Santa Cruz Vala

[davez]

Santa Cruz must install 800Wh batteries on its bicycles. If possible, the battery should be removable.

I climbed 1.800 meters (5.900 feet) with mine, weighing 210 lbs. With a range extender you can add another 40%. For 90% of all my rides 600w is sufficient. The bike is much lighter with 600w

 

[west]

Santa Cruz must install 800Wh batteries on its bicycles. If possible, the battery should be removable.

Disagree. After riding a 600wh model, the handling characteristics are much better than an 800wh battery. Unless you're doing huge 6hr+ rides the 600wh battery is great and you have the option of the range extender.

 

[Arminius]

The 600 battery was reason for me not to look further into the Vala.

 

[Andeh]

The 600 battery was reason for me not to look further into the Vala.

Agreed, I bought the bike because the 600wh battery means it handles better. If people want an 800wh pig with a removable battery, they should buy a Specialized.

 

[west]

The 600 battery was reason for me not to look further into the Vala.

Have you ridden any bikes with a low mounted 600wh battery? The handing difference was so apparent for me that it's put me off buying an 800wh bike for now.

 

[Come_Clarity]

In any case, there ought to be a choice: a removable battery versus a non-removable one, and a battery capacity of either 600Wh or 800Wh. However, Santa Cruz uses the same motors and batteries for its Valla and Bullit models. My wife’s Cube bike has a 625Wh battery. It’s a size S (women’s model), and she doesn’t weigh much. She gets about 50–60 km of range in E-MTB mode (the smart mode). I’ve ridden her bike, and I realize that 625Wh isn't enough. And that’s a 2021 model. I expected manufacturers to increase battery capacities, but surprisingly, they’ve started reducing them. Yes, I know range extenders are an option, which is great. But at the same time, there are bikes with 800Wh batteries that also support range extenders—bringing the total to 1050Wh. I don’t own a car, so getting to the bike park involves a 20 km ride each way. That’s why I need a capacity of at least 800Wh. A removable battery allows you to charge it separately from the bike. If you’re having lunch at a café, you can bring the battery and charger inside and ask the staff to plug it in. That’s really convenient. Also, transporting the bike is easier without the battery—it’s lighter. I own a standard Santa Cruz Nomad CC V5; it’s a magnificent bike! I had my heart set on buying an e-bike from the same brand, but it looks like I’ll be handing my money over to the German brand Cube instead

 

[Bndit]

In any case, there ought to be a choice: a removable battery versus a non-removable one, and a battery capacity of either 600Wh or 800Wh. However, Santa Cruz uses the same motors and batteries for its Valla and Bullit models. My wife’s Cube bike has a 625Wh battery. It’s a size S (women’s model), and she doesn’t weigh much. She gets about 50–60 km of range in E-MTB mode (the smart mode). I’ve ridden her bike, and I realize that 625Wh isn't enough. And that’s a 2021 model. I expected manufacturers to increase battery capacities, but surprisingly, they’ve started reducing them. Yes, I know range extenders are an option, which is great. But at the same time, there are bikes with 800Wh batteries that also support range extenders—bringing the total to 1050Wh. I don’t own a car, so getting to the bike park involves a 20 km ride each way. That’s why I need a capacity of at least 800Wh. A removable battery allows you to charge it separately from the bike. If you’re having lunch at a café, you can bring the battery and charger inside and ask the staff to plug it in. That’s really convenient. Also, transporting the bike is easier without the battery—it’s lighter. I own a standard Santa Cruz Nomad CC V5; it’s a magnificent bike! I had my heart set on buying an e-bike from the same brand, but it looks like I’ll be handing my money over to the German brand Cube instead

It`s your choice, not every bike has to be same, it’s (partly) free world.

 

[mehukatti]

First impressions of the MY27 Vala:

The suspension felt incredibly linear, soft and wallowy with Santa Cruz recommended pressures and settings for my weight. Much more so than Bullit which I had before. It was like a water bed of wheels! Seems like Santa Cruz has reduced the amount of volume spacers that it puts in Vala by default? In the fork there was only 15cc (one yellow + one blue token) - rear shock I haven't opened yet. MY27 Fox seem to also have made things much more low friction.

