Santa Cruz Heckler All Mountain Full Suspension

4.78/5 (286 Reviews)
MSRP : $1050.00


Product Description

Sharing the same surefooted and fun-loving geometry as the Blur LT and LTc, but with a super-bomber single pivot rear suspension offering 150mm travel, the Heckler recipe remains true: a tough aluminum frame, a solid, efficient suspension and some of the best trail manners out there. Mix together, and go shred some trail. Then go do it again. And again. And again...
  • 143mm or rear wheel travel
  • Annodized or powdercoat
  • Custom butted 6069 aluminum
  • Replaceable dropout
  • Coil or air rear shock
  • Single pivot suspension


  • Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

    Reviews 1 - 15 (286 Reviews Total) | Next 15

    User Reviews

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by thunder

    Date Reviewed: April 9, 2013

    Strengths:    So plush and smooth. Takes bumps with ease and bigger drops too. Lite weight if you build it up to be.

    Weaknesses:    None so far, but I only bought a frame.

    Bottom Line:   
    This review is of the fram only. 6.1 version bought during their sidewalk sale. What a value! Took all the components of my trek liquid and put on this bike. Only thing I had to change was the front deraileur. So all in all after selling my frame I'm at about $350 for this bike which is crazy! Plus new tires and bars to make it fell more new.

    This thing just eats the bumps up. Traveling 20mph downhill this bike is so plush and in control its kinda sureal. The rear shock is great. Only thing I don't care much for is the lockout on the shock but I'd rather be comfortable then fast as heck. On gravel it works great but no need since not much bob anyway. Taken off 3-4ft drops with ease,even with my 130mm rockshox psylo fork it works great. Love the design and the look of this thing too. I have the bare metal (clear) color which is just awesome.
    well.

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Sunny a All Mountain Rider

    Date Reviewed: October 23, 2012

    Strengths:    The bike is the perfect all around bike, from winter part-valmont jump park/golden bike park-any XC or all mountain riding that i can throw at it. I have taken it to mt falcon, 7falls (captain jacks), and many other front range trails here in colorado and clai and it champed them all. As for build i custom built it up my self with all fox and X9. the bike is the best beaste fr any ride you want to do with it

    Weaknesses:    a little bit o pedal bob but my rp23 is also blown out for its pro pedal so that could be the cause, but really not any major weakness

    Bottom Line:   
    I love this bike and ride it always and anywhere like mentioned abovefrom park to light dh to xc and all mountain this bike does it all

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   captain jacks colo springs

    Duration Product Used:   1 year and counting

    Bike Setup:   Fox talas, fox rp23 X9 shift+der fsa atlas FR crank and bars. Forte pisga tires and azonic loco wheels, avid elixir 5 breaks, chris king headset, eurgon grips.

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by bomber

    Date Reviewed: September 28, 2012

    Strengths:    nice geometry for balancing wheelies which helps climbing stuff. awesome downhill and can fast track very nicely too.. i love my 2012 heckler.

    Weaknesses:    They dont incorporate any proper tabs for the disk brake lines.. the frame has cable tabs which are useless to brake line

    Bottom Line:   
    still a great bike but they do need to get up with the times and fit them tabs..I wouldnt trade her for the world.... tons of unreal miles with a huge grin on my face

    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by Brian Miller a All Mountain Rider

    Date Reviewed: September 21, 2012

    Strengths:    loves to descend and is a quick handling bike because of the 69 degree head angle and short wheel base.Very stiff frame that makes climbing a breeze.A true all mountain bike that handles quicker than any all mountain bike out there.5.9in of travel that handles like a 4inch travel bike.

