Norco
Sight VLT
- Torque
- 100 Nm
- Battery
- 800 Wh
- Weight
- 49.2 lb
- Travel
- 160
from$6,299
Santa Cruz
Vala
Santa Cruz finally made the e-bike that feels like a Santa Cruz.
Motor
100Nm
Bosch Performance CX Gen 5
Up to 120 Nm with Bosch's 2026 upgrade
Up to 120 Nm with Bosch's 2026 upgrade
Battery
800Wh
600 or 800 Wh
Weight
47.2lb
21.4 kg claimed
Travel
170mm
160 mm rear
Wheels
Mullet
Carbon / Alloy frame
From
$7,499
Approx. US MSRP
The Vala replaced the Heckler and the Bullit as the do-it-all Santa Cruz, and the big story is weight. With the 600 Wh battery it's one of the lightest Bosch CX bikes anywhere, and you can feel that in how it changes direction. It rides like a big trail bike that happens to have a motor, not a motor that happens to have a bike around it.
Bosch CX Gen 5 is the reliability pick of the full-power world. It's not the strongest anymore, but every shop knows it, parts exist, and the updates keep making it better. That matters more than spec-sheet bragging rights when you're two years in.
The catch is the price — it's Santa Cruz, so you're paying for the name and the lifetime bearings. Worth it for some people. I get it.
What I like
- Very light for Bosch CX
- Natural, balanced ride
- Lifetime frame bearings
What I don't
- Premium pricing
- Not the strongest motor on the list
Long-term test pending. Santa Cruz, if you'd like this one ridden and reviewed in full, let's talk.
Closest rivals
Also worth a look
Yeti
LTe
- Torque
- 100 Nm
- Battery
- 800 Wh
- Weight
- 51.6 lb
- Travel
- 170
from$10,300
Canyon
Spectral:ON
- Torque
- 85 Nm
- Battery
- 900 Wh
- Weight
- 48.3 lb
- Travel
- 160
from$5,499