Santa Cruz Vala AL 70 Review | A Top E-bike Choice For 2026?

It’s been several years since Santa Cruz last produced an aluminium dual-suspension bike, which made the announcement of the Vala AL a welcome surprise. Santa Cruz’s return to alloy is paired with a simple, proven four-bar linkage – an intentional shift that aligns with the brand’s modern take on e-bikes, kinematics and serviceability that mirrors the Vala’s carbon offerings. 

What is a surprise is the price – Santa Cruz is a brand that is decidedly in the premium price range, so to release an e-bike with a sub-$10k price tag is a bold move for the manufacturer, arguably meaning the brand can offer an e-bike that competes in price with brands known more for their affordability. 

Santa Cruz Vala AL Specs

The Santa Cruz Vala AL 70 retails at $9,499.00, weighing 24.88kg, available in sizes S, M, L, XL.

Having recently logged many hours on carbon e-bikes using similar suspension layouts – including a handful of rides on the now highly acclaimed Santa Cruz Vala Carbon – I was eager to see whether the Vala AL could match the exceptional ride quality and build consistency that Santa Cruz is known for.

Initial Impressions

Our medium-sized test Vala 70 arrived fully built – tubeless ready, charged, and ready to rip on the trails. The suspension was set close to ideal for my weight right out of the box, which was appreciated.

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The Vala AL presents with clean lines, tidy welds, and hardware quality that sits above most alloy e-bikes in this price bracket. Cable routing is neat, the rocker is compact, and the overall silhouette mirrors the carbon version rather than feeling like a stripped-down counterpart.

Setup is straightforward thanks to the intuitive four-bar layout, generous standover, and easily accessed shock. Aside from suspension token tuning during testing, no major modifications were required.

Notably, unlike the carbon Vala’s, the Vala AL forgoes geometry flip chips despite having space for them. Instead, it lands with a middle-ground configuration that sits between the high and low positions of the carbon model, producing a 64.1º head angle and balanced bottom bracket drop. 

Visually and mechanically, the alloy Vala shares several aesthetic cues with its carbon sibling, particularly the tidy frame hardware and the satisfying silence during the highly scientific “garage drop test”. We also appreciated the lack of headtube cable routing – maybe a blast from the past but brings a smile to all bike mechanics!

The Vala 70 is powered by Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor, delivering a hefty 750W peak and 100Nm of torque. Power is transferred to the trail through the e-bike-ready SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission, which continues to impress with crisp, reliable shifts under high load. I would argue that’s an essential trait on a 25kg bike. Rolling stock and suspension come courtesy of a Reserve 30 HD AL mullet wheelset paired with a 160mm RockShox ZEB Base up front and a 150mm Super Deluxe shock out back.

Braking is handled by SRAM DB8 calipers equipped with metal-sintered pads front and rear – a smart and necessary spec choice on a powerful bike like this. The DB8 system is also paired with a 220mm/200mm rotor combo. The larger rotors and metal pads meaningfully increase braking authority and consistency, transforming what is otherwise a budget-minded mineral-oil downhill brake into a confident system that controls speed well, even on long descents.

Like the carbon model, the Vala AL retains the 160mm/150mm front/rear mullet trail brawler. I would argue that this is more than enough for most terrain in our region, regardless of what the lifted utes in the Stromlo carpark might suggest. Robust and ready for years of riding, our alloy Vala weighed in at 24.88kg (including flat pedals and a handful of volume-spacers).

The Bosch Performance Line CX unit has also had a recent update, with output now up to 750W peak and 100Nm torque, with up to 400% support, customisable through the Bosch Flow App. Speaking with Santa Cruz, we did confirm that Bosch’s new KIOX 400C is not compatible with the Vala AL – it’s not a deal breaker as the Flow App allows you to dive into the nitty gritty of battery life and e-bike modes, but something to note.

In terms of battery power to keep you rolling, the Vala AL is equipped with a 600Wh battery, keeping total mass and weight distribution in check. Power is delivered via 160mm E*Thirteen Helix cranks which, on trail, felt slightly long for aggressive riding – how times have changed! 

