Submitted by
Rob
a Weekend Warrior
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2006
Strengths: Rugged, Simple, Works
Weaknesses: Pedal bob
Bottom Line:
I keep looking at newer bikes and then I ride my Heckler. I can't imagine any of them being worth the price of the updgrade. I am sure a 5th element or Swinger rear shock would improve the rear suspension but this bike rocks.
Similar Products Used: No other full suspension bikes
Bike Setup: Fox Vanilla fork, Foc RC shock, Sun Rhyno-lite wheels, XT shifters.
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Submitted by
skull
a Weekend Warrior
from dartmouth nova scotia canada
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005
Strengths: simplicity and strength , single pivot with sealed bearings means low maintenance. this is no delicate frame set thats going to fold on you think long term use here. some people would argue that the hanger is a weakness but i have had so many hangers bend on me from minimal contact throwing the shifting to hell that i would argue it's a strength , just get a break away bolt.
Weaknesses: the rear end suffers from side to side flex to a certian degree.
Bottom Line:
this is the secound santa cruz heckler that i have owned the first one had no disk brake tab and a coil rear shock. i am pretty happy with my secound frame the last year of the old style. the air shock gives the bike a better ride , easyier to tune and adjust. one thing that i really like about this bike is it's ability to climb. short steep power climbing is what this bike was made to do. the bike has a short wheel base which makes it very nimble in the slower tight singletrack. also the frame is built tough enough to take some punishment yet at the same time function as an x-country bike. my bottom line is this a great product for rougher riding conditions like we have here on canadas east coast.
Similar Products Used: pro flex 857 and cannondale raven come closest, also giant nrs and ac
Bike Setup: got a 2002 80mm marathon on the front. fox air shock doing the work on the back. parts are race face , tittec, xtr and hayes in back and avid in front.
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Submitted by
Ojay
a Weekend Warrior
from Canyon Country, CA
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2005
Strengths: 4.25 inches of elegant simplicity out back. Zero maintenance single pivot, NO SQUEEKS, fairly light, versatility, quickness, LONGEVITY, cool old school "tribe" factor from other riders. It climbs like a monkey on crack and descends as well as your guts can take. Oh, and I recently discoverd that it does the jumps well too. I did 2 months of research in '99 before deciding on this bike...the reviews were nothing short of AWESOME. Thank you Santa Cruz!
Weaknesses: Not the most efficient rear suspension in terms of no-bob. However, the reality is that the inefficiencies of this design are so frikkin MINOR and mostly imperceptible to 95% of the mtb population that it doesnt matter. Take a look around at the rears of the newer bikes. You'll find a number of them looking curiously like the Heckler's (ie Cannondale).
Bottom Line:
A light do-it-all bike. Will last you forever as long as you dont throw it off a building. Virtually maintenance-free. I've been tempted to get a new bike out of pure consumerism but can't find any other real reason to fork up another 2+ grand for nothing majorly better. SC has taken the Heckler more towards the freeride side since this model but still retain its namesake's mission in life.
Strengths: Well priced, I bought mine used. Been burned on used frames but this one is a gem! Now in 2004, this bike still is one of the best all around bikes you can buy!! It can be built up as a freeride machine or a raging x country bike, I am impressed.
Weaknesses: I can't get mine light, I am possibly too cheap to spend big $$ on XTR, they all break the same. Mine weighs 37lbs, yeah... super heavy, However I have heard of people getting that sucker down to 27lbs, that blows me away.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike!!! As much as it weighs, I still do everything I did on my hardtail on the uphill(just not as fast), but I am able to go way, way, way faster on the downhill. This bike sticks to the trail very well. I had a Kona Stinky Deelux, so I know what a real DH bike feels like and this does a pretty good job of letting me go fast like I did with that bike. If I got a stiffer fork I think this bike would really be sweet...
Strengths: This is a great all around XC bike. I usually for XC riding and the handling and climbing are great. I have been looking into a Blur as my next bike because I like the SC so much.
Weaknesses: The main issue I have run across is the slight bob when climbing.
Bike Setup: Bought the frame seperate and built up using all XT/XTR components, Thompson seatpost, Easton bar, Bontrager Mustang rims, Michelin tires and Titec stem.
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Submitted by
Benjamin Haworth
a Cross Country Rider
from Blackburn, Lancashire, UK
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2001
Strengths: Never had to mess with it since day one. Best design for northern english terrain & conditions (mud & rocks!).