    Weaknesses:    Great frame but the builds santa cruz offers at this time are lame! I Bought my bike in October of 2007 for 3,000 dollars. It came with a great build kit.I didn`t have to replace anything that I didn`t like.The bike weight is 29 lbs.Non of the build kits at this time can get the weight under 30lbs.So at this time the build kits make this bike on the heavy side

    Bottom Line:   
    Great bike! At this time I`d buy a frame and buy my own build kit like xt components and RLC fox float fork.This bike will last a long time and maybe the best single pivot bike out there.GO SHRED

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   NATIONAL TRAIL,PHOENIX

    Duration Product Used:   FOUR YEARS

    Price Paid:    $3000.00

    Purchased At:   ADVENTURE BICYCLES

    Bike Setup:   X9 SRAM, TRUVATIV CRANK, 32FLOAT RLC FORK,DT SWISS 5.1D RIMS WITH 340 HUBS,KENDA NIVEGAL 2.35 TIRES -TUBE LESS

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Inon a Weekend Warrior

    Date Reviewed: August 13, 2012

    Strengths:    tough chassis, it has the "magic". goes uphills with a smile but the revile its true character on the downhills

    Weaknesses:    heavy, single pivot on rock gardens

    Bottom Line:   
    i am a heavy rider 125Kg (275 Lbs), this bikes serve my so well for 6 years riding trails and all-mountain style. i love them so mach but in the end after so mach abuse the main pivot broke down (non repairable). i would recommend those bike to any one how wants to develop his bike skills and doing so on a great frame. i always felt when doing something hard and nasty that the bike will return my a favor up on my riding mistakes.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Canada Park trail

    Duration Product Used:   6 years

    Purchased At:   matzman TLV

    Bike Setup:   built to war for heavy warrior ;-)

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Paul a All Mountain Rider

    Date Reviewed: May 28, 2012

    Strengths:    Bulletproof design. Great geometry. Smooth riding. Good climber and even comes with a bottle cap opener!

    Weaknesses:    Pardon me?

    Bottom Line:   
    I bought my Heckler in 07 and have ridden Whistler, Fernie, Sun Peaks, North Shore, Silver Star and my local mountains on this bike. It climbs well (with pro-pedal turned on), descends like a champ and can even handle smaller drops to flat! This truly is an "ALL MOUNTAIN" machine. You can set it up for XC riding or even light freeride and it will rip both. If you can only have one bike in your garage and are on a bit of a budget...BUY THIS BIKE!

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   In Deep at Whistler

    Price Paid:    $2100.00

    Purchased At:   Lifescycles Bike Sho

    Bike Setup:   Fox Talas 36 fork. DHX Air shock, Cromag bars. Juicy brakes, Specialized Butcher SX 2.3 tires, Mavic 317 rims.

    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by joe armstrong

    Date Reviewed: April 29, 2012

    Strengths:    good solid frame,climbs well decends well truely an awesome bike

    Weaknesses:    sometimes catch my heel on swingarm

    Bottom Line:   
    love it go buy one!!

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Lokoperu a Weekend Warrior from Crocket

    Date Reviewed: February 29, 2012

    Strengths:    strong, fast, climbs like a goat, dependable and it will never let you down.

    Weaknesses:    maybe the paint and stickers but that's not really a problem, it's a Mountain bike.

    Bottom Line:   
    Love the bike, I had many other but nothing like this one, it climbs like a goat and I never had any problems with it. 2009 model very strong very cool looking. I have two other bikes but I always come back to this one.It's a smart buy, not letting this one go until it dies!.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Rockville

    Duration Product Used:   2 Years

    Price Paid:    $1300.00

    Purchased At:   Craigslist

    Similar Products Used:   2010 Cannondale RZ120 3, 2011 Treck fuel, 09 Stumpjumper.

    Bike Setup:   stock fox vanilla susp. XO's everything else.

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Dirtfacerider a All Mountain Rider from Jessup, PA USA

    Date Reviewed: February 12, 2012

    Strengths:    Simple single pivot design that works well. Climbs pretty well & bombs the decents with incredible ease! Strong frame with a company that backs up the product & is awsome. It is a great bike if you like to pop off anything you come across on the trail.

    Weaknesses:    Not much weakness to this animal. The only thing I don't like is the pressed in bearings. I replaced them and the bearing race got stuck in the one side of the frame. Other than that I will have this bike for as long as the material can last!

