds are a much better value and you get the 800wh on top.
 
Redlemon said:
If you buy a Santa Cruz you need to go for the S kit at the bare minimum to have a somewhat ready to ride build with no upgrades required, but you're still getting poor value versus the competition.

I feel like the Vala will be harder to sell for Santa Cruz considering it's not VPP, limited to the 600wh and very expensive as per usual SC price structure.

2025 Trek Rail+ builds are a much better value and you get the 800wh on top.
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Agreed in principle but having had both brands in the last 4 years, Treks build quality doesn’t come close to a Santa Cruz.
 
does anyone think there will be a new bullet using the same motor/battery set up?
 
I’m sorry but the new rail is way more attractive than this new sc. They are both mullets, but the rail gives you the option of the 600 or 800wh batteries. The rail is also 160/160mm travel ( as opposed to 160/150mm)with the frame’s ability to mount a 180mm fork. I also prefer alloy frames because I am tired of stone strikes braking my frame.
 
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