Weaknesses: No replaceable rear-hanger (buy a 'break-away' bolt and that's that solved!). Not for small light racers (mine = 26.5 lbs).
Bottom Line:
You can see my Heckler in action and the type of abuse ot has to put up with at our website:- http://benjaminhaworth.tripod.com
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR (squeaky & not mud-friendly), Trek Y (good URT design).
Bike Setup: Pace RC35 forks, XT, Mavic Freeride rims, Tioda 2.1's, 26" wide risers, flat DX pedals, and stuff. 18" model (me = 6'1").
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Submitted by
André Luiz Longarço
a Cross Country Rider
from São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2001
Strengths: A versatilidade do quadro é impressionante. Tanto no cross country, como no downhill moderado, a bike reage muito rápido e é extremamente resistente.
Weaknesses: Acho que a bike só deixou a desejar quando foi submetida a muita lama.
Bottom Line:
Estou montando uma Santa Cruz Bullit e espero que ela seja tão boa quanto a Heckler no downhill!
Strengths: Simple design, low maintenance, good looks, relatively light, very fast.
Weaknesses: A bit more lateral flex in the swingarm than I would prefer. Starting to rub some paint off the chainstays, maybe consider going with polished. Easton seat post.
Bottom Line:
Bought the bike last July. Never thought I'd own a red bike, especially after trying the color picker on the web site, but when I saw the bike I fell in love. Bright red with black components for the most part. I bought a large after much consideration, had tried a couple of medium Superlights and thought the top tube was too short (i don't like long stems). I'm 5'8" but have a long torso and short legs. The large fits me well. The bike came with a 2001 sid xc which is a more than adequate fork (in fact i swapped it out with a z2 on my hardtail) but i decided i wanted to try a different set up. I bought a psylo sl and set it up at 125mm. I also swapped out my 2.1 mythos for 2.25 kujos. The trails around my house are very rocky and even though i had used the mythos on my hardtail with great success the last two seasons, i started ripping knobbies off with the heckler after some fast descent through various rock gardens. The new set up took some getting used to. My Heckler weighed about 26lbs before i added the psylo and the tires so it was pretty quick and a very viable xc bike. the trade off is well worth it though because even though it takes me a little longer to get to the top, I haven't found a downhill section yet that i really need to use the brakes on. Just pick a line and let her rip. But the best part is that the steering hasn't suffered, in fact it may have improved. I'm considering dialing the psylo down to 100mm so it isn't so awkward on steep climbs but I want to try Nobel or Anderson with this set up first. Good luck.
Bottom line, this thing is unbelievable! It goes so fast its unreal. I was dropping a steep chute and started modulating the brakes and the bike yelled at me "Let me go!", i did and it just ate up everything. The way this bike takes my lard ass (238, 6'-4")up hills is amazing. I could never jump before, maybe because my dual crown was heavy, this bike with the psylo has me getting air like never before. Today i demolished the trail and even kicked ass on some hardtails...
Bike Setup: Sid blue frame, Fox vanilla R, Psylo, Avid mechanical discs
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Submitted by
Lincoln Jamrog
a Cross Country Rider
from Mammoth lakes, CA
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2000
Strengths: Burly frame, simple design, good value, excellent performance in a variety of conditions and terrain
Weaknesses: Chain/shifting gets wonky if you go through really gnarly stuff fast, I have dropped my chain and had it jam around the BB spindle, not fun to extract. a bit heavy. X kit cuts corners but thats why it's cheap!
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that when I got this bike I went faster than my friends instead of slower. Climbs excellently, and you can give it hell on the downs. I rode Mammoth Mtn for a month on this bike, every DH trail, every XC trail and had a blast. I am excited about it still and I have had it for 4 months. Rode Moab and went really fast over very gnarly stuff. I wanted a bike that I could still ride XC fast but also hurl over whatever I wanted(DH style), and not worry about breakage.Can't wait to go back East and ride the trails there on this rig. Rode today and still love it. Even though it has some crappy parts on it nothing has broken and I have given it what for! Z1 CR is a great fork too. Had a Judy on my old bike and it's no comparison. Caddillac smooooooth.
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2000
Strengths: Sturdy frame/swingarm. Well balanced suspension. Very precise handling on tight singletrack. Single pivot simplicity. Two bottle mounts. Excellent all-around bike.