    Bottom Line:   
    This bike rules! I love the simplicity of the single pivot design. If you want a bike that does it all well you've found it. It fly's through the air with the greatest of ease. Climbs well & can be built to be more of a trail bike if you'd like or an all mountain bomber. This bike is one impressive downhiller for a single pivot.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   LSP

    Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

    Similar Products Used:   Nomad, Bullit, & Redline 29er hardtail.

    Bike Setup:   Fox float 160mm up front with RP23 rear! Fox is the best!

    Overall Rating:3
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by trail topher a Cross Country Rider from Colorado Springs, CO, USA

    Date Reviewed: January 31, 2012

    Strengths:    Burley frame. Good value. Trans Red paint looks amazing. Great at descending.

    Weaknesses:    Didn't climb great for me. Manitou Minute was not a great fork choice.

    Bottom Line:   
    I really wanted to like this bike but never felt great on it. I had it built up at 28lbs but it always felt sluggish on climbs. On technical trails like Palmer Park I wished for a little more travel and on XC trails in Colorado I wished for a better climber. I know a lot of riders who love the Heckler. I sold it to a buddy for a great price and he likes the bike a lot. For someone who can only have 1 bike the Heckler is a great compromise. I would rather have a XC bike and maybe a 6 or 7" travel bike for more techy stuff.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Monument, CO

    Duration Product Used:   2 Years

    Price Paid:    $1700.00

    Purchased At:   Ebay

    Similar Products Used:   Gary Fisher HiFi Deluxe, Fisher Rig, Iron Horse Hollowpoint

    Bike Setup:   2005 Frame with Fox RP23. XT cranks, XT brakes, Syncros FL wheels, Minion tires, Tubeless with Stans. XT and LX mix. Manitou Minute fork

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Omid Ghassemi a Downhiller from Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Date Reviewed: January 11, 2012

    Strengths:    Bombproof, sexy, light as it needs to be, pivot design works amazingly and allows you to get air easily and it is highly adjustable. you can basically do 140mm up front with the stock fox float (6"...but in truth gives you 5"...with propedal too!) and you have a pedaling bike. do 150mm up front for am and if you pop a 160mm up front with a coil rear like i did, its a mini-dh/fr rig.

    Weaknesses:    The original kit was absolute crap.

    Bottom Line:   
    The 2011 Heckler was my first mountain bike. The frame is like the bullit's little brother. it takes and beating and craves more at the end of the day. The frame geometry and single pivot design are both beautiful, functional (and some...) and bombproof. Seriously, if you want a bike that can climb like any trail bike and descend like a straight downhill rig. it also pops like no other!

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   z's, sweetness, berms, magic carpet

    Duration Product Used:   6 months

    Price Paid:    $1800.00

    Purchased At:   Robinson Wheel Works

    Bike Setup:   lime green heckler, fox van r coil shock, fox 36 van fit rlc, blk mrkt 50mm stem and 750mm bars, straitline pedals, shimano deore cranks, deity dh saddle and seatpost, fsa orbit headset, elixir cr's w/ 185mm rotors front and rear, azonic outlaws, e13 lg1 chainguide with 34T mrp chainring, sram xo dh drivetrain, maxxis minion dh r's 2.5"

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Metheguyonabike a Weekend Warrior from San Diego

    Date Reviewed: December 31, 2011

    Strengths:    Throughout the history of this frame it has been worked, re-worked, and worked over again. What does this mean? It means that the Heckler is a well thought-out piece of art that has no flaws.

    Weaknesses:    Truvativ Stylo stem.

    Bottom Line:   
    This bike goes to show that single pivot designs (when done right) is still relevant in mountain biking. Sure, there's a teeny tiny bit of bob when climbing trails, but it's hardly noticable if at all. By no means is this a deal breaker. Maybe it's just me because I run about 20% sag. I replaced the stem it came with, however. I bent it doing a drop. I stuck an Easton Haven stem in its place. Oh yeah, the shock and fork are spot on and buttery smooth. They compliment each other perfectly. BUY THIS BIKE.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Tunnels

    Duration Product Used:   6 months

    Bike Setup:   R-AM build kit

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by dhabartrider11 a Weekend Warrior from Milton, Ontario, Canada

    Date Reviewed: November 25, 2011

    Strengths:    The frame is the strongest part of the bike.