I managed to bend one early in testing and temporarily swapped to SRAM GX cranks. Thankfully, the warranty was processed quickly and a replacement set was installed without fuss.

Santa Cruz Vala AL on the trail

At 178cm, I sit between medium and large in most brands, but we chose a medium for the test. Its 458mm reach is only a fraction shorter than my personal bike and sits comfortably within my preferred 460–475mm range. The Vala AL’s climbing position is notably improved compared with its predecessors using Santa Cruz’s VPP system, thanks to the build allowing a virtual seat tube angle of 76.9º (73º actual). On long climbs the position keeps weight over the front wheel, improving control on techy pitches  – particularly important on a torque-y e-bike.

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Rear-centre length sits at 440mm for both medium and small, growing to 445mm on Large and XL. Instead of proportional growth across five sizes (as seen on the carbon Vala), Santa Cruz opts for a simpler two-length approach, which works well thanks to the new layout. The 400mm seat tube on the medium is impressively short, giving riders excellent standover, more movement on the bike, and full-length dropper insertion – something that was occasionally limited on older SC frames.

With a 1241mm wheelbase, the Vala handles responsively in tight terrain. The increasing industry shift toward four-bar e-bikes is apparent here: Santa Cruz’s decision to move away from VPP in this application comes with tangible benefits including cleaner kinematics under motor load, more active climbing grip, a steeper seat angle, and significantly improved dropper insertion.

Technical climbing is where the Vala AL really shines. The powerful Bosch unit, flawless SRAM T-Type shifting, and active suspension combine to keep the rear tyre glued to the ground. Weight distribution is balanced, and the slightly longer rear centre helps maintain traction even when the pitch tips skyward.

Suspension performance from the ZEB Base and Super Deluxe Base was solid overall. The fork, however, dove too readily on successive hits, prompting us to add a total of three tokens while keeping recommended pressure. We also added one token to the shock and dropped pressure slightly to restore balance. Once tuned, support improved in corners, compressions, and high-speed g-outs.

The Vala is happiest at speed – loading into berms, hitting flow trails, and taking the bigger impacts typical of modern bike-park-style lines. In these situations stability increases as pace picks up, and the bike encourages the rider to push harder.

Off-piste chunky terrain was the one area where the rear could feel unsettled, occasionally pitching me forward when braking through choppy sections. Token tuning helped, and technique played a role – braking earlier on smoother patches or choosing cleaner lines mitigated the issue. The carbon Vala may offer greater trail compliance, but this felt more like a characteristic of rear-braking behaviour than a shortcoming of the alloy frame itself.

Throughout the testing period the Vala AL has performed well, with only minor settling-in adjustments. After several weeks of hard riding, both the rear hub and main pivot developed small amounts of play, discovered during a wash – a timely reminder of the value of cleaning your bike and getting an early-life service. Both issues were easily corrected.

As noted earlier, we damaged one crank arm and replaced it under warranty. Riders in rough terrain may prefer shorter cranks on a bike with this much torque, particularly when timing errors lead to rock strikes. On that note, the rear wheel picked up a couple of dents after clipping some rogue baby-head rocks, despite the Maxxis DHR II DD tyre doing its best to cushion the impacts.

Our Take on the Santa Cruz Vala AL

Overall, the Santa Cruz Vala AL is a powerful, playful, alloy e-bike with a strong motor, smart component choices, and geometry that delivers both climbing efficiency and high-speed confidence. While it lacks the tweakable geometry that has become endemic with modern bike releases, the Vala AL’s geometry offers a composed yet playful bike that can toe the line from trail riding to enduro. 

The Vala AL’s four-bar linkage allows a balanced position that allows for endless climbing while being capable when things get rough. While there are other e-bike options on the market that feature a higher spec for a lower price point, I commend Santa Cruz for offering an affordable e-bike that retains the high quality ride feel that the brand is known for. The Vala AL stands as a compelling option from the cult status brand in their entry into the mid-priced e-bike market.