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All New 2026 Santa Cruz Bullit launched
- Thread starter Rob Rides EMTB
- Start date
"Santa Cruz opted for a fixed 600Wh internal battery".
People should have the choice of battery. Mistake IMO, but I won't be a buyer so what I think is irrelevant.
People should have the choice of battery. Mistake IMO, but I won't be a buyer so what I think is irrelevant.
- Thread starter
- #4
Its a tough one. People want a great looking, lighter bike with big range. Bosch's 800Wh battery adds a lot of bulk. There's only 1 system out there that seems to tick all the boxes so far!
Looks like they try to make it lighter to match current trend with Avinox. Why would I pay so much more for a bike that is not anymore VPP and a lower battery if still in the air.
Bike looks very nice, great color, but I don't if it will be sell a lot and do not represent the whole reality. The top tier is using a peculiar carbon version which reduce the weight but for 12k which is not nothing.
The others, more affordable let's say, are really close to 22.5kg, it is just too heavy for 600w to me.
Assuming the cheaper version are going to be the one most sold / accessible for people, it miss the mark to me, like completely.
Bike looks very nice, great color, but I don't if it will be sell a lot and do not represent the whole reality. The top tier is using a peculiar carbon version which reduce the weight but for 12k which is not nothing.
The others, more affordable let's say, are really close to 22.5kg, it is just too heavy for 600w to me.
Assuming the cheaper version are going to be the one most sold / accessible for people, it miss the mark to me, like completely.
xtraman122
Well-known member
I wonder how much lighter the frame can really be. There is only a 1lb difference between the GX and X0 builds, and the X0 build has carbon bars and wheels (Vs Aluminum on the GX) as well as the obvious difference of X0 vs GX drivetrain. Those 3 changes alone must account for a good chunk of the 1lb difference between the 2.
Edit: Just went and tried to find some of the weight differences.
Reserve AL vs Carbon 30HD Wheels: 172g
GX vs X0 Groupset: ~85g? (Had to go through each component, the cranks are oddly actually a few grams heavier on the X0)
Carbon vs Aluminum bars: 112g (I just compared a OneUp set of bars in identical sizes to estimate, not sure if SC lists their exact bar weights)
Total there is 369g, leaving not much of a possible weight savings from the CC vs C frame if it really is only a 1lb (454g) difference between the two
I can't decide how I feel about the color... I really like it in a few pics where the lighting made it look more like a slate blue, but when it sparkles like teal I'm not so sure I'm as much of a fan...
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Feels like another dud. I'll use 2x 700wh on a big bikepark day out.
I could probably live with a smaller fixed battery, but it would have to have fast charging. I don't think bosch offer this?
I could probably live with a smaller fixed battery, but it would have to have fast charging. I don't think bosch offer this?
yorkshire89
E*POWAH Master
Great looking bike and would probably be my next if you could swap the batteries...
Why do you need to swap batteries in a bikepark? Just buy a lift ticket.
yorkshire89
E*POWAH Master
Because in the UK bikeparks are generally sitting on a bus or tractor/trailer being taken up a hill. It's often quicker to pedal up and you have the flexibility to session area's without thinking I need to rush down to get in the uplift queue.
There's also trails that don't head straight down to the pick up point so you might need to do some pedalling anyway.
MTB-WALES
Active member
I’ve got one coming I can charge back to 60 or 70 percent over a lunch break using the 6 amp charger and with a range extender if needed I don’t see any issues with battery but it depends where you ride and if you can charge etc. The efficiency of the Bosch motor makes that extra 200w less significant.
Rando_12345
E*POWAH Master
Non-removable 600Wh batteries are the new headset cable routing.
Everything else about this bike is great.
Everything else about this bike is great.
Rob, how you rate this against the Unno Mith with the DJi motor and 800 watt battery? Both of these bikes are on my shortlist.
- Thread starter
- #14
Honestly I havent ridden both anywhere near enough to comment, but the Unno with 800Wh battery and lighter, with more powerful motor seems like you can (almost) have it all. Non removable battery will not be for everyone.
I actually think that the 4 bar on the new Santa Cruz is brilliant in terms of suspension performance. I really need to try the Unno on my home trails to work out how it performs. I'm also consious that I cant fit a massive dropper on the Unno.
One thing is for sure, I could never have a 600Wh bike, it would just not last me long enough for my personal use case.
That Bullit would almost be perfect if it had a 800Wh removable.
