A mountain biking dilemma: fall colors are starting to peak at Utah's higher elevations, and yet, lift-served, resort riding has largely shut down for the year (Deer Valley), or is now limited to weekends only (Solitude, Snow Basin, Park City Mountain Resort).
If you're an "earn your turns" type of rider, props to you, as every pedal stroke and mile of climbing is sure to be rewarded with fall fireworks, eliminating the dilemma altogether.
For the rest of us? Thank god for e-mountain bikes (e-MTB) like the Santa Cruz Vala, which is the focal point of our latest Beautiful Bicycle showcase.
Built on a carbon chassis, featuring Fox Live Valve rear suspension, and powered by a top-of-the-line Bosch motor, the Vala marries the squish of an enduro bike with the climbing prowess of a mountain goat. No chairlift? No problem. Because with the Vala, it's already built in.
The vibrant yellow of those upper elevation Aspens? The warm orange of the Maples? The moody rust and bronze of the Oaks? All within reach, all made possible by the season-lengthening, climb-crushing, trail-shredding powers of the Vala.
Ready to learn more? Let's unpack this one-of-a-kind e-mountain bike.
Frame & Platform: Santa Cruz Carbon, Bosch Motor
At its core, the Santa Cruz Vala is built to take on steep, technical terrain with the kind of confidence you'd expect from a brand that cut its teeth in downhill racing. The carbon chassis houses Bosch's Performance Line CX motor, delivering 85 Nm of zippy torque, 600 wattage hours (WH) of battery life, and all the uphill hustle a rider could want. The geometry blends enduro stability with e-MTB durability, making it as comfortable powering up canyon climbs as it is slicing through autumn descents.
Smart Suspension: Fox Live Valve
Autumn riding aside, quite possibly the biggest story on this Vala is the rider's chosen upgrade on the suspension. While the stock build runs a FOX 38 Factory fork and FOX Float X Factory rear shock, this rider not only opted for a coil out back, but also went with the Fox Live Valve treatment. Subtle sensors mounted on the front and rear break calipers read the terrain numerous times per second, adjusting compression damping in milliseconds. The result? Firm and efficient on flats and climbs, but fully open when descending, or the instant a root or rock, drop or jump demands it.
Zooming out for a moment, although SRAM's RockShox Flight Attendant offering seems to be getting more attention these days (including from Contender, with recent posts here and here), Fox was actually first to market with Live Valve, in 2018. And while both systems boast the "right suspension for the right conditions," in our view, SRAM wins out with its holistic integration into SRAM's AXS ecosystem (shifting, breaking, cranks, power measurement, etc.), along with greater options between fully open and fully closed. Meanwhile, Live Valve takes the cake on simpler, faster, and efficient adjustments, with more of a binary, on/off focus, which might be more appealing to a true trail or enduro rider.
Drivetrain & Brakes: Best of the Best
A build like this deserves the best, and SRAM XX Eagle T-Type AXS keeps the shifting crisp and remarkably consistent under power. Paired with X0 alloy cranks, it's a drivetrain built to handle the added torque of an e-MTB without sacrificing precision. Stopping duties are handled by SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes—the most powerful stoppers in the brand's lineup, and exactly what you want when you're charging heavy lines on a bike in the 50-pound ballpark.
Wheels & Tires: Stiff, Strong, Rigorous
Carbon Reserve 30|HD wheels keep things stiff, strong, and tuned for e-MTB rigor. Wrapped with Schwalbe Magic Mary 2.5 rubber, the combo strikes that perfect balance between durability and traction. It's a setup you'll trust on loose, leaf-strewn descents or greasy shoulder-season singletrack.
Cockpit & Finishing Touches: Comfort & Confidence
Santa Cruz's own 800mm ECarbon bar with 35mm rise sets the tone: wide, stable, and aggressive. House grips, a WTB Silverado saddle, and FOX's Transfer NEO Factory dropper finish the build with comfort and confidence where it counts.
Bottom Line
The Santa Cruz Vala has always been a gravity-minded e-MTB, but with FOX Live Valve, this build rides sharper and smarter than ever. Resort laps may be done, but the Vala keeps the flow going with every climb and descent.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about the Santa Cruz Vala, e-mountain bikes, or Fox Live Valve? Or ready to explore a custom build of your own?
Our team is here to make it happen. Drop by the shop any time, send a message here, or give us a call at (801) 364-0344.
Hi Daren!
The Santa Cruz Vala featured above is a size medium with a FOX Transfer Neo Dropper in 175mm.
Ezra - Contender Bicycles on
Bike is awesome, out of curiosity what size is the bike and what was the size of FOX Neo transfer?
Darren on
That’s a lot of batteries. I am counting 9 individual batteries. Any number of those are dead and you can’t ride, not sure this is the solution I would consider an upgrade. However, I think Orbea RS Control is a smart answer to electric components on an ebike.
Mark on