    Weaknesses:    Sometimes parts, if your running a 160mm fork a high quality headset is a must, and winter...you will really hate this white crap.

    Bottom Line:   
    Five years ago i made my decision base on reviews from this site to go out and buy a heckler for myself, and i can tell its worth every penny. I've been riding the hell out of this bike for four years now on very rock terrain and its as good as the day i bought it. The reliability of single pivot over my friends dw link and vpp suspension allows you to never miss a day of riding. Coming from a 4.5" fs travel bike to the heckler has given me a ton of confidence in every aspect. I might move on to other bikes in the very distant future, but I'm keeping this bike for the rest of my life. NEVER FOR SALE!

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Hilton falls

    Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

    Price Paid:    $3000.00

    Purchased At:   Freewheel cycle

    Bike Setup:   x9 drive train, fox 36 talas, rp23, joplin, formula rx. size xl

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by FoyBoy326 a Weekend Warrior from Belmont, CA

    Date Reviewed: November 7, 2011

    Strengths:    Great handling
    Rock-solid downhill
    Decent climber
    Great looks


    Weaknesses:    None so far
    *non-weakness but warning: Frames run small


    Bottom Line:   
    My first full suspension bike and most valued material possession. Such a great bike: SC's smart placement of the pivot point cuts down on pedal bob- I was original concerned with the lack of pro-pedal on the Float R shock (considered upgrading to RP23)- but my concerns washed away after my first few rides.

    At 5'10.5, 170 lb, I was concerned with my choice to order the medium frame. While at times I feel like I wish I were stretched out a bit more on long climbs- this is the perfect size for a hopping and mashing around the whole mountain. Those with a less aggressive ride style in my similar "right on the line" status (according to SC sizing charts) would probably be more comfortable with the Large frame.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   Waterdog

    Duration Product Used:   1 Year

    Price Paid:    $2000.00

    Purchased At:   Summit Bicycle

    Bike Setup:   D-AM Build

    Overall Rating:5
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Lorn a Weekend Warrior from usa

    Date Reviewed: October 27, 2011

    Strengths:    strong, comfortable,

    Weaknesses:    none

    Bottom Line:   
    I bought the frame on line and then built the bike from there. This is the ultimate bike, the frame is light enough that it can be cross country or you can beef it up and go all mountain. I have a blast every time I ride this bike. It handles great, it takes abuse, it's just a fun bike.

    Expand full review >>

    Favorite Trail:   whatever im riding

    Duration Product Used:   2 Years

    Price Paid:    $850.00

    Purchased At:   bike junkie

    Similar Products Used:   trek session 77

    Bike Setup:   sram drive train(2x10), fox suspension, azonic wheels, ks950i seatpost

    Reviews 1 - 15 (286 Reviews Total) | Next 15

    Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

    27.5 wheels on new heckler

    Hello. Does anybody knows if you can put 27.5 wheels on the 2013 heckler. Bernardo
    Read More »

    ~'04 Heckler Front Triangle?

    My apologies for the spam - Broke my 04 heckler on the downtube by the pivot last summer. Don't have ...
    Read More »

    Swaping components from a 2004 Giant VT one to SC Heckler

    I have a well built 2004 Giant VTone but would like to move the components over to a 2004 Santa Cruz ...
    Read More »

    Need '05 SC Heckler Fork recommendation

    Just bought the Heckler Frame on Ebay and it's tough sledding thru' the huge variety of forks and th ...
    Read More »

    Cane Creek DB Air on Heckler?

    I am looking to replace my horrid Float r shock. I live in NJ and ride just about all terrains on my ...
    Read More »

    Read More »



     

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