Weaknesses: Top tube is a little shorter than I'm used to for the size (L) frame I ordered. Would like the peace-of-mind that comes with a replacable rear hanger. The bike didn't come with the wheel lacing Santa Cruz touts in their (on-line) brochure.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding this bike since April '00, and like it better with each ride. It climbs great and decends even better. I haven't had a single problem with any of the stock components. Does just about everything well. Well worth the wait to get one. Minor weaknesses aside, I would highly recommend taking a look at a Santa Cruz if your in the market for a dual suspension bike.
Similar Products Used: Test rode: Aeon Isis, Specialized FSR XC, Schwinn Rocket 88
Bike Setup: Box stock: Mostly Shimano Deore drivetrain (XT Rear), Avid 1.0 brakes, Fox Vanilla R shock (Rock Shox, Judy Race and flat bar options).
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Submitted by
Jeff Wilkins
a Weekend Warrior
from Calgary, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2000
Strengths: the frame is bomber, the rear shock is sweet, clibes like a hard tail of the same weight. SWEEEEEEEEET
Weaknesses: could have more room for a larger rear tire 2.0 tioga rubs undere hard loads. you can get chain suck with elevated stays.
Bottom Line:
This thing rips!! I was having trouble getting use to it, my first ride was in Moab Utah . . . but it realy sucks up the ruff. the stock psylo is a little soft for my weigth 200lb. The rear shock had the spring switched out for the stiffer one. all in all this is a great bike the ride is awsome. climbs great, decends even better!! 2000 is the last year for the 6160 series frame, if you are over 190lb get one while you still can. the 2001 heckler SL has the same frame as the super light with powder coat paint and coil shock. light but with a 1yr warrenty not 3yr like the 2000.
Similar Products Used: test rode. Specialized FSR, Kona King kik, GT idrive this is my first dual squish
Bike Setup: deore/lx drive terain, avid brakes, Rockshox Psylo xc, basic for now.
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Submitted by
Samurai
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2000
Strengths: Weight and design
Weaknesses: Not as good for climbing as the hardtail.
Bottom Line:
A plush ride that stays tight in the downhill. The climbs are not as easy, but the extra work pays off in the downhill and air assault. I would recommend this ride for anyone looking for a good XC Full-sus.
Bike Setup: Heckler w/chrome swingarm, SID XC, XT drivetrain, Thompson post, Race Face cranks
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Submitted by
Sambo
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, Texas
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2000
Strengths: Light, Excellent design, Well thought out, Solid and Smooth
Weaknesses: ??
Bottom Line:
This thing is incredible, no bob on climbs, rock solid throught the tight stuff, once I got the suspension dialed in it sucks up everything I've thrown it at (almost)...It came in at 24.4 lbs....We thought the scale must be off but verified it on another one. I'm glad I took Phil's advice and got this instead of the GF Sugar2, the Santa Cruz is cheaper, lighter and handles better...I LOVE IT!!!!
Bike Setup: Sid XC, Fox Float R, Santa Cruz superX kit...changed out stem & post for Thompson
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Submitted by
Miek
a Cross Country Rider
from Sandy, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2000
Strengths: Strong climber, Upgrading to Float RC adds lock out for those bad climbs. Great downhills! Plenty of travel on both ends, and very stiff laterally.
Weaknesses: I love the cosmetics, but a clear coat over the decals so they don't rip off after your first crash... I know, I know..big deal...:)
Bottom Line:
This bike is plain and simple the best you can get for the money. With my bike setup, I came in at 27.5 lbs, which is heavier than some, but coming from an old cro-moly Specalized, it's as light as a feather. If you want it lighter, go with the Superlight. The geometry is great. I feel more powerful on the uphills, and more stable on the downhills. If your beginning, or an advanced rider, you will love this bike. If biking is something you really love, and if you need a great cross country bike, but can't afford the Superlight, get one of these! Its the design that makes the bike. And its the same for all of them. 10 flamin turds!
Bike Setup: LX Bontrager wheels (radial lace), LX HollowTech Crank, everything else XT. 2001 Judy SL, Fox Float RC, everything else is out of Santa Cruz'z X-Kit
I just had a few quick questions on this bike. Are all the shifters grip shifters and do they work good? Also, anything else I should look out for on this bike? The reviews on this Read More »