The bike started feeling slightly better when I put more pressure in both fork and shock, cranked up compression, and switched the progression flip chip to "HI". Now I need to ride it a bit more to see if I need to go and buy more tokens especially for the rear shock. The bike didn't come with any in the accessory bag.

 

[Arminius]

Have you ridden any bikes with a low mounted 600wh battery? The handing difference was so apparent for me that it's put me off buying an 800wh bike for now.

In my weight class one or two kilos don‘t really matter that much. Knowing reach with 800W on a CX Gen4 and my regular tours I will not go for 600W with optional REX. But (hopefully) SC come up with a Avinox Vala.

 

[steve_sordy]

In any case, there ought to be a choice: a removable battery versus a non-removable one, and a battery capacity of either 600Wh or 800Wh. However, Santa Cruz uses the same motors and batteries for its Valla and Bullit models. My wife’s Cube bike has a 625Wh battery. It’s a size S (women’s model), and she doesn’t weigh much. She gets about 50–60 km of range in E-MTB mode (the smart mode). I’ve ridden her bike, and I realize that 625Wh isn't enough. And that’s a 2021 model. I expected manufacturers to increase battery capacities, but surprisingly, they’ve started reducing them. Yes, I know range extenders are an option, which is great. But at the same time, there are bikes with 800Wh batteries that also support range extenders—bringing the total to 1050Wh. I don’t own a car, so getting to the bike park involves a 20 km ride each way. That’s why I need a capacity of at least 800Wh. A removable battery allows you to charge it separately from the bike. If you’re having lunch at a café, you can bring the battery and charger inside and ask the staff to plug it in. That’s really convenient. Also, transporting the bike is easier without the battery—it’s lighter. I own a standard Santa Cruz Nomad CC V5; it’s a magnificent bike! I had my heart set on buying an e-bike from the same brand, but it looks like I’ll be handing my money over to the German brand Cube instead

There is plenty of choice! Buy a different bike! (As I see that you have decided). Santa Cruz made it clear that they decided NOT to put an 800 W-hr battery in the Vala because it would change the nature of the bike, how it handled and how it looked. They went for the 600 W-hr battery so that the bike handled the way they wanted it to, and it looked good too! If you want an 800 W-hr battery then don't buy a Vala. There are plenty of other bikes around that have what you are looking for.

A single bike that gave you the choice of a removable or non-removable battery, and a capacity of 600 W-hr or 800 W-hr as well would have to make some large compromises, to the point that I doubt it would be a winner. Frames with removable batteries have to be bigger and built more strongly to make up the the big hole in the frame. To then make the bike even bigger to take a bigger battery would leave a 600 W-hr non removable battery rattling about inside it unless they packed it (more weight). But if you had the frame design to have a removable battery, why would you choose the non-removable option? If you were happy with a non-removable option, why would you choose the bigger and heavier frame of the removaable option? The need for a choice however is given by the range of bikes on sale across the planet. As you have decided, your need for a removable battery and an 800 W-hr one at that, dictates that the SC Vala is not the one for you. Wise decision.

 

[Shark58]

Seems like Santa Cruz has reduced the amount of volume spacers that it puts in Vala by default? In the fork there was only 15cc (one yellow + one blue token)

Interesting.
My MY26 Vala X0 RSV came with four yellow spacers in the fork. For my weight class I had to remove three of them. Coming from a full 29er bike I also have the rear flip chip on high and the progression flip chip on high. Works perfectly for me.

 

[Andeh]

Interesting.
My MY26 Vala X0 RSV came with four yellow spacers in the fork. For my weight class I had to remove three of them. Coming from a full 29er bike I also have the rear flip chip on high and the progression flip chip on high. Works perfectly for me.

Yeah, good to see they're shipping with more realistic token setups now. I know of 2 other guys who got Valas who had way too many tokens in the fork which felt like crap to them.