Is the Santa Cruz Vala good?
Santa Cruz has done something bold with the Vala, but not because of the move away from its iconic VPP suspension to the more common Horst-link design. It’s because it has made a true all-round performer with one of the widest performance bell curves of any bike I’ve ever tested. Santa Cruz surprised us with the Vala in many ways. Its suspension, power and handling are all on point. Its ride feel splits the difference between lightweight eMTBs and full-powered ones, but you get it all. The Vala gives you all the power and just enough battery—exactly what most riders need.The Santa Cruz Vala is a premium full-powered e-MTB that’s designed for aggressive trail riding and enduro sending. As with its lighter-weight counterpart, the Heckler SL, the Vala features a full carbon frame that is purpose-built around a mixed wheel setup, a 160mm travel fork and 150mm of rear travel.