Santa Cruz Heckler MX

The Heckler is about expanding your own trail map - accessing previously unreachable trails, unlocking less-used trails and doing so independently. Whether tackling rides that are guarded by monstrous climbs, cramming more into less time, it’s about rarer rides becoming the norm for you.

A mixed-wheel bike gives the confidence of a 29-inch wheel up front for traction and roll-over when you’re caught off guard by technical features. The 27.5 rear wheel allowed us to keep the moderate chainstay length of the Heckler (445mm), which provides a snappy and easy-to-handle bike on tight, demanding trails.

The interchangeable 500wh battery keeps the weight down compared to bikes with larger batteries but it’s fast and easy to put in a fresh battery for even bigger, longer days.

The new Shimano EP8 motor is lighter than E8000 drive unit (380g), has more power (85Nm versus 70Nm), smaller volume (-10%) for greater ground clearance, less drag (50%), more heat resistant, and tuned to give more power in Trail mode. All this means it’s even more capable of tackling longer, tougher rides.