Santa Cruz Vala VS Specialized Levo

Pedal assist bikes are one of the fastest growing trends in today, and mountain bikes with the extra fun of a motor are no different. Specialized and Santa Cruz always have amazing bikes, and their e-bikes kick it up a notch. All the bikes are based off bikes currently in the brands lineups, with the Levo similar to the Stumpjumper, and the Vala roughly based off the Bronson from Santa Cruz.

The Levo from Specialized comes in a wide size range, utilizing Specialized's "S" sizing. S1 would be equivalent to an extra small, S4 a large, and S6 a XXL. Pricing starts at $8065, and is only available in carbon at the moment. 

The motor on the Levo is completely revamped, featuring 101nm of torque on all models, except the S-Works (highest end) model. The S-Works model features a 111nm of torque, and it is noticeably more powerful. All models use the new 840wh battery, and a 280wh range extender can be purchased for 1160wh of juice. The new levo weighs about 53 lbs, and if you wanted to shave some weight for more nimble handling there is a 600wh battery that can be purchased and swapped with the 840wh battery. It takes less than a minute to swap between the 840wh and 600wh battery. 

Specialized prefers a consistent and predictable ride feel from their suspension platform, and the Levo is the is the perfect representation of that. The new Levo features the "Genie" shock, which is a standard float x shock with an even larger air can, offering an extremely plus ride feel. If you want a firmer ride for hitting more jumps, or preventing bottoming out, the larger air can uses some extra spacers to firm up the shock, allowing you to tune the shock more than a standard shock. Offering an initially linear suspension, with the shock firming up at the end of the travel, the bike offers a planted feel with plenty of traction, but still gets off the ground easily when you need it to. The suspension still pedals very well, and only needs to be locked out for long fireroad climbs/road commutes if you really don't want the shock barely moving, as there is limited pedal bob. 

The Heckler from Santa Cruz has sizes from small to XXL in the mixed wheel setup. Santa Cruz has made a few big changes, from a new motor system, to a new suspension layout on this model. VPP has long been the Santa Cruz calling card on any of their full suspension offerings, but to fit this motor into the package and suspension kinematics they were aiming for, it necessitated the switch to a 4 bar linkage, similar to what the Levo uses. Even with the new suspension design, Santa Cruz was able to get the bike to ride nearly identical to the most recent Bronson revision. 

What all that jargon means is the bike is planted when you need traction, but still active enough to get off the ground and clear that jump you pulled for. 

All versions feature a carbon frame, 600wh battery, and Bosch's Performance Line CX motor, with pricing starting at $7365. 

Stop in and test ride some of the options we have in store!