Heckler's history in brief

In the beginning, eight clever minds from Santa Cruz set about the task of developing the brand's first e-mountain bike. The target group and design goals were defined, ten reference bikes were purchased in order to determine the advantages and disadvantages of existing e-mountainbikes and the prototypes were ridden on trails in locations such as Whistler and Finale Ligure. The basic development of the Heckler took around 2.5 years.

The first sniff

In purely visual terms, it was a wise decision on Santa Cruz's part not to jump on the e-train straight away. The Heckler frame is a well-rounded thing from A to Z, shines with a super finish and, with the integrated motor and battery, forms a unit with hardly any rough edges.
It's not a stretch to describe the Heckler as just another bike in the Santa Cruz line - an e-version similar to the Bronson all-mountain model, so to speak.

The test bike is equipped with Sram's X01 drivetrain and their Code RSC stoppers with 200-millimeter brake discs. A Super Deluxe shock absorber from Rock Shox provides shock absorption on the rear wheel. At the front wheel, a "36 E-Float Perfomance Elite" fork from Fox absorbs the bumps.
For the rolling stock, Santa Cruz gives the Heckler a set of 32-hole spare downhill rims, covered with Maxxis Minion DHR II tires. The bike is steered with a Santa Cruz Di2 carbon handlebar, which was specially designed for the internal cable routing of Shimano's electronic shifting system.

The "E" falls into oblivion

Many manufacturers promise that an e-mountainbike should ride like a normal bike, but with mixed success. And what about the Heckler? On the very first trail, a small bump offers the opportunity to take off. The take-off movement is as easy as on a non-motorized bike and, despite weighing a good 21 kilograms, doesn't feel sluggish or heavy at all. A premature impression? No, because even on the following descents, the Heckler's handling is similar to that of its counterpart, the Bronson. Agile, it can be maneuvered nimbly around tight bends and technically demanding terrain, but can also be chased very accurately over fast sections.

When riding into corners a little fast in youthful exuberance, you are reminded of an e-mountainbike when braking abruptly. The additional weight pushes a little, but this applies to practically all e-mountainbikes.

The Californian tinkerers have done a great job with the suspension. On rough descents, the bike is very composed and, with its 150 millimetres of travel, maintains the comfort zone for a surprisingly long time. At the same time, the rear suspension is very supportive. This makes bunny hops surprisingly easy and encourages all kinds of riding tricks. This also makes this bike interesting for riders with an active riding style.

Just as good at climbing

With regard to the suspension, it is noticeable that the rear triangle remains practically motionless when riding uphill - there is practically no bobbing when sitting or pedaling. And that is a pleasant characteristic, even on an e-mountainbike. On the trail uphill, the rear suspension works with the same advantages as downhill. It absorbs bumps well, but offers enough counter-pressure to actively climb steps. The Heckler also demonstrates its climbing qualities on steep climbs - and not just because of the motor, which does a solid job. The geometry offers good power transfer and the front wheel keeps good contact with the ground, even if the weight is shifted slightly to the rear for better traction.

The trail mode of the Steps E8000 motor is predestined for trail climbs. If certain passages require a little more oomph, the mode switch is ergonomically well positioned and can be intuitively reached with the thumb to activate boost mode.

Conclusion

To say it's a real success for the first e-mountainbike would be a mockery. Santa Cruz has managed to pass on its DNA to the Heckler and has simply designed a great bike with a wide range of uses. It may not sound very objective, but looking for negative points would border on splitting hairs. Because if, like me, you have nothing to do with e-mountainbikes but still have a lot of fun with the bike, the manufacturer has probably done everything right.

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