Santa Cruz Vala VS Specialized Levo
- Posted on
- By Seth
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.
| Specialized Levo | Santa Cruz Vala | |
| Frame Material | Carbon or Alloy | Carbon |
| Travel (Front, Rear) | 160mm front, 150mm rear | 160mm front, 150mm rear |
| Wheel size | Mixed wheel (29" front, 27.5" rear) | 29" set, or mixed wheel (29" front, 27.5" rear) |
| Motor | Specialized/Brose 2.2 motor | Bosch Performance Line CX motor |
| Battery Size | 710wh | 600wh |
| Torque | 90 Nm | 85 Nm |
| Range (Hours) |
2-4 Hours (Depends on a number of factors) |
2-4 Hours (Depends on a number of factors) |
| Weight |
Around 54 lbs |
Around 50 lbs |
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 $5565 for the aluminum frame with a 710wh battery. The base carbon for $6865 comes with the same 710wh battery. There is one more aluminum model, priced at $7500, with the 710wh battery and upgrades to the rest of the components. The rest of the Levo lineup is carbon, with upgraded components all-round and the 710wh battery.
Specialized prefers a consistent and predictable ride feel from their suspension platform, and the Levo is the is the perfect representation of that. 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!