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Test result
| Property | Grade |
|---|---|
| Riding behavior | 2,5 |
| Lab | 2,1 |
| Equipment | 2,1 |
| Motor | 1,6 |
| Final grade | 2,3 |
You can find the full bike rating here
Data and facts about the Santa Cruz Vala 90
| Price | 8.699,00 € |
| Suspension travel | 160 mm |
| Weight | 22.17 kg |
| Motor | Bosch Performance Line CX |
| Battery | Bosch Power Tube 600 |
| Fork | Fox 38 Float Performance |
| Rear shock | Fox Float X Performance |
| Drivetrain | SRAM 90 Eagle |
| Front brake | SRAM Maven Base |
Is this still an all-mountain or already a small enduro bike? Mullet wheels, 160 mm fork, 150 mm travel at the rear - according to the pure facts, the Santa Cruz Vala harmonises perfectly with this test group. A look at the drive concept, however, brings some excitement: Like Transition, the Californians rely on a permanently integrated 600 Wh battery in the down tube. A bold move for an all-mountain bike that is normally supposed to offer fun on long tours with a generous range. Compared to the competition with 800 watt hours and more, the Vala clearly loses out in terms of endurance. If you still want to cover long distances in alpine terrain, you can opt for the PowerMore range extender from Bosch. This costs around 450 euros and fills the range gap to the rest of the test group with an additional 250 watt hours. But enough analysing the facts, what does the Popometer say?
This test is part of a large comparison of 7 high-end E-All-Mountains. Here are the other bikes & articles:
- >> Cannondale Moterra 1: Test winner - the best E-MTB 2026!
- >> Canyon Spectral:On CFR on test: Price tip for E-MTB with dream equipment
- >>Crussis e-Full 12.11 Pro test: fun ride with DJI Avinox
- >> Rotwild R.EX Pro: The best bike with DJI Avinox?
- >> Santa Cruz Vala 90: Downhill specialist with all-round qualities?
- >> Stevens E-Inception AM 8.8.1 GTF: Test winner e-bike relaunched
- >> Transition Regulator CX in the test: short range, lots of riding fun
| Category | details |
| Model | Santa Cruz Vala 90 |
| Frame size | L |
| Weight | 22.2 kg |
| Suspension travel (v/h) | 160 / 150 mm |
| Wheel size | 29" / 27,5" |
| Price | 8,699 € >> available here |
| Frame material | Carbon |
| Maximum system weight | 158 kg |
| Guarantee | For life |
| Special features | Flip Chip |
| Battery weight | 3.080 g |
| Impeller weight | 5.893 g |
Downhill? One candidate!
The Popometer quickly tends towards enduro, especially downhill. This is partly due to the low weight: 22.2 kilos, only slightly heavier than the Crussis and Transition. This makes the bike feel lively and gives you the feeling of being more of a pilot than a passenger. The smooth geometry with a flat steering angle and high front end creates a stoic straight-line stability in bumps and inspires self-confidence.
But what really works wonders on the Vala is the suspension: it doesn't feel the ground quite as sensitively as the Cannondale, but the four-link rear suspension eats up gravel fields and hard landings like no other bike in the test. The traction qualities leave nothing to be desired. But that's not all: even when the trail swings wildly from left to right, the Vala remains manoeuvrable, cuts through corners with precision and rewards physical effort on jumps with a lot of air. The Santa Cruz skilfully balances sluggish straight-line stability and nervous agility - bravo!
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The drive unit of the Santa Cruz Vala 90
Since CX generation 5, the Bosch motor has been rattle-free downhill and has also noticeably increased its performance: 750 watts of peak power and 100 Nm of torque are now available. Uphill, the new eMTB+ mode sets the benchmark in our opinion with its extremely sensitive response behaviour and enormous overrun. Although the power unit is no lightweight, it is otherwise hard to beat.
Bosch also remains unrivalled in terms of efficiency with a comparable battery size. However, in combination with the small 600 watt-hour battery, the Vala was the first to run out of juice after around 1,600 metres of altitude in our range test.
The Vala 90 is not a climbing artist
Our testers found the riding position to be compact, relaxed, but most importantly: somewhat rear-heavy. This puts less pressure on the hands during relaxed pedalling on the forest road, and you can get through long days in the saddle without any problems.
However, as soon as hairpin bends or steep sections are on the agenda, the slack seat angle and rear-heavy riding position turn out to be another criterion for exclusion from the all-mountain clique. Instead of focussing on key sections, you have to constantly fight against the rising front wheel. This makes it difficult to control and results in a significant point deduction in the uphill classification. The rear suspension traction and grippy tyres, on the other hand, are convincing across the board, but cannot compensate for the handling deficit.
Conclusion from Max Fuchs
For me, the Vala plays more in the enduro league. It is a prime candidate for challenging downhills and manoeuvrable enough for winding trails. Uphill, however, it is at a disadvantage both in terms of reach and handling. The focus is too much on downhill performance to be able to compete in the all-mountain category. However, as a shuttle replacement for the enduro trails at home, it is just right.
Max Fuchs
Editor