MTB-WALES
Active member
Maybe the biggest consideration you should make is reliability. I spoke to a shop that were a dealer but packed it in as the shop mith bike only did 100 miles in one year due to it consistently failing. It was frame issues rather than motor but the support was lacking in speed… manana
After being a guinea pig for Fazua and Specialized before them personally I have had enough of testing manufacturer’s bikes
Yes, good point. The Bosch and SC both solid with warranty and back up from the dealers
Removal battery doesn't bother me so much, it's just the 600 watt... I will go for a range extender with it but I've just watched your YouTube vid and yes it's a ball ache but again wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. Does look nice but so does that Mith lol
MTB-WALES
Active member
Considering the extra weight of the Bosch powered bike this is quite an interesting real world comparison. Be good to have one when the Bosch goes to 100nm as that will make a difference. It does show though that the extra 200w doesn’t equate to anything like 25% extra range.
yorkshire89
E*POWAH Master
No, batteries are the same length but have a different profile (900g weight difference)
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- Thread starter
- #21
The range extender thing is definitely a 'me' problem. Because I have loads of bikes all moving through my place, there's always a load of accessories that I misplace / forget / lose etc etc.
I hope that the new Bullit is not as popular as Vala, so that I have a chance of getting one. Waited 6 months for Vala before the factory said they are not able to deliver my bike. Santa Cruz is becoming like Rolex - go to the dealer with 10k in hand, only to be told you have to wait for 2 years.
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I have a SC Vala and the longest distance/elevation I've ever ridden was 45.6 km and 1477 meters, and I still had 12% battery left (I rode around 80% on E-MTB and 20% on Turbo). I've now ridden over 1200 km on the Vala and I usually finish my rides with more than 20% battery left. All equipped I weigh around 68 kg and this is my first e-bike. The year before I bought the Vala I rode mainly with friends on e-bikes which kept me in good physical shape
When I go to areas like bike parks I run out of my physical capacity faster than the bike's battery, I think the fact that I usually ride an E-MTB instead of Turbo also helps. But the most important thing is my weight, I can have more autonomy than my friends on recent e-bikes with 700Wh but who weigh 25 to 30kg more than me.
In short, if the Vala had an 800Wh battery, in these last 1200Km, I would have been carrying an extra 1Kg unnecessarily and would have had a bike that was a little less fun.
Encore de très belles photos Mr Rob, peu de personne le souligne mais ce Bullit est vraiment bien mis en valeur !
Personnellement je roule sur un Vala XO Taille XL , je fait 95kg et la batterie de 600WH est juste parfaite, je peux envisager des sorties de 40kms avec 1500m D+ facilement, et si je veux plus , le prolongateur est là... ( encore 60km et 1700m d+ ce week end dans la boue bourguignonne .
Attention à DJI, dans les drones ils sont très fort, mais sortent un nouveau model tous les ans minimum qui fait vite passer le model d'avant comme obsolète... si il font pareille sur les vélos, ca va couté chers au passionner qui veut le derniers crie chaque année...
Personnellement je roule sur un Vala XO Taille XL , je fait 95kg et la batterie de 600WH est juste parfaite, je peux envisager des sorties de 40kms avec 1500m D+ facilement, et si je veux plus , le prolongateur est là... ( encore 60km et 1700m d+ ce week end dans la boue bourguignonne .
Attention à DJI, dans les drones ils sont très fort, mais sortent un nouveau model tous les ans minimum qui fait vite passer le model d'avant comme obsolète... si il font pareille sur les vélos, ca va couté chers au passionner qui veut le derniers crie chaque année...
- Thread starter
- #25
Thats not enough for me. I am not sure your weight, but at 85KG I regularly do 1600-2000 metres on the Bosch 800Wh. I know its a personal thing, but I was happy when we went from 625Wh to 750Wh on Bosch, now at 800Wh (and 800Wh is lighter than the 750Wh by 500g).
Going *back* to a 600Wh is just not an option for me - but I know it will work for many
Looks great, the battery size is more of a Bosch problem than a Santa Cruz problem. We should all be bitching at Bosch as to why they made the 800wh battery the size they did. We could dream and hope they make a 800wh the same size as the 600wh as technology improves but its Bosch and they are not known for backwards compatibility.
At 50 years old 600wh is perfect for me so I'm happy. I can see how younger guys would want to ride longer and not use that ugly ass range extender.
At 50 years old 600wh is perfect for me so I'm happy. I can see how younger guys would want to ride longer and not use that ugly ass range extender.
xtraman122
Well-known member
It shows more than anything, DJI's choice of battery form factor is what's enabling these bikes to look so good and possibly be so light. Unfortunately nobody else has such a skinny 800Wh battery out there right now. As much as I'd want 800Wh, I think I'd hate the look of the bike with the fat downtube to accommodate it. Too bad the Bosh 800Wh isn't just a longer version of the 600.
MTB-WALES
Active member
But don’t you want the weight to stay lower otherwise it affects handling
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