Bikes

Santa Cruz Heckler SL-Review

Heckler SL: Lightweight, Fast, Powerful

Words by Mia: 

Santa Cruz Bikes is a brand that needs no introduction. A company that has been making bikes since 1994, Santa Cruz is considered to be one of those companies that are at the forefront of bike innovation. The company produces everything in-house, including their world-renowned Reserve Wheels. They are known for quality, capability, and top of line bikes.

We got the opportunity to ride the new Santa Cruz Heckler SL for a couple months. Let me tell you, this bike was fast and FUN!!

Right off the bat, my first impressions are: 

  • The climbing was efficient
  • The descending was playful
  • Weight- What weight? The weight of the bike (42.5lbs) was a non-issue! 
  • The motor was fast
  • The range was very capable

Key Geo:

Key Geometry that most women look for when deciding to buy a bike: Frame Specs

  • Reach
  • Standover
  • Wheelbase
  • Dropper post travel
  • Travel

Sizing:

For me, at 5’4.5″ tall, the bike felt small. The reach was a tad  close, and the 120mm dropper was short (I couldn’t raise it as much as I wanted). But, the bike was still playful, and nimble. 

Keep in mind that bike sizing is personal preference. With a larger bike/frame, and longer wheelbase, the front wheel will be further away from you which makes you feel more stable. 

So, when choosing a size, consider what your style of riding is and whether you want a more stable ride etc., keeping in mind that you’ll need to work a bit harder to muscle the larger bike around. 

 

On the Trail- Central and Southern California

Climbing:
The Heckler is a smooth climber, quick, responsive, easy to maneuver over rocks, and roots. I felt confident on the bike on the steepest of hills. The 430 Wh battery in the bike has enough power to push me through the toughest roots, and ruts.

Being that the Heckler SL is set up as a mullet bike (27.5″ rear, 29″ front), not once did I feel that the climbing was less efficient. I honestly didn’t notice much of a difference. 

Descending: 
So much fun was had on the down hills! The VPP Suspension, and Reserve Wheels combined with Maxxis DHF/DHR tires, and the mullet set up made descending incredibly fun, and nimble. I never once felt like I was going to wash out on high corners or berms. 

The weight of the bike was not an issue or a negative. There are folks who feel that an ebike will be too heavy to handle, not making it fun and nimble. However, the Heckler SL didn’t feel heavy while riding at all! It was the opposite, the bike was playful, cornered well, was easy to get off the ground and was solid on steep descents. Not once did I feel like I was going to wash out, due to the weight of the bike.

 

Fazua Ride 60 Motor

Even though the Heckler SL has a small motor compared to other full power bikes on Santa Cruz’s line up, I did not find the range to be an issue. 

The Fazua Ride 60 motor is very capable, quiet, and has a natural feeling torque with enough power to get you up any steep climbs. 

I have yet to demo a full power ebike. With that said, given I ride 20 miles or so per ride, the battery lasted in the middle “green” mode quite well, and for a few rides. It took a few days before I had to recharge the battery. 

Comes with: 
– 430 Wt Integrated Battery
– Fazua Charger

 

Builds

The Heckler SL comes in 5 different builds starting at $7,299 to $12,999.

Components-Sram Eagle GX AXS:

  • Carbon Frame- Gloss Magenta
  • Travel- 150mm Rear, 160mm Front, Small Frame 
  • Rockshox Lyrik Select+ fork, and Super Deluxe Select+ rear shock
  • Drivetrain- SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type
  • Mullet set up, 27.5″ rear, 29″ Front
  • SRAM Code RSC Brakes
  • One Up V2 dropper, 120mm travel
  • Santa Cruz 35 Handle Bars
  • Maxxis DHR/DHF Tires
  • SC’s Reverse 30 Alloy Wheels
  • DT Swiss hubs
  • SRAM Code Bronze brakes 
  • SRAM 200mm rotors front and rear
  • Saddle, WTB Silverado
  • Battery FAZUA 430 Wh Integrated Battery
  • Drive Unite, FAZUA Ride60
  • Santa Cruz Grips

Geometry & VPP Suspension & Santa Cruz website

Santa Cruz’s website is robust, and complete with all the information you need to learn about the Heckler SL. The site contains: 

  • Frame Specs
  • Geometry guide and chart
  • Shock Set up
  • VPP Suspension vid, including Hi/Lo set up
  • Diagrams 
  • FAQ’s

Geo Vid

Pros: 

  • Capable, Nimble, Smooth
  • Efficient, Agile, FAST!
  • VPP Suspension
  • Efficient battery 
  • Lightweight e-bike
  • Mullet 
  • Quiet Motor

Cons: 

  • Small for my height 5’4.5″ 
  • Saddle was not great 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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