The original Santa Cruz Heckler eMTB was available with mixed wheels and 140mm of balanced travel, or with balanced 27.5″ wheel diameters and 150mm or rear travel with a 160mm fork. This latest update swaps the 27.5-inch-wheeled option for a pair of 29″ wheels on the medium through XXL, while the size small remains a dedicated 27.5″ platform, and there’s still a mixed wheel version to be had on all but the size small model. No matter the wheels, the big carbon-framed bike now will absorb impacts with 150mm of rear travel and a 160mm fork.
Heckler frames are available with the C or CC carbon options, and inside they hold the Shimano EP8 motor (the previous version used the E8000) and there’s a massive 750Wh battery in place of the 504Wh. The battery can be swapped out using a 4mm Allen key in case you need to pedal past its capacity.
The frame’s shock tunnel has been enlarged to make space for fatter air cans or a coil if riders prefer. The frame’s kinematic is also quite progressive, and with the flip chip in the low mode that progressivity increases to better suit the bike’s intentions.
The e-bike’s geometry for small 27.5-inch-wheeled bikes and medium to XXL mixed-wheel bikes is the same, with a 432mm reach on the small and 455, 475, 495, and 520mm reach measurements as the frames grow larger. The head tube angle is a proper 64.5° in low, and the seat tube angle bounces around a bit between sizes with 76.7°, 76.6°, 76.4°, 76.7°, and 76.8° in order. Chainstays with the smaller rear wheel are 440mm.
The 29er has the same head tube angle and the same funky seat tube angle hops, and the reach measurements are 452, 472, 492, and 517mm. The BB height is also the same across all platforms at 342mm with the chip flipped to low.
As ever, there are too many build options to choose from with this Santa Cruz, with complete bikes retailing between $8,199 and $13,299 (€7.999 to €12,999). Heckler 29 Carbon R and MX builds available now at Competitive Cyclist.
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